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191 voters

The Best NFL Players From Illinois

Updated November 1, 2020 1.5k votes 191 voters 3.9k views42 items

List RulesVote up the top pro football players born or raised in Illinois

Here’s a list of the best NFL players from Illinois. The Prairie State is home to some bona fide tough guys who have put a quite a beating on their opponents every Sunday they played in the NFL. Some of the best football players of all time like Dick Butkus, Ray Nitschke, and Rodney Harrison came from Illinois.

Vote for who you think are the top NFL players from Illinois and add any of your favorites missing from the list!

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8
Dick Butkus
Chicago, Illinois
Position: Linebacker, Center
Age: 73
Teams: Chicago Bears
Richard Marvin Butkus (born December 9, 1942) is an American former football player, sports... more
2
77
14
Otto Graham
Waukegan, Illinois
Position: Quarterback
Age: Died at 82 (1921-2003)
Teams: Northwestern Wildcats football, Cleveland Browns
Otto Everett Graham Jr. (December 6, 1921 – December 17, 2003) was an American football... more
3
72
13
Charles Tillman
Chicago, Illinois
Position: Cornerback
Age: 34
Teams: Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns football, Chicago Bears
Charles Anthony Tillman (born February 23, 1981), nicknamed Peanut, is a former American... more
4
74
19
Donovan McNabb
Chicago, Illinois
Position: Quarterback
Age: 43
Teams: Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings
Donovan Jamal McNabb (born November 25, 1976) is an American former football quarterback who... more
5
76
21
Shannon Sharpe
Chicago, Illinois
Position: Tight end
Age: 47
Teams: Denver Broncos, Baltimore Ravens, Savannah State Tigers football
Shannon Sharpe (born June 26, 1968) is a former American football tight end who played for the... more
6
108
56
Jimmy Garoppolo
James Richard Garoppolo (born November 2, 1991) is an American football quarterback for the... more
7
58
14
George Halas
Chicago, Illinois
Position: End, Tight end
Age: Died at 88 (1895-1983)
George Stanley Halas Sr. (; February 2, 1895 – October 31, 1983), nicknamed "Papa Bear" and... more
8
41
16
Steve Atwater
Chicago, Illinois
Position: Safety, Defensive back
Age: 53
Teams: Denver Broncos, New York Jets, Arkansas Razorbacks football
Stephen Dennis Atwater (born October 28, 1966) is a former American football player who spent... more
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40
16
John Lynch
Hinsdale, Illinois
Age: 49
Teams: Stanford Cardinal football, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Denver Broncos
John Terrence Lynch Jr. (born September 25, 1971) is a former American football strong safety... more
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36
13
Rodney Harrison
Markham, Illinois
Position: Safety, Defensive back
Age: 47
Teams: New England Patriots, San Diego Chargers, Western Illinois Leathernecks football
Rodney Scott Harrison (born December 15, 1971) is an American former professional football... more
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36
14
Simeon Rice
Chicago, Illinois
Position: Defensive end
Age: 46
Teams: Indianapolis Colts, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Denver Broncos, Arizona Cardinals, Hartford Colonials
Simeon James Rice (; born February 24, 1974) is a former American football defensive end. He... more
12
37
20
Ray Nitschke
USA, Elmwood Park
Position: Linebacker
Age: Dec. at 62 (1936-1998)
Teams: Green Bay Packers
Raymond Ernest Nitschke (December 29, 1936 – March 8, 1998) was a professional American... more
13
31
20
Bryan Bulaga
Barrington, Illinois
Position: Tackle
Age: 31
Teams: Green Bay Packers
Bryan Joseph Bulaga ( boo-LAH-gə; born March 21, 1989) is an American football offensive... more

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21
11
Michael Turner
Waukegan, Illinois
Position: Running back, Return specialist
Age: 38
Teams: Northern Illinois Huskies football, Atlanta Falcons, San Diego Chargers
Michael Turner (born February 13, 1982) is a former American football running back who played... more
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19
8
Ken Anderson
Batavia, Illinois
Position: Quarterback
Age: 71
Teams: Cincinnati Bengals
Kenneth Allan Anderson (born February 15, 1949) is a former American football quarterback who... more
16
16
9
Jim Hart
Evanston, Illinois
Position: Quarterback
Age: 71
James Warren Hart (born April 29, 1944) is a former American football quarterback who played... more
17
17
12
Ken Norton, Jr.
Jacksonville, Illinois
Position: Linebacker
Age: 54
Kenneth Howard Norton Jr. (born September 29, 1966) is an American football coach and former... more
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9
2
Chris Hinton
Chicago, Illinois
Position: Tackle, Offensive Lineman, Guard
Age: 59
Christopher Jerrod Hinton (born July 31, 1961) is a former American football tackle and guard... more
19
9
2
Chris Zorich
Chicago, Illinois
Position: Defensive tackle, Tackle
Age: 51
Christopher Robert Zorich (born March 16, 1969) is a former American football defensive tackle... more
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2
5
Len Rohde
Palatine, Illinois
Position: Tackle
Age: 82
Leonard Emil Rohde (April 16, 1938 – May 13, 2017) was an American football offensive tackle... more
21
7
4
Paddy Driscoll
Evanston, Illinois
Position: Quarterback
Age: Dec. at 72 (1896-1968)
John Leo "Paddy" Driscoll (January 11, 1895 – June 29, 1968) was an American football and... more
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10
8
Bryant Young
Chicago Heights, Illinois
Position: Defensive tackle, Defensive end, Tackle
Age: 48
Bryant Colby Young (born January 27, 1972) is a former American football defensive tackle for... more
23
9
6
George Connor
Chicago, Illinois
Position: Tackle, Offensive Lineman, Linebacker
Age: Died at 78 (1925-2003)
George Leo Connor (January 21, 1925 – March 31, 2003) was an American football player for the... more

24
9
6
Ray Buchanan
Chicago, Illinois
Position: Cornerback, Safety, Defensive back
Age: 49
Teams: Indianapolis Colts, Oakland Raiders, Atlanta Falcons
Raymond Louis Buchanan (born September 29, 1971) is a former American football player in the... more
25
2
5
Renaldo Wynn
Chicago, Illinois
Position: Defensive end
Age: 46
Teams: Washington Redskins
Renaldo Levalle Wynn (born September 3, 1974) is a former American football defensive end. He... more

John Lynch

Simeon Rice

Bryant Young

Ray Buchanan