Mesa Memories: T-Birds who took to the NFL

There has actually been 24 former T-Birds who have played in the NFL. The total number of seasons those 24 have played, 57, is quite a bit shorter than in baseball, but a lot of that is due to the fact that football careers are usually shorter as well.

Two former Mesa football players had seven-year careers in the NFL. Wide receiver Larry Brunson split his time among the Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders and Denver Broncos from 1974-80. Meanwhile, Deuce Lutui spent most of his career right here in the Valley, playing from 2006-11 with the Arizona Cardinals before completing his time in the league with the Tennessee Titans. Lutui was on the Cardinals team who went to the Super Bowl against the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2009.

Close behind in NFL service is MCC alumni, Damarious Randall, who played six seasons in the NFL. The No. 1 draft pick of the Green Bay Packers in 2015, Randall played three seasons in Green Bay before moving to Cleveland for two seasons. Randall spent his final season as a member of the Seattle Seahawks in the 2020 season. He saw lots of action in the playoffs for Green Bay in 2015 and 2016, including a 78-year return of an interception in the Wild Card game win over the New York Giants.

Local FOX Sports Phoenix radio personality Dan Manucci saw post season action in his three years with the Buffalo Bills. In 1980 he attempted one pass in the Bills' Division Game loss to San Diego.

Another who has seen post-season action is linebacker Ray Wells. He played in two games of the 2003 playoffs with Tennessee.