William Clay Matthews Jr. is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker for the Cleveland Browns and the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). He was selected in the first round of the 1978 NFL Draft by the Browns and played in 278 games over 19 NFL seasons, which initially ranked him at number 17 among most games played. Matthews had 1,561 tackles in his career, unofficially the third most in NFL history trailing Jessie Tuggle and Ray Lewis.
Kenneth Howard Norton Jr. is an American football coach and former player who is the linebackers coach for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). Norton played college football at UCLA and was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round of the 1988 NFL Draft. He won three Super Bowls during his playing career with the Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers before becoming a coach in 2004. Norton has served as an NFL defensive coordinator for the Oakland Raiders and Seattle Seahawks. He is the son of former world champion heavyweight boxer Ken Norton.
Thomas Henry Nobis Jr., nicknamed "Mr. Falcon", was an American football linebacker who played for 11 seasons with the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Texas Longhorns, where he played as a linebacker and guard, and won the Maxwell Award in 1965. He was the first overall selection in the 1966 NFL draft.
Earl Roy Gros was an American football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons. Born and raised in Louisiana, he played college football at Louisiana State University (LSU) in Baton Rouge.
James Robert Lynch was an American football linebacker who played in both the American Football League (AFL) and the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs. He played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, where he was named an All-American and won the Maxwell Award in 1966. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1992.
Thomas William Bettis was an All-American football linebacker, NFL player, and NFL coach. After starring at Purdue, Bettis was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the first round of the 1955 NFL Draft 5th overall. He played nine seasons for the Packers, the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Chicago Bears. After his playing career, Bettis went on to coach in the NFL for 30 years, including for the 1969–70 Super Bowl IV champions and the 1966–67 AFL champions, the Kansas City Chiefs. Bettis served as interim coach of the Chiefs in 1977 after the firing of Paul Wiggin. In seven games as head coach, Bettis compiled a 1–6 record, ending a 12-year stint as a coach of the Chiefs. He returned in 1988 to be the defensive backs coach of the Chiefs. He was inducted into both the Purdue University Athletic Hall of Fame and the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame.
Johnny Lee Brewer was an American football tight end and linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Cleveland Browns and New Orleans Saints. He played college football at the University of Mississippi.
Edward William O'Neil is an American football coach and former professional linebacker, who played seven seasons in the National Football League (NFL).
Jason Campbell Kyle is an American former football long snapper. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the fourth round of the 1995 NFL Draft. He played college football for the Arizona State Sun Devils as a linebacker.
Gerald J. Tubbs was an American football linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys. He was selected by Chicago Cardinals in the first round of the 1957 NFL Draft. After his retirement, he stayed with the Cowboys as an assistant coach for 22 years. He played college football at the University of Oklahoma.
Lee Roy Caffey was an American professional football player who was an outside linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Philadelphia Eagles, Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys and San Diego Chargers. Caffey is one of the top 100 Green Bay Packers of All-Time (#57). Caffey and teammates, Ray Nitchke and Dave Robinson, were named one of the top 10 best linebacking trios in the history of the NFL by ESPN. He played college football for the Texas A&M Aggies and is one of Texas A&M’s top 10 best players in the NFL.
Douglass Clayton Colman is an American football coach, former player and son of former NFL player Wayne Charles Colman. He was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for five seasons with the New York Giants, Tennessee Titans and Cleveland Browns after playing college football at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Robert Francis Pellegrini was an American football linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Philadelphia Eagles and the Washington Redskins. He played college football at Maryland, where he was an All-American as a center. Pellegrini was drafted in the first round of the 1956 NFL Draft. In 1996, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
George Wayne Hansen was an American football linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Chicago Bears and Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at the University of Texas, El Paso.
Sidney Williams is an American former diplomat and American football linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Cleveland Browns, Washington Redskins, Baltimore Colts, and the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college football at Southern University.
Phillip John Vandersea is an American former American football player.
Edgar Thomas Chandler, Jr. was an American football player who played linebacker professionally for six seasons for the Buffalo Bills in the American Football League (AFL) and the National Football League (NFL), and for the NFL's New England Patriots. Chandler was a two-time All-American at the University of Georgia, in 1966 and 1967.
Albert Cornell Chesley is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 11th round of the 1979 NFL Draft. He played college football at Pittsburgh. Chesley is listed as the starting linebacker on the National Champion 1976 Pitt Panther squad.
Warren Samuel Capone is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints. He also was a member of the Birmingham Americans and the Birmingham Vulcans in the World Football League (WFL). He played college football at Louisiana State University and is a member of the LSU Sports Hall of Fame.
Jake Hansen is an American football linebacker for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Illinois.
