Roderick Kevin Woodson is an American former professional football cornerback in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons. Widely considered one of the greatest defensive backs of all time, Woodson holds the NFL record for fumble recoveries (32) by a defensive player, and interceptions returned for touchdown (12). He was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1993.
Alan Joseph Faneca is an American former professional football player who was a guard in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons. He played college football for Louisiana State University (LSU), and earned consensus All-America honors. He was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round of the 1998 NFL draft, and played professionally for the Steelers, New York Jets and Arizona Cardinals of the NFL. A six-time first-team All-Pro and nine-time Pro Bowl selection, Faneca won a Super Bowl ring with the Steelers in Super Bowl XL, defeating the Seattle Seahawks. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2021 and on May 10, 2021, he was introduced as the head football coach of Frank W. Cox High School in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Walter Andrew "Bubby" Brister III is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Philadelphia Eagles, New York Jets, Denver Broncos, and Minnesota Vikings. He played college football for the Tulane Green Wave and Northeast Louisiana Indians before being selected in the third round of the 1986 NFL Draft by the Steelers.
Gilbert Leroy "Buddy" Dial was an American professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at Rice University.
Earl Roy Gros was an American football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons. Born and raised in Louisiana, he played college football at Louisiana State University (LSU) in Baton Rouge.
Webster Melvin Slaughter is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) from 1986 to 1998. He played college football for the San Diego State Aztecs.
Yancey Dirk Thigpen is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for the San Diego Chargers (1991), the Pittsburgh Steelers (1992–1997), and the Tennessee Oilers/Titans (1998–2000). Before his NFL career, he played for Winston-Salem State University, where he also played collegiate basketball.
Darren Perry is an American former professional football player who was a safety in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Penn State Nittany Lions from 1988 to 1991. After graduating, he was selected in the eighth round of the 1992 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played in the NFL for eight seasons, seven with the Steelers, but also with the San Diego Chargers, Baltimore Ravens, and New Orleans Saints. Perry retired from playing in 2000.
Gordon Scott Appleton was an American football defensive tackle in the American Football League (AFL) for the Houston Oilers, San Diego Chargers and Oakland Raiders. He played college football at the University of Texas, which won the national championship in 1963. Appleton was a consensus 1963 All-American and won the Outland Trophy.
Joseph John "Bo" Orlando is a former American football safety. He played college football at West Virginia. He was drafted in the sixth round of the 1989 NFL Draft by the Houston Oilers.
Mitchell Kent Hoopes was an American football punter in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys, San Diego Chargers, Houston Oilers, Detroit Lions and Philadelphia Eagles. He also was a member of the Boston Breakers in the United States Football League (USFL). He played college football at the University of Arizona.
Earnest Jackson, Jr. is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He was named to the Pro Bowl twice.
Jacoby Rashi'd Jones is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver and return specialist in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Lane College, and was selected by the Houston Texans in the third round of the 2007 NFL draft. He played for the Texans from 2007 to 2011. Jones then played for the Baltimore Ravens from 2012 to 2014, and was selected for the Pro Bowl in 2012. He is known for two of the most memorable plays in the 2012 NFL playoffs as a member of the Ravens: catching a 70-yard game-tying touchdown pass in the final seconds of regulation in the AFC Divisional playoff game against the Denver Broncos, which helped lead the Ravens to an eventual 38–35 double overtime victory; and a 108-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in Super Bowl XLVII against the San Francisco 49ers, the longest play in Super Bowl history. He also played for the San Diego Chargers and Pittsburgh Steelers in 2015 and the Monterrey Steel of the National Arena League in 2017.
The 1979 Houston Oilers season was the franchise's 20th overall and the tenth in the National Football League. The franchise scored 362 points while the defense gave up 331 points. Their record of 11 wins and 5 losses resulted in a second-place finish in the AFC Central Division. The Oilers appeared once on Monday Night Football on December 10, 1979 where the sports promotion Luv ya Blue was launched and returned to the AFC Championship Game for the second consecutive year. Earl Campbell would lead the NFL in rushing for the second consecutive year and set a franchise record for most touchdowns in a season with 19. The Oilers would make the playoffs again as a wild card. In the wild card game, they beat the Denver Broncos 13–7, and then defeated the San Diego Chargers 17–14 in San Diego to reach their second straight AFC Championship game. The Oilers then played the Pittsburgh Steelers, who a year earlier had eliminated them 34–5 in the previous AFC Championship game. The Oilers lost the game 27–13. The game included a controversial moment in which wide receiver Mike Renfro had a touchdown called back after the referees of the game took a long time to decide the ruling on the field. The call went down as one of the most controversial calls in NFL history.
The 1984 Houston Oilers season was the 25th season overall and 15th with the league. The team improved upon their previous season's output of 2–14, winning three games, but failed to qualify for the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season. With hopes of improving the offense the Oilers won the bidding war to sign CFL star and future Hall of Fame quarterback Warren Moon. However, with Earl Campbell in full decline, the Oilers decided to trade him to the Saints after a 1–5 start. The move would leave a gaping hole at running back, but it was the defense that was a greater weak spot as the Oilers finished with a 3–13 record, allowing 457 points on the season.
David Lewis Smith was an American professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the eighth round of the 1970 NFL Draft. He played college football and basketball at Indiana (PA) and Waynesburg.
William James Parks was an American football wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for the San Diego Chargers, Dallas Cowboys, and Houston Oilers. He played college football at Long Beach State University.
James Earl Conner is an American football running back for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Pittsburgh Panthers. In 2014, he garnered AFCA first-team All-American honors and was awarded the ACC Player of the Year. He was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third round of the 2017 NFL draft.
Desmond King II is an American football cornerback for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He earned All-Pro honors in 2018 as both a defensive back and a punt returner. He played college football for the Iowa Hawkeyes, and was a unanimous All-American. King was selected by the Los Angeles Chargers in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL draft. He has also played for the Tennessee Titans and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Courtland Sutton is an American football wide receiver for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at SMU, and was selected by the Broncos in the second round of the 2018 NFL draft.
