History UsefulNotes / NFLDefensiveAndSpecialTeamsPlayers

* '''Tom Brookshier''' was a cornerback who played for the Philadelphia Eagles in 1953 and from 1956-1961 (missing the 1954 and 1955 seasons while serving in the U.S. Air Force). Taken with the 117th pick in the 10th round out of Colorado[[note]]one of his teammates was Jack Swigert, later an astronaut on the ill-fated Apollo 13 mission that inspired the [[Film/Apollo13 1995 film of the same name]] and later being elected to Congress in 1982 representing a newly-created 6th district in Colorado, though Swigert would die from cancer before taking office[[/note]]; Brookshier had a solid career, finishing with 20 interceptions and 8 fumble recoveries while contributing to the Eagles' 1960 NFL championship team before a compound fracture of his leg ended his career the following year[[note]]Brookshier is one of only nine Eagles players whose number is officially retired[[/note]]; upon which he became a sportscaster for the then Creator/{{CBS}} owned WCAU-TV 10[[note]]now owned by Creator/{{NBC}}[[/note]] before CBS hired him to cover Eagles games beginning in 1965 (until 1968; CBS used dedicated team broadcast crews) while in the early 1970s Brookshier began co-hosting the NFL Films produced series ''This Week in Pro Football'' alongside CBS colleague Pat Summerall. CBS took note of how well the two worked together, as by mid-1974 Summerall (then the lead color commentator alongside Jack Buck following Buck replacing Ray Scott) was moved from color commentary to play-by-play while Brookshier was promoted to lead analyst. The duo would remain CBS' lead NFL crew until 1980, including calling Super Bowls X, XII and XIV while even cameoing in [[TheFilmOfTheBook the film version of]] ''[[Literature/BlackSunday Black Sunday]]'' which was partly shot during Super Bowl X. Unfortunately; both Brookshier and Summerall were heavy drinkers during this time, and that - coupled with poorly-received reviews for their work in Super Bowl XIV [[note]]Brookshier would later admit to his lack of preparation, saying that "A few hours before the game, I suddenly realized that I didn't have a single intelligent thing to say about either team."[[/note]] - led to CBS promoting recently-retired Oakland Raiders head coach John Madden to lead analyst in 1981 while Brookshier was moved to play-by-play on a mid-level crew. Brookshier would remain with CBS until 1987 despite a controversy during a game late in the 1983 season where Brookshier, reading a promo for a college basketball game between Louisville and North Carolina State, joked that Louisville's starting five - all of whom were black - "had a collective I.Q. of about 40"; resulting in CBS suspending Brookshier for the remainder of the 1983 season, though Brookshier's apology was accepted (to where Louisville invited him to be the featured speaker at the school's football luncheon the following August). After leaving CBS, Brookshier became the morning host of a Philadelphia sports radio station beginning in 1989 before gradually winding his career down. Brookshier died from cancer in 2010 at the age of 78.

* '''Aaron Donald''' is a DT for the Los Angeles Rams. Significantly undersized for the position (listed "officially" at 6'1", 282 lb), he received little NFL attention in college at Pitt despite a dominant career. That all changed when he put up one of the greatest Senior Bowl performances ever, destroying opposing o-linemen from every level of the sport. He followed it up with a monster Combine performance that propelled him into high 1st round consideration. Since the Rams drafted him #13 overall in 2014, he has rewarded them by being arguably the most dominant defender in the league, putting up Pro Bowl performances every season of his career. His strength, skill, and size allowing him to both slip around and power through o-lines even when double- or triple-teamed. Donald won Defensive Rookie of the Year, then Defensive Player of the Year thrice in 2017, 2018, and 2020, and he was a critical part of the team's Super Bowl LVI victory, after which the Rams made him the then-highest paid non-QB in the NFL to keep the guaranteed first-ballot Hall of Famer from an early retirement. He currently ranks second in career sacks by a DT behind only John Randle.

