List of Famous American Football Players

Baker Reagan Mayfield is an American football quarterback for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). Mayfield began his college football career as a walk-on player for the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Mayfield transferred from Texas Tech to play for the Sooners of Oklahoma following supposed scholarship issues and a lack of communication with coaches. After sitting out the 2014 season due to NCAA transfer rules, Mayfield won the starting quarterback job in 2015. He won several awards for his performance as a senior in 2017, including the Heisman Trophy, Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Award, and unanimous All-America recognition.

Daniel Allen Campbell is an American football coach and former tight end who is the head coach of the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as the assistant head coach and tight ends coach for the New Orleans Saints from 2016 to 2020 and also served as an assistant coach for the Miami Dolphins from 2010 to 2015, most recently as the interim head coach and tight ends coach. Campbell played college football for Texas A&M University. He was drafted by the New York Giants in the third round of the 1999 NFL Draft, and subsequently played for the NFL's Dallas Cowboys, Detroit Lions and New Orleans Saints. Campbell was named interim head coach of the Miami Dolphins in 2015, and was hired as the assistant head coach of the Saints in 2016. As a player, Campbell made the Super Bowl with the Giants in 2000. He was also part of the 2008 Detroit Lions, the first NFL team to finish 0-16.

Carson James Wentz is an American football quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at North Dakota State University (NDSU) and was selected by the Eagles with the second overall pick of the 2016 NFL Draft, the highest selection ever for an FCS player.

Danny DeWayne McCray is a former American football free safety and special teamer. He was signed by the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2010. He played college football at LSU. He also played for the Chicago Bears. In 2021, he competed as a contestant on season 41 of Survivor.

Jared Thomas Goff is an American football quarterback for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the California Golden Bears, where he was a first-team All-Pac-12, and was selected by the Los Angeles Rams as the first overall pick of the 2016 NFL Draft.

Stefon Mar'sean Diggs is an American football wide receiver for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Maryland, and was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the fifth round of the 2015 NFL Draft.

Trent Jordan "T. J." Watt is an American football outside linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL) He played college football at the University of Wisconsin, and was drafted by the Steelers in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft. His older brothers are J. J. Watt of the Houston Texans and Derek Watt of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Charles Cameron Woodson is a former American football player. He played college football for Michigan, where he led the Wolverines to a share of the national championship in 1997. Woodson, a "two-way player" who played both offense and defense, won the Heisman Trophy in the same year. To date, he is the only primarily defensive player to win the Heisman, and, until wide receiver DeVonta Smith won the Heisman in 2020, Woodson had been the most recent player to win the Heisman who was not either a running back or quarterback. Woodson went on to accomplish a storied career professionally with one of the most decorated professional football resumes of all time. He is considered by many of his peers to be one of the greatest defensive players to have ever played.

Jason Calvin Garrett is an American football coach and former player who is the offensive coordinator for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys during the 2010s. Before that, Garrett was the offensive coordinator and assistant head coach of the Cowboys before being promoted to interim head coach after the firing of Wade Phillips in late 2010. Garrett was a college football quarterback at Princeton University, and also played for the Cowboys, New York Giants, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Miami Dolphins.

Ottis Jerome Anderson is a former American football running back who played professionally in the National Football League (NFL). He was named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year by the Associated Press (AP) with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1979, and the MVP of Super Bowl XXV in 1991 when playing with the New York Giants. He played college football at the University of Miami.