History UsefulNotes / NFLOffensivePlayers

* '''Travis Kelce'''[[labelnote:*]]pronounced "Kelsey"[[/labelnote]] has played for the Kansas City Chiefs since 2013, when they drafted him in the third round out of Cincinnati, and soon emerged as one of greatest to ever play the position.[[note]]Worth noting: He fell so relatively low in the draft process largely because of a one-year college suspension for marijuana use.[[/note]] The younger brother of Eagles center Jason Kelce (who he faced off against in Super Bowl LVII; see below), Travis shares his elder sibling's BoisterousBruiser personality, and has backed up his confident swagger with excellent receiving ability, eight straight Pro Bowl appearances, and seven consecutive 1,000+ yard seasons, the latter a record for his position (no one else has more than four ''period'', let alone consecutive). Kelce has been the number one target for Patrick Mahomes since his NFL emergence, with his receiving ability serving as a critical part of the Chiefs' dominance in the AFC and victories in Super Bowl LIV and LVII--he is second behind only Jerry Rice in postseason receiving touchdowns. In 2020, Kelce set the single-season record for receiving yards by a TE, and he has set a number of "fastest to" marks that set him on a current pace to compete for many career TE records- and that's despite playing ''one snap'' in his first season due to injury. In 2023, the same year he became the Chiefs' franchise leader in receiving yards, Kelce saw his public profile outside of the sport skyrocket when he began dating SingerSongwriter Music/TaylorSwift. Thanks to Swift's fame, the relationship has seen mass coverage by the press and social media, with the NFL itself even trying to capitalize off it by featuring Swift in broadcasts of Chiefs games watching Kelce from the stands.
* '''George Kittle''' plays for the San Francisco 49ers, who drafted him in the fifth round in 2017 out of Iowa. Known for his prolific skill, CavalierCompetitor attitude, MotorMouth banter, and [[BoisterousBruiser unique sense of humor]], Kittle set the TE record for single season receiving yards on an otherwise floundering Niners team in 2018 (since passed by Travis Kelce), and he was critical to their turnaround run to a Super Bowl appearance the following year. In 2020, he signed the largest contract for a tight end in NFL history, though he has struggled with injuries ever since.

* '''Dwight Clark''' was drafted in the tenth round in 1979 out of Clemson by the San Francisco 49ers. The low drafted pick had several standout seasons early in his career, including leading the league in receptions in the strike-shortened 1982 season. However, he is most well known for being the recipient of "The Catch", one of the most famous plays in football history in which he caught the game-winning touchdown from Joe Montana in the 1981 NFC Championship with a high-flying leap in the back of the end zone. This moment is widely celebrated as the turning point in Niners history that led to their '80s dynasty, and while his numbers declined as SF assembled more talented receivers, the team still retired his #87 after he retired in 1987. Clark continued to work in the 49ers front office for many years, eventually becoming their GM in 1998 before going to serve in the same role for the revived Cleveland Browns from 1999-2001 (a decision he later heavily regretted). In 2017, Clark was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and died a year later at 61 years old; the 49ers built a statue of his iconic Catch outside their stadium to honor his passing.

* '''Isaac Curtis''' started his career as a RB and track star at Cal in the early '70s, becoming renowned for his world-class speed, but transferred to San Diego State as a senior, where offensive guru Don Coryell moved him to WR to take advantage of his quickness and spread opposing defenses. Despite playing just one season at WR, his trailblazing speed was enough to entice the Cincinnati Bengals into drafting him #15 overall in 1973. He began his career with four straight Pro Bowls, as his insane speed made covering him a nightmare for opposing defenders, who often resorted to the bump-and-run to limit his effectiveness downfield. This prompted the NFL to adopt the "Isaac Curtis Rule", limiting contact between receivers and DBs, which would later be expanded into the "Mel Blount Rule" that same decade. He retired in 1984 holding all of the team's receiving records and was inducted to their Ring of Honor in 2022.
* '''Stefon Diggs''' currently plays for the Buffalo Bills. He started out with the Minnesota Vikings as a fifth round pick from Maryland in 2015 and, despite his low draft position, broke out in his rookie season as a major talent. In the 2017 playoffs, Diggs was the recipient of the "Minneapolis Miracle", scoring a 61-yard game-winning touchdown as time expired, a first in NFL playoff history. Diggs successfully pushed for a trade to the Bills in 2020 and became even more productive in Buffalo, leading the league in receptions and receiving yards. His younger brother Trevon has become an NFL star on the [[SiblingYinYang opposite side of the ball]] as a Pro Bowl corner for the Dallas Cowboys.[[note]]The Diggs brothers have yet to face off in the regular season, but did go head-to-head in the 2021 Pro Bowl.[[/note]]

* '''Donald Driver''' is the Green Bay Packers' all-time leader in receiving yards, ascending from a seventh round pick out of Alcorn State in 1999 to become a five-time Pro Bowler and winning a ring. After retiring with the team in 2012, he won Season 14 of ''Series/DancingWithTheStars''.

* '''Larry Fitzgerald''' played for the Arizona Cardinals his entire career, setting the franchise record for games played, and is generally considered one of the best receivers of all time. After being drafted #3 overall out of Pittsburgh [[LongRunner in 2004]], Fitzgerald was selected to eleven Pro Bowls, led the league in receiving touchdowns in two consecutive seasons (2008-09) and in receptions in two seasons over a decade apart from each other ('05, '16), and posted the most receiving yards ever in a single postseason (546) in 2008, taking the franchise to their sole Super Bowl appearance and winning him a spot on the next season's ''VideoGame/MaddenNFL'' cover. He would probably be the biggest threat to Jerry Rice's records if not for several seasons stuck with horrendous quarterback play in Arizona hurting his statistics and his willingness to block for his teammates rather than go for every catch. He has still reached #2 in receptions, receiving yards, and games played for a wide receiver and cracked the top 10 in receiving [=TDs=]. He was so ridiculously consistent and available for the team that he holds the unique stat of having more career defensive tackles than dropped passes.[[note]]Many wide receivers have the reputation for giving up on plays if their QB misses them for an interception or they fumble the ball themselves; not so with Fitz.[[/note]] His loyalty to the [[ButtMonkey long-suffering]] Cardinals franchise and his [[NiceGuy exceptionally generous and soft-spoken nature]] made him practically a saint in Arizona. Fitz retired after 2020 and has begun a TV career.

* '''Bill Groman''' has held the rookie receiving yards record (1,473 yards) for the combined NFL-AFL since his 1960 debut, a truly remarkable feat considering that he played a 14-game season, came out of total obscurity, and has likewise largely been forgotten to fans save for whenever his record comes close to being challenged. Groman played football for the tiny Heidelberg College and was totally overlooked by NFL scouts after graduating in 1958. He taught middle school science for a few years before a fellow teacher noticed his talent during a game of catch and recommended him to his former college teammate and head coach of the new AFL's Houston Oilers, Lou Rymkus. Groman became QB George Blanda's favorite target, led the AFL in touchdowns the following year, and was a key component to the Oilers winning the first two AFL Championships. However, his remarkable career was tragically cut short when, during the second title game, he received a CareerEndingInjury to his knee that robbed him of his former explosiveness; he hopped around the benches of the Broncos and Bills (earning two more AFL titles with the latter despite rarely seeing the field) and retired after 1965. Groman passed away in 2020.

* '''Shannon Sharpe''' was a Hall of Famer who spent most of his career with the Denver Broncos, who drafted him in the seventh round in 1990 after a solid career at the D-II HBCU Savannah State[[labelnote:*]]which moved to D-I and FCS a decade after Sharpe left but returned to D-II in 2019[[/labelnote]], and was one of their greatest weapons during their two Super Bowl years. He joined the Ravens for a two-year stint, where he won another Super Bowl ring, before returning to Denver for another two seasons before retiring with [[TheAce the records for TE receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns]] (all since surpassed by Tony Gonzalez and Jason Witten). He was also ''very'' well-known for his [[IShallTauntYou trash talking]] and [[LargeHam on-field antics]]. Following his retirement, he joined CBS Sports as an analyst for nearly a decade before joining [[{{Troll}} Skip Bayless]] on the Fox Sports 1 "hot take" show, ''Undisputed'', expanding his media presence until joining ESPN's ''First Take''. He is the younger brother of WR Sterling Sharpe (see entry under Wide Receivers).

* '''Jerry Smith''' played 13 seasons in Washington after being picked in the ninth round out of Arizona State in 1965. He was one of the premier tight ends of his era, was selected to two Pro Bowls, and set a record for most touchdowns by a TE that stood for over two decades. He was also one of the most prominent gay players in the league's history, though his sexual orientation was something he kept private up until his death from AIDS in 1986. Many analysts and former teammates have argued that Smith would be in the Hall of Fame [[WhatCouldHaveBeen were it not]] for a would-be touchdown pass in Super Bowl VII that bounced off the crossbar barely a year before the goalposts were moved behind the end zone, which would have helped Washington tie and potentially beat the undefeated Dolphins; others have argued that he should be in the Hall already for his achievements and that he has only been excluded because of his early death and his sexuality.[[note]]Even today, only a handful of NFL players have openly come out as gay.[[/note]]
* '''Kellen Winslow Sr.''' was an acclaimed player for the '80s San Diego Chargers. Drafted #13 overall in 1979 out of Missouri, he helped to pioneer the "joker" archetype for the position; able to act as a wide receiver just as well as he could block or run drag routes, he led the league in receptions in two consecutive seasons. Winslow is perhaps most famous for his performance in the "Epic in Miami", one of the greatest games in NFL history. He played through multiple injuries in scorching heat, not only catching 13 passes for 166 yards and a touchdown but also blocking a potential game-winning field goal by his fingertips, sending the game into overtime and allowing the Chargers to win. A knee injury greatly shortened his productivity and career to just nine seasons, but he retired holding several TE records and was still inducted into Canton and had his #80 retired by the Chargers. Unfortunately, Winslow is likely better known by modern NFL fans for the criminal behavior of his son, [[UsefulNotes/NationalFootballLeagueNotoriousFigures Kellen Winslow II]].
* '''Jason Witten''' is best known for being the Dallas Cowboys' all-time leader in receiving yards and games played. The Cowboys drafted Witten in the third round out of Tennessee in 2003, and he became a franchise mainstay. Witten trails only Tony Gonzalez in career receptions and receiving yards by a TE in NFL history, set a record for most catches by a TE in a season (since surpassed by the Eagles' Zach Ertz), and currently holds the record for [[MadeOfIron most consecutive starts]] at the position. He broke that streak when he [[TenMinuteRetirement initially retired]] after 2017 and was thrust immediately into the ''Series/MondayNightFootball'' booth by ESPN, who were looking to replicate the success CBS was having with Witten's former Cowboys teammate, Tony Romo. After drawing near-unanimous negative reviews as a commentator (with most criticism calling him dull and humdrum), Witten left ESPN and returned to the Cowboys for 2019, then the Raiders in 2020. He signed a ceremonial contract in 2021 to retire as a Cowboy, this time for good.

