Louisville football: The 50 greatest Cardinals of all time

When you think of historically great defensive playmakers at Louisville, you cannot make a list of all-time greats without including Calvin Pryor.

One of the hardest hitting safeties you will ever see, Pryor was a human missile for some excellent Charlie Strong defenses in the Big East, and later, the AAC.

There are a number of plays that come to mind immediately when hearing Pryor’s name. They all either involve him laying some serious wood or making a ridiculous play to break up or intercept a pass. He only started for two years for the Cardinals, but still managed to record 215 career tackles, nine passes defended and seven interceptions.

His play led to Pryor earning First-Team All-AAC in his final season and Second-Team All-Big East in his sophomore campaign.

Pryor developed a reputation for being a must-see safety for football junkies and worked his way up to the No. 18 overall pick in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft.

In the league, Pryor developed a similar reputation to his college days, starting right away for the New York Jets and earing numerous all-rookie honors.

Injuries and team chemistry issues ultimately were Pryor’s demise, but at his peak, he was one of the greatest defensive backs in Louisville football history. He was a force to be reckoned with in the NFL.