The 5 best NFL players of all time from Texas

The Lone Star State has produced the most players to compete in the National Football League.

According to PlayfootballNFL, the league has 187 Texas players who play football professionally. And with the 2024 season just around the corner, your favorite team probably has a few Texans on the roster.

Some of the greatest pros of all time come from here. Here are five of the best NFL players from Texas.

1. Earl Campbell (RB, 1978-1985)

Campbell is from Tyler, Texas and played six seasons with the Houston Oilers before ending his career with the New Orleans Saints.

Campbell finished his career with 74 touchdowns and 9,407 yards.

Highlights of his career include:

Most Valuable Player of the NFL (1979)
3× NFL Offensive Player of the Year (1978–1980)
NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year (1978)
3 × All-Pro of the first team (1978–1980)
5× Pro Bowl (1978–1981, 1983)
3× NFL rushing yards leader (1978–1980)
2× NFL rushing touchdowns leader (1979, 1980)
NFL 1970s All-Decade Team
Pro Football Hall of Fame (1991)

LaDainian Tomlinson (RB, 2001-2011)

LT is from Rosebud, Texas and played three years at TCU before being drafted by the San Diego Chargers.

He spent nine years with the Chargers and delivered some of his best performances there, finishing his career with 145 touchdowns, second only to Emmitt Smith's all-time record.

Here is a look at the highlights of his career:

Most Valuable Player of the NFL (2006)
NFL Offensive Player of the Year (2006)
Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year (2006)
3× All-Pro first team (2004, 2006, 2007)
3× All-Pro second team (2002, 2003, 2005)
5× Pro Bowl (2002, 2004–2007)

Adrian Peterson (RB, 2007-2021)

Born in Palestine, Texas, Peterson played 15 seasons in the NFL and is considered one of the best players in the league.

Not only does Peterson have one of the greatest careers a player can ever have, but he also has a great comeback story.

At the end of 2011, Peterson suffered a serious injury during a game, tearing both his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and medial collateral ligament (MCL). Despite this setback, he made a remarkable comeback at the start of the 2012 season. Peterson finished the season with an impressive 2,097 rushing yards, just nine yards short of breaking Eric Dickerson's season record. In recognition of his exceptional performance, Peterson was honored with the NFL MVP Award, among other honors. In addition, he became the third-fastest player in NFL history to reach 10,000 rushing yards in 2013, cementing his place among the league's best running backs.

The highlights of his career are as follows:

Most Valuable Player of the NFL (2012)
NFL Offensive Player of the Year (2012)
NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year (2007)
4× All-Pro first team (2008, 2009, 2012, 2015)
3× Second All-Pro Team (2007, 2010, 2013)
7x Pro Bowl (2007-2010, 2012, 2013, 2015)
3× NFL rushing yards leader (2008, 2012, 2015)
Most rushing yards in a game with 296

By Miller (LB, 2011-present)

Miller grew up in DeSoto, a suburb of Dallas. He played college football at Texas A&M before being drafted by the Denver Broncos.

He won a Superbowl with the Broncos in 2016 and one with the Los Angeles Rams in 2022.

A nightmare for quarterbacks and offensive linemen, Miller has a number of highlights that will put your team's quarterback on defense.

Here is a look at the highlights of his career:

2× Super Bowl winner
Best player of the Super Bowl (50)
3× All-Pro first team (2012, 2015, 2016)
4× All-Pro Second Team (2011, 2014, 2017, 2018)
8× Pro Bowl (2011, 2012, 2014-2019)
NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year (2011)