25 UNI Panther Athletes That Went Pro

The UNI Panthers constantly rank among the countries best in mid-major athletic programs. They have consistently developed small-town kids into some of the best in the world at their respective sports.

Whether it's via the weight room, technical pieces of a given sport, or making them realize their full potential mentally, UNI Athletics has a way of producing professional athletes. Here are just a few of those names:

I've covered UNI Athletics since the fall of 2017. Having seen some of these athletes in person, it's easy to tell why they went on to play professionally. While Northern Iowa isn't a pipeline to playing professionally like playing for Kentucky Wildcats basketball, Alabama Crimson Tide Football, or running track for the Oregon Ducks, competing for the Panthers provides a huge opportunity.

So many young men come to Cedar Falls to join the football squad each and every year and quickly gain so much size and weight via the lifting program they leave as completely different men. Brown and Howard from this list came to UNI Football as tight ends and left as professional-level offensive linemen. Briley Moore came in as a wide receiver and left as an NFL tight end. This school makes great people and athletes out of the potential they see in them.

Other teams and bigger schools can overlook the Panthers all they want, but UNI has the receipts. They develop top-tier athletes each and every year. We can't forget about UNI wrestling, volleyball, swimming and diving, softball, etc., as their work is also consistently among the best.

Northern Iowa may not be the first choice of athletes across the country, but each program at this school provides an opportunity to be great.