- Walter Payton
Walter Jerry Payton was an American football running back for the Chicago Bears. Payton, a Pro Football Hall of Fame member, distinguished himself as one of the National Football League’s most productive and memorable players. He also set many rushing records during his professional and collegiate career. After a standout career at Jackson State University, The Bears drafted Payton with the fourth overall selection in the 1975 NFL Draft.
- O. J. Simpson
Orenthal James "O. J." Simpson (born July 9, 1947) (also known by his nickname, The Juice) is a retired American football player who achieved stardom at the collegiate and professional levels, and was the first NFL player to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a season. He later worked as an actor, spokesperson and broadcaster. Simpson is infamous for having been tried for the murder of ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman in 1994.
- Randy Moss
Randy Gene Moss (born February 13, 1977 in Rand, West Virginia) is an American football wide receiver for the New England Patriots. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in 1998, and played the first stage of his career in Minnesota before a trade in 2005 brought him to the Oakland Raiders. On Sunday, April 29, 2007, Moss was traded to the New England Patriots for a fourth-round draft pick.
- Bo Jackson
Vincent Edward "Bo" Jackson (born November 30, 1962 in Bessemer, Alabama) is an American athlete and a former multi-sport professional. Jackson played at the highest level of sports in the United States in both American football and baseball. In football, Jackson played running back for the Los Angeles Raiders of the National Football League. In baseball, Jackson played left field and designated hitter for the Kansas City Royals, the Chicago White Sox, …
- Eddie George
Edward Nathan George, Jr. (born September 24, 1973 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is a former American football running back of the NFL. He played for the Tennessee Titans both in Tennessee and in Houston when the franchise was known as the Houston Oilers, and spent his final season with the Dallas Cowboys. He is best known for his career with Tennessee Titans.
- Sean Taylor
Sean Michael Taylor (born April 1, 1983 in Miami, Florida) is an American football player who currently plays free safety for the Washington Redskins of the NFL. Due to his ferocious style of hitting, his teammates have nicknamed him "Meast". This a reference to him being "half-man, half beast.
- Santana Moss
Santana Terrell Moss (born June 1, 1979 in Miami, Florida) is an American football player who currently plays wide receiver for the Washington Redskins of the NFL.
- Clinton Portis
Clinton Earl Portis (born September 1, 1981 in Laurel, Mississippi) is an American football player who currently plays running back for the Washington Redskins of the NFL.
- Ray Lewis
2001, 2003, 2004, 2006Ray Anthony Lewis (born May 15, 1975 in Bartow, Florida) is an American football linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens of the NFL. He was the first linebacker to win Super Bowl MVP since 1971. He posted 44 tackles, two interceptions, one fumble recovery, nine pass deflections, and a touchdown in the Ravens' four game playoff run. Lewis has been named to the Pro Bowl eight times and has been an All-Pro seven times including five first team selections.
- Emmitt Smith
Emmitt James Smith III (born May 15 1969 in Pensacola, Florida) is a former American football player, who played for the Dallas Cowboys and Arizona Cardinals. Smith is a three time Super Bowl champion and the NFL's all time rushing leader, a record formerly held by his childhood hero Walter Payton. Smith surpassed Payton on October 27, 2002 against the Seattle Seahawks at Texas Stadium. He is the only running back to ever have won a Super Bowl championship, …
- Hines Ward
Hines E. Ward, Jr. (born March 8, 1976 in Seoul, South Korea) is a multiethnic football player who currently plays wide receiver for the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers. He was voted MVP of Super Bowl XL. Born to a Korean mother and an African American father, he has become an advocate for ethnic minorities in South Korea.
- Chad Jackson
Chad Wolfegang Jackson (born March 6, 1985 in Birmingham, Alabama) is an American football wide receiver for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. He spent his college career playing for the Florida Gators. He was selected by the Patriots in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft, with the 36th overall pick.
