The state of Missouri has had a solid football history, including multiple NFL franchises such as the Chiefs, St. Louis Rams, and St. Louis Cardinals. Let’s look at the best players to play in Missouri, including in the NFL, college, and those born in the state.
Best NFL Players Who Went to the University of Missouri
The Missouri Tigers have sent some solid players to the NFL over the years, including a couple of Hall of Famers. Take a look at the best NFL players of all time who went to Missouri.
Andy Russell – LB
Years at Missouri: 1960-62
NFL Career: 1963, 1966-76
Andy Russell played 168 games in a career that saw him make 7 Pro Bowls and win 2 Super Bowls (1974, 1975) with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Russell was a Second-Team All-Pro selection in 1972. He made six straight Pro Bowls from 1970-75 and finished his career with 38.0 sacks along with 18 interceptions.
Kellen Winslow – TE
Years at Missouri: 1975-78
NFL Career: 1979-87
Kellen Winslow enjoyed an insane amount of success with the San Diego Chargers in the 80s as he made 5 Pro Bowls and was named First-Team All-Pro three straight years (1980-82). Winslow led the NFL with 89 receptions in 1980 and 88 in 198 as he had over 1,000 yards receiving in both of those seasons. Winslow caught 541 passes in his career for 6,741 yards and 45 touchdowns on his way to the Hall of Fame.
Winslow accomplished all of this despite missing significant parts of the 1979, 1982, 1984, and 1985 seasons.
Roger Wehrli – DB
Years at Missouri: 1965-68
NFL Career: 1969-82
Roger Wehrli had a Hall of Fame career that lasted 14 seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals. He played in 193 games and had 40 interceptions while making the Pro Bowl 7 times. More importantly, Wehrli was First-Team All-Pro for three straight years (1975-77) and was a Second-Team selection in 1974. Wehrli had at least 5 interceptions in three seasons and returned 2 interceptions for touchdowns in his fantastic career.
Best NFL Players Who Played for a Missouri Team
The state of Missouri has seen three NFL franchises over the years, with just one remaining in the Kansas City Chiefs. The Rams played in St. Louis from 1995-2016, and the Cardinals played in town from 1960-88. There have been tons of great players for each franchise when it was inside the borders of Missouri. Let’s take a look at some of the best.
Larry Wilson – DB (STL Cardinals)
Years with Cardinals: 1960-72
Larry Wilson put together a fantastic Hall of Fame career in St. Louis as the defensive back had 52 interceptions, including 10 to lead the league in 1966. Wilson was on the All-Pro First Team five years in a row from 1966-70 and was an 8-time Pro Bowler during a run that saw him earn a spot on the 1960s and 1970s Hall of Fame teams.
Wilson was second in MVP voting in 1966 in a season where he had 10 interceptions and returned 2 for touchdowns in 14 games.
Isaac Bruce – WR (STL Rams)
Years with Rams: 1995-2007
Isaac Bruce was insanely consistent in an NFL career that spanned 16 years. He spent 14 of those years with the Rams (13 in St. Louis) and had at least 1,000 yards in eight of those seasons. Bruce finished his time in St. Louis with 13,837 yards and 81 touchdowns. He made 4 Pro Bowls and was Second-Team All-Pro in 1999 as he helped the Rams win the Super Bowl. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2020.
Kurt Warner – QB (STL Rams)
Years with Rams: 1998-2003
Kurt Warner is one of the greatest underdog stories of all time. Somehow, he went from the grocery store to the Hall of Fame. Warner wowed fans in St. Louis with his incredible accuracy. With the Rams, Warner won two MVPs (1999, 2001) and played in two Super Bowls while winning one to conclude the 1999 season. Warner was a two-time First-Team All-Pro selection with St. Louis. He threw 102 touchdown passes in six seasons with the Rams despite playing 1 game in 1998, 7 games in 2002, and 2 games in 2003.
