Many players have spent time in other leagues before going on to success in the NFL.
CFL Brandon Browner
Brandon Browner signed with the Denver Broncos in 2005 as a free agent but broke his forearm in the preseason and missed the rest of the year. In 2006, he signed with the Calgary Stampeders. In 2008, he helped Calgary win the Grey Cup. In his five seasons with the Stampeders, he was a three-time CFL All-Star and recorded eight interceptions. In 2011, Browner signed with the Seattle Seahawks and was immediately named the starter. He also played with New Orleans and New England before returning to Seattle.
Mervyn Fernandez
Mervyn Fernandez was a two-time CFL All-Star (1984–85) and is a member of the BC Lions Wall of Fame. He spent his NFL career (1987-1992) with one team: the Los Angeles Raiders. Fernandez played in 86 games and made 209 catches for 3,764 yards and 19 touchdowns.
Doug Flutie
The former Boston College star had a great CFL career. Doug Flutie was selected as the 285th pick in the 11th round of the 1985 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams, making him the lowest drafted Heisman winner among those who were drafted. He played in the USFL and NFL before the CFL. Flutie signed with the BC Lions in 1990, and in 1991, threw for a record 6,619 yards. He played briefly with his brother Darren, a wide receiver, before being traded to the Calgary Stampeders, whom he led to victory in the 1992 Grey Cup. In 1994, he threw a record 48 touchdown passes. Flutie played for the Stampeders until 1996, when he signed with the Toronto Argonauts, leading them to back-to-back Grey Cup victories in 1996 and 1997. Flutie was named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player a record six times, and was named the MVP in all three of his Grey Cup victories. He then went on to play in the NFL, again for the Patriots, Bills and Chargers.
Jeff Garcia
A four-time CFL All-Star and four-time NFL Pro Bowl selection, Garcia began his professional football career with the Calgary Stampeders of the CFL as an undrafted free agent in 1994. In 1999, Garcia debuted in the NFL with the San Francisco 49ers.
Joe Horn
Jor Horn was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the fifth round of the 1996 NFL Draft, and also played for the New Orleans Saints, the Atlanta Falcons, and the Memphis Mad Dogs of the Canadian Football League and the Iowa Central Tritons. With Memphis in the CFL in ’95, Horn had 71 catches for 1,415 yards. Horn signed with the New Orleans Saints in 2000 and ranked in the top 10 in receptions (seventh), yards (eighth) and touchdowns (ninth) that year.
Rocket Ismail
Rocket Ismail is another Notre Damer who went from college to the CFL to the NFL. Ismail recorded two 1,000-yard receiving seasons in the NFL and was a CFL All-Star in 1991, as well as the Most Valuable Player of the 79th Grey Cup.
Joe Kapp
An 18th-round pick in 1959 by the Washington Redskins out of Cal, Kapp was forced to sign with the Calgary Stampeders after Washington didn’t contact him after the draft. The following year, he led Calgary to their first playoff appearance in years. In 1961, the BC Lions traded for Kapp and he helped lead them to a Grey Cup appearance in 1963. In 1964, he led the Lions to their first Grey Cup victory. Before the start of the 1967 season, Kapp returned to the U.S. to play in the NFL. He signed with the Minnesota Vikings in a multi-player “trade” between the CFL and NFL teams, one of the few transactions to occur between the leagues.
Warren Moon
Warren Moon played college ball at Washington. Moon began his professional career with the Edmonton Eskimos in 1978, after going unselected in the NFL Draft. His success during his six seasons in the CFL led him to the NFL in 1984 with the Houston Oilers. Over his 17 NFL seasons, Moon was named to nine Pro Bowls and made seven playoff appearances. Following 10 seasons with the Oilers, he had brief multiple-year stints with the Vikings, Seahawks, and Chiefs before retiring at age 44.