* '''Cris Carter''' was an eight-time Pro Bowler who played in the NFL for [[LongRunner 16 seasons]]. His career got off to a very rocky start. After setting school records at Ohio State, Carter lost his eligibility to play his senior season when he secretly signed with a sports agent. He narrowly avoided jail time for wire fraud and was forced to enter the 1987 Supplemental Draft, where he was selected in the fourth round by the Philadelphia Eagles. He put up solid performances during his three seasons in Philly, but his struggles with drug addiction led coach Buddy Ryan to trade him to the Minnesota Vikings as a wake-up call; Carter attributes this intervention to saving his football career and his life, as the Vikings organization had a robust rehab program. Carter got clean and became Minnesota's star receiver through the '90s, claiming all of the franchise receiving records and later helping to mentor future Vikings superstar Randy Moss, though [[EveryYearTheyFizzleOut Carter never secured a Super Bowl championship]]. After a single season in Miami in 2002, he retired behind only Jerry Rice in most career receiving records. He still remains in the top ten for many career receiving records, and his #80 was retired by the Vikings. After retirement, Carter became an analyst infamous for his hot takes. Despite most expecting him to get a first-ballot induction into the Hall of Fame, Carter waited seven years into his eligibility to be inducted into Canton. His older brother Butch was a player and head coach in the NBA, and his son Duron has had a tumultuous journeyman career in the CFL.

* '''Ja'Marr Chase''' was drafted #5 overall by the Cincinnati Bengals in 2021 and immediately produced arguably the greatest rookie receiving season in NFL history. Reunited with his LSU teammate, QB Joe Burrow, Chase quickly set about breaking multiple franchise receiving records. While he ultimately couldn't surpass Bill Groman's legendary rookie receiving yards production in the regular season, he shattered the standing postseason record as a key component in the Bengals' unexpected Super Bowl run and won Offensive Rookie of the Year.

* '''Tim Brown''' was a Hall of Famer who played for the Raiders for [[LongRunner 16 seasons]], tied for third most games played by a wide receiver. After a Heisman-winning college career at Notre Dame, he was picked #6 overall by the L.A. Raiders in 1988 and put up nine Pro Bowl seasons before and after the team's return to Oakland. Despite being the Raiders' all-time leading receiver and the first of only two NFL players to post nine straight 1,000-yard receiving seasons, Brown had an acrimonious relationship with team owner Al Davis that became more public after he became the last L.A.-era player to leave the team in 2004. Though he played out his final season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers under former coach Jon Gruden, Brown remained very much beloved by the Raider Nation--when he scored his landmark 100th (and final) receiving touchdown at an away game in Oakland, he received a standing ovation from the home crowd. After that season, Brown signed a ceremonial contract to retire with the Raiders. He remains in the top ten in most career receiving numbers; he was also [[JackOfAllTrades an adept punt returner]] (somewhat rare for a starting receiver, let alone one who played as much as he did) and ranks in the top ten in most return statistics as well.

* '''Anquan Boldin''' was one of the most physical receivers of the 21st century, excelling as a catch-and-run tackle breaker while playing 14 seasons with four teams. He converted from QB to WR in college at Florida State and had a dominant final season but ran a poor time at the Combine, resulting in a 2nd round drafting in 2003 by the Arizona Cardinals (who had already selected another WR in the 1st round). Boldin broke out right away, setting a rookie record with 217 receiving yards in his very first NFL game and another for receptions in a season with 101[[note]]since surpassed by Jaylen Waddle[[/note]]. The team drafted Larry Fitzgerald (see below) the following year, and the two paired up to be one of the most dominant WR tandems in NFL history, leading the Cardinals to their first ever Super Bowl appearance following 2008. In 2010, seeking a higher paying contract than Arizona was willing to give after extending Fitzgerald, Boldin was traded to the Baltimore Ravens, where he was the leading receiver of their Super Bowl XLVII-winning team. He spent three more productive seasons with the 49ers, then had a final less-stellar year with the Lions before retiring. Boldin made three Pro Bowls and finished in the top 10 all-time for receptions (the most of any eligible player not yet enshrined in Canton) and the top 15 all-time for receiving yards.
* '''Cliff Branch''' played his entire 14-year NFL career with the Oakland and Los Angeles Raiders, who drafted him in the fourth round out of Colorado in 1972. A 100-meter sprinter as well as football player in college, Branch was a member of all three of the franchise's Super Bowl-winning teams, was selected to four Pro Bowls from 1974-77, and caught 501 passes for 8,685 yards and 67 touchdowns in an era that was much more difficult for receivers. Long considered an AwardSnub for the Hall of Fame prior to his death in 2019, Branch was finally selected for Canton in 2022.

* '''Laurent Duvernay-Tardif''', a guard currently playing for the New York Jets, is one of the more interesting figures in today's NFL. The UsefulNotes/{{Montreal}}-area native didn't even play football until he was 14, and stayed in his hometown to enter [=McGill=] University's [[GeniusBruiser medical school]] straight out of [[UsefulNotes/CanadianEducationSystem CEGEP]].[[note]]UsefulNotes/{{Quebec}} medical schools, unlike those in the US or Anglophone Canada, accept applicants who have completed a two-year CEGEP diploma, equivalent to the first year of a US or Anglophone Canadian university.[[/note]] While practicing only once a week due to his medical studies, he was All-Canadian in his final two seasons of football at [=McGill=], and was named the top lineman in Canadian university football in his last. Duvernay-Tardif went to the Kansas City Chiefs in the sixth round in 2014 and became a starter in 2015, while continuing his medical studies during offseasons until receiving his M.D. in 2018. (He does not plan to start a residency until retiring from football.) During the early weeks of the [[UsefulNotes/COVID19Pandemic COVID-19 pandemic]], he returned to Montreal to work as an orderly in a care home, and became the first player to opt out of the 2020 season, choosing to stay at home as a front-line worker during the pandemic. His decision was recognized at the end of that year by ''Magazine/SportsIllustrated'' when it named him as one of five "Activist Athletes" who shared its annual award for Sportsperson of the Year, and also by media on his side of the border when he shared the Lou Marsh Trophy[[note]]since renamed the Northern Star Award[[/note]] for Canada's top athlete with rising soccer superstar Alphonso Davies.

* '''Raymond Berry''' has one of the great Cinderella stories of NFL history. A split end drafted in the ''twentieth'' round in 1954 by the Baltimore Colts, Berry was considered a long shot to even make the team. He had caught only 33 passes while playing for the run-heavy SMU. Worse, he had numerous health issues that directly affected his ability to run (he had bruised nerves in his lower back that caused one leg to be shorter than the other), catch (he had terrible eyesight), and take hits (he was very skinny). Berry overcame all of those obstacles (with the help of a back brace and new contact lenses) to become the only Hall of Famer from his draft class, teaming up with QB Johnny Unitas to regularly lead the league in reception stats and take the Colts to two championships over 13 seasons. When he retired, he held the then-career records for receptions and receiving yards. After his playing career, he coached wide receivers for numerous teams before being hired as the head coach for the New England Patriots from 1984-89 and leading the team to its first ever Super Bowl appearance. His #82 is retired by the Colts.
* '''Fred Biletnikoff''' was one of the top possession receivers of his day. Selected #11 overall in the 1965 AFL Draft out of Florida State by the Oakland Raiders, he played for the team for 14 seasons, was selected to four Pro Bowls, and set numerous receiving records (all since broken, as he played in an era where the run was used far more than the pass). Became notorious for his very liberal use of the adhesive Stickum (to the point the NFL banned its use soon after he retired). Biletnikoff won MVP for Super Bowl XI off of just four catches for 79 yards, one indicator of just how much the position has evolved. He was released after 1978, played one year in the CFL, and spent the next 26 years as an assistant coach. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1988 and is also the namesake for the most prestigious award for wide receivers in college football.

* '''Davante Adams''' was a second round draft pick by the Green Bay Packers out of Fresno State in 2014. After a relatively slow start, Adams broke out in 2016 en route to establishing himself as one of the best receivers in the league, becoming Aaron Rodgers' primary target in the late '10s/early '20s, leading the league in receiving [=TDs=] in 2020, and earning Pro Bowl nods every year since 2017. His success is all the more impressive when accounting for the lack of a true [=WR2=] threat on the Packers in his peak years, meaning his strong performances usually come while being doubled up by opposing defenses. Ahead of the 2022 season, Adams negotiated a trade to the Raiders, stating that it had always been his ultimate dream to play for his childhood team and to reunite with his college QB and best friend Derek Carr- however, despite Adams again leading the NFL in receiving [=TDs=], becoming the leader in the category among active players, the team as a whole struggled, and Carr was cut after just one year with Adams.
* '''Keenan Allen''' was drafted in the third round out of Cal in 2013 by the then-San Diego Chargers. After a solid start to his career, Allen tore his ACL in the opening game of the 2016 season, missing almost all of the franchise's last year before its move to Los Angeles. Allen bounced back in magnificent fashion, being named Comeback Player of the Year in 2017 with the best season of his career and earning his first of five straight Pro Bowl nods. Allen now stands as the Chargers' all-time receiving yards leader among [=WRs=] (he still sits well behind TE Antonio Gates).
* '''Lance Alworth''' was drafted at #8 overall out of Arkansas by the 49ers in 1962, but he instead chose to sign with the San Diego Chargers, who picked up his rights from the Raiders after they drafted him at #9. Alworth became one of the biggest stars of the nascent (and more pass-friendly) AFL and was a real GameBreaker with San Diego, passing early receiving yard milestones at a speed that has yet to be surpassed by another NFL player, putting up five games with over 200 receiving yards (a record only tied by Calvin Johnson), and leading the league in receiving yards, receptions, and touchdowns thrice. His graceful running style won him the nickname... [[EmbarrassingNickname "Bambi"]]. He won a Super Bowl with the Dallas Cowboys at the end of his career, retired in 1972, had his #19 retired by the Chargers, and became the first AFL player to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

* '''Jim Benton''' was a second round pick by the Cleveland Rams in 1938 out of Arkansas, establishing himself as one of their first stars and a top flight receiver. He spent all but one year of his career with the Rams, briefly joining the Bears in 1943 and winning a championship while the Rams temporarily suspended operations. Once they returned the following year, he rejoined the team and later paired with Bob Waterfield to form a high powered offense that won the 1945 Championship, becoming just the second player after Don Hutson to pass the 1,000 yards receiving mark. He was named All-Pro in '45 and '46 after leading the NFL in receiving yards both years. His best performance came on Thanksgiving in 1945, when he hauled in 303 yards against the Lions, which stood as the single game record for over four decades. He retired in 1947 and passed away in 2001; he still awaits a call to Canton.