- Emlen Tunnell
Emlen Lewis Tunnell (March 29, 1922 - July 22, 1975) was an American football player inducted into the Professional Football Hall of Fame in 1967. He was the first African American inducted into the Professional Football Hall of Fame. In 1999, he was ranked number 70 on "The Sporting News"' list of the 100 Greatest Football Players. Tunnell died from a heart attack, on July 22, 1975.
- Tarvaris Jackson
Tarvaris Jackson (born April 21, 1983 in Montgomery, Alabama) is a current American football quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He was the first Alabama State University quarterback drafted into the NFL since Ricky Jones in 1992. Tarvaris Jackson's name is commonly misspelled as 'Tavaris' or 'Tavarius'. Jackson's current jersey is number 7.
- Franco Harris
Franco Harris (b. March 7, 1950) is a Hall of Fame American football player best known for his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Harris was born in Fort Dix, New Jersey. His father, who was African-American, met his Italian mother in Italy at the end of World War II. Harris went to Rancocas Valley Regional High School in Mount Holly, New Jersey, and then attended Penn State University. While playing for the Penn State Nittany Lions, …
- Asante Samuel
Asante Samuel (born January 6, 1981 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida) is an American football cornerback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. Samuel was drafted from the University of Central Florida by the Patriots in 2003.
- Jamal Lewis
Jamal Lafitte Lewis (born August 26, 1979 in Nashville, Tennessee) is an American football running back in the NFL for the Cleveland Browns. He attended the University of Tennessee and wears number 31. Lewis was the fifth pick overall in the 2000 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens and in his rookie season, rushed for over 1,000 yards, supplanting Priest Holmes as the team's starting RB.
- Richard Seymour
Richard Vershaun Seymour (born October 6, 1979 in Gadsden, South Carolina) is an American football defensive lineman for the New England Patriots of the National Football League.
- Corey Dillon
Corey Dillon (born October 24, 1974 in Seattle, Washington) is a American football running back who recently asked to be released by the New England Patriots making him a free agent. Dillon attended the University of Washington and wears the number 28.
- Troy Brown
Troy Brown was selected by the Patriots in the eighth round of the 1993 NFL draft (198th overall) ... Placed on injured reserve (quadriceps) on Dec. 31, 1993 ... Waived (08/28/94) ... Re-signed (10/19/94) ... Re-signed as a restricted free agent (02/02/96) ... Re-signed as an unrestricted free agent (03/10/97) ... Re-signed as an unrestricted free agent (02/28/00) ... Re-signed as an unrestricted free agent (05/23/05) ...
- Willis McGahee
Willis Andrew McGahee, (born October 20, 1981) is a running back in the National Football League. He played for the Buffalo Bills from 2003 to 2006. He was traded to the Baltimore Ravens on March 8, 2007
- Laurence Maroney
Laurence Maroney (born February 5, 1985 in St. Louis, Missouri) is an American football running back for the New England Patriots of the National Football League.
- Lynn Swann
Lynn Curtis Swann is a former professional football player, sports broadcaster and a Republican politician. As a youth, Swann went to Junípero Serra High School in San Mateo, California, later attended the University of Southern California, and completed a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Public Relations from the USC Annenberg School for Communication in 1974. Swann is married to Charena Swann, a psychologist, and has two sons.
- Antwaan Randle El
Antwaan Randle El (born August 17, 1979 in Riverdale, Illinois) is an American football wide receiver and punt returner for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League. A quarterback in college, he is also occasionally called on to pass on trick plays, most notably in Super Bowl XL in which he threw a pass for a touchdown.
- Kevin Troy Faulk
Kevin Tony Faulk (born June 5, 1976 in Lafayette, Louisiana) is an American football running back for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. He played college football at LSU, is known as a third-down back and pass receiver out of the backfield. He is a distant cousin to NFL running back Marshall Faulk.
- Rodney Harrison
Rodney Scott Harrison (born December 15, 1972 in Markham, Illinois) is an American football safety for the New England Patriots of the National Football League.
- Eric Alexander
Eric Alexander (born on February 8, 1982 in Tyler, Texas) is an American football linebacker for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. He attended Stephen F. Austin High in Port Arthur, Texas. In his post-secondary education he attended LSU where he received a major in engineering. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the New England Patriots on April 29, 2004 and spent the last two seasons on their practice squad.
