History UsefulNotes / NFLDefensiveAndSpecialTeamsPlayers

** '''J.J. Watt''', the oldest brother, is one of the most feared and respected d-linemen in NFL history. Drafted #11 overall in 2011 by the Houston Texans, Watt won Defensive Player of the Year three times in his first five seasons (2012, '14, '15), and his presence helped to finally elevate the young team to playoff contention. A rare dual threat at his position, his ability to both sack the quarterback and bat down passes at the line of scrimmage earned him the nickname "J.J. Swat". In 2012, he notched a 15 sack/15 passes defended season, an astonishing feat for a d-lineman. In 2014, he started lining up on offense and caught three touchdown passes[[note]]Something the Texans' d-line coach, Mike Vrabel, was known for doing as a linebacker with the early '00s Patriots; Watt had also played tight end at Central Michigan before transferring to Wisconsin as a walk-on d-lineman.[[/note]] while also becoming the only NFL player to put up multiple 20+ sack seasons since the stat became official. However, he then became something of a GlassCannon, missing all but three games in 2016 after offseason back surgery and then suffered a season-ending broken leg in 2017. Watt nonetheless stayed busy in 2017--following the Hurricane Harvey disaster in Houston, Watt started a relief drive that raised ''$37 million''. Those charitable efforts earned him the league's Walter Payton Man of the Year award, as well as a share of ''Sports Illustrated'' Sportsperson of the Year honors alongside [[UsefulNotes/MajorLeagueBaseball Houston Astros]] superstar José Altuve. Upon reaching the end of his contract in 2021, Watt asked to be released by the floundering Texans, signing with the Cardinals as a free agent. After struggling with injuries and a heart condition, he retired after 2022, becoming the third member of the Texans Ring of Honor with a bust in Canton all but assured. He and his wife Kealia, herself a soccer player with a handful of USWNT appearances, are minority investors in Burnley FC, which were promoted UsefulNotes/EnglishPremierLeague in the 2023–24 season but went straight back down to the EFL Championship after that season.

* '''Gino Cappelletti''' was a former QB at Minnesota who went undrafted in 1955 and was scooped up by the new AFL's Boston Patriots in 1960 after several years in amateur leagues in Canada to have him play kicker ([[JackOfAllTrades as well as defensive back, flanker, returner, trick play passer, and anything else the team needed him to play]]). Cappelletti proceeded to have one of the most productive decades of any player in NFL/AFL history in terms of pure points, as he led both leagues in field goals and overall scoring five times, became the AFL's all-time leading scorer, and even won the league's MVP in 1964. His incredible versatility earned him the nickname "Mr. Patriot"; following his retirement after the 1970 merger season, the Patriots retired his #20 and placed him in their Hall of Fame, though he has never been considered for induction into Canton.

** '''J.J. Watt''', the oldest brother, is one of the most feared and respected d-linemen in NFL history. Drafted #11 overall in 2011 by the Houston Texans, Watt won Defensive Player of the Year three times in his first five seasons (2012, '14, '15), and his presence helped to finally elevate the young team to playoff contention. A rare dual threat at his position, his ability to both sack the quarterback and bat down passes at the line of scrimmage earned him the nickname "J.J. Swat". In 2012, he notched a 15 sack/15 passes defended season, an astonishing feat for a d-lineman. In 2014, he started lining up on offense and caught three touchdown passes[[note]]Something the Texans' d-line coach, Mike Vrabel, was known for doing as a linebacker with the early '00s Patriots; Watt had also played tight end at Central Michigan before transferring to Wisconsin as a walk-on d-lineman.[[/note]] while also becoming the only NFL player to put up multiple 20+ sack seasons since the stat became official. However, he then became something of a GlassCannon, missing all but three games in 2016 after offseason back surgery and then suffered a season-ending broken leg in 2017. Watt nonetheless stayed busy in 2017--following the Hurricane Harvey disaster in Houston, Watt started a relief drive that raised ''$37 million''. Those charitable efforts earned him the league's Walter Payton Man of the Year award, as well as a share of ''Sports Illustrated'' Sportsperson of the Year honors alongside [[UsefulNotes/MajorLeagueBaseball Houston Astros]] superstar José Altuve. Upon reaching the end of his contract in 2021, Watt asked to be released by the floundering Texans, signing with the Cardinals as a free agent. After struggling with injuries and a heart condition, he retired after 2022, becoming the third member of the Texans Ring of Honor with a bust in Canton all but assured. He and his wife Kealia, herself a soccer player with a handful of USWNT appearances, are minority investors in Burnley FC, set for promotion to the UsefulNotes/EnglishPremierLeague in the 2023–24 season.