* '''James White''' was drafted out of Wisconsin by the New England Patriots in the 4th Round in 2014. After a quiet rookie year, he broke out in the next two seasons when lead back Dion Lewis missed many games on the injured list. While his rushing numbers don't jump off the page, his versatility in the passing game meant that he racked up plenty of receiving yards and touchdowns in third-down or game-deciding situations, and his skill in blitz pick-up made him an integral blocker in New England's passing offense. He made his greatest impact in Super Bowl LI, where he was the game's leading receiver (his rushing attempts limited by the Patriots' need for a 25-point comeback) and scored 3 [=TDs=]. His prolific receiving and scoring set records: the most receiving yards and receptions in a Super Bowl by a RB and the most points scored by any individual player, as well as the first overtime TD scored in the Big Game that sealed the victory. His stellar performance, without which New England would have assuredly lost, had many commentators, players, and fans believing he (not Creator/TomBrady) should have been named MVP. Nicknamed "Sweet Feet" by fandom, he was a [[EnsembleDarkhorse beloved member of the late Patriots dynasty for his unerring knack for making important plays in big moments.]] He played in two more Super Bowls, winning one, and retired in 2022 after spending most of the previous season out with a hip injury.

* '''[=DeAngelo=] Williams''' and '''Jonathan Stewart''' were the Carolina Panthers' dual-headed rushing threat for nearly a decade. Williams was drafted #27 overall in 2006 out of Memphis, Stewart #13 overall out of Oregon in 2008. Despite eating into each other's numbers during their tenure, Williams led the NFL in rushing [=TDs=] in 2008 and earning a Pro Bowl nod in 2009. Williams was cut from the team in 2015, which actually benefitted both players; Williams signed with the Steelers and led the NFL in rushing [=TDs=], while Stewart stayed on with Carolina during their run to the Super Bowl appearance and picked up his sole Pro Bowl nod. Williams retired after 2016, attempted a pro wrestling career and later competed on ''Series/TheAmazingRace''; Stewart holds most of the Panthers' franchise rushing records and retired with the team after spending 2018 with the Giants.
* '''Jamaal Williams''' was drafted by the Packers in the fourth round of the 2017 Draft out of BYU. After serving as a solid no. 2 RB in Green Bay, Williams signed with the rival Detroit Lions in 2021 and became the starting back. Already considered an above-average player, Williams broke out fully in 2022, leading the NFL with 17 rushing [=TDs=][[note]]breaking the previous franchise record set by ''Barry Sanders'', albeit with an extra game[[/note]] before signing with the Saints the following year. Aside from his play, Williams is known for his playful, goofy personality and giving [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lt_p6Q56qNU off-the-wall]] or [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLWJAfrGjzI hilarious]] media interviews; it takes someone who's either a {{Cloudcuckoolander}} or truly JustForFun/OneOfUs to give a Franchise/{{Naruto}}-themed [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12RJiLex6jI SNF intro]].
* '''Ricky Williams''' was a Heisman winner at Texas and a heavily-hyped player when he was drafted in 1999. In an especially notable case, Mike Ditka, then coach of the New Orleans Saints, traded away ''all of his team's draft picks'', plus another two high picks for the next year, to ensure he could take him #5 overall (an event immortalized by [[https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/96/Ricky_Ditka_ESPN_the_Magazine.jpg/220px-Ricky_Ditka_ESPN_the_Magazine.jpg this]] infamous cover of ESPN The Magazine featuring Ditka and Williams in a photo shoot dressed as a bride and groom). As a player, he rushed at about what you would expect for a good rookie RB, i.e. not nearly well enough to carry a bad team on his back alone. The Saints went 3-13, with few options for improving in the Draft for the next year, which was enough to end Ditka's coaching career. Williams put up consecutive 1,000 yard seasons the next two years before he was traded to the Miami Dolphins, where he immediately became a dynamic, unstoppable force--until he suddenly retired in 2004 when it was revealed he had tested positive for marijuana, just a few months after being featured on the cover of ''[[VideoGame/EASportsStreet NFL Street]]''. After he retired, he spent a year WalkingTheEarth to "find himself", which included living in a tent in the Australian outback and working for a holistic medicine college in California. He unretired in 2005, played solidly for a season, tested positive for marijuana a third time, jumped to the Canadian Football League in 2006, missed most of the 2007 season, played in one game before a hard stomp to the chest ended his season, [[LongList played for the Dolphins again through 2010, put up one last year for the Ravens in 2011, then retired]].

* '''Davante Adams''' was a second round draft pick by the Green Bay Packers out of Fresno State in 2014. After a relatively slow start, Adams broke out in 2016 en route to establishing himself as one of the best receivers in the league, becoming Aaron Rodgers' primary target in the late '10s/early '20s, leading the league in receiving [=TDs=] in 2020, and earning Pro Bowl nods every year since 2017. His success is all the more impressive when accounting for the lack of a true [=WR2=] threat on the Packers in his peak years, meaning his strong performances usually come while being doubled up by opposing defenses. Ahead of the 2022 season, Adams negotiated a trade to the Raiders, stating that it had always been his ultimate dream to play for his childhood team and to reunite with his college QB and best friend Derek Carr (although the latter turned out to only hold true for one year, as despite Adams again leading the NFL in receiving [=TDs=], becoming the leader in the category among active players, the team as a whole struggled, and Carr was cut after the 2022 season).

* '''Steve Van Buren''' was a Honduran-American halfback for the Philadelphia Eagles in the 1940s. [[IHaveManyNames Nicknamed]] "Wham Bam Van", "Moving Van", "Blockbuster Van Buren", and "Supersonic Steve", Van Buren was the #5 overall pick in 1944 out of LSU and arguably [[TheAce the greatest running back of his era]], setting the NFL career records for rushing yards and touchdowns, leading in both categories over four different seasons and taking the Eagles to back-to-back championships. He did all this despite [[HandicappedBadass a defect in one of his eyes]] (which was the reason he was able to avoid military service in WWII). Knee injuries led him to retire after just eight seasons (shortly after he got the Eagles to draft his brother Ebert in the first round), at which time he held the NFL's career rushing record. He was the first Eagle to be inducted into the Hall of Fame (an honor he accepted with a [[TheQuietOne four sentence speech]]) and ''still'' holds the Eagles' franchise record for rushing touchdowns. He passed away in 2012.

* '''Herschel Walker''' is one of the most unique figures in the history of pro sports, and he left a big footprint in the NFL despite seeing his greatest success outside of it. He became one of the greatest players in college football history in his three years at Georgia, winning the Heisman in his junior year[[note]]after being a top three candidate the prior two, the only time this has ever happened[[/note]]. Rather than play out his senior season, as was a requirement at the time to enter the NFL Draft, Walker decided to enter pro football early by joining the new USFL in its inaugural 1983 season and signing with the New York Generals. He led the nascent league in rushing the first season and utterly dominated in his third, breaking pro football's all-time season record for rushing yards with a whopping 2,411, more than 300 yards over the still-standing NFL record set by Eric Dickerson the year before.[[note]]This was also the period Walker began a friendship with Generals owner UsefulNotes/DonaldTrump that persists today.[[/note]] Though the USFL collapsed after that season, Walker's rights had already been drafted by the Dallas Cowboys. He couldn't replicate his record productivity against the NFL's higher level of competition, but he still performed well and was viewed as one of the league's leading running backs. He became the centerpiece of the largest trade in NFL history--the Vikings traded away five players and eight draft picks effectively just for him in the middle of the 1989 season.[[note]]They also received three lower-value picks from Dallas and one from San Diego. For more details, see ESPN's ''30 for 30'' documentary ''The Great Trade Robbery'', or [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herschel_Walker_trade The Other Wiki]].[[/note]] If that seems like an obvious mistake, it was--those picks were critical in building the Cowboys' '90s dynasty, most significantly allowing them to draft Emmitt Smith as his replacement. While the Cowboys started on the road to three Super Bowl victories, Walker's production with the Vikings never matched his previous heights. He left Minnesota in '92, put up his only post-Dallas 1,000+ yard season in Philly, and played one miserable year with the Giants. Ironically, he did finally return to Dallas in '96 to finish his NFL career with the Cowboys... the year they stopped winning Super Bowls. Walker was also known for the extreme and [[CloudCuckooLander unique]] workout regime he developed in high school. Rather than lifting weights, he performed--and reportedly continues to perform--''thousands'' of push-ups and sit-ups each day. He is also a tremendously ''versatile'' athlete, having danced with the Fort Worth Ballet during his time in Dallas, competed in the '92 Olympic bobsled races while with the Eagles, and won multiple mixed martial arts matches in his late forties.
* '''Curt Warner''' (not to be confused with Hall of Fame QB Kurt Warner) had one of the greatest rookie seasons in NFL history, breaking onto the scene with the Seattle Seahawks in 1983 after being drafted #3 overall out of Penn State. The rookie helped lead the franchise to their first playoff run and sole AFC Championship game appearance, and he would have led the entire league in rushing were it not for the player drafted directly before him, Eric Dickerson, [[AlwaysSomeoneBetter having the best rookie RB season the league has ever seen]]. A torn ACL knocked him out for his second season, but he still managed to recover to have several more Pro Bowl seasons before retiring in 1990 after a year with the Rams. The Seahawks enshrined him in their Ring of Honor, commemorating his role in making the team contenders for the first time in franchise history.
* '''Ricky Watters''' entered the NFL in 1991 as a second round pick after a distinguished college career at Notre Dame, where he was a key contributor to the 1988 team that won the Fighting Irish's last national championship to date. After missing his rookie season to injury, "Running" Watters became one of the NFL's most versatile backs, running for more than 1,000 yards seven times and catching 60 passes three times over 10 seasons spent with the San Francisco 49ers (with whom he won Super Bowl XXIX in 1995), Philadelphia Eagles, and Seattle Seahawks. Despite the consistency of his performance, Watters has yet to reach the Hall of Fame, reaching only the semifinal round of voting in 2020 and 2022.

* '''Adrian Peterson''' is the greatest rusher in the history of the Minnesota Vikings, which drafted him #7 overall out of Oklahoma in 2007. He won Offensive Rookie of the Year after setting a slew of NFL records, including most yards rushed in a single game (296), most yards rushing in the first eight games of a season (1,036), and most 200-yard rushing games for a rookie (2). He only continued to improve in following years, leading the NFL in rushing yards in his second season and total/rushing [=TDs=] in his third. In 2012, he was chosen as the league's MVP for falling nine yards short of the single-season NFL record for rushing yards after ''[[HandicappedBadass tearing his ACL]]'' the year before (an injury that typically takes ''at least'' a year to recover from). Peterson had become one of the most respected figures in the league, to the point of being featured on the cover of ''VideoGame/MaddenNFL 25''; it was thus sudden and unexpected when he was indicted for child abuse in 2014 after disciplining his son with a tree branch to cause injury. With the NFL already dealing with heavy criticism of its handling of domestic abuse cases (such as with [[UsefulNotes/NationalFootballLeagueNotoriousFigures Ray Rice]]), the Vikings deactivated him within days. Although he accepted a plea deal that kept him out of jail in exchange for probation and community service, the NFL suspended him for the remainder of the season, stating that he had failed to show proper remorse for his actions. Peterson was reinstated in 2015, again led the league in yards and rushing [=TDs=], and tied Creator/OJSimpson for most career games with 200+ rushing yards (6). However, he suffered a torn meniscus the next year that took him out for most of the season and was released from the Vikings the next year. He bounced around the league until 2021.

