Louisville football: The 50 greatest Cardinals of all time

No player ever made an impact more quickly and profoundly at Louisville than wide receiver Deion Branch.

The 5-foot-9, 200-pound Branch, an Albany, Georgia native, attended a Mississippi Junior College for two seasons before breaking onto the scene in 2000 and 2001 for John L. Smith and the Cardinals.

Though he only played in Louisville for two years, Branch recorded 2,204 receiving yards and sits at No. 9 on the all-time Louisville football receiving yards list. To put things into perspective, only one other player (Mario Urrutia) ranks among the top 10 Louisville receivers of all time after playing less than four seasons.

In his two seasons, Branch was playing at a pace to shatter every receiving record there was at Louisville had he played all four seasons. He was a real problem for opposing defenses teaming up with Louisville great Dave Ragone to form one of the most dangerous duos in the country.

Branch earned first-team all-conference honors during both of his seasons with the Cards, guiding them to back-to-back Liberty Bowl appearances.

After his collegiate career, Branch was selected by the New England Patriots in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He spent seven years of his 12 years in the league with the Patriots, winning two Super Bowls and earning the Super Bowl XXXIX MVP Award.

Today, Branch still visits Louisville often. His down-to-earth personality and good-natured sense of humor make him a must-listen every time he speaks. He is still an excellent ambassador for the university that helped put him on the map.