- 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.
- Donovan McNabb
Donovan Jamal McNabb (born November 25, 1976 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American football quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League. He attended Syracuse University. McNabb's best season came in 2004, when he helped the Eagles win the National Football Conference Championship.
- Mike Ditka
Michael Keller Ditka, Jr. (born October 18, 1939, in Carnegie, Pennsylvania) also known as Iron Mike Ditka or Da Coach, is a former American NFL player, television commentator, and coach. Ditka coached the Chicago Bears for 11 years. Ditka and Tom Flores are the only two people to win Super Bowls as a player, an assistant coach and a head coach; and was the only individual to participate in two Chicago Bears' championships, …
- Michael Wilbon
Michael Raymond Wilbon (born November 19, 1958) is an American sportswriter and columnist. He is a columnist for "The Washington Post", has co-hosted "Pardon the Interruption" on ESPN since 2001, and serves as an analyst for ESPN.
- Shannon Sharpe
Shannon Sharpe (born June 26, 1968 in Chicago, Illinois) is a former American Football tight end and wide receiver who played 12 of his 14 seasons with the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. Sharpe is known both for his creative commentary and trash talking and his incredible football skills. Among tight ends, he is the NFL's all-time receptions and yardage leader.
- Reuben Droughns
Reuben Droughns (born August 21, 1978 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American football running back for the New York Giants of the National Football League.
- Marv Levy
Marvin Daniel Levy (born August 3, 1925 in Chicago, Illinois) is currently the General Manager and Vice President of Football Operations for the Buffalo Bills. He is a former professional football coach, in the CFL as head coach of the Montreal Alouettes (1973-1977), and in the NFL as head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs (1978-1982) and the Buffalo Bills (1986-1997). Elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2001.
- Charles Tillman
Charles "Peanut" Tillman (born February 23, 1981 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American football cornerback for the Chicago Bears of the NFL. He was selected with the 35th overall pick, third in the second round, of the 2003 NFL Draft.
- Flozell Adams
Flozell Justin Adams (born May 18, 1976 in Chicago, Illinois) is an offensive tackle who currently plays football for the Dallas Cowboys of the NFL. In 2005 he began his 8th season. He tore his ACL on Sunday, October 16 2005 vs The New York Giants and was out for the remainder of the season. His loss was considered huge, as after the injury to Adams, Dallas had problems at the offensive line for the rest of the season, some say costing them their playoff spot.
- George Halas
George Stanley Halas (February 2 1895 - October 31 1983), nicknamed "Papa Bear" and "Mr. Everything", was an American player, coach, owner and pioneer in professional football and the iconic longtime leader of the NFL's Chicago Bears.
- 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.
- Ron Smith
Ron "Trousers" Smith (born May 3, 1943 in Chicago, Illinois) is a former professional American football player who played defensive back for ten seasons for five NFL teams. He went to the Pro Bowl after the 1972 season as a kick returner.
- Napoleon Harris
Napoleon Harris nicknamed Napo (born February 25, 1979 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American Football player who currently plays middle linebacker for the Kansas City Chiefs of the NFL. Harris was the 23rd overall pick in the 2002 NFL Draft, and was traded from the Oakland Raiders to Minnesota along with a first round draft pick for wide receiver Randy Moss.
- Kelvin Hayden
Kelvin Darnell Hayden, Jr. (born July 28 1983 in Chicago, Illinois, USA) is a NFL cornerback for the Indianapolis Colts. He was originally selected in the second round of the 2005 NFL Draft out of the University of Illinois. He returned a Rex Grossman interception for a touchdown in Super Bowl XLI. It was the first interception of his NFL career.
- Brendon Ayanbadejo
Oladele Brendon Ayanbadejo (pronounced day-joe, not day-ho) (born September 6, 1976 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American football linebacker and special teams standout who currently plays for the Chicago Bears of the NFL. Brendon is half Nigerian.
