The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada and the highest professional level of American football in the world. Each NFL season begins annually with a three-week preseason in August, followed by the 18-week regular season, which runs from early September to early January, with each team playing 17 games and having one bye week. Following the conclusion of the regular season, seven teams from each conference, including four division winners and three wild card teams, advance to the playoffs, a single-elimination tournament, which culminates in the Super Bowl, played in early February between the winners of the AFC and NFC championship games.
Roland "Champ" Bailey Jr. is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs, where he earned consensus All-American honors, and was selected by the Washington Redskins in the first round of the 1999 NFL draft.
Kabisa Akili Maradufu Smith is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the first round of the 1999 NFL draft, the third quarterback in the first three choices, behind Tim Couch and Donovan McNabb. He played college football for the Oregon Ducks.
Roderick F. Gardner is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for six seasons in the National Football League (NFL) for six seasons. He played college football for the Clemson Tigers.
John Robert Navarre is an American former professional football quarterback. He played college football at the University of Michigan, and was selected in the seventh round of the 2004 NFL draft by the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). He was also a member of the Indianapolis Colts.
Bryan Keith Cox Sr. is an American football coach and former player who currently serves as the assistant defensive line coach for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He played as a linebacker in the NFL. He was a three-time Pro Bowl selection with the Miami Dolphins, and was a member of the New England Patriots team that won Super Bowl XXXVI.
Gilbert Ravelle Gardner, II is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the third round of the 2004 NFL draft. He played college football at Purdue.
Richard James Gardner is an American former professional football player. He last played defensive back for Kiel Baltic Hurricanes of the German Football League (GFL). A Penn State University Football graduate and third round draft pick, he played three seasons in the National Football League (NFL) for the Tennessee Titans from 2004 to 2005, and Seattle Seahawks in 2006.
Talman J. Gardner is an American former professional football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) and Canadian Football League (CFL). He was selected by the New Orleans Saints in the seventh round of the 2003 NFL draft. He played college football at Florida State.
Carwell Ernest Gardner is an American former professional football player who was a fullback in the National Football League (NFL). He played eight seasons in the NFL—six for the Buffalo Bills (1990–1995), one for the Baltimore Ravens (1996), finally one for the San Diego Chargers (1997). He played college football for the Kentucky Wildcats and Louisville Cardinals. He was selected by the Bills in the second round of the 1990 NFL draft.
Morris "Moe" Gardner Jr. is an American former football defensive tackle who played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Atlanta Falcons (1991–1996). He played college football for the Illinois Fighting Illini and was selected by the Falcons in the fourth round of the 1991 NFL draft.
Coby Bryant is an American professional football safety for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Cincinnati Bearcats.
Billy Dwayne Ledford is an American football coach and former player who is the offensive line coach and run game coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). Ledford played professionally as a center in the NFL for the San Francisco 49ers, Jacksonville Jaguars (2000), Carolina Panthers (2001), and Cleveland Browns (2005). He played college football at East Carolina University, where he was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in 1999.
He is a graduate of McDowell High School in Marion, North Carolina, where he was a two-time All-Conference selection and led the team in quarterback sacks three straight years.
William Sean Bennett is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League and Canadian Football League (CFL). He was selected by the New York Giants in the fourth round of the 1999 NFL draft. He played college football for the Evansville Purple Aces, Illinois Fighting Illini and Northwestern Wildcats.
Billy Russell Kinard was an American football player and coach. He played professionally as a defensive back for the Cleveland Browns and Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL) and the Buffalo Bills of the American Football League (AFL). Kinard played college football at the University of Mississippi before being drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the second round of the 1956 NFL draft. He played professionally for four seasons and retired in 1960. Kinard later served as the head football coach at Ole Miss from 1971 to 1973 and at Gardner–Webb University in 1978, compiling a career coaching record of 20–14–1.
The Shepherd Rams are the athletic teams that represent Shepherd University, located in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, in Division II intercollegiate sports of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The Rams compete as members of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) for all 15 varsity sports since the 2019–20 academic year. They previously competed in the Mountain East Conference (MEC) from 2013–14 to 2018–19, and before that, the now-defunct West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC) from 1924–25 to 2012–13.
Derrick A. Gardner is a former American football defensive back who played one season with the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at the University of California, Berkeley and attended Skyline High School in Oakland, California. He was also a member of the Rhein Fire, San Francisco Demons and Los Angeles Avengers. Currently he is working as a Cornerbacks Coach under Head Coach John Beam at Laney College.
Gardner Flint Minshew II is an American professional football quarterback for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). He began his college football career playing for the Northwest Mississippi Rangers, where he won the NJCAA National Football Championship before playing the following two seasons for the East Carolina Pirates. Minshew used his final year of eligibility with the Washington State Cougars, setting the Pac-12 Conference season records for passing yards and completions and winning the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award.
Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner is an American professional football cornerback for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Cincinnati Bearcats and was selected fourth overall by the Jets in the 2022 NFL draft. Gardner was named the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year and was the first rookie cornerback since Ronnie Lott in 1981 to be named first-team All-Pro.
Reed Scott Blankenship is an American professional football safety for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders and was signed by the Eagles as an undrafted free agent after the 2022 NFL draft.
