- Irv Cross
Irvin Acie Cross (b. July 27 1939) is a former professional American football player and commentator. In 1961, Cross was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the seventh round of the National Football League (NFL) draft. Later in 1966 he was traded to the Los Angeles Rams. Then in 1969, he returned to the Eagles and became a player/coach. He retired from playing football in 1970, when he became just a coach for the Eagles.
- Clifton Dawson
Clifton Dawson (born October 8 1983) is a Canadian professional football running back for the Indianapolis Colts of the NFL and formerly for Harvard University. He is the all-time Ivy League career rushing leader with 4,841 yards. He was selected four times for 1st Team All-Ivy League. He is also the 8th player in NCAA Division I history to rush for over 1,000 yards a season 4 times. Dawson briefly attended Northwestern University before opting to transfer to Harvard.
- Chris Brown
Christopher Rejean Brown (born April 17 1981, in Winfield, Illinois) is an American football running back for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League.
- Matt O'Dwyer
Matt O'Dwyer is a former American football player who played in the NFL from 1995 to 2005. A 6-foot-4, 315-pound lineman out of Northwestern University, O'Dwyer's career included the New York Jets (1995-98), Cincinnati Bengals (1999-03), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2004) and very briefly the Green Bay Packers (2005). He blocked on lines that produced a 1,000-yard rusher in seven of his 10 NFL seasons (Adrian Murrell 1996-97, Curtis Martin 1998 and Corey Dillon 1999-2002).
- Luis Castillo
Luis Alberto Castillo (born August 4, 1983 in Garfield, New Jersey), is an American football defensive end for the San Diego Chargers of the NFL. Currently he wears jersey #93 for the Chargers.
- Pat Fitzgerald
Pat Fitzgerald is the current head coach of the Northwestern University Wildcats football team. He was selected after the unexpected death of Randy Walker and announced at a press conference on July 7, 2006. He was 31 at the time of his appointment, making him the youngest coach in the Big Ten Conference and in NCAA Division I-A football by five years. Fitzgerald starred at Linebacker for the Wildcats in the mid-1990's, helping to lead the team to the 1996 Rose Bowl, …
- Barry Cofield
Barry Cofield (born March 19, 1984 in Mayfield Heights, Ohio) is a professional American football player and defensive tackle selected by the New York Giants as the 124th pick in 2006 NFL Draft.
- Barry Gardner
Barry Gardner (born December 13, 1976 in Harvey, Illinois) is an American football linebacker formerly for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. Gardner is a 7-year veteran and has played for three other teams (Philadelphia Eagles, Cleveland Browns, and the New York Jets). Gardner is primarily used as and known around the league as a solid special teams player. Gardner played for the Northwestern Wildcats in the NCAA.
- Darnell Autry
Darnell Autry (born June 19, 1976) is a former American football player who played college football for Northwestern University. In his sophomore season, he helped lead the Northwestern Wildcats to the Big Ten Championship and the 1996 Rose Bowl. Autry finished fourth for that year's Heisman Trophy. In his junior season, he led Northwestern to another share of the Big Ten championship.
- Doug Asad
Doug Asad was an American college and professional football player. An offensive end, he played college football at Northwestern University, and played professionally in the American Football League for the Oakland Raiders in 1960 and 1961.
- Fred Williamson
Fred "The Hammer" Williamson (born March 5, 1938 in Gary, Indiana) is a former professional football player, a star defensive back in the AFL during the 1960s.
- Ron Burton
Ronald E. "Ron" Burton (July 25, 1936 - September 13, 2003) became a college All-American running back at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, a member of the Northwestern Hall of Fame, and a member of the College Football Hall of Fame. Burton was the Boston Patriots' first-ever American Football League draft choice in 1960. He was the first Patriot to rush for over 100 yards: 127 against the Denver Broncos on 23 October 1960.
- Jason Wright
Jason Wright (born July 12, 1982 in Diamond Bar, CA) is an American football halfback who currently plays for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. Wright finished his college career as the fourth all-time leading rusher with 2,625 yards, the third all-time all-purpose yards leader with 4,030 yards and the fourth all-time leading scorer with 210 points in Northwestern school history.