Marshall Faulk – RB (STL Rams)
Years with Rams: 1999-2005
As part of the greatest show on turf, Marshall Faulk was an elite running back who could do it all. With the Rams, he was First-Team All-Pro three years in a row from 1999-2001, and he was also the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year in each of those seasons. Faulk won an MVP in 2000 when he rushed for 1,359 yards with 18 touchdowns, and he had 830 receiving yards and 8 touchdowns. At the time, it was an NFL record of 26 touchdowns in one season.
In seven seasons in St. Louis, Faulk had 11,030 yards from scrimmage and 98 total touchdowns while averaging 4.8 yards per carry. Faulk was a massive part of helping the Rams win the Super Bowl to conclude the 1999 season.
Orlando Pace – OT (STL Rams)
Years with Rams: 1997-2008
Marshall Faulk was able to enjoy plenty of success thanks to guys up front like Orlando Pace. One of the best tackles in the league for a decade, Pace was a First-Team All-Pro three times and made 7 Pro Bowls in a Hall of Fame career. Selected to the Hall of Fame 2010s team, Pace is one of the greatest tackles in recent memory as he started 165 games over a 13-year career.
Derrick Thomas -LB (KC)
Years with Chiefs: 1989-99
Derrick Thomas was a monster off the edge for 11 seasons in Kansas City as he racked up 126.5 career sacks. Thomas was a First-Team All-Pro selection twice and made the All-Pro Second Team three times. He made 9 Pro Bowls and was the Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1989. Thomas had 20.0 sacks to lead the league in 1990 and posted double-digit sack totals in seven seasons with KC. He ended up forcing 41 fumbles in his career, including leading the league with 8 in 1992 and 6 in 1990.
Travis Kelce – TE (KC)
Years with Chiefs: 2013-Present
Travis Kelce is one of the greatest tight ends of all time and has the accolades to back it up. Kelce has won three Super Bowls and saw a stretch from 2016-22 when he was named First-Team All-Pro four times and also earned four Second-Team selections during that span. He has racked up 12,151 receiving yards and 77 touchdowns while making the Pro Bowl for the last 10 years. Kelce had at least 1,000 from 2016-22, and he averaged 96 receptions for 1,230 yards and 8 touchdowns during that span.
Tony Gonzalez – TE (KC)
Years with Chiefs: 1997-2008
Tony Gonzalez filled up the stat sheet in an NFL career that landed him in the Hall of Fame. Gonzalez was named First-Team All-Pro 5 times in Kansas City as he had 10,940 receiving yards and 76 touchdowns with the Chiefs. He earned 10 Pro Bowl nods with KC and led the league with 102 receptions in 2004. Gonzalez was also on the All-Pro Second-Team 4 times during his run with the Chiefs.
Patrick Mahomes – QB (KC)
Years with Chiefs: 2017-Present
Patrick Mahomes is already considered one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time as the Chiefs’ superstar has led the franchise to three Super Bowl titles and five appearances. Mahomes is a two-time regular-season MVP, a three-time Super Bowl MVP, and has been an All-Pro two times. And by the way, he turns 30 on September 17. There is still a lot of football left in what has already been a Hall of Fame career.
Who is the Best NFL Player Born in Missouri?
We did a complete breakdown of the best NFL players of all time who were born and raised in Missouri. A tough defensive end was on top of the list.
Justin Smith – DE
Born: Jefferson City, MO
High School: Jefferson City
NFL Career: 2001-14
Justin Smith played 200+ games in an NFL career that saw him get better with time. From 2009-13, he made 5 Pro Bowls and earned a spot as a First-Team All-Pro in 2011. He followed that selection up with a Second Team All-Pro nod in 2012. Smith had 87.0 sacks in his career and 16 forced fumbles as he spent his career with the Cincinnati Bengals and San Francisco 49ers.
Smith also went to the University of Missouri and is one of the best players from the university to ever play in the NFL.
