Ronald Mandel Lott is an American former professional football player. He was in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons from 1981 to 1994.
The Purple People Eaters was the nickname given to the defensive line of the Minnesota Vikings from 1967 to 1977, consisting mainly of Alan Page, Carl Eller, Jim Marshall, and Gary Larsen.
Julius Frazier Peppers is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end and linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the North Carolina Tar Heels, where he was recognized as a unanimous All-American, and was selected by the Carolina Panthers second overall in the 2002 NFL draft, and also played for the Chicago Bears from 2010 through 2013 and the Green Bay Packers from 2014 to 2016. After rejoining the Panthers for the 2017 season, he retired after the 2018 NFL season.
John Anthony Randle is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle for eleven seasons for the Minnesota Vikings and three seasons for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). He was a six-time first-team All-Pro and seven-time Pro Bowler. Since becoming an official stat in 1982, his 137.5 sacks rank tenth, tied with Richard Dent, and first among defensive tackles. On February 6, 2010, he was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He played college football for the Trinity Valley Cardinals and the Texas A&I Javelinas, and was signed by the Vikings as an undrafted free agent after the 1990 NFL draft. He is considered one of the greatest undrafted players of all time.
La'Roi Damon Glover is an American professional football coach and former player who is the defensive line coach for the St. Louis BattleHawks of the United Football League (UFL). He played as a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL). Glover played college football for the San Diego State Aztecs. He enjoyed a 13-year career in which he made six-consecutive Pro Bowls and was a four-time All-Pro selection. He spent five seasons with the New Orleans Saints (1997–2001), four seasons with the Dallas Cowboys (2002–2005) and finished his playing career with the St. Louis Rams (2006–2008).
James Lawrence Marshall is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons, primarily with the Minnesota Vikings. He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes, before leaving to play for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the fourth round of the 1960 NFL draft.
London Levi Fletcher-Baker is an American former professional football linebacker who played for 16 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the St. Louis Rams, Buffalo Bills, and Washington Redskins. He played college football at John Carroll and signed with the Rams as an undrafted free agent in 1998. After four seasons with the Rams, he was a member of the Bills for five seasons and spent his last seven seasons with the Redskins. He won Super Bowl XXXIV with the Rams in 1999 and made four Pro Bowls during his Redskins tenure.
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.
Antoine Duane Winfield Sr. is an American former football cornerback who played for 14 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes, earning consensus All-American honors and winning the Jim Thorpe Award. He was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 1999 NFL draft and played five seasons for the Bills and nine seasons for the Minnesota Vikings. He was a three-time Pro Bowl selection as a member of the Vikings.
Timothy McDonald is an American former professional football safety who played for 13 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). McDonald played college football for the USC Trojans, and was honored as a two-time All-American and two-time team most valuable player (MVP). A second-round pick in the 1987 NFL draft, he played for the St. Louis / Phoenix Cardinals (1987–1992) and the San Francisco 49ers (1993–1999). Upon the conclusion of his playing career, McDonald entered coaching, most recently serving as the defensive backs coach for the New York Jets and the Buffalo Bills.
Dennis Smith is an American former professional football player who was a safety in the National Football League (NFL) for the Denver Broncos from 1981 until 1994. Smith played college football for the USC Trojans.
Kenneth Jerome Riley was an American professional football cornerback who spent his entire career with the Cincinnati Bengals, first in the American Football League (AFL) in 1969 and then the National Football League (NFL) from 1970 through 1983. Riley recorded 65 interceptions in his career, which was the fourth most in NFL history at the time of his retirement. Despite his accomplishments, he was never an exceptionally well-known or popular player. Riley was never once selected to play in the AFL All-Star Game or the Pro Bowl, but he was selected to three All-Pro teams.
Dennis Lee Thurman is an American football coach and former player. He is a former coach in the National Football League (NFL) for the Phoenix Cardinals, the Baltimore Ravens and the New York Jets, and in the Alliance of American Football (AAF) for the Memphis Express. He played as a cornerback for the Dallas Cowboys and the St. Louis Cardinals. He played college football for the USC Trojans.
Matthew Albert Blair was an American professional football linebacker who played for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL) for all 12 seasons of his career from 1974 to 1985. He played college football for the Northeastern Oklahoma A&M Golden Norsemen and the Iowa State Cyclones.
William Frederick Bates is an American former professional football player who spent his entire 15-year career as a safety for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). A fan favorite, he was a Pro Bowl selection in 1984, played in Super Bowl XXVIII and Super Bowl XXX, and was on the Cowboys' roster for Super Bowl XXVII. He played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers.
Jared Scot Allen is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons. He played college football for the Idaho State Bengals and was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL draft. After four years with the Chiefs, Allen was traded to the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for three draft picks, including a first-rounder. He spent six years with the Vikings before joining the Chicago Bears as a free agent in 2014.
Isiah "Butch" Robertson was an American professional football player who was a linebacker for the Los Angeles Rams (1971–1978) and the Buffalo Bills (1979–1982). He was selected to six Pro Bowls during his years with the Rams. He had 25 career interceptions, returning three for touchdowns, scoring a fourth touchdown on a fumble recovery in 1978. According to Rams and Bills records, Robertson also sacked the quarterback 24+1⁄2 times and forced 16 fumbles in his career.
Everson Griffen is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL). A graduate of Agua Fria High School, Griffen played college football for the USC Trojans. He was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL draft and played for them for 10 seasons before signing with the Dallas Cowboys in 2020. He was traded to the Detroit Lions later that year, then re-signed with the Vikings in August 2021.
William Clay Matthews III, primarily known as Clay Matthews, is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). The six-time Pro Bowl selection and two-time All-Pro played 10 seasons for the Green Bay Packers and 1 season for the Los Angeles Rams. He is the all-time official sack leader for the Packers, with 83.5. He was inducted into the team's Hall of Fame in 2024.
Eric-Nathan Marvin Kendricks is an American professional football linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the UCLA Bruins. As a senior in 2014, he won the Butkus Award as the nation's top collegiate linebacker. Kendricks was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the second round of the 2015 NFL draft and later played for the Los Angeles Chargers.
