Wow...I never knew this

[jetsrule128]

Matt Hasselbeck remembers it all too well. It was 1998 and the wide-eyed, sixth-round draft pick out of Boston College was with the Green Bay Packers when, during the team photo shoot, he and the four other players on the practice squad were instructed to stand behind the photographer. "That was somewhat of a pretty humiliating experience," Hasselbeck recalled with a smile last year. From those small beginnings grew a two-time Pro Bowl quarterback, one who led Seattle to Super Bowl XL after the 2005 season and is now regarded as one of the five or 10 best at his position in the league. Hasselbeck is one of a number of practice squad graduates to find great success in the NFL. Here are nine others:

Marc Bulger: St. Louis' starting quarterback and two-time Pro Bowler (including MVP of the 2004 game) played on practice squads for the Rams and Atlanta Falcons in 2000 after being drafted in the sixth round out of West Virginia.

Jake Delhomme: The 2005 Pro Bowl quarterback with Carolina (currently injured) spent his first season on New Orleans' practice squad in 1997 after going undrafted out of Louisiana- Lafayette.

Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila: Green Bay's explosive defensive end and 2003 Pro Bowler started on the Packers' practice squad in 2000 after being drafted in the fifth round out of San Diego State.

Rod Smith: The three-time Pro Bowl receiver, who's in his 13th season with Denver (he's out for the year with an injury) and is 12th in the NFL in career catches, started on the Broncos' practice squad in '94 after going undrafted out of Missouri Southern State.

Keenan McCardell: The two-time Pro Bowl receiver, who's in his 16th NFL season and eighth on the all-time receptions list, played for the Cleveland and Chicago practice squads in '92 and '93 after being drafted in the 12th round out of UNLV. He currently plays for the Redskins.

Tony Richardson: In his 13th season, the three-time Pro Bowl fullback started on the Dallas practice squad in 1994 after going undrafted out of Auburn. He currently is with the Vikings.

Michael Sinclair: The three-time Pro Bowl defensive end, who retired in 2002 after 11 NFL seasons, played for Seattle's 1991 practice squad after being drafted in the sixth round out of Eastern New Mexico.

Jeff Christy: The three-time Pro Bowl center, who retired in 2002 after 10 seasons, played for Minnesota's practice squad after going undrafted out of Pittsburgh in 1993.

Ed McDaniel: The 1998 Pro Bowl linebacker, who retired in 2001 after nine seasons, played for Minnesota's practice squad briefly after being drafted in the fifth round out of Clemson in 1992.

Other notable practice squad grads, past and present: QB Jon Kitna, QB Kelly Holcomb, DE Paul Spicer, WR Leslie Shepherd, QB Jay Fiedler, WR/KR Michael Lewis, G Stephen Neal, S Marquez Pope, QB Alex Van Pelt, K Olindo Mare, DT Chad Eaton, FB Bob Christian, DT Ryan Boschetti, DT Lorenzo Alexander, WR/KR Bill Schroeder, DT Chuck Darby.