For those on the other side of the ball, see UsefulNotes/NationalFootballLeagueQuarterbacks and UsefulNotes/NFLOffensivePlayers for those at other positions. For coaches, commissioners, broadcasters, owners, and other key figures whose greatest contributions to the NFL came while not wearing pads, see UsefulNotes/NationalFootballLeagueNonPlayerFigures. For players better known for controversy or for on-field disappointment, as well as coaches and executives better known for the same in their respective roles, see UsefulNotes/NationalFootballLeagueNotoriousFigures. The names of players and coaches who were part of the NFL but are better known for their college accomplishments can be found at UsefulNotes/CollegiateAmericanFootballNamesToKnow.

* '''Bobby Wagner''' was a key component of the Seattle Seahawks' Legion of Boom. A second round pick in 2012 out of Utah State, the cerebral player contributed to the team's Super Bowl XLVIII win and served as an important locker room leader. Despite earning a Pro Bowl nod every year since 2014, Wagner was cut after 2021, signed with the Rams, and returned to Seattle a year later, leading the NFL in tackles for a third time.

* '''Bruce Irvin''' is a linebacker currently playing for the Miami Dolphins. Drafted as a first round pick by the Seattle Seahawks out of WVU in 2012, he was part of the team that won Seattle its first Super Bowl in 2013, in only his second season. More embarrassingly, he became the the very first player to be ejected from a Super Bowl the following year for instigating a brawl near the end of the game by rushing some players from the game's victor's the New England Patriots. After leaving the Seahawks in 2016, he spent three seasons with the Oakland Raiders before bouncing around various other teams, including two brief returns to Seattle, before joining the Dolphins in 2024.

* '''Bruce Irvin'' is a linebacker currently playing for the Miami Dolphins. Drafted as a first round pick by the Seattle Seahawks out of WVU in 2012, he was part of the team that won Seattle its first Super Bowl in 2013, in only his second season. More embarrassingly, he became the the very first player to be ejected from a Super Bowl the following year for instigating a brawl near the end of the game by rushing some players from the game's victor's the New England Patriots. After leaving the Seahawks in 2016, he spent three seasons with the Oakland Raiders before bouncing around various other teams, including two brief returns to Seattle, before joining the Dolphins in 2024.

* '''Andy Russell''' spent his entire career with the Pittsburgh Steelers, who drafted him in the sixteenth round in 1963 out of Missouri. After taking three years off for a ROTC commitment, he returned to the Steelers and became a major piece in their run of success as he went to seven Pro Bowls, helped win two Super Bowls, and had a key fumble recovery in the 1975 AFC Divisonal game. He retired in 1976. Despite his accolades and enshrinement in the Steelers' Hall of Honor, he has yet to be enshrined in Canton.

* '''Matthew Slater''' was a special teams ace for the Patriots for [[LongRunner 16 seasons]] (2008-23), having been part of their three Super Bowl wins during the 2010s. Slater typically played in all four phases of special teams (kickoff coverage, kickoff return blocking, punt coverage, and punt return blocking) and earned ten Pro Bowl nods (a record for a pure special teams player). Matthew, a UCLA product, is the son of Hall of Fame Rams OT Jackie Slater (see the "NFL Offensive Players" page).

* '''Matthew Slater''' is a special teams ace for the Patriots, having been part of their three Super Bowl wins during the 2010s. Slater typically plays in all four phases of special teams (kickoff coverage, kickoff return blocking, punt coverage, and punt return blocking) and has earned ten Pro Bowl nods in his career (a record for a pure special teams player). Matthew, a UCLA product, is the son of Hall of Fame Rams OT Jackie Slater (see the "NFL Offensive Players" page).

* '''Gene Brito''' was a 17th round pick by Washington in 1951 out of Loyola Marymount. A paratrooper in the U.S. Army who fought in the Pacific theater of WWII, his military service caused him to enter the NFL as a 25-year-old rookie, playing as an end on offense for two seasons before he was moved to DE and earned his first Pro Bowl. A contract dispute led to him spending 1954 in the CFL, but he returned to Washington a year later and became their most prominent star in an era where the team struggled. He never missed a game in Washington and notched four more Pro Bowls, becoming one of the team's most popular players before he was traded to the Rams in '59. Sadly, Brito's career ended two years later when he was diagnosed with ALS, which he succumbed to in 1965 at 39 years old. He was posthumously added to Washington's Ring of Fame.

