There are 15 rs who began their careers as undrafted free agents. So did the hero of the ' XLIX win over the . Obviously, expecting a UDFA to become a r is a little much; frankly, so is expecting heroics. Neverthele s, that opportunity exists for those with NFL teams. As cornerback/ hero has proved, taking a chance on a player can pay off. truly made their opportunities count. The 15: cornerback Willie Brown, cornerback Jack Butler, center Frank Gatski, kicker/offensive tackle Lou Groza, cornerback Dick "Night Train" Lane, center Jim Langer, guard Larry Little, quarterback Warren Moon, running back Marion Motley, running back Joe Perry, defensive tackle John Randle, cornerback Emmitt Thomas, defensive back Emlen Tunnell, nose tackle Bill Willis and cornerback Willie Wood. Butler wasn't the only one-time UDFA to make a mark in the . While he wasn't a starter for the , New England did start five players in the who began their careers as free agents: punter , cornerback , cornerback and guards and . The started seven: wide receiver , defensive end , kicker , wide receivers , wide receiver , defensive tackle and punter . And here's a look at some prominent current players who began their careers as undrafted free agents. RB : He played college ball at Tenne see and signed with the in 2009. Foster is a four-time er who led the NFL in rushing in 2010 with 1,616 yards. He has had four 1,000-yard seasons, including 1,246 yards in 2014. TE : He played college basketball at Kent State, and the thought he had NFL potential when they signed him in 2003. That was a nice move by the . He is a three-time All-Pro selection and an eight-time er. He has 788 career receptions and 10,014 receiving Trey Burton Jersey yards. Gates also has 99 career TD receptions, the most among active players and a figure that ranks ninth in NFL history. He had 12 TD catches in 2014, the second-highest single-season figure in his career. CB : He played collegiately at Division II Shippensburg (Pa.). Grimes signed in 2006 with the but was cut during training camp; he later was re-signed by the and played in NFL Europe in 2007. He made the ' roster that fall and has been in the NFL since. Grimes made one appearance with the , and has been to each of the past two as a member of the . He has 22 career interceptions. OLB : He played collegiately at Kent State. He signed with the in 2002. Harrison -- who turns 37 on Monday -- is a two-time All-Pro selection, a five-time er and the 2008 A sociated Pre s Defensive Player of the Year. He has 71.5 career sacks. QB : He played collegiately at FCS member Eastern Illinois. He signed with the in 2003 and remains with the team. He is a four-time er who holds the ' franchise record for TD pa ses with 242. He is 75-48 as a starter in his NFL career. The were one of three teams in 2014 whose main starting quarterback began his career as a free agent; the others were the () and (both and were UDFAs and each started eight games last season). DE : He played college ball at Penn State, as a linebacker named Derek Wake (his full name is Derek ). He signed with the in 2005, but they cut him and he didn't play pro football until 2007 -- in the CFL, as . Wake signed with Miami in 2009 and has been one of the ' best players ever since. He has been an All-Pro and also is a four-time er. He has had three seasons with at least 11.5 sacks, including 2014. Among players of recent vintage who began as undrafted free agents were linebacker London Fletcher, running back Priest Holmes, center Jeff Saturday, wide receiver Rod Smith, quarterback Kurt Warner and wide receiver . Mike Huguenin can be reached at mike.huguenin@nfl.com. You also can follow him on Twitter . William Perry Jersey