List of Famous American Football Players

James Joseph Harbaugh is an American football coach and former quarterback, who is the current head football coach of the Michigan Wolverines. He played college football at Michigan for coach Bo Schembechler from 1983 to 1986 and played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons from 1987 to 2000. He then served as the head coach of the San Diego Toreros (2004–2006), the Stanford Cardinal (2007–2010), and the NFL's San Francisco 49ers (2011–2014). In 2015, Harbaugh returned to his alma mater, Michigan.

Peyton Williams Manning is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons. Considered to be one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, he spent 14 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts and four seasons with the Denver Broncos. Manning played college football for the University of Tennessee, leading the Tennessee Volunteers to the 1997 SEC Championship Game in his senior season. He is the second son of former NFL quarterback Archie Manning and older brother of former NFL quarterback Eli Manning. Nicknamed "The Sheriff" due to his tendency to audible prior to the snap, Manning is one of the most recognizable and parodied players in the NFL. Teams led by Manning typically used the hurry-up offense in place of the standard huddle.

Mike White is an American football quarterback for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at the University of South Florida and Western Kentucky University. White was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the fifth round of the 2018 NFL Draft.

Adrian Lewis Peterson is an American football running back for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Oklahoma, where he set the freshman rushing record with 1,925 yards during the 2004 season. Named a unanimous All-American that year, he became the first freshman to finish as a runner-up in the Heisman Trophy balloting. Peterson finished his college football career as the Sooners' third all-time leading rusher. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest running backs in football history.

Kurtis Eugene Warner is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons, primarily with the St. Louis Rams and the Arizona Cardinals. His career, which saw him ascend from an undrafted free agent to a two-time Most Valuable Player and Super Bowl MVP, is regarded as one of the greatest stories in NFL history.

Julius Andre Maurice Jones is a former American football running back. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He also played for the Seattle Seahawks and the New Orleans Saints. He played college football at the University of Notre Dame.

Robert James Gronkowski, nicknamed "Gronk", is an American football tight end for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He previously played nine seasons for the New England Patriots. He is a three-time Super Bowl champion, a five-time Pro Bowl selection, and a four-time First Team All-Pro selection, and was selected in the NFL 2010s All-Decade Team and NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team.

Terry Paxton Bradshaw is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League (NFL). Since 1994, he has been a television sports analyst and co-host of Fox NFL Sunday. Bradshaw is also an actor, having participated in many television shows and films, most notably starring in the movie Failure to Launch. He played for 14 seasons with Pittsburgh, won four Super Bowl titles in a six-year period, becoming the first quarterback to win three and four Super Bowls, and led the Steelers to eight AFC Central championships. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1989, his first year of eligibility. Bradshaw was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1996.

Lamar Demeatrice Jackson Jr. is an American football quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). While playing college football at Louisville, he won the Heisman Trophy, Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Award, and was unanimously selected as an All-American during his sophomore year in 2016.

Drew Christopher Brees is an American football quarterback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He had a successful college football career at Purdue University, becoming one of the most decorated players in Purdue and Big Ten Conference history. Brees set two NCAA records, 13 Big Ten Conference records, and 19 Purdue University records during his college career. He remains the Big Ten record-holder in several passing categories, including completions (1,026), attempts (1,678), and yards (11,792). Brees was chosen by the San Diego Chargers with the first pick in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. Brees earned the starting job with the Chargers in 2002 and made the Pro Bowl in 2004. Nine months after suffering a dislocation in his right shoulder joint and a tear of the labrum and rotator cuff, Brees signed with the Saints as a free agent in 2006, where he has played since. He experienced immediate success in New Orleans, leading the Saints to their first Super Bowl in Super Bowl XLIV and helping the team to a 31–17 victory over the Indianapolis Colts.