* '''L.P. Ladouceur''' was a long snapper who holds the record for the most NFL games played by a Canadian, playing all 253 games with the Dallas Cowboys, who employed the undrafted Cal grad [[LongRunner from 200520]]; he fell just two games behind Jason Witten for the longest-tenured player in franchise history.

* '''Willie Brown''' was a first-ballot Hall of Fame CB who most famously played for the Oakland Raiders. After initially going undrafted out of the HBCU Grambling State, Brown managed to get signed to the Denver Broncos, where he worked his way into a starting position in his 1963 rookie season. Brown played for the Broncos for four seasons and the Raiders for twelve. He is most famous for his [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjKwZOFoG5M iconic interception and touchdown]] in Super Bowl XI, which was the longest return for a TD in the Big Game's history for nearly three decades. Scored at the twilight of his career, NFL Films captured the perfect heroic angle of "Old Man Willie" sprinting towards the camera--that piece of film likely inspired more kids of the '70s and '80s to play football than any other single shot. Brown passed away in 2019.

* '''Desmond Howard''' is the only special teams player to win Super Bowl MVP. After an electric Heisman-winning career at Michigan, Howard was drafted #4 overall by Washington in 1992 as a wide receiver and return specialist. After three years in Washington and one in Jacksonville, he moved to the Green Bay Packers in 1996, where he was moved almost entirely off of receiver, where he had been generally unremarkable, to focus on returns. That season was potentially the best ever seen at the return position--Howard set a dominant single-season record for punt return yards (875, which remains nearly 200 yards ahead of the runner-up) and capped it off with a 99-yard kick return TD in the Super Bowl that sealed the win for the Packers and won him the aforementioned MVP. Howard signed with Oakland the next season, returned to Green Bay in '99 before being cut midseason for declining performance, and spent the rest of his career in Detroit before retiring in 2002. He currently serves as a co-host of ''ESPN College Gameday''.

* '''Billy "White Shoes" Johnson''' was a kick return specialist and receiver who played 14 non-consecutive seasons in the NFL, most famously with the '70s Houston Oilers, who selected him in the fifteenth round of the 1974 Draft out of Division III Widener. Johnson is widely credited with popularizing the touchdown celebration (most famously with his "Funky Chicken" dance). He is the only member of the 75th Anniversary team that is not enshrined in Canton--[[NoRespectGuy such is the way of the return specialist]]--but does at least have a spot in the Titans Ring of Honor.

* '''L.P. Ladouceur''' was a long snapper who holds the record for the most NFL games played by a Canadian, playing all 253 games with the Dallas Cowboys, who employed the undrafted Cal grad [[LongRunner from 2005-20]]; he fell just two games behind Jason Witten for the longest tenured player in franchise history.
* '''Michael Lewis''' had one of the most unique paths to the NFL in the modern era. A New Orleans area native, Lewis quite playing football in his freshman year of high school in order to work to support his family and child. He did not go to college, instead working as a Budweiser truck driver out of high school. However, he returned to football as a hobby in his early 20s, first playing rec-league flag football before eventually getting opportunities in semi-pro and arena leagues. "The Beer Man's" breakout performances eventually earned him NFL attention, and he eventually landed a spot on the roster for his hometown New Orleans Saints, becoming an NFL rookie in 2000 at 30 years old. Lewis quickly became an EnsembleDarkhorse and proved he was more than just a fun story when he led the NFL in kickoff and punt return yards in '02, earning All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors, and set the standing career franchise records for punt and kick return yards. He retired after spending '07 with the Niners and took a position as the Saints' team ambassador, a role he still holds; he was given an honorary ring after the team's Super Bowl victory.

* '''Damar Hamlin''' was drafted in the sixth round by the Buffalo Bills out of Pittsburgh in 2021. The safety was emerging as a solid role player in his second season when he suddenly gained national fame for a much more tragic reason. During a nationally televised Monday night game in Cincinnati late in the season, Hamlin went into cardiac arrest on the field shortly after getting up from a routine tackle and remained in a medically induced coma for several days. While Hamlin would recover at an astonishing pace -- with the quick intervention of medical personnel and the proximity of the local hospital likely being major factors in saving his life and neural functions -- his highly visible brush with death deeply shook the football community and led to the Bills-Bengals game being the first NFL game since the last player strike in the 1980s to be fully cancelled and the only one ''ever'' to be cancelled after starting play.