* '''Thomas Morstead''' holds most of the career punting records for the New Orleans Saints, which drafted him in the fifth round in 2009 out of SMU. After winning a Super Bowl in his first season, he played eleven more years for the Saints before being released. He has since bounced around to several teams but has remained very capable, leading the NFL in punt yards in 2023 with the Jets.

* '''Bill Bradley''' (not to be confused with [[UsefulNotes/NotablePlayersOfTheNBA the Hall of Fame basketball player/senator]]) was a safety most famous for his tenure with the Philadelphia Eagles, who drafted him in the third round in 1969 out of Texas. He was a bright spot for the moribund franchise, as he led the league in interceptions twice and went to three Pro Bowls from 1971-73. In 1977, he was traded to the Vikings but chose to retire after being displaced on the depth chart [[TenMinuteRetirement (though he came back for four games with the Cardinals later that season)]]. He went on to a successful assistant coaching career in the CFL (winning two Grey Cups as a DC) and NFL. He currently holds the Eagles franchise records in interceptions in a season and career (tied with Eric Allen and Brian Dawkins) as well as being an inductee in the Eagles Hall of Fame. He was portrayed by Donny Boaz in the movie ''My All American''.

* '''Brad Culpepper''' was a DT selected in the 10th round out of Florida in the 1992 NFL Draft. He'd go on to have a solid-if-unspectacular 10 year career (especially considering his low draft status) for the Vikings, Buccaneers (where he spent the bulk of his career pairing with fellow DT and future Hall of Famer Warren Sapp), and Bears, but gained greater fame after his playing career as a two-time contestant on ''Series/{{Survivor}}''. He and his wife Monica participated together in ''Survivor: Blood vs. Water'', with Monica finishing as the season's runner-up. He would return for '' Survivor: Game Changers'' and finish as the season's runner-up himself. He is also a practicing lawyer and has been an outspoken critic regarding the increasing size of NFL players leading to long-term health issues.

* '''Michael Strahan''' was a d-lineman for the New York Giants, who drafted him in the second round in 1993 out of the HBCU Texas Southern. A MilitaryBrat who spent most of his adolescence in Germany, Strahan's most famous football accomplishment was setting the current single-season sack record, putting up 22.5 in 2001 on the way to winning Defensive Player of the Year.[[note]]"Official" because Bubba Baker (see above) posted 23 in 1978 before the sack stat became official. There's also a notable controversy surrounding Strahan's record, as many have accused the victim of his last sack, Brett Favre, of deliberately taking a fall in order to either help Strahan out and/or give New Yorkers something to celebrate in the months after the 9/11 attacks. The 22.5 mark has also since been tied by T.J. Watt in 2021.[[/note]] Despite being a seven-time Pro Bowler, a Hall of Famer, and having his #92 retired by the Giants after setting the franchise records for tackles and games played (before being surpassed by late-career teammate Eli Manning), he may be more well known for being "the TV host with the enormous gap in his front teeth" than he is for his stellar football career. After retiring in 2007 following the Giants' first upset Super Bowl victory over the Patriots, Strahan spun off his on-field success in one of America's premier media markets into one of the most prolific TV host careers of the 21st century. He joined the analyst team for FOX's NFL coverage, though he has been frequently moved around in part to accommodate his growing list of non-football live TV shows. First, he co-hosted the morning television talk show ''Live!'' alongside Kelly Ripa, replacing long-time co-host Creator/RegisPhilbin from 2012 to 2016. He left (amid rumors of friction on the set) to become co-anchor of ABC's ''Good Morning America''. Also in 2016, he became host of the current version of the ''Series/{{Pyramid}}'' game show.

* '''Robert Brazile''' played for the Houston Oilers for his whole career. Drafted #6 overall in 1975 out of HBCU Jackson State, he made an immediate impact on the franchise, bringing about a change in the defensive alignment from a 4-3 to a 3-4 to adjust for his speed and 6'4" size. He is frequently listed as one of the prototypical pass-rushing linebackers (along with Lawrence Taylor, see below). His hard-hitting style earned him the nickname "Characters/DoctorDoom". He was named to seven straight Pro Bowls from 1976-82. He retired in 1984 after his wife was tragically killed in a car crash, finishing his career with 48 sacks (11 of which are considered official). His abbreviated career kept him out of the Hall of Fame until 2018.

