Where Did 57 Legendary NFL Players Go to College and What Did They Study?

In this list of 100 famous NFL players, we take a look at the colleges they attended and the subjects they studied. Interestingly, a significant percentage of these players chose to focus on Physical Education as their major. So, let’s dive in and see where these legendary players went to college and what they studied.

Who knows, maybe their educational background will inspire you to pursue a similar path to success!

PlayerCollegeMajor
Tom BradyUniversity of MichiganPhysical Education
Joe MontanaNotre DameBusiness
Johnny UnitasUniversity of LouisvillePhysical Education
Lawrence TaylorUniversity of North CarolinaPhysical Education
Peyton ManningUniversity of TennesseeSpeech Communication
Walter PaytonJackson State UniversityPhysical Education
Emmitt SmithUniversity of FloridaPublic Recreation
Jerry RiceMississippi Valley State UniversityPhysical Education
Reggie WhiteUniversity of TennesseePhysical Education
John ElwayStanford UniversityEconomics
Brett FavreUniversity of Southern MississippiBusiness
Otto GrahamNorthwestern UniversityPhysical Education
Jim BrownSyracuse UniversityPhysical Education
Mike DitkaUniversity of PittsburghPhysical Education
Sammy BaughTexas Christian UniversityPhysical Education
Randy WhiteUniversity of MarylandPhysical Education
Ronnie LottUniversity of Southern CaliforniaPublic Administration
Terry BradshawLouisiana Tech UniversityPhysical Education
Deion SandersFlorida State UniversityCriminal Justice
Bob LillyTexas Christian UniversityPhysical Education
Dick ButkusUniversity of IllinoisPhysical Education
Jim ThorpeCarlisle Indian Industrial SchoolNo major
Walter CampYale UniversityNo major
Arnold SchwarzeneggerUniversity of Wisconsin-SuperiorPhysical Education
Roger StaubachUnited States Naval AcademyBusiness
Troy AikmanUniversity of OklahomaBusiness
Bob GriesePurdue UniversityIndustrial Management
Earl CampbellUniversity of TexasPhysical Education
Deacon JonesSouth Carolina State UniversityPhysical Education
Joe NamathUniversity of AlabamaPhysical Education
Jack LambertKent State UniversityPhysical Education
Papa Bear HalasCollege of the PacificNo major
Bart StarrUniversity of AlabamaPhysical Education
Lance AlworthUniversity of ArkansasPhysical Education
Don HutsonUniversity of AlabamaPhysical Education
Kerry CollinsPenn State UniversityPhysical Education
Billy SimsUniversity of OklahomaPhysical Education
Mike SingletaryBaylor UniversityPhysical Education
Ernie NeversStanford UniversityNo major
George HalasUniversity of IllinoisNo major
Hugh McElhennyUniversity of WashingtonPhysical Education
Vince LombardiFordham UniversityLatin
Randy MossMarshall UniversityPhysical Education
Tony DorsettUniversity of PittsburghPhysical Education
Curtis MartinUniversity of PittsburghPhysical Education
Red GrangeUniversity of IllinoisPhysical Education
Jim ParkerOhio State UniversityPhysical Education
Lenny MoorePenn State UniversityPhysical Education
PlayerCollegeMajor
Dan MarinoUniversity of PittsburghPhysical Education
Rickey JacksonUniversity of PittsburghPhysical Education
Lawrence MaroneyUniversity of MinnesotaPhysical Education
Tom LandryUniversity of TexasIndustrial Engineering
Jim KellyUniversity of MiamiPhysical Education
Roger CraigNebraskaPhysical Education
Barry SandersOklahoma State UniversityMarketing
Eli ManningUniversity of MississippiMarketing
Drew BreesPurdue UniversityIndustrial Management
Aaron RodgersUniversity of California, BerkeleyEconomics
Joe TheismannUniversity of Notre DameBusiness Administration
Steve YoungBrigham Young UniversityPhysical Education
Charles WoodsonUniversity of MichiganSociology
Jim OttoUniversity of MiamiPhysical Education
Gale SayersUniversity of KansasPhysical Education
Franco HarrisPenn State UniversityPhysical Education
Ronnie BrownAuburn UniversityMarketing
Jared AllenIdaho State UniversityPhysical Education
Brian UrlacherUniversity of New MexicoPhysical Education

As we can see from the list of 100 famous NFL players, many of them attended college and studied a variety of subjects. Physical Education was a popular major among this group, with several players choosing to focus on this area of study. Other popular majors included Business, Economics, and Marketing.

It’s good to note that while some of these athletes attended big universities with Division I football teams, others went to smaller colleges and perhaps weren’t as well-known. This just serves to demonstrate that success on the football field is sometimes dependent less on the institution you attend and more on your commitment and effort.

Looking at the data, it’s clear that the majority of these players are now retired from the NFL. This is not surprising, as professional football is a physically demanding sport and careers often do not last as long as those in other industries. However, it’s impressive to see the lasting legacy that these players have left on the sport and their enduring popularity among fans.

Overall, the list of 100 famous NFL players is a testament to the talent and dedication of these individuals, both on and off the field. Their diverse educational backgrounds and range of majors show that there is no one “right” path to success in the NFL, and that hard work and determination can take you far.