Joe Theismann
Joe Theismann was selected in the fourth round of the 1971 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins out of Notre Dame After negotiations with the Dolphins failed, Theismann elected to sign with the Toronto Argonauts. In his rookie year, Theismann quarterbacked the Argonauts to a 10–4 record, led the league’s Eastern Conference in passing statistics and won a berth in the 59th Grey Cup versus the Calgary Stampeders. A fumble late in the fourth quarter by running back Leon McQuay close to the goal line cost the Argonauts what would have been their first Grey Cup victory since 1952. In 1971, Theismann completed 148 of 278 passes for 2,440 yards and 17 touchdowns. His 1972 season was shortened by injury, but he hit 77 of 127 passes for 1,157 yards and 10 touchdowns. During his last CFL season, 1973, 157 of his 274 passes were complete, for 2,496 yards and 13 touchdowns. He was an all-star in both 1971 and ’73. Theismann spent 12 seasons with Washington, where he was a two-time Pro Bowler and helped the team to consecutive Super Bowl appearances, winning Super Bowl XVII over the Miami Dolphins and losing Super Bowl XVIII.
Mike Vanderjagt
Mike Vanderjagt started, and ended, his career in the CFL. Named an NFL All-Pro in 2003 with the Colts, he won the Grey Cup in back-to-back seasons in ’96 and ’97 and was a combined 9-for-9 in those championship games. He is also the most accurate field goal kicker in the history of the CFL. He also spent time in Arena Football.
Ricky Williams
Ricky Williams played in the CFL while under suspension from the NFL. In his first season with the Dolphins, Williams led the league in rushing and was named All-Pro and Pro Bowl MVP. After failing a third drug test, he retired but returned in 2005. After failing a fourth drug test, he was suspended for the entire 2006 season. In 2006, the Toronto Argonauts signed Williams under the agreement with Miami that he would return to the Dolphins in 2007. Williams played well for the most part with 526 yards and two touchdowns but missed seven games with a broken arm
USFL Gary Anderson
Gary Anderson was drafted in the first round of the 1983 NFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers, but signed to play for the Tampa Bay Bandits of the USFL in 1983 after a college football career at the University of Arkansas. . In 1985, Anderson signed with the Chargers and was used primarily as a backup running back and kick returner. In 1986, he caught 80 passes for 871 yards and eight touchdowns and was named to the Pro Bowl. He continued to be a reserve and special teams player for the Chargers until 1988, when he became the starting running back and rushed for 1,119 yards on 225 carries.
Kelvin Bryant
Bryant was drafted in the first round by the Philadelphia Stars of the USFL in 1983. He rushed for 1,440 yards on 317 carries with 16 touchdowns in his rookie season and was named league MVP and USFL All-Star. He played in the Championship Game that year but the Stars lost to the Michigan Panthers, 24-22. In 1984, Bryant rushed for 1,406 yards on 301 carries and ran for 13 touchdowns and was again named to the USFL All-Star team. That season, the Stars won the Championship Game. In 1985, Bryant rushed for 1,207 yards on 238 carries with 12 touchdowns. The Stars had become the Baltimore Stars that season and they again won the Championship Game. Bryant was then signed by the Washington Redskins. He was part of the Redskins’ Super Bowl XXII winning team.
Anthony Carter
The USFL employed a territorial draft, aimed at sending players to teams whose fans were already familiar with them. Because of this, the Michigan Panthers were allowed to select Anthony Carter prior to the league’s traditional draft. Carter’s first season with the Panthers was 1983 and one of his most successful as a professional. Although the team started 1-4, they finished the regular season 12-6 and went on to defeat the Philadelphia Stars to win the first USFL championship. With his team behind late in the fourth quarter, he scored the game-winning touchdown on a 48-yard pass from Bobby Hebert. After the 1985 USFL season, Carter signed with the NFL’s Miami Dolphins, who drafted Carter in 1983 in order to secure his NFL rights. However, he was traded to the Minnesota Vikings before playing a game with the team. He led the Vikings in receptions five of his first six seasons with the team, and was selected to the Pro Bowl in 1987, 1988, and 1989.
Gary Clark
Gary Clark was selected by the Jacksonville Bulls sixth overall in the 1984 USFL Draft. He played for the Bulls in 1984 and 1985. He also was a wide receiver for the Washington Redskins (1985–92), Phoenix Cardinals (1993–94), and Miami Dolphins (1995).
