List of Famous American Football Players

Michael Keller Ditka is an American former football player, coach, and television commentator. A member of both the College (1986) and the Pro (1988) Football Halls of Fame, he was UPI NFL Rookie of Year in 1961, a five-time Pro Bowl selection, and a six-time All-Pro tight end with the National Football League's Chicago Bears, Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys.

Reuben Foster is an American football linebacker for the Washington Football Team of the National Football League (NFL). A consensus All-American in high school, Foster was regarded as the best linebacker prospect of his class before committing to Alabama, where he played from 2014 to 2016. In his final season there he was awarded the Butkus Award, which is given to the nation's best linebacker.

Raymond Anthony "A. J." McCarron Jr. is an American football quarterback for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Alabama and was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the fifth round of the 2014 NFL Draft. Alabama won the BCS National Championship in 2011 against LSU and 2012 against Notre Dame, making him the only quarterback to win back-to-back BCS national championships. McCarron is one of only seven quarterbacks in history to win back-to-back titles in some form and the first FBS quarterback to win back-to-back consecutive titles since USC's Matt Leinart in 2003 and 2004. In addition, including his freshman/redshirt year, McCarron was associated with three national title teams under coach Nick Saban: 2009, 2011, and 2012.

Vance Desmond Joseph is an American football coach and former player who is the defensive coordinator of the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). Previously he was the head coach of the Denver Broncos. As a player, Joseph attended the University of Colorado as a quarterback and running back in the 1990s, and was signed by the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent in 1995, playing cornerback for them and then the Indianapolis Colts in 1996. With 19 years of coaching experience at the professional and collegiate levels, Joseph was hired by the Broncos after spending 12 years as a defensive coach in the NFL with San Francisco (2005–10), Houston (2011–13), Cincinnati (2014–15) and Miami (2016). Between 2017 and 2018, he was the head coach of the Denver Broncos. Joseph was the second African American head coach in Broncos history, after Eric Studesville was interim head coach for 4 games in 2010, and their first African American head coach on a permanent basis.

Casey Jarrett Beathard is an American football quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at the University of Iowa, and was drafted in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft by the 49ers.

Darrelle Shavar Revis is a former American football cornerback who played in National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons, primarily with the New York Jets. He played college football at the University of Pittsburgh and was selected in the first round by the New York Jets in the 2007 NFL Draft. In addition to his eight non-consecutive seasons with the Jets, he played one season each for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New England Patriots, and Kansas City Chiefs.

Phillip Howard Dorsett II is an American football wide receiver for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Miami Hurricanes, and was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft.

Matthew Steven Mitrione is an American mixed martial artist and former American football player, who fights in Bellator MMA. He played college football at Purdue University and professionally in the National Football League (NFL) with the New York Giants and the Minnesota Vikings. He was a featured fighter on The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights. Mitrione holds notable victories over Fedor Emelianenko, Roy Nelson, Derrick Lewis, Gabriel Gonzaga, and Kimbo Slice, and is known to knock out opponents with his right hand from a southpaw stance, despite being otherwise left-handed outside the ring.

Todd Robert Bowles is an American football coach who is the defensive coordinator of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL), as well as a former player. He played eight seasons in the NFL as a safety, mainly for the Washington Redskins, and started in Super Bowl XXII against the Denver Broncos. Bowles was the interim defensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2012, and then for the Arizona Cardinals in 2013 and 2014. He was the interim head coach for the Miami Dolphins for the final three games of the 2011 season with a 2-1 record after the firing of Tony Sparano, and served as the head coach of the New York Jets from 2015–2018.

Emmitt James Smith III is an American former professional football player who was a running back for 15 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) during the 1990s and 2000s, primarily with the Dallas Cowboys. A three-time Super Bowl champion with the Cowboys, he is the league's all-time leading rusher.