* '''George Rogers''' was the #1 overall pick in 1981, going to the New Orleans Saints after a Heisman-winning RB career at South Carolina. In his first year in the NFL, Rogers won Offensive Rookie of the Year after leading the entire league in rushing yards, becoming a rare bright spot for the destitute franchise. However, his individual skills weren't enough to break the team's long losing streak, and he never saw that level of success in New Orleans again; he checked into rehab for cocaine addiction that offseason and his production declined. He had a solid comeback after being traded to Washington in 1987, leading the league in [=TDs=] in 1986 and winning Super Bowl XXII before deciding to retire after just seven years in the pros due to nagging injuries. He continued to have cocaine-related legal issues after football, leaving some to wonder whether he could have had a longer/better pro career if he hadn't struggled with addiction or been saddled on such a bad team. Rogers could be considered a disappointment, as Lawrence Taylor, arguably the greatest defensive player of all time, was drafted right after him.

* '''Gale Sayers''' was a legendary halfback and return specialist for the Chicago Bears in the late '60s and early '70s. A decorated track athlete from Kansas nicknamed "the Kansas Comet",[[labelnote:*]]He was born in Wichita and went to college at KU, but grew up in Omaha, Nebraska.[[/labelnote]] Sayers played with incredible speed and was a dominant ball carrier despite having a longer and lankier frame more like that of a wide receiver. Drafted by both the Bears (#4 overall) of the NFL and the Chiefs (#5) of the AFL in 1965, he chose to play for Chicago. He won Rookie of the Year after setting the NFL rookie single-season TD record with 22 total touchdowns, a record which still stands today; to give you a bigger idea of the enormity of the achievement, it was the single-season record for ''all'' players at the time. He also tied the single-game TD record during that year, with six in one game (only the third player to do so). After several dominant seasons, including one where he led the league in rushing yards, he [[GameBreakingInjury badly injured his right knee]]. He returned to lead the league in rushing ''again'', winning Comeback Player of the Year, only to badly injure his left knee the following season. As reconstructive knee surgery was much more primitive during his era, he was never able to return to form despite several more comeback attempts. He retired at 28, had his #40 retired by the Bears, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame at age 34, the youngest person ever to be so honored and one of only a handful to never reach the playoffs.[[note]]Most worthy players play at least into their early 30s, and then there is a five-year waiting period once you have played your final game.[[/note]] His 30.6 yard average for kickoff returns is the best in league history. The aforementioned ''Brian's Song'' was [[TheFilmOfTheBook adapted from his autobiography]].[[labelnote:*]]He did have a credited ghostwriter, as is common with sports autobiographies.[[/labelnote]] He passed away in 2020.

* '''Daryl Johnston''' played his entire career with the Dallas Cowboys. Drafted in the 2nd round in 1989 out of Syracuse, he earned the nickname "Moose" from his fellow teammates due to his immense stature compared to the rest of the RB corps, as he stood at 6'2" and weighed 242 lbs. He helped the Cowboys win three Super Bowls in the '90s and was named to two Pro Bowls in 1993-94. He was the main reason for the NFL creating the FB position in the Pro Bowl, as blocking [=FBs=] like him had little chance of making it over the flashier [=RBs=]. He [[MadeofIron started 149 consecutive games]] from 1989-97 before a neck injury ultimately derailed his career, causing his early retirement in 1999, and was a major piece behind Emmitt Smith's (see below) rushing yards record. After retiring, he entered into a career in broadcasting, currently serving with Fox. At the same time, he has dabbled with being executive in a number of spring leagues that Fox has partnered with; he is currently the president of the USFL.
* '''Thomas Jones''' was a RB most famous for his tenures with the Chicago Bears and New York Jets. Originally drafted by the Cardinals #7 overall in 2000 out of Virginia, he initially struggled with injuries and was traded to the Buccaneers in 2003, putting up average stats. In 2004, he signed with the Bears and began to break out, as he got his first of five straight 1,000 seasons in 2005 and helped the Bears reach Super Bowl XLI. In 2007, he was traded to the Jets, where he made his only Pro Bowl in 2008 and had his best year stats-wise in 2009. He retired in 2011 after two seasons with the Chiefs. One of the most productive runners in NFL history with over 10,000 career rushing yards, has been nominated but not yet inducted into the Hall of Fame. He has since dabbled in acting, with roles in ''Film/StraightOuttaCompton'' and ''Series/LukeCage2016''.

* '''Kyle Juszczyk'''[[note]]Pronounced "Yooz-Check"[[/note]] is a fullback for the San Francisco 49ers and is [[LastOfHisKind one of the last at his position]] to see regular use outside of blocking. Drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the 4th round in 2013 out of [[UsefulNotes/IvyLeague Harvard]], he has been a five-time Pro Bowler and would likely have that many All-Pro nods as well if the league had not stopped including the dying position on its All-Pro teams in 2015. He joined the 49ers in 2017 and became an important part of Kyle Shanahan's creative offense, most regularly being used as a receiver. He became the first Harvard alum to score a touchdown in the Super Bowl, doing so in LIV. In 2021, he signed a record five-year, $27 million deal for a fullback, this in spite of the fact that most teams don't even ''have'' a true fullback on their roster anymore.

* '''Leroy Kelly''' was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the eighth round in 1964 out of HBCU Morgan State. After spending his first two years as a backup, winning a championship in his rookie season, Kelly was given [[ToughActToFollow the tall order]] of replacing the legendary Jim Brown following his abrupt retirement in 1965. He quickly proved himself a worthy replacement, rushing for 1,000 yards three years in a row and leading the NFL in rushing yards twice and rushing touchdowns three times while being named All-Pro all three seasons. He continued to put up strong numbers for the rest of the decade, helping the Browns reach back-to-back NFL Championship appearances. Kelly struggled with knee injuries towards the end of his career, being cut after 1973, after which he spent one year with the WFL’s Chicago Fire before retiring. The six-time Pro Bowler was inducted to the Hall of Fame in 1994.
* John '''"Shipwreck" Kelly''' was a successful back in the early NFL (leading the league in receptions and receiving [=TDs=] in 1933) but is here because he was one of only a few player-owners in league history; he purchased the Brooklyn Dodgers while playing for them. While the Dodgers eventually folded, Kelly had a long and successful business career prior to his passing in 1986.

* Alphonse '''"Tuffy" Leemans''' was one of the first major stars for the New York Giants. Drafted during the 2nd round in 1936 out of George Washington[[note]]He played his freshman season at Oregon before transferring to GW, whose football program went defunct in 1966[[/note]], he made a major splash his rookie season after leading the NFL in rushing yards and yards per game. In addition to being a capable runner, he also proved to be a viable passer, throwing 25 [=TDs=] in his career, and an extremely lethal safety on defense. He was named All-Pro every season of his career and was so popular in New York that in the final game of the 1941 season, the Giants held “Tuffy Leemans Day” to celebrate their star player (which infamously coincided with the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor). Leemans attempted to enlist in the military afterwards but was rejected on several occasions, instead playing two more seasons before retiring in 1943, after which his #4 was retired by the Giants. He was inducted to the Hall of Fame in 1978 and died a year later from a heart attack.

* '''Marshawn Lynch''' was a power back most famous for his time with the Seattle Seahawks. Selected #12 overall in 2007 by the Buffalo Bills out of Cal, his first four seasons were marred by injury and a suspension for misdemeanor firearm possession. He was traded to Seattle in 2010 and broke out as one of the league's premier backs, helping Seattle win the franchise's first Super Bowl, making five Pro Bowls, and being named to the 2010s All-Decade Team. A quintessential LightningBruiser, he earned the nickname "The Beast" thanks to his aggressive running style; when at his most dominant, it was known throughout the league as "going into [[SuperMode Beast Mode]]." His biggest career highlight came in a 2011 playoff game against the defending champion Saints: As he broke 9 tackles on a 67-yard TD run, the reaction from the fans at the stadium set off a local seismograph, registering as a small ''earthquake'', entering NFL lore as the "[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beast_Quake Beast Quake]]". Known as TheQuietOne as far as media interaction goes (famously repeating "I'm just here so I don't get fined" at one press conference), Lynch still stood out as one of the league's more colorful characters. He had a notorious SweetTooth, to the point where his love for [[TrademarkFavoriteFood Skittles]][[note]]For international readers, a popular form of fruity multi-flavored candy in America[[/note]] reached MemeticMutation status (at the Seahawks' home stadium, the "Beast Mode Burger" is always sold with a bag of Skittles on the side). He led the league in [=TDs=] in 2014 but announced his retirement the following year in typical Lynch fashion, with a cryptic tweet showing a picture of his cleats hanging on a wire, a play on the phrase "hanging up the cleats." It proved to be a TenMinuteRetirement, as he returned in 2017 with his [[UsefulNotes/{{Oakland}} hometown]] team, the Raiders. He played reasonably well but missed the last half of the 2018 season due to injury and retired again the following offseason. During the final week of the 2019 season, the Seahawks, assured of a playoff berth but down to one healthy RB due to a rash of injuries and facing a key matchup with the Niners for the NFC West title, [[HesBack signed Lynch]] for OneLastJob. He played through their playoff run, contributing four touchdowns as a short-yardage and goal line back. He hasn't been back in football since that season but remains in the spotlight as a frequent [[CelebrityEndorsement celebrity spokesman]] and an analyst for Amazon's NFL coverage. He's also an entrepreneur in the cannabis industry and another of the ever-growing list of sports celebrities to have invested in American soccer teams, joining the ownership group of Oakland Roots SC, a team in the second-tier USL Championship. He's also dabbled in acting, even being nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for his role in the comedy ''Film/{{Bottoms}}''.