* '''Ed Reed''' was a free safety who played primarily with the Baltimore Ravens, who drafted him in the first round out of Miami in 2002. Reed was best known for his ability to read most quarterbacks like a book due to spending [[GeniusBruiser countless hours studying film]] (a common saying associated with him was that "70 percent of the earth is covered by water, the other 30 is covered by Ed Reed"). This helped him lead the league in interceptions in three seasons (one of only two players to do so), win Defensive Player of the Year in 2004, and secure the league's record for career INT return yards. He notably made a NFL record ''107 yard interception return'' for a touchdown versus the Eagles in 2008. This is especially notable since the previous record, 106 yards, was ''also'' held by Ed Reed. After being cut by the Ravens following their 2012 Super Bowl victory, Reed split 2013 playing for the Texans and Jets before retiring. Reed was selected to nine Pro Bowls during his career and was inducted to the Hall of Fame at his first chance in 2019. He attempted to enter the world of coaching as HC for Bethune-Cookman, but was let go after 25 days as his contract was never ratified.

* '''Deion Sanders''' was a very skilled CB and one of the more popular players ever (as [[AwesomeEgo he would proudly tell you]]). Picked at #5 out of Florida State by the Atlanta Falcons in the historically strong 1989 Draft, Sanders garnered the nickname "Prime Time", becoming known for craving the spotlight and for frequently taunting opponents by high-stepping into the end zone. In 1994, he signed with the San Francisco 49ers; the team won the Super Bowl that year, and Sanders won Defensive Player of the Year. He traded on his high stock after that season for a lucrative deal with the Dallas Cowboys, where he won another Super Bowl. Sanders was so fast that he could usually make up for getting burned by catching up to receivers during the time the ball took to get there, and he was widely recognized as "shutting down" his side of the field--that is, he was so skilled that opposing teams just wouldn't bother throwing to the guy he was covering. He was also a dangerous punt returner and set the record for defensive and return touchdowns[[note]]since broken by his mentee Devin Hester, see under "Special Teams"[[/note]]. He occasionally played wide receiver for the Cowboys, mostly due to Michael Irvin's drug habits, and over his career scored touchdowns in [[JackOfAllTrades six different ways]] (kickoff return, punt return, interception return, fumble recovery, receiving, and rushing), making him one of only two men to do so along with Bill Dudley (see UsefulNotes/NFLOffensivePlayers). In addition to his versatility on the gridiron, Sanders, like Bo Jackson, also played in the MLB and had a decent career as a journeyman outfielder. So far, he is the ''only'' person to play in both the Super Bowl and [[UsefulNotes/{{Baseball}} World Series]] due to playing for the Atlanta Braves in the 1992 World Series. {{He also|Did}} released a critically-panned VanityProject rap album ''Prime Time'' on Music/MCHammer's record label at the height of his career. After less successful runs in Washington and Baltimore, the latter coming after a three-year retirement from playing, Sanders fully retired in 2005 and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. He was named head coach at the HBCU Jackson State shortly after the 2020 season, and after two conference titles moved to the Power Five ranks as the new HC at Colorado in 2023.

* '''Champ Bailey''' was a dominant CB of the '00s. A dual-threat QB in high school, he primarily played corner during his college career at Georgia but [[JackOfAllTrades also saw time on offense as a WR, RB, and gadget QB]]. After being drafted #7 overall by Washington in 1999, he started every game in his five years with the team, making the Pro Bowl four times. After the expiration of his rookie contract, Washington placed the Franchise Tag on Bailey, who refused to practice or play until he received a long-term deal. He was traded to Denver in exchange for RB Clinton Portis (see above), one of the rare "elite player for elite player" trades in recent NFL history. Bailey continued his run of dominance with Denver over the next 10 seasons, including a year where he led the league with 10 interceptions. The 12-time Pro Bowler ([[TheAce an NFL record for a defensive back]]) and member of the 2000s All-Decade team was voted into the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility and holds the official NFL record for passes defended (which only began being counted in Bailey's rookie year).

