In professional sports, as opposed to amateur sports, participants receive payment for their performance. Professionalism in sport has come to the fore through a combination of developments. Mass media and increased leisure have brought larger audiences, so that sports organizations or teams can command large incomes. As a result, more sportspeople can afford to make sport their primary career, devoting the training time necessary to increase skills, physical condition, and experience to modern levels of achievement. This proficiency has also helped boost the popularity of sports. In most sports played professionally there are many more amateur than professional players, though amateurs and professionals do not usually compete.
Roosevelt "Rosey" Grier is an American actor, singer, Protestant minister, and former professional football player. He was a notable college football player for Pennsylvania State University who earned a retrospective place in the National Collegiate Athletic Association 100th anniversary list of 100 most influential student athletes. A professional player for twelve seasons, Grier was a member of the New York Giants and the original Fearsome Foursome of the Los Angeles Rams. He played in the Pro Bowl twice.
Jon Morris is an American former professional football player who was an offensive lineman for fifteen seasons in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL). He played for the Boston/New England Patriots, Detroit Lions, and Chicago Bears.
Deion Luwynn Sanders is an American football coach and former professional football and baseball player. Sanders serves as the head coach of the football program at the University of Colorado Boulder. Nicknamed "Neon Deion" and "Prime Time" during his playing career and "Coach Prime" during his coaching career, he played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons; 5 seasons with the Atlanta Falcons, 1 season with the San Francisco 49ers, 5 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, 1 season with the Washington Redskins, and 2 seasons with the Baltimore Ravens. Sanders played as a cornerback and return specialist. He was the first player to be referred to as a "shutdown corner."
Charles Aaron "Bubba" Smith was an American professional football defensive end and actor. Smith played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Baltimore Colts, Oakland Raiders, and Houston Oilers.
Ryan Moats is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs and was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the third round of the 2005 NFL draft.
Frank Francis Sinkwich Sr. was a Croatian-Yugoslav American football player and coach. He won the Heisman Trophy in 1942 while playing for the Georgia Bulldogs, making him the first recipient from the Southeastern Conference. In the course of a brief but celebrated career in professional football, Sinkwich was selected for the National Football League Most Valuable Player Award. He coached the Erie (PA) Vets semi-professional football team in 1949. Sinkwich was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1954.
Richard Manuel Jauron is an American former professional football player and coach in the National Football League (NFL). He played eight seasons in the NFL as a safety, five with the Detroit Lions and three with the Cincinnati Bengals. Jauron served as the head coach the Chicago Bears from 1999 to 2003 and the Buffalo Bills from 2006 until November 2009. He was also the interim head coach for the Lions for the final five games of the 2005 season. Jauron was named the AP Coach of the Year in 2001 after leading the Bears to a 13–3 record.
Victor Felix Janowicz was an American football halfback who played for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL). The 1950 Heisman Trophy winner, he played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes and was selected in the seventh round of the 1952 NFL Draft. He was a multi-sport athlete, playing two seasons of professional baseball for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Janowicz was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1976.
Mark Fremont Schlereth is an American former professional football player who is a television and radio sportscaster. Schlereth played guard in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons (1989–2000) with the Washington Redskins and Denver Broncos. He is currently a football analyst for Fox Sports, appearing on FS1, and other programs. He also co-hosted Sedano & Stink with Jorge Sedano from 7–10 p.m. ET on ESPN Radio until late March 2015 when he left the program to pursue other broadcast opportunities. He also appeared on the soap opera Guiding Light, and 2012's Red Dawn remake.
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.
Matthew Douglas Stinchcomb is an American former professional football player who was an offensive lineman for seven seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs, earning All-American honors. He was a first-round pick in the 1999 NFL Draft, and played professionally for the Oakland Raiders and Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the NFL.
Ryan Darrell McNeil is a former American college and professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL) for eleven seasons. He played college football for the University of Miami, and earned All-American honors. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the second round of the 1993 NFL Draft, and also played professionally for the St. Louis Rams, Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys, San Diego Chargers and Denver Broncos of the NFL.
Steve Stenstrom is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Stanford Cardinal. He was selected in the fourth round of the 1995 NFL Draft.
Guy Emory Benjamin is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback for six seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Stanford Indians, earning consensus All-American honors in 1977. Benjamin was selected in the second round of the 1978 NFL Draft. He won a Super Bowl as a backup quarterback with the San Francisco 49ers in 1981.
Kent Angelo Hill is an American former professional footalll player who was an offensive lineman for nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL), primarily for the Los Angeles Rams. He played college football for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and was selected in the first round of the 1979 NFL Draft. He was named to five Pro Bowls in the NFL.
Barry Bret Helton is a former American college and professional football player who was a punter in the National Football League (NFL) for four seasons during the 1980s and 1990s. He played college football for the University of Colorado, and earned consensus All-American honors. He played professionally for the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams of the NFL, and played in Super Bowl XXIII and Super Bowl XXIV for the 49ers. He was a fourth round draft choice by the 49ers in the 1988 NFL Draft.
Mark Stephen Adickes is an orthopedic surgeon and a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League (NFL) for the Kansas City Chiefs and Washington Redskins. Adickes was an All-American offensive lineman at Baylor University and later attended George Mason University and Harvard University Medical School. He is ESPN's NFL injury analyst and is the chief of sports medicine for Baylor College of Medicine.
Clyde Vern Brock is a former professional Canadian football offensive tackle in the Canadian Football League (CFL) for the Saskatchewan Roughriders. He also was a member of the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Utah State University. He is a member of the Canadian Football League Hall of Fame.
Paul Moss was a professional American football player who played wide receiver for two seasons for the Pittsburgh Pirates and the St. Louis Gunners.