* '''Curtis Martin''' was a five-time Pro Bowler who ranks in the Top 5 in career rushing attempts and Top 10 in rushing yards. A third-round draft pick out of Pittsburgh for the New England Patriots in 1995, Martin won Offensive Rookie of the Year. Once a free agent, he followed coach Bill Parcells to the New York Jets in 1998, becoming the franchise's all-time leading rusher before retiring in 2006, at which point the Jets retired his #28. Alongside Barry Sanders, Martin is one of the only running backs in NFL history to amass 10 straight 1,000+ rushing yard seasons dating to their rookie season. He also broke the record for oldest person to win the league rushing title (31 years old) in 2004. Off the field, Martin had a reputation as a real NiceGuy, an attitude best encapsulated in an extremely sincere Hall of Fame induction speech, in which he admitted to never really loving football while he played the sport and instead spoke mostly of his gratitude for his mother and coaches for helping him survive a violent childhood.
* '''Ollie Matson''' was one of the NFL’s biggest stars during the 1950s. Drafted by the Chicago Cardinals #3 overall in 1952 out of the now-defunct program at San Francisco, Matson won silver and bronze track medals in the 1952 Helsinki UsefulNotes/OlympicGames before winning All-Rookie honors in the NFL. After spending 1953 serving in the U.S. Army, Matson exploded as one of the league's most dynamic and versatile runners despite playing on some very abysmal Cardinals teams. He earned six Pro Bowl nods with the Cardinals before being traded to the Rams in 1959 in what was, at the time, the largest trade in league history, with the Rams giving up 8 players and a draft pick in exchange for Matson, hoping his presence alone would return them to championship contention; instead, their performance plummeted as well.[[note]]The Rams GM who orchestrated the trade was none other than future NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle[[/note]]. He spent the last 8 years of his career with the Rams, Lions, and Eagles before retiring in 1966. Despite his teams' lack of success, he was still inducted to the Hall of Fame in 1972. Matson died from dementia complications in 2011.

* '''Clarke Hinkle''' was JackOfAllTrades fullback/linebacker/kicker/punter for the '30s Green Bay Packers. Hinkle signed with the Packers in 1932 out of Bucknell and quickly broke out as one of the best players in the young league, frequently leading the league in scoring and being named an All-Pro seven times. He famously developed a [[FriendlyEnemy friendly rivalry]] with his Bears' counterpart on both sides of the ball, Bronko Nagurski. Hinkle's career was cut short in 1941 when he enlisted in the Coast Guard for World War II; he still retired as the young NFL's career rushing leader. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1964 and passed away in 1988.
* '''Priest Holmes''' was a star with the 2000s Kansas City Chiefs, though he initially signed with the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent out of Texas (where he had been overshadowed by Ricky Williams, see below) in 1997. In his second year, he greatly exceeded his draft position by rushing for over 1,000 yards, but he was supplanted as the starter in 2000 by Jamal Lewis (see below), winning a Super Bowl ring as a second stringer. He signed with the Chiefs in 2001 on an inexpensive contract and proceeded to become one of the NFL's best running backs, rushing for 1,400+ yards every year from 2001-03 and being named to the Pro Bowl all three seasons. He led the NFL in rushing yards in 2001 and rushing/total [=TDs=] in 2002-03, being named Offensive Player of the Year in '02 and breaking the single-season rushing and total TD records in '03; while these have since been surpassed, his streak of 38 games with 50+ rushing yards compiled in this period may be unbeatable. Injuries caused his career to decline after that, leading to his retirement in 2007 after [[CareerEndingInjury a freak neck injury]]. He ran for more yards and [=TDs=] than any undrafted player in NFL history, holds the Chiefs franchise rushing TD record, and was inducted into the Chiefs Hall of Fame in 2014.
* '''Paul Hornung'''[[labelnote:*]]pronounced "Horning"[[/labelnote]] was a Hall of Fame halfback (as well as [[JackOfAllTrades kicker, punter, fullback, safety, and sometimes quarterback]]) of the Green Bay Packers during their '60s dynasty. He won the Heisman Trophy in college, becoming the only player to ever win it from a losing team (his Notre Dame team went ''2-8'' that year), and was selected by Green Bay #1 overall in 1957. The "Golden Boy" won the first AP NFL MVP award in 1961 and won five championships, including Super Bowl I. His versatility at multiple scoring positions helped him set the record for most single-season points scored in 1960 (176), a record that stood for 46 years until it was finally passed by [=LaDainian=] Tomlinson in 2006.[[note]]L.T. did not kick field goals, but he ''did'' beat the record by only ten points while playing in a season with four more games than Hornung had.[[/note]] In a more negative light, Hornung was one of two players suspended for the 1963 season, Alex Karras (in the "Defensive Linemen" folder of the "[[UsefulNotes/NFLDefensiveAndSpecialTeamsPlayers Defensive and Special Teams]]" page) being the other, when it was discovered that they were illegally betting on NFL games. He was reinstated for 1964 after intense lobbying from head coach Vince Lombardi, only to retire two years later after playing hurt with a pinched neck nerve for most of the Packers' first Super Bowl season, although he successfully hit a 52-yard fair catch kick, which remains the longest successful attempt. The annual college football award for the "most versatile" player is named after him. Hornung passed away in 2020.

* '''Edgerrin James''' most famously played for the Indianapolis Colts, who drafted him #4 overall out of Miami in 1999. Some analysts were critical of the Colts for selecting him over reigning Heisman winner Ricky Williams (see below), but James silenced the critics by leading the league in rushing yards and total touchdowns and winning Offensive Rookie of the Year. He continued to put up great numbers with the Colts, making four Pro Bowls during his tenure. In 2006, he signed with Arizona (''just'' missing winning a Super Bowl with Indy, though the Colts gave him a ring anyways) and had 1,000+ yards in his first two seasons. His production dropped sharply in 2008, but played a big part in the Cardinals reaching the Super Bowl that season. He played one more unimpressive season in Seattle and retired in 2011. He ran over 12,000 career yards, holds the Colts franchise records for rushing yards and [=TDs=], and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2020.
* '''Chris Johnson''' was a three-time Pro Bowler who most famously played for the Tennessee Titans. Despite coming out of a smaller school at East Carolina, he shot up to a first round position in the 2008 Draft thanks to a break-out senior season and a then-record breaking 40-yard dash time at the NFL Combine. In his rookie season with the Titans, he split carries with fellow back [=LenDale=] White, forming a duo that gained the nickname "Smash and Dash" for White's power and Johnson's speed. Johnson took the lead in his sophomore season, which was one of the best ever for a RB. He became the sixth ever to rush for over 2,000 yards, all while also ''receiving'' for another 503, setting the current record for single-season total yards from scrimmage. His feat earned him the nickname "[=CJ2K=]" and the Offensive Player of the Year award. He continued to put up 1,000+ yard performances for the next four seasons, but his productivity was never enough to help the Titans get to the playoffs and he was released in 2014. After a mediocre year with the Jets, Johnson was injured in a drive-by shooting that also killed one of his friends. He recovered from the injury and nearly had a comeback year with the Cardinals before a broken leg ended his season prematurely. He retired in 2018.

* '''David Bakhtiari''' is a five-time All-Pro left tackle -- and, unfortunately, a sad case of WhatCouldHaveBeen. Drafted by the Green Bay Packers out of Colorado in the fourth round in 2013, Bakhtiari made a name for himself over his first eight seasons as one of the NFL's best o-linemen. In 2020, the Packers signed Bakhtiari to a four-year, $105.5 million contract extension that made him the highest-paid o-lineman in NFL history. It seemed like a reasonable move at the time, but it all came crashing down just six weeks later when Bakhtiari injured his knee in practice on New Year's Eve. The injury proved to be a particularly complicated one[[note]]it was initially reported as an ACL tear, but it was later clarified that there was also damage to other parts of the knee, making it a much more difficult injury than if it had only been the ACL[[/note]], with multiple surgeries and setbacks throwing wrenches in his recovery timeline; he missed all of 2021 save for a handful of snaps in the regular season finale, missed six games in '22 due to his knee and an appendectomy, and ended his '23 season after one game due to another knee complication. Once considered to be on a Hall of Fame trajectory, his future is now uncertain, as while he's still a great player when he's on the field, teams will now have to weigh that against the ongoing injury and availability concerns.

* '''Larry Little''' and '''Jim Langer''' were a pair of undrafted players who both wound up in the Hall of Fame after serving on the Miami Dolphins' line in the 1970s. Little began his career in 1967 by signing as an undrafted free agent out of the HBCU Bethune–Cookman by the Chargers. The guard was traded to Miami in 1969, where Langer joined him at center after being signed out of South Dakota State. The two were key contributors to the team's bruising running attack, helping the Dolphins win two Super Bowls (including their undefeated season) and going to five and six Pro Bowls respectively. Little retired in 1980; his brother, David, was a LB for the Steelers from 1981-92. Langer was cut from the Dolphins in '79 but played two more years in Minnesota; he died in 2019.

* '''Bruce Matthews''' was an o-lineman (and long snapper) for the Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans, which drafted him #9 overall out of USC in 1983; he would play [[LongRunner 19 seasons]] for the team, notching the most games in franchise history. He is widely regarded as one of the best in history, as his record streak of ''14 consecutive Pro Bowls'' (tied for second all-time) will attest. He was incredibly durable, playing [[MadeOfIron 244 consecutive starts]] (a record for an o-lineman and the fourth longest streak for any player), [[JackOfAllTrades and versatile]], getting named an All-Pro at tackle, guard, and center. He is part of the [[BadassFamily Matthews dynasty]]; brother of Clay Matthews II (formerly a linebacker for the Browns who became ''that'' franchise's longest-tenured player), uncle to Clay Matthews III (found below under "Linebackers"), and father to Kevin and Jake Matthews (Kevin a journeyman center and Jake a tackle for the Atlanta Falcons). He retired from play in 2001 and transitioned into coaching. The Titans retired his #74, and he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.

* '''Mike Munchak''' was a dominant guard drafted #8 overall in 1982 out of Penn State by the Houston Oilers, an organization he would serve in some capacity for the next [[LongRunner 32 years]]. Munchak visited the Pro Bowl nine times during his twelve seasons as a player, than immediately transitioned into coaching for the team when he retired from play after the Oiler's turbulent 1993 season; the organization retired his #63 almost immediately. He followed the team as Jeff Fisher's o-line coach during its transformation into the Tennessee Titans and eventually replaced Fisher as head coach in 2011. He produced middling results as HC and was fired after 2013 when he refused to fire most of his staff; he has since served as an o-line coach for the Steelers and Broncos. Munchak was enshrined in the Hall of Fame in 2001 for his playing career.

* '''Jim Otto''' was an original star for the Oakland Raiders, drafted in the second round in their inaugural season of 1960 out of Miami (FL). The center amassed nine All-Star and three Pro-Bowl nods through his 15-year Hall of Fame career, during which he famously wore [[MyHeroZero #00]].[[note]]This was permitted in both leagues both pre- and post-merger, but banned after the merger in 1973. He and Ken Burrough were grandfathered in, however.[[/note]] His physical style of play took its toll, however; Otto underwent dozens of operations during his career due to injuries, which riddled his body with chronic pain and caused numerous life-risking infections. He has been a prominent advocate for better health care and protections for the players that came after him.