* '''John Carney''' was a journeyman renowned for his [[LongRunner exceptional longevity]]--in a 24-year NFL career that started with him going undrafted out of Notre Dame, Carney played for seven teams, most prominently the San Diego Chargers (1990-2000, becoming the franchise's leading scorer) and New Orleans Saints (2001-06, 2009-10, becoming their #2 behind Morten Andersen)[[note]]with shorter stints in Tampa, L.A., Jacksonville, Kansas City, and New York[[/note]]. The fifth highest scorer in league history, Carney still holds multiple kicking records (including most games with 4+ and 5+ field goals). Carney was behind one of the most heartbreaking missed kicks in NFL history while with the Saints: a PAT after the River City Relay, an incredibly improbable last-second touchdown that involved three lateral passes and that would have tied the game if Carney hadn't sailed the ball wide right. Despite that completely anomalous flub, Carney gained a lot of cred in New Orleans, especially after he landed a game-winning kick soon after Hurricane Katrina devastated the city. A few years after he left the Big Easy, the 45-year-old kicker was brought back to replace Saints' kicker Garrett Hartley after he was suspended due to Adderall use; Carney filled in admirably, was kept on as a "kicking consultant" for the team after Hartley's return, and stayed with them as they won their first Super Bowl. Before he retired in 2010, Carney was [[EndOfAnEra the last active player from the '80s]] and the only player other than George Blanda to play in four separate decades.

* '''Scott Norwood''' is most [[NeverLiveItDown infamously known]] among the general public for missing a 47-yard field goal that sailed wide right in the closing seconds of Super Bowl XXV, giving the Bills the first of their four Super Bowl losses; had the kick made it, Buffalo would have won. However, at the time, only half of 40+ yard field goals on grass were successfully made, and Norwood, a turf kicker, just wasn't good at kicking them (he was one for five throughout his career); in fact, the kick in question would have been a personal record had he made it. Despite this, Norwood, who joined the Bills in 1985 after having been undrafted out of FCS James Madison in 1982 and spending a couple of years in the USFL, surpassed O.J. Simpson as the team's all-time leading scorer[[note]]though he has since been surpassed by his successor, Steve Christie[[/note]]. Norwood played with the Bills for one more season before his release. He was the basis for two characters: disgraced Dolphins kicker Ray Finkle (AKA [[spoiler:Lois Einhorn]]) in ''Film/AceVenturaPetDetective'', and Scott Wood in the 1998 film ''Film/{{Buffalo 66}}''.

* '''Morten Andersen''' was a kicker for five teams during his career and is the NFL's [[LongRunner all-time leader in games played (382)]], retiring at the age of 47. He is best known for his tenures with the New Orleans Saints (where he played his first 13 seasons after being drafted in the fourth round in 1982) and Atlanta Falcons (two stints for eight seasons in all); more than a decade after his last game in 2007, he's still the all-time scoring leader for both teams.[[note]]He also played brief stints for the Giants, Chiefs, and Vikings.[[/note]] The "Great [[UsefulNotes/{{Denmark}} Dane]]" first came to the US as an exchange student; he joined the high school team on a whim, kicked for one year, got a scholarship to Michigan State, and the rest was history. In New Orleans, Andersen garnered an unlikely cult following, with 16,000 of his posters being sold in the city in 1983 alone and a novelty song he recorded with Saints punter Brian Hansen became a local radio hit in 1985. He played in Super Bowl XXXIII with the Falcons (see Gary Anderson's entry below for how he got there), who rehired him in 2006 after a year out of the NFL, allowing him to secure the longevity record and briefly become the league's all-time leading scorer. His seven Pro Bowl selections are the most by any kicker (since tied by Justin Tucker) and became the second full-time placekicker to make it to Canton in 2017.

