The American Football League (AFL) was a major professional American football league that operated for ten seasons from 1960 until 1970, when it merged with the older National Football League (NFL), and became the American Football Conference. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence. It was more successful than earlier rivals to the NFL with the same name, the 1926, 1936 and 1940 leagues, and the later All-America Football Conference.
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 advance to the playoffs, a single-elimination tournament that culminates in the Super Bowl, which is contested in February and is played between the winners of the AFC and NFC championship games.
A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback to rush the ball, to line up as a receiver to catch the ball, and block. There are usually one or two running backs on the field for a given play, depending on the offensive formation. A running back may be a halfback, a wingback or a fullback. A running back will sometimes be called a "feature back" if he is the team's key player/more prominent running back.
The National Football League draft, also called the NFL draft or (officially) the Annual Player Selection Meeting, is an annual event which serves as the most common source of player recruitment in the National Football League. Each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order relative to its record in the previous year, which means that the last place team is positioned first and the Super Bowl champion is last. From this position, the team can either select a player or trade its position to another team for other draft positions, a player or players, or any combination thereof. The round is complete when each team has either selected a player or traded its position in the draft. The first draft was held in 1936, and has been held every year since.
David Duke Carr is an American former football quarterback who played 11 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Fresno State Bulldogs and was selected first overall by the Houston Texans in the 2002 NFL Draft. Carr also played for the Carolina Panthers, the New York Giants, and the San Francisco 49ers. As a backup with the Giants, Carr received a Super Bowl ring after their victory over the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl XLVI. He currently serves as the offensive coordinator at Bakersfield Christian High School.
Nathaniel Eugene Burleson is a Canadian-born American television host, football commentator, and former football player. He played professionally as a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). Playing college football for the Nevada Wolf Pack, he earned first-team All-American honors in 2002. Burleson was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the third round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He was also a member of the Seattle Seahawks and Detroit Lions.
Gary Wayne Zimmerman is an American former football offensive tackle who played in the National Football League (NFL). Zimmerman played for the Minnesota Vikings from 1986 to 1992 and for the Denver Broncos from 1993 to 1997. He won Super Bowl XXXII with the Broncos against the Green Bay Packers. He was selected to the Pro Bowl seven times and was an All-Pro selection eight times. He played college football for the Oregon Ducks whereby he was inducted into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 2002 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2008.
Mr. Irrelevant is the nickname given to the person drafted with the final pick of an NFL draft. Most players drafted with the very last draft pick do not go on to complete stories or have notable careers. Oftentimes, a player chosen with this pick is released from the team that drafted them before preseason or training camps begin. Some notable exceptions include Jacque MacKinnon, Ryan Succop, and Brock Purdy.
In gridiron football, the long snapper is a center on special teams whose duty is to snap the football over a longer distance, typically around 15 yards during punts, and 7–8 yards during field goals and conversion attempts.
The 1986 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 29–30, 1986, at the Marriott Marquis in New York City, New York. The league also held a supplemental draft after the regular draft and before the regular season.
Craig Neil Erickson is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). Prior to entering the NFL, he played college football for the Miami Hurricanes. He was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fifth round of the 1991 NFL Draft and also by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fourth round of the 1992 NFL Draft. He is one of the few NFL players to be drafted twice. Coincidentally, each was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Trent Williams is an American football offensive tackle for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Oklahoma, where he was recognized as an All-American, and was selected by the Washington Redskins fourth overall in the 2010 NFL Draft. Williams is considered one of the best tackles in the league, having made eleven Pro Bowls and four All-Pro teams.
Paul James Krause is an American former football safety who played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Minnesota Vikings and the Washington Redskins. Gifted with a great frame, speed and range, Krause established himself as a defensive force against opposing wide receivers. He led the league with 12 interceptions as a rookie before going on to set the NFL career interceptions record with 81 and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1998. Krause was selected eight times to the Pro Bowl during his 16 seasons in the NFL.
Joseph Anthony Bosa is an American football linebacker for the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Ohio State and was selected third overall by the Chargers in the 2016 NFL Draft, where he was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. Bosa has since been cited as among the best pass rushers in the NFL. He is the son of former NFL player John Bosa and the older brother of current NFL player Nick Bosa.
Christian Wilkins is an American football defensive tackle for the Miami Dolphins of National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Clemson and was selected by the Dolphins in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft.
Haason Samir Reddick is an American football linebacker for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Temple, and was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft. He has also played for the Carolina Panthers.
Nicholas John Bosa is an American football defensive end for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes and was selected second overall by the 49ers in the 2019 NFL draft. Bosa was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year and helped his team reach Super Bowl LIV. In 2022, he won the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award. He is the son of former NFL defensive end John Bosa and younger brother of Joey Bosa, currently a linebacker for the Los Angeles Chargers.
George Matthew Karlaftis III is a Greek professional American football defensive end for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). He was born in Athens and grew up as a multi-sport athlete playing football, track and field, basketball, and water polo, the latter of which he played with the Greek national team.
Isiah Pacheco, also known as "Pop", is an American football running back for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and was drafted by the Chiefs in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft. In his first two seasons with the Chiefs, he won Super Bowl LVII and Super Bowl LVIII, scoring a touchdown in the former.
