William Lewis Shaw is an American former professional football player who played as a guard for the Buffalo Bills in the American Football League (AFL). After playing college football for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, he was drafted by the Bills. Shaw was the prototypical "pulling guard" who despite his size held his own against much bigger defensive linemen like Ernie Ladd, Earl Faison and Buck Buchanan. He won three straight Eastern Division titles and two American Football League championships in 1964 and 1965 with Buffalo.
Thomas Joseph Sestak was an American football defensive tackle who played for the Buffalo Bills of the American Football League (AFL). He played college football for the McNeese State Cowboys. He was named to the AFL All-Time Team.
Roland Owen McDole is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Nebraska Cornhuskers.
Tedy Lacap Bruschi is an American former football linebacker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons. He played college football for the Arizona Wildcats, where he earned two-time consensus All-American. He was selected by the New England Patriots in the third round of the 1996 NFL draft, and played his entire professional career with them. Bruschi won three Super Bowls and was a two-time second-team All-Pro selection.
John Frederick Dryer is an American actor, radio host, and former professional football player.
Robert Henry Dee was an American professional football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL) and the American Football League (AFL).
Andre Bernard Tippett Sr. is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons with the New England Patriots. He played college football for the Iowa Hawkeyes, where he was recognized as a consensus All-American in 1981. A second-round pick in the 1982 NFL draft, Tippett was selected to five Pro Bowls and was named first-team All-Pro twice in his career. Since 2007, he has been the Patriots' executive director of community affairs. He was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2008. He is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity.
Junious "Buck" Buchanan was an American football defensive tackle who played with the Kansas City Chiefs in the American Football League (AFL) and in the National Football League (NFL). Buchanan was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1996 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1990. Buchanan was massive for his era, standing at 6'7", and weighing 270 lbs. His height gave him a big advantage against lineman in the trenches.
Theodore Washington Jr. is an American former professional football player who was a nose tackle in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Louisville Cardinals and was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the first round of the 1991 NFL draft. He also played for the Denver Broncos, Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears, New England Patriots, Oakland Raiders, and Cleveland Browns before retiring after the 2007 season. Washington was selected to four Pro Bowls in his career and with the Patriots, he won Super Bowl XXXVIII over the Carolina Panthers. At 6'5" and more than 375 pounds in his prime, he was described as "the prototypical [3-4] nose tackle of this era." His gargantuan frame earned him nicknames like "Mt. Washington" or "Washington Monument". Also notable for his longevity, Washington was a starting nose tackle, one of the most physically demanding positions in football, until the age of 39.
James Wilson Jeffcoat, Jr. is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys and Buffalo Bills. He played college football for the Arizona State Sun Devils. He won two Super Bowls with the Cowboys over the Bills. After his playing career, he became a coach.
Jethro Pugh Jr. was an American football defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys for fourteen seasons. He played college football at Elizabeth City State College.
Jim Lee "Earthquake" Hunt was an American professional football player who was a defensive tackle for the American Football League (AFL)'s Boston Patriots from 1960 through 1969, and for the NFL' Boston Patriots in 1970. He was a four-time AFL All-Star, and was one of only 20 men to play the entire ten years of the AFL. He was used as a defensive end occasionally. He played college football for the Prairie View A&M Panthers.
The 1961 NFL draft took place at the Warwick Hotel in Philadelphia on December 27–28, 1960. The league would later hold an expansion draft for the Minnesota Vikings expansion franchise. This draft was also the first regular draft for the Dallas Cowboys as they had only participated in the 1960 NFL expansion draft that year.
Richard Samuel Jackson, nicknamed "Tombstone", is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end and a linebacker in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Southern Jaguars. Jackson played for the AFL's Oakland Raiders in 1966 and Denver Broncos from 1967 through 1969, remaining with the Broncos in 1970 through 1971 after their post-merger transition to the NFL, and the Cleveland Browns in 1972. Jackson was named an All-Pro in 1969 and 1970.
Curley Culp was an American football defensive lineman who was a defensive tackle in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Arizona State University, where he was also an NCAA heavyweight wrestling champion. He played football professionally in the AFL for the Kansas City Chiefs in 1968 and 1969, and in the NFL for the Chiefs, Houston Oilers, and Detroit Lions. He was an AFL All-Star in 1969 and a six-time AFC–NFC Pro Bowler.
Marion Rushing was a professional American football player. Born in Pinckneyville, Illinois, he played 9+1⁄2 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), mainly for the Chicago/St. Louis Cardinals. He finished his pro football career in 1968 with the Houston Oilers of the American Football League (AFL). While at Southern Illinois University (SIU), Rushing earned more athletic letters than any other athlete in Saluki history. He earned a total of 13 letters while playing football, basketball, track, and wrestling for SIU. Following his career at SIU, Rushing went on to play professional football in both the NFL and AFL. He was inducted into the charter class of the Saluki Hall of Fame in 1978. In 2010 SIU honored Rushing by renaming a street near the new football stadium, Marion Rushing Lane.
William Alex Hudson was an American football defensive tackle and unheralded member of the original Fearsome Foursome of defensive linemen in pro football. He attended Clemson University, where he was a member of the track and football teams. He played professionally in the Canadian Football League with the Montreal Alouettes and in the American Football League with the San Diego Chargers and the Boston Patriots. He is a member of the South Carolina Sports Hall of Fame.
Herschel Ray Jacobs is a former professional American football defensive tackle in the American Football League (AFL) for the Denver Broncos, Miami Dolphins and Boston Patriots. He played college football at Howard Payne University.
Willie Carroll Townes was an American football defensive end in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints. He played college football at the University of Tulsa.
Dennis Wayne Byrd was an American football defensive end who played in the American Football League (AFL) one season for the Boston Patriots. He played college football for the NC State Wolfpack, where he was named first-team All-ACC in each of his three years of varsity competition and was a consensus All-American as a senior in 1967. He is regarded as one of the most dominant defensive tackles in the Atlantic Coast Conference history.