* '''Morten Andersen''' was a kicker for five teams during his career and is the NFL's [[LongRunner all-time leader in games played (382)]], retiring at the age of 47. He is best known for his tenures with the New Orleans Saints (where he played his first 13 seasons after being drafted in the fourth round in 1982) and Atlanta Falcons (two stints for eight seasons in all); more than a decade after his last game in 2007, he's still the all-time scoring leader for both teams.[[note]]He also played brief stints for the New York Giants, Kansas City Chiefs, and Minnesota Vikings.[[/note]] The "Great [[UsefulNotes/{{Denmark}} Dane]]" first came to the US as an exchange student; he joined the high school team on a whim, kicked for one year, got a scholarship to Michigan State, and the rest was history. In New Orleans, Andersen garnered an unlikely cult following, with 16,000 of his posters being sold in the city in 1983 alone and a novelty song he recorded with Saints punter Brian Hansen became a local radio hit in 1985. He played in Super Bowl XXXIII with the Falcons (see Gary Anderson's entry below for how he got there), who rehired him in 2006 after a year out of the NFL, allowing him to secure the longevity record and briefly become the league's all-time leading scorer. He became the second full-time placekicker to make it to Canton in 2017.

* '''Justin Tucker''' is one of the most accurate kickers ever, holding [[TheAce the best field goal percentage in NFL history]] through an active decade-long career. He went undrafted out of Texas in 2012 but joined the Baltimore Ravens and won the kicking job out of training camp, immediately establishing himself as one of the league's most talented kickers on the way to winning Super Bowl XLVII. During his years with the defensive-oriented Ravens, Tucker has become an offensive weapon in a way few other kickers are. He can reliably make field goals out to 60 yards[[note]]Tucker hovers around 70% accuracy on kicks of 50+ yards while most other kickers are considered "good" at that range if they hit more than 50% of the time.[[/note]] and holds the NFL record for the longest ever field goal, a 66-yard game-winner in 2021. Off the field, he's also known for being a pretty talented opera-style singer.

* '''Dave Zastudil''' was a fourth round pick in 2002 out of Ohio. He had a solid but fairly unspectacular 12-year career with the Ravens, Browns, and Cardinals, notable only because he is the [[OneHitWonder only player to punt for over 5,000 yards in a single season]], doing so with the Cards in 2012 (while he had the second most attempts any punter ever got on their terrible offense, no one else has come close to his 5,209 total yards).

* '''Harrison Butker''' is the current kicker for the Kansas City Chiefs and, as of the 2023 season, ranks behind only Justin Tucker in career field goal percentage. The "Butt Kicker" was originally drafted out of Georgia Tech by the Panthers in 2017 but didn't make the final roster; the Chiefs picked him up off the practice squad, and proceeded to set the current record for most field goals by a rookie. He later led the NFL in scoring 2019, the first of three seasons he has won a Super Bowl with the Chiefs; in the third, he set the record for longest field goal in the Big Game.

* '''Chris Jones''' has been the primary defensive star for the Kansas City Chiefs since they drafted him in the second round in 2016 out of Mississippi State. While often overshadowed by the flashy talents on the other side of the team, the DT has been a major contributor to the Chiefs' late 2010s/early 2020s dynasty, setting a record for most consecutive games with a sack (11) in 2018 and becoming a regular Pro Bowler while picking up two Super Bowl rings.

* '''Harrison Butker''' is the current kicker for the Kansas City Chiefs and, as of the 2023 season, ranks behind only Justin Tucker in career field goal percentage. The "Butt Kicker" was originally drafted out of Georgia Tech by the Panthers in 2017 but didn't make the final roster; the Chiefs picked him up off the practice squad, and proceeded to set the current record for most field goals by a rookie. He later led the NFL in scoring 2019, the first of two seasons he has won a Super Bowl with the Chiefs.

* '''Joe Klecko''' was a JackOfAllTrades linemen drafted by the New York Jets in the sixth Round in 1977 out of Temple. He was a central component of the New York Sack Exchange defensive line that dominated the early '80s. He played with the Jets until 1987 and played one more season in Indianapolis before chronic knee problems forced him to prematurely retire. He was named to four Pro Bowls in his career and was the second player to go there in three different positions after Frank Gifford. The Jets retired his #73 in 2004, and he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2023. His son Dan played professionally from 2003-08, winning two Super Bowls with New England and one with Indianapolis. He also had an acting career, appearing in four films with Creator/BurtReynolds in the late '70s and early '80s.

