Yale Players in The NFL
More than 25 players from Yale have gone on to play in the National Football League, including running backs Calvin Hill, Chuck Mercein and Chris Hetherington, defensive backs Dick Jauron, Gary Fencik and Kenny Hill, tight ends Eric Johnson and John Spagnola, quarterback Brian Dowling, and linemen Fritz Barzilauskas, Century Milstead and Mike Pyle. Shane Bannon of the Kansas City Chiefs is the only active Yale alumnus currently in the NFL.
| Name | Position | Years | Teams |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shane Bannon | Fullback | 2011-Present | Kansas City Chiefs |
| Fritz Barzilauskas | Guard | 1947–1951 | Boston Yanks, New York Bulldogs, New York Giants |
| Art Braman | Tackle | 1922–1923 | Racine Legion |
| Bruce Caldwell | Fullback | 1928 | New York Giants |
| Rich Diana | Running back | 1982 | Miami Dolphins |
| Brian Dowling | Quarterback | 1972–1977 | New England Patriots, Charlotte Hornets (WFL), Green Bay Packers |
| Greg Dubinetz | Guard | 1979 | Washington Redskins |
| Joe Dufek | Quarterback | 1983–1985 | Buffalo Bills, San Diego Chargers |
| Gary Fencik | Defensive back | 1976–1987 | Chicago Bears |
| Chris Hetherington | Fullback | 1996–2006 | Indianapolis Colts, Carolina Panthers, St. Louis Rams, Oakland Raiders, San Francisco 49ers |
| Calvin Hill | Running back | 1969–1981 | Dallas Cowboys, The Hawaiians (WFL), Washington Redskins, Cleveland Browns |
| Kenny Hill | Defensive back | 1981–1989 | Oakland Raiders, Los Angeles Raiders, New York Giants, Kansas City Chiefs |
| Dick Jauron | Defensive back | 1973–1980 | Detroit Lions, Cincinnati Bengals |
| Eric Johnson | Tight end | 2001–2007 | San Francisco 49ers, New Orleans Saints |
| Herb Kempton | Quarterback | 1921 | Canton Bulldogs |
| Alex Kroll | Tackle, Center | 1962–1962 | New York Titans |
| Nate Lawrie | Tight end | 2004–2008 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New Orleans Saints, Cincinnati Bengals |
| Don Martin | Defensive back | 1973–1976 | New England Patriots, Kansas City Chiefs, Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| Chuck Mercein | Running back | 1965–1970 | New York Giants, Green Bay Packers, Washington Redskins, New York Jets |
| Than Merrill | Defensive back | 2001 | Chicago Bears |
| Century Milstead | Tackle | 1925–1928 | New York Giants, Philadelphia Quakers (AFL), New York Giants |
| John Prchlik | Tackle | 1949–1953 | Detroit Lions |
| Gene Profit | Defensive back | 1986–1988 | New England Patriots |
| Mike Pyle | Center | 1961–1969 | Chicago Bears |
| Jeff Rohrer | Linebacker | 1982–1987 | Dallas Cowboys |
| Bill Schuler | Tackle | 1947–1948 | New York Giants |
| John Spagnola | Tight end | 1979–1989 | Philadelphia Eagles, Seattle Seahawks, Green Bay Packers |
| Paul Walker | End, Defensive back | 1948 | New York Giants |
Read more about this topic: Yale Bulldogs Football
Famous quotes containing the words yale and/or players:
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—Marie Collins Swabey. Comic Laughter, ch. 5, Yale University Press (1961)
“People stress the violence. That’s the smallest part of it. Football is brutal only from a distance. In the middle of it there’s a calm, a tranquility. The players accept pain. There’s a sense of order even at the end of a running play with bodies stewn everywhere. When the systems interlock, there’s a satisfaction to the game that can’t be duplicated. There’s a harmony.”
—Don Delillo (b. 1926)