Marcus Dupree
Marcus Dupree was one of the most highly recruited players in college football history. He went to Oklahoma, Southern Miss and then to the USFL. He signed with the New Orleans Breakers in 1984. He played for the Breakers for two seasons before a knee injury forced him to leave the game. He returned to professional football in 1990, playing in 15 games over two seasons for the Los Angeles Rams before being waived prior to the 1992 season.
Irv Eatman
Irv Eatman played for 3 seasons in the USFL and 11 seasons with the NFL after going to college at UCLA.
Vince Evans
Vince Evans Evans played professionally for the Bears as well as USFL’s Chicago Blitz, Denver Gold, and the Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders in a career that spanned 1977-95.
Kent Hull
Kent Hull was the center for the New Jersey Generals and Buffalo Bills of the NFL. Hull was the starting center for the Generals from 1983-85, where he blocked for Herschel Walker all three years.
Craig James
Craig James was part of the “Pony Express” at SMU with Eric Dickerson. James signed with the Washington Federals to a series of four guaranteed 1-year deals. Despite already being signed to the Federals, the New England Patriots, who were coached by James’ former SMU coach Ron Meyer, selected the rights to James in the seventh round of the 1983 NFL Draft. His first pro season in Washington saw James start all 14 games and rushed for 823 yards and 4 touchdowns for the Federals. The following year, 1984, James suffered a knee injury against the Philadelphia Stars. He was placed on injured reserve. He was released by the cash-strapped Federals a month later, allowing him to join the Patriots for their training camp in August that year.
Jim Kelly
Jim Kelly wanted no part of cold weather. So, he signed with the Houston Gamblers after the Buffalo Bills drafted him in the first round. In two seasons, he threw for more than 9,800 yards. Kelly finally joined the Bills in 1986 after the USFL folded. He helped lead the Bills to four consecutive Super Bowl appearances and six divisional championships from 1988-95. Buffalo made the playoffs in eight of Kelly’s 11 seasons as their starting quarterback.
Pete Kugler
Pete Kugler played 10 seasons professionally; eight for the San Francisco 49ers, and two seasons for the Philadelphia/Baltimore Stars of the USFL in between his time with the 49ers. After playing from 1977-80 at Penn State., Kugler joined the 49ers in 1981. He was part of three San Francisco 49er Super Bowl-winning teams. In 81 career games, Kugler made 12.5 sacks. Kugler played with the Philadelphia Stars in 1984 and moved with the team to Baltimore in 1985. He recorded five sacks in his two USFL seasons. He rejoined the 49ers after the USFL folded following the 1985 season.
Sean Landeta
Sean Landeta had a long professional career. The punter Landeta played 22 seasons in the NFL for five different teams between 1985-2006. Landeta played almost half of his career for the New York Giants, where he won championship rings in Super Bowl XXI and Super Bowl XXV. Landeta was the last active NFL player who played in the USFL in the 1980s, punting for the Philadelphia/Baltimore Stars in all three of the USFL’s seasons.
Sam Mills
Sam Mills played 12 seasons for the New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers. He also played for three seasons with the USFL’s Philadelphia/Baltimore Stars and won two championships.
Nate Newton
After his release by Washington of the NFL, he signed with the Tampa Bay Bandits, who drafted him in 1983 as part of a territorial draft. He played there for two years (1984-85) as an offensive tackle. Newton went on to play for the Dallas Cowboys and Carolina Panthers. from 1986–1999. He was a three-time Super Bowl champ with Dallas.
Scott Norwood
Scott Norwood played for seven seasons with the Buffalo Bills. He also played for the Birmingham Stallions in the USFL.
Bart Oates
Bart Oates played for the New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers. He played center for the Giants from 1985-93 and with the 49ers from ’94-95. He was a member of the Giants teams that won Super Bowls XXI and XXV and the 49ers team that won Super Bowl XXIX. Oates played three seasons with the Philadelphia/Baltimore Stars in the USFL, where he won two championships
Larry Pfohl aka Lex Luger
Larry Pfohl (pictured in black shirt) played for the Montreal Alouettes. He played in the 67th Grey Cup against the Edmonton Eskimos. He then signed with the Green Bay Packers but never played in a game and thus is not listed on their all-time roster, though he did spend the entire 1982 season on the team’s injured reserve list with a groin problem incurred during training camp. He returned to the Packers training camp in 1983, but he was released before the regular season began. Luger wore No. 66 for the Packers, the last player to do so before it was retired for Ray Nitschke. In 1984, Luger finished his football career playing in the USFL for the Tampa Bay Bandits, Memphis Showboats and Jacksonville Bulls.