- Hank Stram
Hank Stram, was an American Football coach. He is best known for his 14-year tenure with the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. Stram won three AFL Championships (more than any other coach in the league's history) and Super Bowl IV with the Chiefs. He also coached for the most victories (87), most post-season appearances (6) and the best post-season record in the AFL (5-1).
- Steve Edwards
Steve Edwards (born February 20, 1979 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American football offensive tackle for the New York Giants of the NFL. Formerly a player for the Baltimore Ravens, he was an undrafted free agent out of the University of Central Florida. Edwards attended Mount Carmel High School on Chicago's south side. Mount Carmel has produced such athletes as current Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb, Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive end Simeon Rice, …
- Corwin Brown
Corwin Brown (born April 25 1970 in Chicago, Illinois, USA) is the current defensive coordinator for the University of Notre Dame football team.
- Ray Buchanan
Raymond Louis Buchanan (born September 29, 1971 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American football player, currently a free agent in the NFL. He plays the defensive back position. He graduated from the University of Louisville. He was drafted in 1993 by the Indianapolis Colts in the 3rd round (65th overall). He has also played for the Atlanta Falcons and the Oakland Raiders.
- Steve Atwater
Stephen Dennis Atwater (born October 28, 1966 in Chicago, Illinois) is a former American football player who spent most of his career playing free safety for the Denver Broncos of the NFL.
- Frisman Jackson
Frisman Jackson (born June 12, 1979 in Chicago, Illinois) is a wide receiver for the New York Jets NFL football team.
- Howard Griffith
Howard Griffith (born November 17, 1967 in Chicago, Illinois) is a retired American football fullback who spent 8 seasons in the NFL (1993-2000). While at the University of Illinois, Howard set the NCAA record for touchdowns in a game with eight. It occurred on September 8, 1990 against Southern Illinois University. Griffith was drafted in the ninth round of the 1991 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts, but never played for the Colts.
- Mitch Johnson
Mitchell Allen Johnson (born March 1, 1942 in Chicago, Illinois) was an American football offensive lineman in the NFL for four different teams. He played college football for UCLA and California State University, Los Angeles.
- Tank Johnson
Terry "Tank" Johnson (born December 7, 1981) is an American football player who last played for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. Drafted in the second round of the 2004 NFL Draft from University of Washington, he was one of the Bears' defensive tackles. He was notably a member of the Bears during their Super Bowl run in 2006.
- Ahmad Merritt
Ahmad Rashad Merritt (born February 5, 1977 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American football wide receiver for the Arizona Cardinals of the NFL. He originally signed with the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent out of the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2000. He also has played for the Chicago Rush of the Arena Football League.
- Darrell Hill
Darrell Hill (born June 19, 1979 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American football wide receiver in the NFL who currently plays for the Kansas City Chiefs. He previously played for the Tennessee Titans and went to Northern Illinois University. He currently wears number 9. Hill possesses a 4.4 time in the 40-yard dash and a 42-inch vertical jump.
- Tony Simmons
Tony DeAngelo Simmons (born December 8, 1974 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American football and Canadian football player. He played in the NFL for the New England Patriots, Cleveland Browns, Indianapolis Colts, and most recently the New York Giants. In 2005, he signed with the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League. In both the 2005 and 2006 CFL seasons, he had strong starts but suffered season-ending injuries after only a handful of games.
- Dwayne Goodrich
Dwayne Lewis Goodrich (born May 29, 1978 in Chicago) was an American football player for the Tennessee Volunteers football team and the Dallas Cowboys of the NFL. He was a cornerback.
- Dick Butkus
Dick Butkus (born December 9, 1942 in Chicago, Illinois) is a former American football player and actor. Butkus starred as a football player for the University of Illinois and the Chicago Bears. He was best known for his punishing tackles. Terry Bradshaw once claimed Butkus to be "a killer on the field, but an angel sent by God from heaven above off the field".
