This is a list of Memphis Tigers football players in the NFL draft.
B | Back | K | Kicker | NT | Nose tackle |
C | Center | LB | Linebacker | FB | Fullback |
DB | Defensive back | P | Punter | HB | Halfback |
DE | Defensive end | QB | Quarterback | WR | Wide receiver |
DT | Defensive tackle | RB | Running back | G | Guard |
E | End | T | Offensive tackle | TE | Tight end |
As of 2023, the Memphis football program has produced 138 NFL & AFL Draft picks. An additional 44 Memphis players have gone on to be signed by teams as undrafted free agents. In 2020, Isaac Bruce became the first Memphis player inducted in to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The Pro Football Hall of Fame currently ranks former Tiger Stephen Gostkowski as the sixth-best kicker in NFL history. [1] Other notable former Memphis players include Andy Nelson, Dick Hudson, Harry Schuh, Tim Harris, DeAngelo Williams, and Dontari Poe.
Since 2019, the Memphis program has become known for producing a number of successful NFL running backs, including four drafted from 2019 to 2021 and two more signed as free agents in 2020 and 2024. In September 2021, sportscaster Dan Patrick dubbed Memphis the new "Running Back U". [2] Of the five NFL running backs Memphis produced in this period, four played as starters: Darrell Henderson for Los Angeles, Antonio Gibson for Washington, Kenneth Gainwell for Philadelphia, and Tony Pollard for Dallas and Tennessee. Pollard was selected to the 2022 Pro Bowl in his fourth season.
currently active players are inbold
Larry Richard Csonka is an American former professional football fullback in the National Football League (NFL) for the Miami Dolphins for the majority of his career, along with the New York Giants for three years. He also had a short stint with the Memphis Southmen in the WFL. Nicknamed "Zonk", Csonka is widely regarded as one of the greatest running backs of all time. Csonka is mostly remembered for his success during his tenure with the Dolphins, which included being a member of their 17–0 perfect season in 1972, and winning Super Bowl championships in 1972 and 1973, the latter of which he was named Super Bowl MVP when he ran for a then-record 145 yards. He was also a commentator for the original run of American Gladiators.
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Robert Terrence Flagler is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for the San Francisco 49ers and Phoenix Cardinals. He played college football for the Clemson Tigers, earning consensus All-American honors in 1986. He was selected by the 49ers in the first round of the 1987 NFL draft with the 25th overall pick.
Joshua Norwood Jasper is an American former professional football player who was a placekicker in the National Football League (NFL).
Tony Randall Pollard is an American professional football running back for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Memphis, and was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL draft.
Antonio Gibson is an American professional football running back and kickoff returner for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at East Central Community College in Mississippi for two years prior to transferring to Memphis in 2018. As a return specialist and wide receiver with Memphis, Gibson was named American Athletic Conference (AAC) special teams player of the year in 2019 and received conference honors for both positions. He entered the 2020 NFL draft as a running back, where he was selected by the Washington Football Team in the third round and played four seasons.
Kenneth Gainwell is an American professional football running back and kickoff returner for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Memphis Tigers.
Patrick O'Neal Taylor Jr. is an American professional football running back for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Memphis.
Riley Patterson is an American professional football kicker for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Memphis Tigers and has previously played in the NFL for the Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars, and New York Jets as well.
Marcus Edward "Doc" Holliday is a former American football running back who played with the St. Louis Rams of the National Football League and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League. He played college football at Memphis.