* '''Marshall Faulk''' was a first-ballot Hall of Famer best known for his time as one of the key members of the "Greatest Show on Turf" St. Louis Rams. Originally drafted #2 overall by the Indianapolis Colts in 1994 out of San Diego State, he was traded to the Rams after his fifth season when he demanded a new contract. [[JackOfAllTrades A well-rounded back]] capable of carrying the ball, catching passes, and pass blocking, he was an incredible fit in the Rams' wide-open passing attack offense. In the Rams' Super Bowl-winning season of 1999, Faulk became only the 2nd player in NFL history to have a 1,000/1,000 rushing yards/receiving yards season[[note]]The first being Roger Craig in 1985, since accomplished a third time by Christian [=McCaffrey=] in 2019.[[/note]] while his 1,048 receiving yards are the single-season record for a RB. He tied Earl Campbell's record by winning Offensive Player of the Year in three consecutive seasons (1999-2001) and won league MVP in 2000 after setting a then-record for single season [=TDs=] (he'd lead the NFL again the following year), and he was featured on the cover of ''VideoGame/MaddenNFL 2003''. He retired in 2006, had his #28 retired by the Rams (he remains the franchise's all-time TD leader), and moved into a career as an analyst.

* '''Arian Foster''' went undrafted out of Tennessee in 2009 to the Houston Texans but had a major breakthrough season in his second year, leading the league in rushing yards and total [=TDs=] (he led the NFL in the latter category again in 2012). While Foster set multiple all-time franchise records, earned four Pro Bowl nods, and played a key role in the Texans' first successful seasons, he quickly became more famous for his [[CloudCuckooLander eccentric]] personality, which manifested on the field in his "Namaste" bow TD celebrations and off the field in his [[ConspiracyTheorist love of conspiracies]]. He retired after spending 2016 with the Dolphins and is currently pursuing a music career under the name "Bobby Feeno".

* Chester '''"Cookie" Gilchrist''' was among the most successful pro football players to never go to college. Gilchrist signed with the Browns in 1953 as a junior in high school, violating NFL rules; when Paul Brown failed to get the NFL to grant an exception, Gilchrist went to Canada, where he won a Grey Cup with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 1957. He returned to the States in 1962 to sign with the AFL's Buffalo Bills when they failed to sign their draft choice, Ernie Davis (who ironically went to the Browns, see above). While Davis died before ever playing for the NFL, Gilchrist immediately became the AFL's MVP, becoming its first 1,000-yard rusher and setting the league's record for single-season touchdowns. Gilchrist won a championship with Buffalo in 1964 and played a few more years with the Broncos and Dolphins before retiring after 1967. Cookie was well-known for his strong moral and personal standards, famously leading a successful boycott of the 1964 All-Star Game to get it moved from the strictly segregationist New Orleans; he also refused entry into the Canadian Hall of Fame and the Bills' Wall of Honor during his life due to feeling like he was never paid well enough for his talents. He passed away in 2011.

* '''Pat Harder''' was a key part of the Chicago Cardinals' "Million Dollar Backfield" of the 1940s. Like his other teammates, Harder was a JackOfAllTrades who contributed in a number of ways to the team, most notably as a fullback and as the team's primary placekicker. Drafted #2 overall in 1944 out of Wisconsin, Harder joined the moribund franchise in 1946 after finishing serving with the Marines in WWII. He led the NFL in scoring from 1947-49, helped the Cards win their second (and final) championship in '47, and was named league MVP in '48 by UPI (the first such award given by UPI, and the only such award given that season by a major publication). The six-time All-Pro was traded to the Detroit Lions in 1951, winning another two titles before retiring in 1953. He would subsequently serve for many years as an NFL official, wearing the stripes in a number of the most iconic NFL games of the '60s and '70s. He passed away in 1972.
* '''Franco Harris''' was the legendary star back of the 1970s Pittsburgh Steelers dynasty and still the franchise's leader in touchdowns and rushing yards. A #13 overall pick out of Penn State, Harris is best known for his famous "[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immaculate_Reception Immaculate Reception]]", often considered to be the most memorable play in NFL history, in which he caught a deflected ball for a game-winning touchdown in a 1972 playoff match against the Raiders. This was the first playoff touchdown in the Steelers' forty-year history and brought them their first postseason victory, completely turning around the fortunes of what is now one of the greatest franchises in the NFL--and it was just his rookie season. Harris had many, ''many'' other memorable moments in his career: he won Offensive Rookie of the Year, played with the Steelers through four Super Bowl wins (including winning MVP for Super Bowl IX, the first African-American to win the honor, and notching the record for most rushing yards in Super Bowl history), led the NFL in [=TDs=] in 1976, garnered a vocal fanbase called "Franco's Italian Army"[[note]]While black on his father's side, his mother had Italian heritage.[[/note]], and was selected to nine consecutive Pro Bowls. He retired in 1983 after a forgettable year with the Seahawks, coming just short of breaking Jim Brown's career rushing record, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in his first eligible year. He died suddenly in 2022 on the week of the 50th Anniversary of the Immaculate Reception and just days before the Steelers were set to retire his #32 jersey, making him only the third Steeler to receive such an honor.
* '''Abner Haynes''' was originally drafted by the Steelers in the 5th round in 1960 out of North Texas but opted to sign for the AFL's Dallas Texans instead. He quickly broke out as arguably the biggest star of the AFL's first season and of the Texans iteration of the future Kansas City Chiefs franchise, being named not just the fledging league's first Rookie of the Year but its ''MVP'' after leading the league in rushing yards and [=TDs=]. During his tenure with the Texans/Chiefs, he was named a four-time All-Star, claimed two more rushing TD titles, won the AFL Championship in 1962, and was named Comeback Player of the Year in 1964. He was traded to the Broncos in 1965 and finished his career with brief stops with the Dolphins and Jets before retiring in 1967. His #28 is retired by the Chiefs.

* '''Nick Chubb''' was selected in the second round in 2018 by the Cleveland Browns. Known as a punishing back at Georgia despite some injury struggles, his first big impact in the NFL was in Week 4 of his rookie year, where he rushed for 105 yards and 2 touchdowns... on ''three carries''. He was soon made the feature back and delivered a near-1,000 yard season. He's been to the Pro Bowl every year since, his 5.2 yards per attempt is the highest among active running backs, and he is the only Brown not named Jim Brown to deliver a 1,400-yard season.
* '''Roger Craig''' was a [[JackOfAllTrades multi-threat]] for the San Francisco 49ers during their '80s dynasty. A second-round pick out of Nebraska in 1982, Craig lined up as both a halfback and fullback while also serving as an extremely capable receiver; he was the first player ever to both rush and receive for 1,000 yards in a single season in 1985 (actually leading the NFL in catches) and won Offensive Player of the Year in 1988. However, his performance began to decline in 1990, culminating in an incredibly costly fumble in the NFC Championship that cost the Niners a chance at a Super Bowl threepeat. He was subsequently let go and retired in 1993 after brief stints with the Raiders and Vikings; he has since been named a finalist for the Hall of Fame multiple times but has yet to be inducted.

* '''Sam "Bam" Cunningham''' was drafted #11 overall by the New England Patriots in 1973 after a stellar career at USC that played a major role in the racial integration of college football. Over his decade-long career, Cunningham earned one Pro Bowl selection and became the franchise's all-time leading rusher, a record he still holds decades after his retirement. He is a member of the Patriots Hall of Fame. His younger brother [[UsefulNotes/NationalFootballLeagueQuarterbacks Randall]] achieved NFL fame as a dynamic QB with the Eagles. He passed away in 2021.
* '''Clem Daniels''' went undrafted out of HBCU Prairie View A&M in 1960 and put up negative rushing yards with the upstart AFL's Texans in its first season. He landed with the Oakland Raiders the following year and emerged as one of the best players of the AFL, leading the league in rushing yards in 1962, being named MVP the following year, and finishing his career in 1968 as the league's all-time leading rusher. He passed away in 2019.

* '''Terrell Davis''' was a sixth round pick out of Georgia in the 1995 Draft by the Denver Broncos who broke out as one of the league's leading running backs, boosting coach Mike Shanahan's reputation for training stud runners. The quality portion of his career only lasted for four years before a devastating knee injury, but during those years he was widely regarded as unstoppable and still managed to claim the franchise's major rushing records. As one of the focal points of the Broncos' '90s Super Bowl years, Davis went to three consecutive Pro Bowls, won Offensive Player of the Year in '96 and '98 (when he led the league in rushing touchdowns), and was named MVP in '98 (when he also led the league in rushing yards, becoming only the fourth player to rush for 2,000+ yards in the regular season; counting the playoffs, he had the most rushing yards for any RB in a single year). In the Broncos' first of two consecutive Super Bowl wins, he was the game MVP despite (or perhaps because of) playing through an intense migraine that left him unable to see straight and still lining up in order to give the illusion that Denver wasn't solely relying on Elway's passing attack. His lack of longevity left him out of Hall of Fame consideration for over a decade before finally getting inducted in 2017.
* '''Joe Delaney''' played for the Kansas City Chiefs who selected him in the second round in 1981 out of Northwestern State. He rushed for over 1,000 yards as a rookie, averaging a then-team record 4.9 YPC, and was named to the Pro Bowl. In the summer of 1983, Delaney witnessed three children drowning in a pond near his hometown. Despite his own inability to swim, he jumped in and rescued one of the children before drowning while trying to save the others. His HeroicSacrifice earned him the Presidential Citizens Medal from Creator/RonaldReagan, his #37 has been unofficially retired by the Chiefs, and he is enshrined the team's Ring of Honor.

* '''Tony Dorsett''' spent nearly his entire career as a star with the Dallas Cowboys. Drafted #2 overall in 1977 following a Heisman and National Championship winning season at Pittsburgh, Dorsett told the expansion Seattle Seahawks (who originally held the pick) that he would not play for them if selected. This prompted Dallas, a perennial playoff team, to trade up for him. The move paid immediate dividends, as in his first year he rushed for over 1,000 yards, scored 13 touchdowns, won Offensive Rookie of Year, and led the Cowboys to a Super Bowl XII victory. He rushed for over 1,000 yards in eight of his first nine seasons (the only exception being the strike-shortened 1982 season where he still led the league). He is one of only two players (Derrick Henry being the other, see below) to accomplish a 99-yard run. Dorsett was traded to the Broncos in 1988 after two years of declining performance; he improved slightly in Denver but retired before the next season due to injury problems. He is also one of only two players in league history (along with Marcus Allen, see above) to win a Heisman, a college national championship, a Super Bowl, and be enshrined in both the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame. Sadly, he has struggled with CTE and related memory issues in retirement.

* '''Warrick Dunn''' was a very good back who was perhaps even better known for [[NiceGuy his quality off-field character]]. Just two days after his 18th birthday, his single mother, an off-duty police officer, was murdered, and Dunn [[PromotedToParent became the legal guardian of his five younger siblings]] while attending Florida State, where he still became the then-leading rusher in program history. Dunn was drafted #12 overall in 1997 by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers despite being quite undersized (listed at 5'9", 187 lbs). He won Offensive Rookie of the Year, earned two Pro Bowl nods, and ran for over 1,000 twice in his five years in Tampa, pairing well with bruising power runner Mike Alstott (see above) in a tandem backfield. He signed with the Atlanta Falcons as a free agent in 2002, making another Pro Bowl and being named Walter Payton Man of the year in 2004 while rushing for over 1,000 yards three times in six seasons. He returned for a final season in Tampa in 2008, going over 10,000 rushing yards for his career before retiring. He continues to be extremely active in charitable efforts, including establishing a program that provides homes to single-parent families. He also owns a minority stake in the Falcons, who placed him in their Ring of Honor.