- George Wilson
George Wilson (February 3, 1914 - November 23, 1978) was a former professional football player and later a coach in the NFL and AFL for the Detroit Lions and the Miami Dolphins. He attended Northwestern University and played professionally for the Chicago Bears from 1937 to 1946, winning four NFL Championships as a player. In 1957, he became the head coach of the Detroit Lions and in that same season won the NFL Championship over the Cleveland Browns, 59-14.
- Steve Tasker
Steven Jay Tasker (born April 10, 1962 in Smith Center, Kansas) is a former American football wide receiver who played for the Houston Oilers and the Buffalo Bills of the NFL. He was drafted out of Northwestern University, where he was a member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity, by the Oilers in the ninth round (226th overall) of the 1985 NFL Draft. Although he was listed as a wide receiver, …
- Kevin Bentley
Kevin Kinte Bentley (born December 29, 1979 in North Hills, California) is an American football linebacker for the Seattle Seahawks of the NFL. He was originally selected with the third pick of the fourth round of the 2002 NFL Draft out of Northwestern University by the Cleveland Browns.
- Noah Herron
Noah Scott Herron (born April 3 1982 in Mattawan, Michigan) is an NFL football player, who plays running back for the Green Bay Packers. The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Noah with the 244th selection in the 2005 NFL Draft, though he did not play for Pittsburgh. He scored his first rushing touchdown against the Chicago Bears on Christmas, 2005. Noah attended high school at Mattawan High School in Mattawan, Michigan.
- Otto Graham
Otto Everett Graham Jr. (December 6, 1921 - December 17, 2003) was an American professional football and basketball player who played for the Cleveland Browns in both the AAFC and NFL, as well as the Rochester Royals in the NBL.
- Jack Rudnay
Jack Rudnay (born November 20, 1947) is a former professional football cornerback. A fourth-round draft choice in 1969 for the American Football League's Kansas City Chiefs, Rudnay missed the Chiefs' championship season as a result of a back injury suffered in the College All-Star game following his senior year at Northwestern University, where he had played both center and defensive tackle. Though drafted to an AFL team, he never played in an American Football League game, …
- Marquice Cole
Marquice Cole (born November 13, 1983) is currently playing cornerback for the Oakland Raiders in the National Football League. He played college football at Northwestern University.
- Ray Wietecha
Ray Wietecha (born November 2, 1928 in East Chicago, Indiana, died December 14, 2002 in Phoenix, Arizona) was a Center in the National Football League for the New York Giants. Wietecha attended Northwestern University. Following his retirement, Wietecha entered coaching and was the offensive coordinator under Vince Lombardi in Green Bay when the Packers won the first two Super Bowls.
- Rick Venturi
Rick Venturi is a former head coach at Northwestern University and longtime NFL assistant known for his defense. As head coach of Northwestern, his career record was 1-31-1, as he coached the early segment of Northwestern's Division I record 34-game losing streak. Venturi has served as defensive coordinator with the Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints.
- Tyrell Sutton
- Dick Alban
Richard Herbert Alban (born January 17, 1929) was a defensive back in the NFL. In his career he played for the Washington Redskins and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
- Dick Thornton
Dick Thornton (born November 1, 1939) was a football player in the CFL for twelve years years. Thornton played defensive back and wide receiver for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Toronto Argonauts from 1961-1972. Later he played with the Memphis Southmen of the WFL. He was selected originally by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1961 NFL Draft out of Northwestern University, where he starred at quarterback.
- Brett Basanez
Brett Basanez (born on May 11, 1983 in Arlington Heights, Illinois) is a professional American football quarterback with the Carolina Panthers. He was recently activated from the Panthers' practice squad. Basanez played high school football at St. Viator in Arlington Heights, and college football at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, where he holds many school records for passing categories, including passing yards (10,580) and total offense (11,576).