Luis Sharpe
Luis Sharpe played 13 seasons for the St. Louis/Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals from 1982-94. He also played for the Memphis Showboats of the USFL in 1985.
Herschel Walker
Herschel Walker left Georgia early to sign with the New Jersey Generals. Walker joined the Dallas Cowboys and also played for the Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles, and New York Giants.
Reggie White
Reggie White played two professional seasons for the Memphis Showboats. He was selected in the first round of the 1984 Supplemental Draft, and then played for the Philadelphia Eagles, Green Bay Packers, and Carolina Panthers, becoming one of the most awarded players in NFL history.
Steve Young
Steve Young played 15 seasons in the NFL, 13 with the San Francisco 49ers. He also played for the NFL Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Los Angeles Express of the United States Football League (USFL
Gary Zimmerman
Gary Zimmerman signed with the Los Angeles Express in 1984 and went on to play in 17 games that season, starting all 17 at left tackle. In 1985, Zimmerman suited up again with the Express, playing in 18 games (starting 17) with a 3-15 club. After the USFL folded in August 1986, Zimmerman joined the Minnesota Vikings. He finished his career as a Denver Bronco. Zimmerman joined Reggie White, Steve Young, Jim Kelly, Marv Levy, George Allen, Bill Polian, and Sid Gillman as former USFL/AFL league members who are enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame
WFL: Csonka, Kiick, Warfield
Larry Csonka starred for the Miami Dolphins from 1968-74, winning two Super Bowls. He jumped to the Memphis Southmen in 1975 but rushed for fewer than 500 yards before the league closed its doors. Csonka returned to the NFL to play with the New York Giants. Another Hall of Famer who bolted for Memphis along with Csonka and Jim Kiick in 1975, Paul Warfield enjoyed minimal success in the WFL, catching only 25 passes before the league shut its doors. Warfield then returned to the NFL to finish out his NFL career where it started — Cleveland.
Danny White
Danny White punted and backed up John Huarte as quarterback of the Memphis Southmen in 1974, then took over the starting job in 1975, throwing for 1,445 yards and 10 touchdowns. He moved on to the NFL and with the Cowboys in 1976 where he became the heir apparent at quarterback to Roger Staubach. He took over the job in 1980 and led the Cowboys to three consecutive NFC title games.
XFL: Rod Smart
Rod Smart became known to one and all as “He Hate Me” in the XFL. The running back went on to play for the Philadelphia Eagles, Carolina Panthers and Oakland Raiders.
Arena: Kurt Warner
With no NFL teams willing to give him a chance, Warner turned to the Arena Football League (AFL)and signed with the Iowa Barnstormers. He went on to play for the St. Louis Rams, the New York Giants, and the Arizona Cardinals. Warner was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017, and is the only person inducted into both the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the Arena Football Hall of Fame.
David Patten
David Patten was signed by the Albany Firebirds as a street free agent in 1996. Patten was also a member of the Washington Redskins, New Orleans Saints, Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots. He earned three Super Bowl rings with the Patriots.
Jay Feely
Feely was a member of the AFL Florida Bobcats, Tampa Bay Storm, NFL Atlanta Falcons, New York Giants, Miami Dolphins, Kansas City Chiefs, New York Jets, Arizona Cardinals, and Chicago Bears.
Tommy Maddox
Tommy Maddox played for many leagues. He was with the AFL’s New Jersey Red Dogs for one season before going on to quarterback the Los Angeles Xtreme to the XFL championship win and eventually return to the NFL for five seasons, retiring with a Super Bowl ring after the Pittsburgh Steelers won Super Bowl XL.
Rob Bironas
Rob Bironas’ active professional career began in Arena football. He was a member of the Charleston Swamp Foxes, Carolina Cobras, and the New York Dragons before achieving success with the Tennessee Titans.
