Jerome Abram Bettis Sr. is an American former professional football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons, primarily with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Nicknamed "the Bus" due to his large size and forceful running style, he played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and was selected 10th overall by the Los Angeles Rams in the 1993 NFL draft. Bettis was a member of the Rams for three seasons before being traded to the Steelers, where he spent the remainder of his career. A six-time Pro Bowl and two-time first-team All-Pro selection, he is regarded as one of the greatest power runners of all time and ranks eighth in NFL rushing yards. He retired in 2006 after helping the Steelers win a Super Bowl title in Super Bowl XL, the franchise's first in over two decades. Bettis was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2015.
Robert Lawrence Layne was an American professional football player who was a quarterback for 15 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Texas Longhorns before being selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers with the third overall pick of the 1948 NFL draft and traded to the Chicago Bears. Layne played one season with the Bears, and then with the New York Bulldogs in 1949, the Detroit Lions from 1950 to 1958, and the Steelers from 1958 to 1962.
Julius Andre Maurice Jones is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Jones was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round of the 2004 NFL draft. He also played in the NFL for the Seattle Seahawks and the New Orleans Saints.
Billy Ray Sims is an American former football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for five seasons from 1980 to 1984. Sims played college football for the Oklahoma Sooners, where he was a two-time consensus All-American, and won the Heisman Trophy in 1978. He was the first overall pick in the 1980 NFL draft, selected by the Detroit Lions. After three pro-bowl selections, his career was prematurely ended by a knee injury suffered in 1984.
Joseph Paul Schmidt was an American professional football player and coach. He played as a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Detroit Lions for 13 years from 1953 to 1965. He won two NFL championships with the Lions, and, between 1954 and 1963, he played in ten consecutive Pro Bowl games and was selected each year as a first-team All-Pro player. He was also voted by his fellow NFL players as the NFL's most valuable defensive player in 1960 and 1963, named to the NFL 1950s All-Decade Team, inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1973 and chosen as a member of the NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team in 2019.
The 1990 NFL season was the 71st regular season of the National Football League (NFL). To increase revenue, the league, for the first time since 1966, reinstated bye weeks, so that all NFL teams would play their 16-game schedule over a 17-week period. Furthermore, the playoff format was expanded from 10 teams to 12 teams by adding another wild card from each conference, thus adding two more contests to the postseason schedule; this format was modified with realignment in 2002 before the playoffs expanded to 14 teams in 2020.
Aveion Marquel Cason is a former American football running back and kick returner in the National Football League (NFL) for the St. Louis Rams, Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys. He also was a member of the Florida Tuskers in the United Football League (UFL). He played college football at Illinois State University.
John Tye Hill is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL) for five seasons. He played college football for the Clemson Tigers, earning consensus All-American honors. He was selected by the St. Louis Rams in the first round of the 2006 NFL draft. He was also a member of the Atlanta Falcons, Tennessee Titans, and Detroit Lions.
Cedric Leonard Griffin is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the second round of the 2006 NFL draft. He played college football for the Texas Longhorns, where he was a stand-out performer on the 2005 national championship team.
Justin Forsett is an American former football running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the California Golden Bears and was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the seventh round of the 2008 NFL draft. Forsett also played for the Indianapolis Colts, Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, Baltimore Ravens, Detroit Lions, and Denver Broncos. Forsett's best season came in 2014 as a member of the Ravens, when he was selected as a Pro Bowl alternate after finishing the season with career highs in carries (235), rushing yards (1,266) and touchdowns (8).
Gregory LaMonte Hill is a former professional American football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) from 1994 to 1999.
Mitchell Kent Hoopes was an American football punter in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys, San Diego Chargers, Houston Oilers, Detroit Lions and Philadelphia Eagles. He also was a member of the Boston Breakers in the United States Football League (USFL). He played college football at the University of Arizona.
Kevin Ryan Smith is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the UCF Knights, receiving consensus All-American honors in 2007. Smith was selected by the Detroit Lions in the third round of the 2008 NFL draft, and played for the Lions for five seasons. He is the current running backs coach at Ole Miss.
Mikel Leshoure is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Detroit Lions in the second round of the 2011 NFL draft. He played college football for the Illinois Fighting Illini.
Gilbert Henry "Gib" Dawson was a former halfback at the University of Texas and in the National Football League (NFL).
Quandre Diggs is an American professional football safety for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Texas, and was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the sixth round of the 2015 NFL draft. He played his first two years in the NFL as a cornerback before being moved to safety. In 2019, Diggs was traded to the Seattle Seahawks.
Aaron LaRae Jones is an American professional football running back for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the UTEP Miners and was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL draft. In seven seasons with the Packers, Jones led the league in rushing touchdowns in 2019, made the Pro Bowl in 2020, and ranks third in the team's all-time rushing yards list.
Ty Marquise Johnson is an American professional football running back for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Maryland.
Jake Funk is an American professional football running back for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Maryland. In Maryland's four games during the 2020 season, which was shortened due to COVID-19, Funk averaged 129 rushing yards per game. He also led the Big Ten Conference and ranked second among all Football Bowl Subdivision running backs with an average of 8.6 rushing yards per carry. Funk was drafted in the 7th round of the 2021 NFL draft by the Los Angeles Rams, and won a Super Bowl with the team in 2021.
Derrick Danta Barnes Jr. is an American professional football linebacker for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Purdue and was drafted by the Lions in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL draft.