- Donte Whitner
Donte Whitner (born July 24, 1985) is an American Football safety for the Buffalo Bills. Whitner was drafted with the 8th overall pick by Buffalo in the 2006 NFL Draft. Whitner played his college football at Ohio State.
- Willie Andrews
Willie Thedric Andrews (born November 2, 1983 in Longview, Texas) is an American football defensive back for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. He played college football at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, and was selected in the seventh round (229th overall) by the Patriots in the 2006 NFL Draft. Smith ran a 4.38 40 yard dash at the 2006 NFL Combine in Indianapolis, IN.
- Gene Upshaw
Eugene Thurman Upshaw Jr. (born August 15, 1945 in Robstown, Texas) is a former football offensive guard who played for the Oakland Raiders in the American Football League and the NFL for sixteen years after graduating from Texas A&M University-Kingsville. He played in three Super Bowls in the 1967, 1976 and 1980 seasons. He also played in three AFL Championship Games, seven American Football Conference title games, one AFL All-Star game, and six NFL Pro Bowls.
- Art Shell
Arthur "Art" Shell (born November 26, 1946 in Charleston, South Carolina, USA) is a former American football player in the National Football League (NFL) and two-time former head coach of the Oakland Raiders. He also holds the distinction of becoming the second-ever African American head coach (after Fritz Pollard) in the history of the NFL, and the first in the league's modern era.
- Joe Greene
Charles Edward Greene, known as "Mean Joe" Greene (born September 24, 1946), is a former all-pro American football defensive tackle who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL. Throughout the early 1970s he quickly developed into the most dominant defensive player the NFL had ever seen. He is considered by many to be the best defensive lineman to ever play the game and was the cornerstone of the famous "Steel Curtain" defense.
- Shawn Springs
Shawn Springs (born March 11, 1975 in Williamsburg, Virginia) is an American football player who currently plays cornerback for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League. He was drafted out of the Ohio State University by the Seattle Seahawks with the 3rd overall pick in the 1st round of the 1997 NFL Draft.
- Sinorice Moss
Sinorice Travonce Moss (born December 28, 1983 in Miami, Florida) is an American football wide receiver for the New York Giants of the NFL.
- Brandon Lloyd
Brandon Matthew Lloyd (born July 5, 1981 in Kansas City, Missouri) is an American football wide receiver in the NFL for the Washington Redskins. Lloyd graduated from Blue Springs High School in Blue Springs, Missouri. He attended the University of Illinois. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the 4th round (124th overall) in the 2003 NFL Draft. He was traded to the Redskins on March 11, 2006 for a 3rd round draft pick in 2006, and a 4th round draft pick in 2007.
- Ellis Hobbs
Ellis Hobbs III (born May 16, 1983 in Niagara Falls, New York) is an American football cornerback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. He was drafted in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft out of Iowa State University.
- Darrell Green
Darrell Green (born February 15, 1960 in Houston, Texas) is a former American football cornerback for the Washington Redskins of the NFL from 1983 to 2002. Darrell was the last player selected in the first round of the famous 1983 NFL draft and spent his entire 20 year, pro football career with the Washington Redskins which spanned parts of three decades. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest cornerbacks to ever play the game.
- Rayfield Wright
Larry Rayfield Wright (born in August 23, 1945 in Griffin, Georgia) is a former American football player for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
- Bryant McKinnie
Bryant McKinnie (born September 23 1979 in Woodbury, New Jersey, USA) is an offensive tackle currently playing for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League. In 2006, he started his fifth consecutive NFL season with the Vikings.
- Carlos Rogers
Carlos Cornelius Rogers (born July 2, 1981 in Hephzibah, Georgia) is an American football cornerback in the NFL. He played college football at Auburn University, where he was named a member of the Associated Press, Football Writers and Walter Camp All-America teams. Rogers was also the recipient of the 2004 Jim Thorpe Award for the top defensive back in college football. Rogers was picked 9th overall by the Washington Redskins in the 2005 NFL Draft.