PEOPLE KNOWN FOR: football, gridiron
American football player
Tom Brady American football quarterback who led his teams to a record seven Super Bowl victories (2002, 2004, 2005, 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2021) and was named the game’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) five...
American football coach
Bill Belichick is widely regarded as the greatest professional gridiron football coach in history. During 24 seasons with the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL), he led the team...
American football player
Peyton Manning American collegiate and professional gridiron football quarterback who is considered one of the greatest players at his position in National Football League (NFL) history. He won Super Bowls...
American football coach and executive
Bill Parcells American professional gridiron football coach and executive who coached the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL) to Super Bowl victories in 1987 and 1991. Parcells spent...
American football coach and executive
Al Davis American gridiron football coach and executive who, as commissioner of the American Football League (AFL), was a key actor in the merger of the AFL with the National Football League (NFL) and...
American football player
Michael Vick American professional gridiron football quarterback who was the highest-paid player in National Football League (NFL) history before pleading guilty, in 2007, to charges of running an illegal...
American football player
Tony Romo American professional gridiron football player who emerged as one of the leading quarterbacks in the National Football League (NFL) in the early 21st century. Romo spent most of his childhood...
American football player
Drew Brees American gridiron football quarterback who was one of the most prolific passers in National Football League (NFL) history and set numerous single-season and career passing records, including...
American football player
Brett Favre American professional gridiron football player who broke all the major National Football League (NFL) career passing records as quarterback of the Green Bay Packers. Favre grew up in Kiln,...
American football coach
Joe Paterno American collegiate gridiron football coach, who, as head coach at Pennsylvania State University (1966–2011), was the winningest major-college coach in the history of the sport, with 409 career...
American football coach and television commentator
John Madden American football coach and television commentator who was one of the best-known personalities in National Football League (NFL) history. In addition to his accomplishments in the NFL, Madden...
American football player
Aaron Rodgers American professional football quarterback who is considered one of the greatest to ever play the position. He led the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL) to a Super Bowl...
American football and baseball player
Deion Sanders American gridiron football player, baseball player, and football coach who is the only person to have played in both a Super Bowl and a World Series. Known for his flashy personality and...
American football player
Eli Manning American professional gridiron football player who quarterbacked the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL) to two Super Bowl championships (2008 and 2012), earning the game’s...
American football player
O.J. Simpson was an American collegiate and professional football player who was a premier running back, known for his speed and elusiveness. His success on the field led to a career in film and television....
American football player
Randy Moss American professional gridiron football player who is considered one of the greatest wide receivers in National Football League (NFL) history. Moss was a standout high-school football and basketball...
American baseball and football player
Bo Jackson American athlete who starred for the Kansas City Royals of Major League Baseball and the Los Angeles Raiders of the National Football League (NFL) during his short but storied professional career...
American football player
Joe Montana American gridiron football player who was one of the greatest quarterbacks in the history of the National Football League (NFL). Montana led the San Francisco 49ers to four Super Bowl victories...
American football player
Kurt Warner American professional gridiron football quarterback who won two National Football League (NFL) Most Valuable Player (MVP) awards (1999, 2001) and a Super Bowl title (2000) as a player for the...
American investor and philanthropist
Paul Allen American investor and philanthropist best known as the cofounder of Microsoft Corporation, a leading developer of personal-computer software systems and applications. Allen was raised in Seattle,...
American football player
Doug Flutie American football quarterback who won the Heisman Trophy in 1984 as the best player in college football and who had a 21-year professional football career in the United States and Canada. (Read...
American sports executive
Pete Rozelle was an American sports executive who, as commissioner of the National Football League (NFL) from 1960 to 1989, oversaw a period of enormous growth for professional gridiron football. He negotiated...
American athlete
Jim Thorpe was one of the most accomplished all-around athletes in history who in 1950 was selected by American sportswriters and broadcasters as the greatest American athlete and the greatest gridiron...
American football coach
Bobby Bowden American collegiate gridiron football coach who was one of the winningest coaches in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) history. Bowden played quarterback at the University of...
American football coach
Jon Gruden American gridiron football coach and television broadcaster who led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a Super Bowl championship in 2003. Gruden was raised around football: his father, Jim, was an...
