There’s an old saying in sports: “If you can, do. If you can’t, teach.” And as it relates to the NFL, there are plenty of great NFL head coaches who either had forgettable careers or didn’t even play at all.
But while a good many of the 32 NFL head coaches never once played in an NFL game or even played at a high level in college, there are a few that were great players well before they were great coaches.
Of the 32 NFL head coaches in the league today, only a few won a Super Bowl as a player (and most of them did so as backups). A select few managed to not only reach the pinnacle of success with a ring, but also achieved Pro Bowl and even All-Pro status as a player.
So let’s take a look at the five best coaches based purely on their playing careers:
5. Todd Bowles, Safety (1986-1993)
In the late-80s and early-90s, the current head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers rose from the ranks of an undrafted safety from Temple to a ball-hawk with a knack for snagging turnovers and a key contributor on some very good Joe Gibbs teams in Washington. Chicago Bears fans might remember Bowles as the player who delivered the final tackle on Walter Payton in the Hall of Fame running back’s NFL career.
Bowles is currently the only active NFL head coach to have won Super Bowls as a player (XXII with Washington), an executive (XXXI with Green Bay) and as an assistant (LV with Tampa Bay).
4. Antonio Pierce, Linebacker (2001-2009)
Before he was getting fans to run through a brick wall for him at press conferences, Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce was running through opposing offenses as a starting middle linebacker for Washington and later the New York Giants.
In 2006, Pierce reached his first and only Pro Bowl of his career after a career-high 139 tackles. The next year, he helped the Giants win Super Bowl XLII while recording 11 tackles in the iconic game.
3. Jim Harbaugh, Quarterback (1987-2000)
One of the few Pro Bowl quarterbacks in NFL history to lead their team to a Super Bowl, Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh had a very mixed career, split among four NFL teams – the Chicago Bears, the Indianapolis Colts, the San Diego Chargers and the Baltimore Ravens.
While his career may have started and ended rather disappointingly, he led his teams to four playoff seasons and had two seasons where he led the league in lowest interception rate. In 1995, he was named to his first and only Pro Bowl, finishing fourth in the MVP voting that year and leading the Colts to the AFC Championship Game.
Harbaugh was inducted into the Colts Ring of Honor in 2005.
2. Jerod Mayo, Linebacker (2008-2015)
A dominant linebacker for the New England Patriots, their new head coach Jerod Mayo knows a thing or two about being great right out the gate. As a rookie in 2008, Mayo had 128 tackles in his first of four seasons with over 100 of them en route to Rookie of the Year honors.
Mayo would earn Pro Bowl and First-Team All-Pro honors in 2010 after leading the league with a whopping 174 tackles, and would make a second Pro Bowl in 2012.
Sadly, injuries would limit Mayo to just 28 games over his final three seasons and while he got his Super Bowl ring in Super Bowl XLIX, he was on injured reserve and did not play in the game.
1. DeMeco Ryans, Linebacker (2006-2015)
At the same time that Jerod Mayo was causing havoc for opposing offenses, Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans was establishing himself as the centerpiece of the Texans’ defense in the 2000s and 2010s.
Like Mayo, Ryans was also a Rookie of the Year, a one-time First-Team All-Pro selection and a two-time Pro Bowler.
But while Ryans didn’t get to enjoy nearly as much postseason success as any of the other players on this list, he was more dominant at his position over a longer period of time than the others.
In his 10 NFL seasons split between the Texans and Philadelphia Eagles, Ryans started 139 of 140 games, had six seasons with over 100 tackles, 13.5 total sacks, seven forced fumbles, 46 passes defended, 72 tackles for loss and 34 QB hits.
Honorable Mentions:
- Dan Campbell, Tight End (1999-2008) – 91 career receptions for 934 yards and 11 touchdowns, played for Giants in Super Bowl XXXV loss
- Doug Pederson, Quarterback (1992-2004) – 3-14 as starter, helped Don Shula win NFL-record 325th game in 1993, on roster for Packers in Super Bowl XXXI win and Super Bowl XXXII loss
**
Who do you think was the best NFL player among the current NFL head coaches?