30 days, 30 legends: Nos. 10-6

We are almost through July, which means we are nearly finished releasing our list of the top 30 WVU Football players of all time. If you have been following along on social media, you are in the loop and have hopefully weighed in. If not, here are the next five players on the list: No. 10: Bruce Bosley, No. 9: Marc Bulger, No. 8: Chuck Howley, No. 7: Geno Smith, No. 6: Steve Slaton. Not everyone agrees, but that is the point. Stay tuned in and follow along, and I will recap the list as we go, with a full recap at the conclusion. Read more: 30 days, 30 legends: Nos. 10-6.

List so far

No. 30: Anthony Becht
No. 29: David Sills V
No. 28: Zach Frazier
No. 27: Canute Curtis
No. 26: Grant Wiley
No. 25: Dan Mozes
No. 24: Chris Henry
No. 23: Gary Stills
No. 22: Owen Schmitt
No. 21: Will Grier
No. 20: Karl Joseph
No. 19: Aaron Beasley
No. 18: Amos Zereoué
No. 17: Avon Cobourne
No. 16: Pat McAfee
No. 15: Jeff Hostetler
No. 14: Bruce Irvin
No. 13: Adam “Pacman” Jones
No. 12: Noel Devine
N0. 11: Stedman Bailey

No. 10: Bruce Bosley

Bruce Bosley remains one of the most decorated players in WVU history, and his No. 77 is one of seven retired numbers in program history. He is also one of 13 consensus All-Americans, earning the honor in 1955. A native of Green Bank, West Virginia, he was a two-way tackle from 1952-55. He was inducted into the WVU Sports Hall of Fame in 1992, and into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1982.

The San Francisco 49ers drafted Bosley in the second round (15th pick) of the 1956 NFL Draft. He played his entire rookie season at defensive end, but switched to offensive line, specifically left guard, in 1957. In 1962, he switched to center, where he played for the rest of his career. He was a four-time Pro Bowler in his 14-year career.

No. 9: Marc Bulger

Marc Bulger was a three-year starter from 1996-99 and is one of the greatest quarterbacks in Mountaineer history. He finished his career holding numerous school records, including career total offense (7,827 yards), completions, attempts, touchdown passes (59), and completion percentage. He still owns the record for most passing touchdowns (6) in the Backyard Brawl in 1998. Bulger was inducted into the WVU Sports Hall of Fame in 2010.

Bulger was drafted in the sixth round (168th overall) of the 2000 NFL Draft by the New Orleans Saints. After very brief stints with the Saints and Falcons, the Rams signed Bulger to the practice squad in the 2000 season. He earned his first start in 2002 and started 95 of 96 games through the 2009 season.

No. 8: Chuck Howley

Chuck Howley was one of the best athletes to ever play at WVU. He was a two-player, starting at guard and center on offense, and linebacker on defense from 1955-57. His No. 66 is also retired at WVU and is the only athlete in school history to letter in five sports: football, wrestling, track, gymnastics, and swimming. He was inducted into the WVU Sports Hall of Fame in 1991.

Howley was drafted by the Chicago Bears seventh overall in the 1958 NFL Draft. He retired after two seasons after suffering a knee injury, but it did not last long. He returned in 1961 after the Bears traded his rights to the Dallas Cowboys. Howley went on to become the first and only player from the losing team to win Super Bowl MVP at Super Bowl V. The Cowboys won Super Bowl VI in the following season.

Howley had 25 interceptions in his career, returning two for touchdowns. He was a six-time Pro Bowler and a five-time first-team All-Pro. He was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 2023, and into the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor in 1977.

No. 7: Geno Smith

Geno Smith owns many WVU career records, including passing touchdowns (98), passing yards (11,662), completions (988), attempts (1,465), and total offense (12,003). He owns many more career, season, and game records. He threw eight touchdowns against Baylor in 2012, adding 656 passing yards on 45 completions, both game records at WVU. Smith was inducted into the WVU Sports Hall of Fame in 2022.

Smith was drafted in the second round (39th overall) by the New York Jets in the 2013 NFL Draft. He spent time with the Giants, Chargers, Seahawks, and Raiders before returning to the Jets before the 2026 season. He won NFL Comeback Player of the Year in 2022 and is a two-time Pro Bowler.

No. 6: Steve Slaton

Steve Slaton burst onto the scene as a true freshman in 2005, running for 1,128 yards and 17 touchdowns and earning Big East Rookie of the Year honors. He still owns career records for rushing touchdowns (50), total touchdowns (55), and total points by a non-kicker (330). Slaton ran for 3,923 yards in his career, including three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. He added 805 receiving yards and 5 touchdowns through the air. Slaton and Pat White became the third duo in FBS history to rush for 1,000 yards in consecutive seasons. Slaton also owns the single-season record for rushing yards with 1,744 yards. He earned consensus All-American honors in that 2006 season. He was inducted into the WVU Sports Hall of Fame in 2018 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2025.

Slaton was drafted in the third round (89th overall) in the 2008 NFL Draft by the Houston Texans. He ran for 1,282 yards and nine touchdowns in his rookie season. He played four seasons in the NFL and one season in the CFL.

How to follow along

You can also weigh in each day in the comments on our socials. Here is a list of our socials and where you can find us:

Tap in with our socials. Follow and engage with the posts to give us your opinions. We want feedback from the people who make WVU Football possible: the fans. Download the WV Sports Nation app, and follow along by reading our coverage of WVU Athletics throughout July and into the future. Stay tuned in and turn on notifications so you don’t miss a single ranking. The history of WVU Football was built one great player at a time. This is their month.

Author

Trent Conner

Trent Conner is a skilled writer with years of experience covering various sports. Based in West Virginia, he provides insightful analysis and expert predictions, with a focus on West Virginia University athletics. Trent stays on top of the latest trends and is passionate about delivering engaging and informative sports content.

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