WJovan Henry Allen Belcher was an American football linebacker who played for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). He grew up in West Babylon, New York and was a standout high school athlete before attending and graduating from the University of Maine, where he played for the Maine Black Bears football team. Belcher was named an All-American twice in college after switching in his junior year from linebacker to defensive end.
WForrest Murrell Blue Jr. was an offensive lineman who spent eleven seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the San Francisco 49ers (1968–1974) and Baltimore Colts (1975–1978).
WLewis Glen Carpenter was an American football player and coach. He played college football for the University of Arkansas and professionally for ten seasons in the National Football League (NFL) as a halfback and fullback with the Detroit Lions, Cleveland Browns, and Green Bay Packers. He played on three NFL Championship teams, with Detroit in 1953 and with Green Bay in 1961 and 1962. After his playing career ended, Carpenter spent 31 years as an assistant coach in the NFL with the Minnesota Vikings (1964–1966), Atlanta Falcons (1967–1968), Washington Redskins (1969), St. Louis Cardinals (1970–1972), Houston Oilers (1970–1974), Green Bay Packers (1975–1985), Detroit Lions (1987–1988), and Philadelphia Eagles (1990–1994). Carpenter also coached the Frankfurt Galaxy of the World League of American Football in 1996 and at Southwest Texas State University. He concluded his 47 years of playing and coaching football at the end of the 1996 season. Scientific tests on his brain diagnosed post-mortem that he had an advanced case of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
WArthur Anthony DeCarlo, Jr. was an American football defensive back and end in the National Football League (NFL) for the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Washington Redskins, and the Baltimore Colts. He played college football at the University of Georgia and was drafted in the sixth round of the 1953 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears. He died on December 28, 2013, from complications of heart surgery. Postmortem, DeCarlo was diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy.
WFrancis Newton Gifford was an American football player, actor, and television sports commentator. After a 12-year playing career as a halfback and flanker for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL), he was a play-by-play announcer and commentator for 27 years on ABC's Monday Night Football.
WChris Henry was an American football wide receiver who played five seasons in the National Football League for the Cincinnati Bengals. He played college football at West Virginia and was drafted by the Bengals in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft.
WAaron Josef Hernandez was an American football tight end and convicted murderer. He played in the National Football League (NFL) for three seasons with the New England Patriots until his career came to an abrupt end after his arrest and conviction for the murder of Odin Lloyd.
WGlen Ray Hines was an All-Pro (AFL) and NCAA All-American football player.
WJohn Henry Johnson was a gridiron football running back known for his excellence at the fullback position as both a runner and a blocker. His first professional stint was in Canada in the Western Interprovincial Football Union for one season with the Calgary Stampeders. He then played in the National Football League (NFL) for the San Francisco 49ers, Detroit Lions, and Pittsburgh Steelers before spending his final season in the American Football League (AFL) with the Houston Oilers. Commonly referred to as simply John Henry, an allusion to the folk hero of the same name, Johnson was a tough and tenacious player who performed at a high level well into the tail end of his career.
WRobert William "Rob" Lytle was an American football player.
WJohn Mackey was an American professional football player who was a tight end for the Baltimore Colts and the San Diego Chargers. He was born in Roosevelt, New York and attended Syracuse University. He was the first president of the National Football League Players Association following the AFL-NFL merger, serving from 1970 to 1973. Mackey was also a major reason the NFLPA created the "88 Plan", which financially supports ex-players who required living assistance in later years.
WOllie Genoa Matson II was an American Olympic medal winning sprinter and professional American football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) from 1952 to 1966. Drafted into the NFL by the Chicago Cardinals, Matson was traded to the Los Angeles Rams for nine players following the 1958 season.
WEarl Edwin Morrall was an American football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for 21 seasons. Morrall, who also occasionally punted, played 21 seasons in the National Football League as both a starter and reserve. In the latter capacity, he became known as one of the greatest backup quarterbacks in NFL history. He is most known for helping the Miami Dolphins win Super Bowl VII.
WLarry Cleo Morris was an American football linebacker. The 1950 graduate of Decatur High School became an All-American at Georgia Tech before enjoying a successful career in the NFL. "The Brahma Bull" was named one of the linebackers on the NFL 1960s All-Decade Team. A Decatur, Georgia native, he is one of the best players the state of Georgia has produced, a standout at the high school, college and pro levels.
WJoseph Patrick O'Malley was an American football defensive end who played two seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the fourth round of the 1955 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Georgia.
WFletcher Joseph Perry was a professional American football fullback in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) and National Football League (NFL). He played for the San Francisco 49ers from 1948 to 1960, the Baltimore Colts from 1961 to 1962, and returned to the 49ers in 1963 for his final year in football. He was exceptionally fast, a trait uncommon for a fullback and one which earned him the nickname, "the Jet". The first African-American to be named the NFL Most Valuable Player, he became one of American football's first black stars.
WLawrence Lamond Phillips was a professional American football and Canadian football running back. A two-time college football national champion with the Nebraska Cornhuskers, Phillips played in the National Football League for the St. Louis Rams, Miami Dolphins, and San Francisco 49ers from 1996 through 1999, and for the Montreal Alouettes and Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League in 2002 and 2003.
WTyler Jordan Sash was an American football safety for the University of Iowa Hawkeyes and the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Giants in the sixth round of the 2011 NFL Draft.
WTiaina Baul "Junior" Seau Jr. was an American professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). Known for his passionate play, he was a 10-time All-Pro, 12-time Pro Bowl selection, and named to the NFL 1990s All-Decade Team. He was elected posthumously to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2015.
WCharles Aaron "Bubba" Smith was an American professional football player, who starred as a defensive end in both college and the NFL before becoming an actor following his retirement from the sport.
WKenneth Michael Stabler, nicknamed "Snake", was an American professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for the Oakland Raiders (1970–1979), Houston Oilers (1980–1981) and New Orleans Saints (1982–1984). He played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide. Stabler quarterbacked the Raiders to victory in Super Bowl XI, was the 1974 NFL Most Valuable Player and was selected as a quarterback for the NFL 1970s All-Decade Team. Stabler was posthumously elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2016.
WJustin Conrad Strzelczyk was an American football offensive tackle who played nine full seasons in the National Football League for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1990 to 1998. His death, at age 36, helped spark a debate in the NFL about the link between playing football and suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
WDaniel Te'o-Nesheim was a Samoan American football defensive end. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the third round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at Washington.
WPaul Kevin Turner was a professional American football fullback. He played eight seasons in the National Football League for the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles. Turner died after a multi-year battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), which had been triggered by chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
WAndre Maurice Waters was an American football safety who played for the Philadelphia Eagles and Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL) from 1984 to 1995. Waters was regarded as one of the NFL's hardest-hitting defenders, serving as an integral part of one of the league's top defenses. On November 20, 2006, Waters committed suicide and was subsequently diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy.