Who Played in the NFL?
Find out which NFL players have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Pre-NFL
Before the NFL was created, there were several other professional football leagues. The American Football League (AFL) was one of the most popular. The AFL was founded in 1960 and lasted until 1970 when it merged with the NFL.
Pre-NFL Players
The National Football League (NFL) was founded in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association (APFA) with ten teams from four states, all of whom existed in some form as participants of regional leagues or football organizations. In 1922, the NFL began to hire players from outside those four states, and it has continued to do so ever since. Consequently, there have been many professional football players who never played in the NFL.
Pre-NFL Teams
Before the NFL was created, there were several different professional football leagues. Some of these leagues were more successful than others. The most successful of these leagues was the American Professional Football Association, which was founded in 1920. This league eventually became the NFL.
Other professional football leagues included the Inter-State Professional Football League, which was founded in 1896; the Independent Professional Football League, which was founded in 1902; and the American Football League, which was founded in 1926.
NFL
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league consisting of 32 teams, divided equally between the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC). The NFL is one of the four major professional sports leagues in North America, and the highest professional level of American football in the world. NFL players are the world’s best paid sportsmen, by average annual salary per player.
NFL Players
Many people love to watch the NFL, but did you know that there are several players who have played in the NFL? Some of these players are:
-Tom Brady: Tom Brady played college football for the University of Michigan before being drafted by the New England Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft. Throughout his career, Brady has been selected to 14 Pro Bowls and has won five Super Bowls.
-Peyton Manning: Peyton Manning played college football for the University of Tennessee before being drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft. Throughout his career, Manning has been selected to 18 Pro Bowls and has won two Super Bowls.
-Drew Brees: Drew Brees played college football for Purdue University before being drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. Throughout his career, Brees has been selected to 12 Pro Bowls and has won one Super Bowl.
NFL Teams
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league consisting of 32 teams, divided equally between the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC). The NFL is one of the four major North American professional sports leagues, the highest professional level of American football in the world. The NFL’s 17-week regular season runs from September to December, with each team playing 16 games and having one bye week. Following the conclusion of the regular season, six teams from each conference (four division winners and two wild card teams) advance to the playoffs, a single-elimination tournament culminating in the Super Bowl, which is usually held on the first Sunday in February and is played between the champions of the NFC and AFC.
The 32 NFL teams are grouped into eight geographical divisions: East: Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins; North: Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings; South: Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans; West: Arizona Cardinals, Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks.