* '''Dustin Colquitt''' is the greatest punter in Kansas City Chiefs history, playing [[LongRunner 15 seasons]] (2005-19) for the team while securing most of their punting records. The third round pick out of Tennessee earned a ring in his last year with the franchise having played in more games than any other Chiefs player. He bounced around five other rosters (and the Chiefs practice squad) for the next two years and has been out of the NFL since.

* '''Darrell Green''' was a CB who spent his entire [[LongRunner twenty year career]] with Washington, who drafted him in the first round in 1983 out of D-II Texas A&I (now Texas A&M–Kingsville). A self-proclaimed "itty-bitty guy", Green was positively tiny for an NFL player at 5'9" but made up for it with blistering speed (he once ran a 4.09 40 in 1986, and a 4.43 at the age of ''50''), which he jokingly attributed to the Tootsie Roll candy bar that he kept in his sock. Nicknamed "the Ageless Wonder" in the '90s for putting up great seasons year after year, Green set countless records, including the most games played by a defensive player in NFL history, 19 consecutive seasons with an interception (except his final year), the most games and interceptions by any player in Washington franchise history, and... well, basically every "oldest ever" DB record imaginable. He was also a beloved figure for the fanbase and the DC area, winning Walter Payton Man of the Year in 1996. He was selected to seven Pro Bowls, helped his team win two Super Bowls, and was voted into the Hall of Fame in his first eligible year.

* '''Charles Mann''' was a DE best known for his time with Washington, playing for much of his career opposite Dexter Manley above. Mann was drafted in the 3rd round of the 1983 NFL Draft and his second season managed to win a starting job, with Mann and Manley providing a strong pass-rushing tandem for Washington from 1984 to 1989 - including a career-high 14.5 sacks in 1985 and contributing to Washington's victory in Super Bowl XXII at the close of the 1987 season. After Manley's 1989 drug suspension and subsequent departure, Mann continued to play well and contributed to Washington's most recent Super Bowl victory in game XXVI at the close of the 1991 season before leaving after the 1993 season as the team career leader in forced fumbles with 17 and second in career sacks with the team at 82, just behind Manley. Mann would finish his career with the San Francisco 49ers in 1994, playing little for them but managing to close his career with a 3rd Super Bowl ring with them. After retirement, Mann would briefly go into broadcasting during the late 1990s with Creator/{{CBS}} before focusing more on a business career, charitable endeavors (in Washington, he and teammates Tim Johnson, Earnest Byner and Art Monk founded a charity called the Good Samaritan Foundation) and a project called Brain Sentry seeking to find ways to improve player safety without compromising the intensity of football.

* '''Cordarrelle Patterson''' is a [[JackOfAllTrades return specialist, wide receiver, running back, and occasional wildcat quarterback]] who made a record ''nine'' career kickoff return touchdowns. Drafted #29 overall in 2013 out of Tennessee by the Minnesota Vikings, Patterson never played to that level as a receiver but was named to the Pro Bowl three times as a return specialist. After joining the Patriots in 2018, he started to line up at RB more frequently and continued that trend when he joined the Bears the following year. In 2021, he signed with Atlanta and went on to have a surprising late career development as a hybrid RB/WR, posting career highs in several offensive categories.

* '''Mason Crosby''' is the Green Bay Packers' all-time leading scorer by a sizable margin. A sixth round pick out of Colorado in 2007, he led the league in scoring his rookie year and remained the Pack's (mostly[[labelnote:*]]Crosby did have a notoriously bad season in 2012 but bounced back a year later[[/labelnote]]) dependable kicker for [[LongRunner 16 seasons]], even with his hair having turned a noticable gray around the time he passed Brett Favre for the most games played in a Packers uniform. He is currently playing for the Giants.

* '''Sam Koch''' was a LongRunner punter for the Baltimore Ravens, playing with the team for a franchise-record 16 seasons after they drafted him in the sixth round in 2006 out of Nebraska. Along with teammate Justin Tucker (see below), Koch helped lead a special teams revolution in Baltimore by helping to refine and codify many different punt variations that help to prevent returns. He was also responsible for the game-sealing safety in Super Bowl XLVII.

* '''Don Cockroft''' was one of the last dual kicker/punters in the NFL. Drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the third round in 1967 out of D-II Adams State, Cockroft played for the Browns until he retired after 1980; he still is the franchise leader in punting yards and is third in scoring behind Lou Groza and Phil Dawson