WSU is not an SEC or Big Ten school which means the number of athletes that springboard from WSU to the professional ranks earn a special place in the hearts of Cougs everywhere.

However, with many WSU programs experiencing a renaissance of sorts with high levels of success and suburb student-athletes, it is an exciting time to be an NFL, NBA, MLB, NWSL and sports in general!

First some quick facts:

There are 11 Cougs on NFL rosters after week nine of the season. Eight are actively on the roster while three are on practice squads.

There are two Cougars on NBA rosters and two in the NBA G League. Worldwide, there are 16 former Cougs playing professional basketball.

Abraham Lucas, the Seahawks’ third-round draft pick is excelling in his home state of Washington. Through eight games in the NFL, Lucas has only allowed four sacks, tied for the ninth-best sacks-allowed stat

River Cracraft scored his first two career touchdowns in back-to-back weeks and earned himself a spot on the Miami Dolphins roster.

Miami head coach Mike McDaniel seems to appreciate former WSU wide receivers as on Oct. 25, Calvin Jackson Jr. joined his father’s old NFL team after being cut by their AFC East rival New York Jets in the preseason.

Jaylen Watson impressed the entire NFL world with his dynamic pick-six of former Oregon and current Chargers QB Justin Herbert on Thursday Night Football. Nine weeks into the NFL season, Watson has 24 tackles and five passes defended. His pick-six is his lone career NFL interception but it is already a highlight-worthy play that Coug and Chiefs fans will remember for a while.

Klay Thompson continues to impress following his return to injury. After he and the Golden State Warriors captured their fourth NBA Championship, Thompson averaged 15.1 points per game, hitting 36 % of his shots and over 32 % of his three-pointers as of Tuesday.

Robert Franks is not on an NBA roster but his team, the Adelaide 36ers, did become the first-ever international team to beat an NBA team. The feat occurred on Oct. 3 when Franks and the 36ers beat Chris Paul and the Phoenix Suns in an exhibition game.

CJ Elleby started his career on NBA rosters but finds himself playing in the G Leauge. Efe Abogidi chose the G Leauge over finishing college and is so far lighting the league up scoring 17 points in the first quarter of a game on Friday.

For the past five years, WSU soccer under the leadership of Todd Shulenber, the winningest coach in program history, has been a pipeline for professional soccer talent.

In 2022, five out of the six NWSL playoff teams had at least one Coug on their roster with a total of six Cougs in the playoffs.

The championship was a meeting of the KC Current’s Elyse Bennett and the Portland Thorns Morgan Weaver, two of the greatest players in WSU soccer history.

Weaver and her Thorns took the crown leading to this iconic moment.

Who knows what our pro Cougs may do next?! Go Cougs!