- Mike Adamle
Michael David Adamle (born October 4, 1949, in Euclid, Ohio) is a sports reporter and announcer. He is currently a freelance anchor and reporter for WMAQ-TV in Chicago, Illinois. Previously, he was the sports anchor at WBBM-TV from 2001 to 2004. Prior to that, he was the main sports anchor at WMAQ from 1998 to 2001 and at WLS-TV from 1983 to 1988. Adamle has over 30 years of experience in sports television. Much of it was spent at NBC Sports, …
- Ted Karras
Theodore George Karras, Jr. (born December 10, 1964 in Gary, Indiana) was an American football defensive tackle in the NFL for the Washington Redskins. He played college football for Northwestern University. His father, Theodore Karras, played for the Chicago Bears in the 1960's.
- Trai Essex
Trai J. Essex (born December 5, 1982 in Fort Wayne, Indiana) is an offensive lineman for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the NFL. Essex showed promise after a slow start to his career, finishing with two strong performances against the Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings. Essex attended elementary school at Shaw Heights Elementary School, on Shaw AFB, South Carolina.
- Jeff Roehl
Jeff Roehl (born May 18, 1980 in Evergreen Park, Illinois) was an offensive lineman who played mostly with the New York Giants of the National Football League. He more recently played for the Amsterdam Admirals in NFL Europe before retiring from professional football.
- Bob Christian
Robert Douglas Christian (born November 14, 1968, in Florissant, Missouri) is a former American football fullback who played ten seasons in the National Football League for the Chicago Bears, the Carolina Panthers, and the Atlanta Falcons from 1992 to 2002. Christian played with Chicago Bears and Carolina Panthers prior to signing with Atlanta in 1997 and had 831 yards and 12 touchdowns on 193 carries in 135 games, including 85 starts.
- Justin Whitlock Dart
Justin Whitlock Dart, Sr. (August 7, 1907 - January 26, 1984) was considered the "boy wonder" of the drug store industry. In college Dart had played football for Northwestern University, where he was an All-American. Dart was an heir to the Walgreen's Drugstore chain, which his wife Ruth Walgreen's father Charles Walgreen had founded. At Walgreen's he innovated by placing the pharmacy counter at the back of the drug store, both providing privacy for customers, …
- Andy Cvercko
Andrew Bertram Cvercko (born November 6, 1937 in Campbell, Ohio) was an American football offensive lineman in the NFL for four years. He played college football for Northwestern University.
- Cas Banaszek
Casimir Joseph Banaszek (b. 1945) is a former professional American football player.
- John Kidd
John Kidd (born August 22, 1961 in Springfield, Illinois) is a former professional American football player who played punter for fifteen seasons for the Buffalo Bills, San Diego Chargers, Miami Dolphins, Detroit Lions and New York Jets. John Kidd was the highest-selected punter in Bills history. The Bills chose him in the fifth round of the 1984 NFL Draft from Northwestern University.
- Levelle Brown
Levelle Desean Brown (born July 5, 1977 in Winfield, Illinois) is an American football fullback for the Chicago Rush of the Arena Football League. He has also played for the Nashville Kats of the AFL. He is the older brother of Chris Brown, running back of the Tennessee Titans of the NFL. Brown attended Northwestern University.
- Paul Flatley
Paul Richard Flatley (born January 30, 1941 in Richmond, Indiana) was a wide receiver in the National Football League from 1963 to 1970. During his career, he played for the Minnesota Vikings and Atlanta Falcons. Drafted by the Vikings in the 4th round in the 1963 NFL Draft, Flatley was selected as the UPI NFL-NFC Rookie of the Year. As a Viking, Flatley played in the 1966 Pro Bowl.
- Hank Bruder
Hank Bruder (born November 22, 1907) was an American football player. He played nine years with the Green Bay Packers from 1931 to 1939 and was inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame in 1972. He was part of the offensive line the blocked for NFL Hall of Fame back Johnny "Blood" McNally.
- Woody Campbell
Woodrow Lamar Campbell (b. 1944 in Mount Pleasant, Florida) is an American and former collegiate and professional football player.
- Jim Lash
Jim Lash (born 1951, in Pittsburgh, USA) was an American football player who played wide receiver in the NFL in the 1970s and played on three Super Bowl teams. He attended Garfield High School in Pittsburgh the same high school that fellow NFL wide receiver Steve Craig. His five year pro-career was spent with the Minnesota Vikings in which he helped lead to Super Bowl VIII, …