Bruce Bernard Smith is an American former football defensive end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 19 seasons, primarily with the Buffalo Bills. He played college football at Virginia Tech, where he was a twice All-American, and was selected first overall by the Bills in the 1985 NFL Draft.
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.
Leo Joseph Nomellini was an Italian-American professional football player and professional wrestler. He played as an offensive and defensive tackle for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Cornell Desmond Brown is a former American college and professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons. He played college football for Virginia Tech, and earned All-American honors twice. Drafted late in the sixth round of the 1997 NFL Draft, he played professionally for the NFL's Baltimore Ravens. In 2013, Brown was inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame.
Tracy Quinton Rocker is an American football coach and former player who is the defensive line coach for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL).
The 1990 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 22–23, 1990, 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.
Tony Steven Casillas is a former American football defensive tackler in the National Football League (NFL) from 1986 through 1997. While at the University of Oklahoma, he helped win the 1985 NCAA National Championship. He also won the Lombardi Award in 1985 and was the "1985 UPI Lineman of the Year." Casillas was also part of the Dallas Cowboys back to back victories in Super Bowl XXVII and XXVIII, both against the Buffalo Bills. In 2004, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
Thomas Michael Cousineau is an American former college and professional football player who was a linebacker in the Canadian Football League (CFL) and National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons during the 1970s and 1980s. He played college football for Ohio State University, and twice earned All-American honors. He was the first overall pick of the 1979 NFL Draft, and played professionally for the CFL's Montreal Alouettes and the NFL's Cleveland Browns and San Francisco 49ers.
The 1951 National Football League Draft was held January 18–19, 1951, at the Blackstone Hotel in Chicago. The Baltimore Colts folded after the 1950 season, and the NFL placed their players in the 1951 NFL draft.
The 1953 National Football League Draft was held on January 22, 1953, at Bellevue-Stratford Hotel in Philadelphia. Selections made by the folded Dallas Texans were assigned to the Baltimore Colts, since the Dallas team had moved to Baltimore.
The 1958 National Football League Draft had its first four rounds held on December 2, 1957, and its final twenty-six rounds on January 28, 1958. Both sessions were held at the Warwick Hotel in Philadelphia.
Robert Gain was an American football player who played 13 seasons for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL), and also played in the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played in five Pro Bowls in the space of seven years with the Browns and was a first-team All-Pro selection once and a second-team selection seven times.
Douglas Heye Dieken is an American retired professional football player and radio color analyst for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). From 1971-2022, he had 51 years of association with the Browns in various capacities - 14 seasons playing as a left tackle (1971-1984), radio analyst for 34 seasons, and an ambassador/spokesman during the team's three seasons of inactivity (1996-1998).
Aaron Douglas Kyle is a former American football cornerback in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos. He was drafted in the first round of the 1976 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Wyoming.
Ellis Bernard Johnson is an American former college and professional football player who was a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons during the 1990s and 2000s. Johnson played college football for the University of Florida, and was recognized as the National Defensive Player of the Year. He was picked in the first round of the 1995 NFL Draft, and played professionally for the Indianapolis Colts, Atlanta Falcons and Denver Broncos of the NFL.
James Edward Houston was an American football linebacker who played 13 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the Cleveland Browns. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2005.
Earl Edwards is a former American football and Canadian football player. He played at various including defensive tackle, offensive tackle and defensive end. Edwards played onoffensively and defense in college at Wichita State University where Hall of Fame coach Bill Parcells was his lineman coach. College was a short stop for "Big Earl" because he defended a team member, and his input was not appreciated, causing him to leave the team. In his two and a half years at Wichita State University he won Sophomore Lineman of the Year, All Conference 1st Team, All-Mid West 1st Team, and Honorable Mention All American.
Ronald Allan East is a former American football defensive tackle in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys, San Diego Chargers, Cleveland Browns, Atlanta Falcons and Seattle Seahawks. He played college football at Oregon State University and Montana State University, following his completion of service to the United States Marine Corps.
Lewis Glen Carpenter was an American football player and coach. He played college football for the University of Arkansas and professionally for ten seasons in the National Football League (NFL) as a halfback and fullback with the Detroit Lions, Cleveland Browns, and Green Bay Packers. He played on three NFL Championship teams, with Detroit in 1953 and with Green Bay in 1961 and 1962. After his playing career ended, Carpenter spent 31 years as an assistant coach in the NFL with the Minnesota Vikings (1964–1966), Atlanta Falcons (1967–1968), Washington Redskins (1969), St. Louis Cardinals (1970–1972), Houston Oilers (1970–1974), Green Bay Packers (1975–1985), Detroit Lions (1987–1988), and Philadelphia Eagles (1990–1994). Carpenter also coached the Frankfurt Galaxy of the World League of American Football in 1996 and at Southwest Texas State University. He concluded his 47 years of playing and coaching football at the end of the 1996 season. Scientific tests on his brain diagnosed post-mortem that he had an advanced case of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
The Matthews family is a prominent family in American football. One of only five third-generation families to play in the National Football League (NFL), it is often called the "NFL's First Family". Its seven members who have played in the NFL have combined for 25 Pro Bowl invitations, 11 first-team All-Pro selections, and three Super Bowl appearances.