American football coach
Vince Lombardi was an American professional football coach who became a national symbol of single-minded determination to win. In nine seasons (1959–67) as head coach of the previously moribund Green Bay...
American football player
Ray Lewis American professional gridiron football player who is considered to be one of the greatest linebackers in National Football League (NFL) history. After starring in several sports in high school,...
American football player and coach
Mike Ditka American gridiron football player and head coach. In the 1960s and early ’70s he proved himself one of professional football’s greatest tight ends, using his talent for catching passes to revolutionize...
American football player
Lawrence Taylor is an American collegiate and professional gridiron football player, considered one of the best linebackers in the history of the game. As a member of the New York Giants of the National...
American football player
Jerry Rice is an American professional gridiron football player whom many consider the greatest wide receiver in the history of the National Football League (NFL). Playing primarily for the San Francisco...
American football player
John Elway American collegiate and professional gridiron football player who is considered one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. He led the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL)...
American football player
Red Grange was an American collegiate and professional gridiron football player and broadcaster who was an outstanding halfback, known for spectacular long runs that made him one of the most famous players...
American football player
LaDainian Tomlinson American professional gridiron football player who was one of the most productive running backs in National Football League (NFL) history. Tomlinson attended high school in Waco, Texas,...
American football player
Steve Largent American gridiron football player who is considered one of the greatest wide receivers of all time. He retired from the sport as the owner of all the major career National Football League...
American football coach
Gary Barnett American collegiate gridiron football coach whose on-field successes were marred by off-field controversies. Barnett attended the University of Missouri at Columbia, where he played wide receiver...
American football player
Chuck Bednarik American professional gridiron football player who, as a linebacker and centre for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL) in the 1950s and early ’60s, was the last...
American football coach
Bear Bryant was an American college football coach who set a record (later broken) for more games won than any other collegiate coach, with the majority of the victories coming during his tenure (1958–82)...
American football player
Franco Harris American gridiron football running back who was a member of four Super Bowl-winning teams (1975, 1976, 1979, 1980) as a Pittsburgh Steeler and who is best known for having taken part in arguably...
American football player
Steve Young American gridiron football player who is considered one of the most accurate quarterbacks in National Football League (NFL) history. Young was raised in Connecticut, where he was all-state...
American football player
Mike Singletary American gridiron football player and coach who was the middle linebacker for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL) from 1981 to 1992. The remarkably durable Singletary...
American football player
Johnny Unitas was an American professional gridiron football player who is considered to be one of the all-time greatest National Football League (NFL) quarterbacks. Unitas excelled in football at St....
American athlete
Pat O’Dea Australian-born hero of both Australian rules football and early gridiron football in the United States who caused one of the greatest sporting mysteries of all time when he disappeared from...
American athlete
Dan Marino American gridiron football quarterback who was one of the most prolific passers in National Football League (NFL) history. Marino was a high school All-American in Pittsburgh, where he established...
Norwegian-born American football coach
Knute Rockne was a Norwegian-born American gridiron football coach who built the University of Notre Dame in Indiana into a major power in college football and became the intercollegiate sport’s first...
American football player
Joe Namath is an American collegiate and professional gridiron football quarterback who was one of the best passers in football and a cultural sports icon of the 1960s. Namath excelled in several sports...
American football player
Earl Campbell American gridiron football running back whose bruising style made him one of the most dominant rushers in the history of the sport despite his relatively short career. Campbell was raised...
American football player
Troy Aikman American gridiron football quarterback who led the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL) to three Super Bowl victories (1993, 1994, and 1996). Aikman was raised in Cerritos,...
American football player
Walter Payton was an American professional gridiron football player whose productivity and durability made him one of the game’s greatest running backs. He retired in 1987 as the leading rusher in the...
American educator and coach
Eddie Robinson was an American collegiate football coach, who set a record (later surpassed) for most career wins (408). He spent his entire head-coach career at Grambling State University in Louisiana....
American football coach
Paul Brown American gridiron football coach known for his cerebral approach, innovative methods, iron rule, and cool demeanour. Brown coached winning teams in high school, college, armed forces, and professional...
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