* '''Joe Klecko''' was a JackOfAllTrades linemen drafted by the New York Jets in the sixth Round in 1977 out of Temple. He was a central component of the New York Sack Exchange defensive line that dominated the early '80s. He played with the Jets until 1987 and played one more season in Indianapolis before chronic knee problems forced him to prematurely retire. He was named to four Pro Bowls in his career and was the second player to go there in three different positions after Frank Gifford. The Jets retired his #73 in 2004, and he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2023. His son Dan played professionally from 2003-08, winning two Super Bowls with New England and one with Indianapolis.

There have been many, ''many'' great, terrible, inspiring, despicable, and interesting players, coaches, and staff in the century-long history of the UsefulNotes/NationalFootballLeague. There are 346 people enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame alone, and those are only the ones who have broken records or changed how the game of football is played. This page collects some of the most notable Main/{{Sportspeople}} to professionally play non-offensive roles in UsefulNotes/AmericanFootball history. All of these players were well-known stars in their day; many spun that stardom off into roles in other works, and even those that were more camera-shy are still likely to be referenced in works released during and after their playing careers, so it's worth knowing why they were famous to begin with.

* '''Steve "Mongo" [=McMichael=]''' was perhaps the most successful pro football player to move into a career in pro wrestling. A DT drafted in the third round in 1980 by the New England Patriots out of Texas, he was released after one season and joined the Chicago Bears for the next 13 seasons. He was a starter on their legendary 1985 Super Bowl winning team, made the Pro Bowl twice, was named All-Pro five times, and retired with 95 sacks--second most in Bears history[[note]]behind Richard Dent[[/note]] and fourth most (officially) for a full-time DT in NFL history[[note]]behind John Randle, Aaron Donald, and Warren Sapp[[/note]]. [=McMichael=] quickly moved into professional wrestling with both WWF and WCW in the late '90s, briefly winning a championship title, and later served as a color announcer and referee. Proving to be a RenaissanceMan, he formed a band with fellow former Bears players Dan Hampton and Otis Wilson called the Chicago 6, served seven years as the head coach of Chicago Slaughter of the CIFL, and even ran for mayor of his adopted Illinois hometown. In 2021, he revealed that he is suffering from ALS, becoming one of the most prominent NFL players to have the disease; he was inducted to the Hall of Fame on the senior ballot in 2024.

* '''Dwight Freeney''' and '''Robert Mathis''' were a pair of [=DEs=] for the Indianapolis Colts during their run of success in the '00s and early '10s, including the team's Super Bowl XLI victory. Freeney was selected #11 overall in 2002 out of Syracuse, and Mathis was picked in the fifth round in '03 out of HBCU Alabama A&M. Fitting the Colts' defensive mold of the era, both were undersized but extremely athletic, excelling as pass rushers. While the powerful offense led by Peyton Manning racked up points, opposing teams naturally called more passes in an attempt to keep up, allowing Freeney and Mathis to tee off. Each was exceptional at forcing strip-sacks, with Mathis having the most forced fumbles in NFL history while Freeney is tied for third on that list thanks to his excellent use of the [[SignatureMove spin move]]. Freeney left the Colts in 2013, playing for five more teams [[note]]Arizona, San Diego, Atlanta (where he was a member of the team that reached Super Bowl LI), Detroit, and Seattle[[/note]] before retiring in 2017 with 125.5 sacks and seven Pro Bowl nods. Mathis spend his entire career with the Colts, led the NFL in sacks in '13, and retired in 2016 with the Colts franchise record in sacks and five Pro Bowl nods. Both are enshrined in the Colts Ring of Honor.

* '''Steve "Mongo" [=McMichael=]''' was perhaps the most successful pro football player to move into a career in pro wrestling. A DT drafted in the third round in 1980 by the New England Patriots out of Texas, he was released after one season and joined the Chicago Bears for the next 13 seasons. He was a starter on their legendary 1985 Super Bowl winning team, made the Pro Bowl twice, was named All-Pro five times, and retired with 95 sacks--second most in Bears history[[note]]behind Richard Dent[[/note]] and fourth most (officially) for a full-time DT in NFL history[[note]]behind John Randle, Aaron Donald, and Warren Sapp[[/note]]. [=McMichael=] quickly moved into professional wrestling with both WWF and WCW in the late '90s, briefly winning a championship title, and later served as a color announcer and referee. Proving to be a RenaissanceMan, he formed a band with fellow former Bears players Dan Hampton and Otis Wilson called the Chicago 6, served seven years as the head coach of Chicago Slaughter of the CIFL, and even ran for mayor of his adopted Illinois hometown. In 2021, he revealed that he is suffering from ALS, becoming one of the most prominent NFL players to have the disease.

* '''Julius Peppers''' was a DE selected #2 overall in 2002 by his home state Carolina Panthers out of North Carolina. A freakish athlete at 6'7" and 290 lbs, Peppers not only played football in college but also walked on to the powerhouse UNC basketball team and even put up a double-double performance in the NCAA Tournament in 2001. He was Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2002 and made the Pro Bowl five times with the Panthers, becoming the franchise leader in career sacks. Entering a rebuilding phase, the Panthers opted to let Peppers walk during free agency in 2010, where he signed a six-year deal with the Chicago Bears. He earned three more Pro Bowl trips with Chicago but was released after his fourth season saw declining returns. Peppers moved to division rival Green Bay for three years, where he rebounded to earn another Pro Bowl nod. In 2017, he returned to Carolina and entered a multi-way tie as the oldest player to register a double-digit sack season at age 37. He retired after one more season with the Panthers, ending his [[LongRunner 17-year]] career with 159.5 sacks, fourth most in NFL history, as well as the only player to record over 100 sacks and intercept 10 passes.

* '''Randy Gradishar''' was drafted by the Broncos #14 overall in 1974 out of Ohio State, where he was a Heisman finalist during his senior year. A surefire tackler with natural instincts, Gradishar became a full-time starter for Denver by his second season, earning the first of seven Pro Bowls and anchoring the Broncos "Orange Crush" defense that guided them to a Super Bowl XII appearance. The 1978 Defensive Player of the Year retired in 1983 having never missed a game in his career and was inducted to Broncos Ring of Fame later that decade, but he has yet to be inducted into Canton.

* '''Patrick Willis''' was drafted #11 overall out of Ole Miss in 2007 by the San Francisco 49ers and quickly emerged as a dominant defensive force, winning Defensive Rookie of the Year after leading the league in tackles (his first of two times doing so), earning Pro Bowl nods in each of his first seven seasons, and setting several Niner franchise records. However, following a toe injury in his eighth season, Willis decided to retire at just 30 years old, diverting what would otherwise have been a surefire Hall of Fame trajectory.

* '''Devin Hester''' is one of the most decorated return specialists of all time. He holds the all-time record for return touchdowns at 20, passing Deion Sanders (see above under "Defensive Backs") in 2014, who had mentored him since his college years.[[note]]It must be noted that the term "return" is used for kickoffs, punts, and ''interceptions'', making Sanders' record the apple to Hester's orange. Sanders, in addition to being a kick/punt returner, played cornerback, giving him more opportunities for returns than Hester, who played wide receiver.[[/note]] He began his career with the Chicago Bears, who drafted him out of Miami as a second round cornerback in 2006. Besides serving as a returner, Hester also played wide receiver, earning him the nickname [[JackOfAllTrades "Anytime"]] in reference to Sanders' nickname "Prime Time". He is also the only player to return the opening kickoff of the Super Bowl for a touchdown, doing so in his rookie season in Super Bowl XLI; the Bears unfortunately lost that matchup, and Hester never returned to the Big Game. After setting multiple franchise records in Chicago, Hester signed with the Falcons in 2014, with whom he broke the all-time record. He played one last season with the Ravens in 2016; after he was cut by the team when they failed to make the postseason, he joined the Seahawks for their playoff run before retiring. He's also famous for being the sole recipient of a [[ReadingsAreOffTheScale 100 speed rating (on a usual 1-99 scale)]] in ''VideoGame/MaddenNFL 08''.