Washington Huskies: 30 greatest football players of all-time

SEATTLE, WA - NOVEMBER 19: A general view prior to the game between the Washington Huskies and the Arizona State Sun Devils on November 19, 2016 at Husky Stadium in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WA - NOVEMBER 19: A general view prior to the game between the Washington Huskies and the Arizona State Sun Devils on November 19, 2016 at Husky Stadium in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)
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Dante Pettis, Washington Huskies
(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

A native of San Clemente, California, Dante Pettis arrived at the University of Washington by way of JSerra Catholic High School. Playing as a true freshman back in 2014, Pettis would go on to establish himself as one of the more explosive players in program history.

During his time at Washington, Pettis began his career as a return man, but seemed to get better every season as a wide receiver as well. In fact, he currently holds the NCAA career record for punt returns for a touchdown, as he finished his career with a final tally of nine punts returned for six.

An absolute speed demon, Pettis would join elite company during the 2017 college football season, as he became one of only 23 Huskies to be named a consensus All-American. A First-Team All-Pac 12 players that same year, Pettis would play so well at the college level that the San Francisco 49ers would make him their second-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, the 44th player selected overall.

The Pettis family is no stranger to professional sports, as Dante’s father, Gary Pettis, was a former Major League Baseball player for many years. This former high school track star would go on to be one of the best wide receivers in Washington history. Now that he is finally finding his groove in the NFL, he could turn out to be a Pro Bowl player at the next level.