* '''Ezekiel Elliott''' was drafted #4 overall in 2016 by the Dallas Cowboys. Already renowned for his role in winning a college national championship at Ohio State, Elliott led the league in rushing yards in his rookie season (and helped to popularize a midriff-baring trend for [=RBs=] in the late 2010s). A suspension related to a domestic violence investigation interrupted his second season, but he again led the league in rushing the following year and remained one of the NFL's more prominent rushers. The Cowboys rewarded him with one of the biggest contracts ever for a running back, but while he remained a red zone threat, his overall production steadily receded. He was released after 2022 and signed with the Patriots.

* '''Shaun Alexander''' played for the Seattle Seahawks through the '00s and is the franchise's all-time leading rusher and TD scorer. A first round pick in 2000 out of Alabama, he put up a series of 1,000 yard rushing seasons starting in his second year, tied the single-season TD record in 2004, and put up a truly spectacular 2005 season where he broke the single-season touchdown record and won league MVP (the first Seahawk to do so). Unfortunately, his solid career has been largely overshadowed by his reputation as one of the most prominent examples of the "Madden {{Curse}}". In 2006, while he adorned the cover of ''VideoGame/MaddenNFL'' in recognition of his excellent prior season, he suffered a foot injury that nearly halved his playing time. That same year, [[AlwaysSomeoneBetter [=LaDainian=] Tomlinson]] broke Alexander's TD record and won MVP for himself. Alexander continued to struggle with injuries--Seattle released him to Washington after the next season, and he was out of football entirely the year after that. Despite the relative brevity of his career likely keeping him out of Canton (he has the most career [=TDs=] of anyone not in the Hall and is in the all-time top ten for rushing [=TDs=]), he is a member of the Seahawks Ring of Honor.
* '''Marcus Allen''' was a star in the league [[LongRunner for 16 seasons]] through the '80s and '90s. Drafted #10 overall in 1982 by the Los Angeles Raiders after a Heisman- and national championship-winning season at USC, Allen immediately broke out as a star on his local team, leading the league in touchdowns during the strike-shortened season and being named Offensive Rookie of the Year. He later led the Raiders to a Super Bowl XVIII victory, setting records for longest rush in a Super Bowl and total rushing yards (both since broken), co-led the league in total [=TDs=] in 1984, was named MVP and Offensive Player of the Year in 1985 after leading the NFL in rushing yards, and eventually claimed most Raiders franchise rushing records. However, his relationship with the Raiders and owner Al Davis began to deteriorate when the team brought in two-sport superstar Bo Jackson (see below) to play for the Raiders part-time, cutting into Allen's playing time and preventing him from a getting a higher-paying contract. After several seasons of being mostly relegated to the bench during the prime of his career, Allen took advantage of the NFL's new free agency system in 1993 to leave the Raiders, sign with the hated division rival Kansas City Chiefs, and immediately rebound, leading the league in rushing [=TDs=] once again while winning Comeback Player of the Year. He played effectively for five more seasons until retiring at the ripe age (especially by running back standards) of 37, holding the then-record for career rushing [=TDs=] (he's now #3). He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility, joining Tony Dorsett (see below) as the only players to win a Heisman, a college national championship, a Super Bowl, and be enshrined in both the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame.[[note]]Incidentally, his younger brother Damon, a QB out of the now-defunct program at Cal State Fullerton, played for 23 seasons in the CFL, retiring with the most passing yards in North American pro football (a record now held by Tom Brady).[[/note]]

* Atiim '''"Tiki" Barber''' was a three-time Pro Bowler who played ten seasons with the New York Giants after they drafted him in the second round in 1997 out of Virginia. He became a star in the early '00s, setting the Giants all-time rushing yards record and coming very close to breaking Marshall Faulk's single-season yards from scrimmage record in 2005. However, he was likely more famous for his interactions with the media, an entity he expressed interest in joining rather than being the subject of. Barber openly criticized his teammates (especially coach Tom Coughlin and quarterback Eli Manning) and blamed them for the Giants' inability to win a Super Bowl. After retiring in his prime following 2006 and signing a lucrative deal with NBC Sports and ''Series/{{Today}}'', Barber earned a press box seat to the next Super Bowl and got to interview its winners... the New York Giants. Tiki lost his ''Today'' gig after a highly-publicized divorce where he [[RoleEndingMisdemeanor left his pregnant wife for a young NBC intern]]; he attempted an NFL comeback afterwards but came up short. His abbreviated career and post-retirement controversies likely cost him a spot in the Hall of Fame (not to mention caused vocal boos from Giants fans when he was added to the team's Ring of Honor) despite having more career yards from scrimmage than anyone eligible not in Canton. Tiki's [[AlwaysIdenticalTwins identical twin]] Ronde, the [[RedOniBlueOni Blue Oni]] to Tiki's Red, also had a very successful career in the NFL as a defensive back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers; see his entry in the "Defensive and Special Teams Players" page.
* '''Cliff Battles''' signed with the newly-formed Boston Braves out of the small West Virginia Wesleyan in 1932. He immediately broke out as the league's leading rusher in his rookie season, became the first player to run for over 200 yards in a single game, and claimed the career rushing record by 1937, when the team moved to Washington, added Sammy Baugh, and won a championship. The star player asked his team owner, the infamous George Preston Marshall, for a raise from the $3,000 a year he had been paid since his rookie year; Marshall refused, and Battles chose to retire instead, entering into coaching and leaving many to wonder whether Washington would have won even more championships in the Baugh era if Marshall [[TheScrooge hadn't been such a cheapskate]]. Battles later served in the Marines during World War II, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1968, and died in 1981.
* '''Greg Bell''' was drafted #26 overall by the Buffalo Bills in 1984 out of Notre Dame and had a Pro Bowl rookie year, but his production quickly declined until he was traded to the Los Angeles Rams in the middle of his fourth season. Behind their dominant o-line, he quickly ascended to being one of the most dominant runners of his time, leading the NFL in rushing [=TDs=] in back-to-back seasons and winning Comeback Player of the Year. At that time, no one had earned that title multiple times and ''not'' eventually entered the Hall of Fame, so Bell attempted a hold-out; the Rams didn't blink, sent him across town to the Raiders, and continued to lead in rushing production without him. The Raiders had a backfield with Marcus Allen, Bo Jackson, and Napoleon [=McCallum=], so Bell barely saw the field and retired that year.
* '''Le'Veon Bell''' was drafted in the second round out of Michigan State by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2013. He soon broke out as one of the league's leading dual-threat backs, racking up rushing and receiving yards, earning three Pro Bowl noms, and setting many franchise records even while facing repeated injuries and suspensions for marijuana use that took him out of many games. After leading the league in carries in 2017, Bell was placed on the franchise tag; he chose to sit out the entire season to protest not being signed to a more lucrative contract and was let go the next season. He signed with the New York Jets for a deal closer to what he had hoped for, but his production plummeted, and he was off the team in less than two years, joining the Chiefs for a far smaller contract; he is currently a free agent.

* '''Earl Campbell''' was a star for the Houston Oilers, the #1 overall pick in the 1978 Draft after a Heisman-winning career at Texas, and one of the best power backs in NFL history. Nicknamed [[RedBaron "The Tyler Rose"]][[note]]Tyler, in a significant rose-growing area, being his Texas hometown[[/note]], he immediately broke out as a star, winning Offensive Player of the Year in his first three seasons and league MVP in his second. Campbell was known (and feared) for his punishing running style: defenders were often run over, knocked down, or ''knocked out'' trying to tackle him thanks to his large, almost tree trunk-like legs that were the source of his speed and power--even now, short running backs that use powerful legs to their advantage are compared to him. He's also known for coining the name of the famous "Luv Ya Blue" era of the late '70s Oilers after a hard-fought victory over the Dolphins on ''Series/MondayNightFootball'' in 1978. The Oilers began to decline after the firing of coach Bum Phillips, leading Campbell to demand a trade to join his old coach with the New Orleans Saints in the middle of the 1984 season. The Saints didn't have a clear place for him in their offense, however, and he retired relatively early after the next season. Despite his shortened career, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility, had his #34 retired by the Oilers/Titans, and made the NFL 100th Anniversary Team, a testament to how much he dominated the game. Amazingly, he accomplished all this while suffering from spinal stenosis, which wasn't diagnosed until after his playing career ended. [[https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/30046975/earl-campbell-got-second-act-texas-longhorns-legend After retirement]], he underwent five back operations, was forced to use a wheelchair, developed an addiction to painkillers, beat that addiction, had five ''more'' operations, and got out of the wheelchair.

* '''Christian [=McCaffrey=]''' was drafted #8 overall in 2017 by the Carolina Panthers out of Stanford. A dual threat as both a runner and receiver, [=McCaffrey=] set the record for receptions by a RB in his second season with 107 . The following year, he became only the third player in league history with a 1,000/1,000 rushing/receiving yard season (while breaking his own receptions record) and led the league in [=TDs=]. Despite an overall stagnation in RB salaries around the league, [=McCaffrey=] agreed to a new deal with the Panthers during the 2020 offseason that made him the highest paid RB in league history. However, he struggled with injuries in the following years and was traded to the San Francisco 49ers in the middle of the 2022 season as the Panthers' continued to struggle on the field. Since returning to the Bay Area, "CMC" has reemerged as a potent scoring threat, breakng the NFL record for consecutive games with a touchdown (17 and counting when including playoffs). Christian is the son of former Denver Broncos WR '''Ed [=McCaffrey=]''', a fellow Stanford product who won two Super Bowls with the team in the late '90s.

* '''Hines Ward''' played with the Pittsburgh Steelers for 14 seasons. A third-round pick out of Georgia in 1998, Ward was selected to four Pro Bowls, won Super Bowl MVP after their victory in XL, and set most of the standing all-time receiving records for the team. He did all this while ''missing an ACL'' in his left knee; he lost it in a childhood bicycle accident, and it wasn't discovered until he left college. He was also, somewhat unusually for the position, a widely feared blocker; his propensity for blind-side hits, including one infamous (but legal) block that broke rookie LB Keith Rivers' jaw and ended his season, led to the league passing a rule to make such blocks illegal. The son of a Korean mother and an African-American father, Ward is one of the most accomplished Asian-American players in the history of the sport and has been an advocate both for opening the sport up to players of Asian descent, who currently comprise fewer than 2% of active players, and for increased social acceptance of foreign and multiracial youth in Korea. [[HeAlsoDid Non-football fans may better recognize him]] for winning Season 12 of ''Series/DancingWithTheStars'' and successfully [[OutrunTheFireball outrunning the exploding football field]] in his cameo in ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises''. He entered coaching after retiring from play and is currently slated to be a head coach in XFL's San Antonio Brahmas. As of 2023, he has the most receiving touchdowns of any eligible player not enshrined in Canton.

* '''Drew Pearson''' played for the Dallas Cowboys his entire career. Going undrafted out of Tulsa in 1973, he was originally a special teams player until injuries promoted him to the number one option. He was named to three Pro Bowls in his career and had two 1,000+ yard seasons but was most known for his clutch gene and postseason heroics; he helped the Cowboys reach three Super Bowls (winning Super Bowl XII) with multiple touchdowns in the final minutes of playoff games, including being the recipient of the first Hail Mary pass. He was forced to retire before the 1984 season due to a liver injury sustained in a car crash that also killed his brother. Although he was a member of the 1970s All-Decade Team, his abbreviated career kept him from Hall of Fame consideration until he was finally inducted in 2021. While his #88 was not retired by the Cowboys, it is typically reserved for the team's top receiver, being won by names like Michael Irvin, Dez Bryant, and Ceedee Lamb.

* '''Billy Howton''' was, in terms of catches and yardage, the best receiver of the 1950s, but remains mostly anonymous due to playing almost his entire career for terrible teams that became dominant forces soon after he left. Drafted in the second round (#15 overall) by the Green Bay Packers in 1952 out of Rice, Howton often led the league in receiving yards and [=TDs=]. However, the Packers were generally terrible throughout this period, with Howton's stellar but often inconsequential play as a catcher their sole strong suit in an era where defenses had fewer limitations and [[CripplingOverspecialization ends were also required to block]]. After the Packers posted the franchise's only one-win season in 1958, new coach Vince Lombardi traded Howton to Cleveland in one of the first steps of his rebuild. Howton saw his sole winning season with the Browns, but it was a down year by their standards. He considered retirement (which would have also meant stepping down as the second president of the NFLPA) but was drawn back to football by the chance to play in his home state with the new Dallas Cowboys, where he was once again one of the few bright spots on a bad team. Howton retired in 1963 after breaking Don Hutson's career records for receptions and receiving yards that had stood for two decades; [[AwardSnub he has never even been named a finalist for the Hall of Fame]].

* '''Randy Moss''' was a well-traveled wide receiver considered one of the greatest to play the position, having held the distinction of being the top target for the two then-highest scoring teams of all time (the 1998 Vikings and the 2007 Patriots). He is second only to Jerry Rice in receiving touchdowns, making him perhaps the most successful receiver to never win a Super Bowl. A first round pick by the Minnesota Vikings out of Marshall in 1998, Moss immediately broke out, winning Offensive Rookie of the Year after not only breaking the rookie receiving TD record but leading the entire league in that category (he would do so four more times). His incredible athleticism earned widespread acclaim; even years after his retirement, a DB who surrenders a catch despite fully covering their opponent is still referred to as being [[PersonAsVerb "Mossed"]]. He likewise became a tremendous star off the field and was featured on the covers of the first three ''[[Creator/{{Sega}} NFL 2K]]'' video games. However, Moss was also well known as a loose cannon; the Vikings were only able to draft him at all due to legal issues causing his draft stock to slide, and in Minnesota alone he openly admitted to coasting during games, tested positive for marijuana, hit a traffic cop with his car, and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking fake mooned the fans in Green Bay after scoring a touchdown]][[note]]The latter had some context, as the less polite fans of the Packers moon the buses of visiting teams as they depart.[[/note]], which contributed to him being traded away to Oakland in 2005. After a mostly disappointing stint in the Bay Area, Moss's personality mellowed somewhat when he joined the New England Patriots in 2007. His play did not--Moss became a crucial part of the Pats' 16-0 season, and caught a NFL season record of 23 touchdowns. In 2010, he was part of a bizarre rollercoaster of trades/releases/signings that saw him traded back to Minnesota... for all of one month, after which he was waived and picked up by the Titans. He retired before the next season began, only to [[TenMinuteRetirement unretire just over a year later]] to play his final season for the 49ers in 2012, once again reaching the Super Bowl [[EveryYearTheyFizzleOut only to fall just short of grabbing a ring]]. He was voted into the Hall of Fame at his first chance in 2018, joining Largent and Rice as the only modern-era [=WRs=] to be inducted in their first year of eligibility, and has moved into a career as an analyst.

* '''Marshall Faulk''' was a first-ballot Hall of Famer best known for his time as one of the key members of the "Greatest Show on Turf" St. Louis Rams. Originally drafted #2 overall by the Indianapolis Colts in 1994 out of San Diego State, he was traded to the Rams after his fifth season when he demanded a new contract. [[JackOfAllTrades A well-rounded back]] capable of carrying the ball, catching passes, and pass blocking, he was an incredible fit in the Rams' wide-open passing attack offense. In the Rams' Super Bowl-winning season of 1999, Faulk became only the 2nd player in NFL history to have a 1,000/1,000 rushing yards/receiving yards season.[[note]]The first being Roger Craig in 1985, since accomplished a third time by Christian [=McCaffrey=] in 2019.[[/note]] He tied Earl Campbell's record by winning Offensive Player of the Year in three consecutive seasons (1999-2001) and won league MVP in 2000 after setting a then-record for single season [=TDs=] (he'd lead the NFL again the following year), and he was featured on the cover of ''VideoGame/MaddenNFL 2003''. He retired in 2006, had his #28 retired by the Rams (he remains the franchise's all-time TD leader), and moved into a career as an analyst.

* '''Mark Clayton''' and '''Mark Duper''', better known collectively as the '''[[Creator/MarxBrothers Marks Brothers]]''', were a dominant receiving duo for the '80s Miami Dolphins. Dan Marino's two favorite targets put up gaudy numbers for their time. Thanks to the rocket launcher arm of their passer, Clayton went from an obscure eighth round pick out of Louisville in 1983 to posting a then-record ''18'' receiving [=TDs=] in '84 (still third best ever); "Super" Duper was likewise a little known name in 1982 when he was drafted in the second round out of now-FCS Northwestern State. Clayton again led the NFL in receiving [=TDs=] in '88 and still holds the franchise career records for receptions and [=TDs=]; Duper holds the franchise record for receiving yards. Clayton retired after spending 1993 with the Packers; Duper retired in 1992 but briefly attempted a comeback with Miami's arena team. Both are enshrined in the Dolphins' Honor Roll.

* '''Alan Ameche''' was drafted #3 overall in 1955 by the Baltimore Colts after a Heisman-winning career at Wisconsin. Nicknamed "The Iron Horse", Ameche led the league in rushing yards and touchdowns in his rookie year, a performance that inspired the creation of the first widely-recognized "Rookie of the Year" awards for the NFL[[note]]specifically ''Sporting News'' and United Press International's; the AP didn't introduce the award until 1967[[/note]]. He earned Pro Bowl selections in his first four seasons and scored the game-winning touchdown in the 1958 Championship, "The Greatest Game Ever Played". Unfortunately, [[CareerEndingInjury an Achilles injury ended his career]] in 1960, ensuring he was one of very few members of the '50s All-Decade Team to not reach the Hall of Fame. Like a number of Colts from this era, Ameche entered into the fast food business after his career ended; he died of a heart attack in 1988 at age 55. Fun fact: He is a cousin of Creator/DonAmeche.

* '''Dan Dierdorf''' was an OT drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the second round in 1971 out of Michigan. He became a full-time starter by his second season and quickly became renowned as one of the league's best offensive lineman, earning five straight Pro Bowls from 1974-78 and being named the NFL's Offensive Lineman of the Year three straight years from 1976-78, anchoring a line that gave up the fewest sacks all three years. A knee injury forced him to sit out most of 1979 before he returned in 1980, earning one more Pro Bowl before retiring in 1983 to move into a lengthy broadcasting career that included twelve years and three Super Bowls as a commentator paired with Al Michaels. He was inducted to the Hall of Fame in 1996 for his playing career and later given its Radio-Television Award for his broadcasting work in 2008.

* '''Charley Trippi''' was among the last of the triple threat backs who excelled at offense, defense, and special teams. A highly popular college athlete at Georgia, Trippi was a major figure in the bidding wars between the NFL and AAFC. The Chicago Cardinals drafted him as the #1 pick in 1945 as a “future selection”[[note]]His college career was interrupted by a 2-year stint in the Army during World War II, with Cardinals owner Charles Bidwill agreeing to let Trippi finish it after he returned from the war.[[/note]], but he also received offers from the AAFC's New York Yankees. Upon graduating in 1947, he signed with the Cardinals after they offered him the richest contract in league history at the time, worth $100,000. The Cardinals won the NFL Championship in his rookie season, still the franchise's only league title earned via a championship game[[note]]the other was earned [[DisqualificationInducedVictory by another team's disqualification]][[/note]]. Trippi became [[JackOfAllTrades the ultimate Swiss Army knife player]] throughout his career, playing as a halfback, quarterback, receiver, defensive back, punter, and return specialist. He led the NFL in all-purpose yards twice in his career and finished it as the only player to collect 1,000 yards passing, rushing, and receiving. He retired in 1955 after a hit in the preseason left him with several fractures in his face. He was inducted to the Hall of Fame in 1968 and remained very active well into his nineties, became only the Pro Hall's second member to live past 100 years after Ace Parker; he passed away in October 2022, less than two months before what would have been his 101st birthday.

* '''Walter Payton''' was ''the'' offensive star for the Chicago Bears in the '70s and '80s. Nicknamed "Sweetness" for his NiceGuy persona and [[VocalDissonance unexpectedly soft and gentle voice]], Payton was drafted #4 overall out of the HBCU Jackson State in 1975. When he retired after 13 seasons, he had shattered Jim Brown's record for [[TheAce most career rushing yards and touchdowns by a running back]] with 16,726 (only since surpassed by Emmitt Smith), having [[{{Determinator}} only missed a single game]] in his career during his rookie season and setting a standing RB record of [[MadeOfIron 170 consecutive starts]]. Payton was known for [[HonorBeforeReason refusing to deliberately run out of bounds]], bringing back the practice of [[NoSell stiff-arming would-be tacklers]], and defeating many goal-line stands by [[SignatureMove leaping up and over piles of linemen]]. These abilities helped him win MVP, Offensive Player of the Year, and Man of the Year in 1977 after he led the league in rushing yards and touchdowns. He was also a versatile player; he retired in 1987 with the record for the most receptions for a non-receiver (since passed as receiving has become much more common, but he ''still'' holds the Bears franchise catch record) and lined up as a passer more than any other non-QB in the modern era, even holding the record for most non-QB touchdown passes since the merger. He infamously did not score a touchdown in his sole Super Bowl appearance; his prowess ensured he was double- and triple-teamed every play, opening up the field for the rest of the team to dominate. Payton won a first-ballot induction to Canton and had his #34 retired by the Bears. He died in 1999 at just 46 years old due to a rare liver disease, becoming a spokesman for organ donation in his final months (his disease had progressed too far for a transplant); the league's Man of the Year Award for off-field humanitarian work was subsequently renamed in his honor.