- Ron Yary
Anthony Ronald "Ron" Yary (born July 16, 1946 in Chicago, Illinois, United States) is a former professional American football player and member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Yary is married to Jamie and has two sons, Jack (born 2001) and Grant (born 2005). Yary resides in Southern California and sells commercial real estate. However, he has recently stated that he would like to move back to the Twin Cities area.
- Tony Canadeo
Anthony Robert Canadeo "The Gray Ghost of Gonzaga" (born May 5, 1919, in Chicago, Illinois, USA; died November 29, 2003 at age of 84) was a professional football halfback and quarterback for the Green Bay Packers. He played college football at Gonzaga University and was selected by the Packers in the ninth round (77th overall) of the 1941 NFL Draft. He joined the army in 1945, but returned in 1946 and became Green Bay's main runner.
- Bryant Gumbel
Bryant Charles Gumbel (born September 29, 1948), is an American television personality for news and sports programs. He is best known for his 15-year stint as co-anchor of NBC's "The Today Show". He is the younger brother of veteran sports broadcaster Greg Gumbel
- Frankie Albert
Frank Cullen "Frankie" Albert (January 27, 1920 - September 5, 2002) was a quarterback in the NFL. Frankie Albert, who was born in Chicago, starred at Stanford University coached by T formation apostle Clark Shaughnessy. At Stanford he was a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity. In the 1942 NFL Draft he was drafted by the Chicago Bears as a 10th overall pick. For his entire career, he played for the San Francisco 49ers.
- George Trafton
George Edward Trafton (December 6, 1896 - September 5, 1971) was an American football center for the Decatur Staleys (now known as the Chicago Bears) of the NFL from 1920-1921 and 1923-1932. He was the head coach of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League from 1951-1953. He attended the University of Notre Dame. He is credited as being the first center to snap the ball with one hand. Trafton is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
- Garrett Wolfe
Garrett Wolfe (born August 17, 1984 in Chicago, Illinois) is a running back for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He played his collegiate football at Northern Illinois University, where he set several school rushing and scoring records. The Chicago Bears drafted Wolfe in the third round of the 2007 NFL Draft as the 93rd overall selection.
- Steve Conley
Donald Steven Conley (born January 18, 1972 in Chicago, Illinois) is a former American football linebacker in the NFL. Conley played for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Indianapolis Colts in his three year career. He attended the University of Arkansas. Conley is the younger brother of Olympic medalist Mike Conley, Sr., and the uncle of Ohio State basketball player Mike Conley, Jr.
- Charles Bidwill
Charles W. Bidwill, Sr., sometimes known as Charley Bidwill (September 16, 1895 - April 19, 1947) was an owner of the NFL's Chicago Cardinals. A successful businessman in Chicago, Bidwill was also vice president of the Chicago Bears. His wealth helped Bears owner George Halas keep the team in 1932. A year later, with Halas' encouragement, he bought the Cardinals from then-owner David Jones.
- Jack Brickhouse
John Beasley "Jack" Brickhouse (January 24, 1916 - August 6, 1998) was an American sports broadcast announcer. Known primarily for his enthusiastic coverage of Chicago Cubs games on television from the late 1940s until the early 1980s, he received the Ford C. Frick Award from the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1983. He covered national events from time to time, including the World Series, even though his Cubs never got there.
- Frank Caliendo
Frank Caliendo (born January 19, 1974 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American comedian best known for his impersonations on the FOX Network television series "MADtv", and has been the in-house prognosticator for "FOX NFL Sunday". He is also well-known for his impression of George W. Bush and John Madden.
- Dennis Lick
Dennis Allan Lick (born April 26, 1954 in Chicago, Illinois) is a former American football offensive lineman for the Chicago Bears. Lick played six seasons with the Bears from 1976 to 1981. He was signed out of the University of Wisconsin. Lick attended St. Rita High School on Chicago's south side. He shares a distinction with two other NFL players that have also attended both St. Rita and the University of Wisconsin, …