NOTE: A previous version of this article included Trent Green instead of Roger Craig.
Iowa may not be a hotbed for the nation’s top football talent, but the state has still produced several players with memorable NFL careers.
From Super Bowl champions to a Pro Football Hall of Famer, and potentially more, Iowa is the birthplace of notable gridiron stars. There are even a few Iowans currently in the NFL — Joe Burrow, Brandon Scherff and Tristan Wirfs — who are on track to crack this list in the coming years.
But entering the 2024 season, here’s a list of the top-5 NFL players of all time who were born in the state of Iowa:
NOTE: This list is based purely on the players’ performance in the NFL and does not take into account collegiate production.
Kurt Warner (QB, 1998-2009)
Warner’s story is well known for its improbability, so much so that it was even made into a biographical sports film, “American Underdog,” in 2021.
But before Warner became famous for his journey from bagging groceries at a Hy-Vee to winning Super Bowl MVP, he was born in Burlington in 1971 and played football at Regis High School in Cedar Rapids.
Warner then played at the University of Northern Iowa, mostly sitting on the bench before being named Gateway Conference’s Offensive Player of the Year as a senior in 1993. He went unselected in the 1994 NFL Draft but practiced briefly with the Green Bay Packers before being released ahead of the season.
After biding time bagging groceries in Cedar Falls and working as a graduate assistant with UNI football, Warner hit the playing field in Iowa once again with the Barnstormers in the Arena Football League (AFL) from 1995-97. His two-time first-team All-Arena performance, coupled with a league-leading passing season in 1998 while playing for NFL Europe’s Amsterdam Admirals, landed Warner a third-string spot on the St. Louis Rams in 1998.
A preseason torn ACL to starter and fellow Iowan Trent Green before the 1999 season gave Warner a starting opportunity, and he took full advantage by winning regular-season MVP and leading the Rams to Super Bowl XXXIV, which they won behind his MVP performance.
Warner won regular-season MVP again in 2001 but lost that year’s Super Bowl to the New England Patriots, led by a young Tom Brady.
Injuries and poor play derailed Warner’s pro career thereafter. He played one season for the New York Giants in 2004 before signing with the Arizona Cardinals in 2005, the franchise with which he enjoyed a late-career resurgence that culminated with a Pro Bowl selection and Super Bowl appearance in 2008.
He retired after the 2009 season and has worked in NFL broadcasting and various media platforms since.
Warner is the only Iowan in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He finished his career with three Super Bowl appearances, one victory and MVP, two regular-season MVPs, and two first-team All-Pro and four Pro Bowl selections.
Marshal Yanda (G, 1997-2008)
Yanda was born in Cedar Rapids and attended Anamosa High School, where he lettered in football, basketball and track and field.
His two-time All-Conference football prowess earned him a roster spot on Northern Iowa Area Community College’s team before transferring to the Iowa Hawkeyes in 2006. With the Hawkeyes, Yanda was named a third-team All-American by The NFL Draft Report and received second-team All-Big Ten honors from the conference’s coaches.
Yanda was then selected in the third round, 86th overall by the Baltimore Ravens in the 2007 NFL Draft and played his entire 13-year career with the franchise. He was primarily positioned at right guard but played some tackle as well.
He started in 166 of his 177 career games, as well as an additional 14 playoff games. He was a member of the Ravens’ 2012 Super Bowl champion squad, which coincided with Yanda’s prime years. From 2011 to his final campaign in 2019, Yanda was named to the Pro Bowl in all but one season — a broken ankle in 2017 limited him to just two games.
Yanda also made seven All-Pro teams, including back-to-back first-team selections in 2014 and 2015.
With his many accolades and reliably elite play, Yanda was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame All-2010s team and will be on the Hall of Fame ballot starting in 2025.
Roger Craig (RB, 1983-93)
Born in Davenport in 1960, Craig played football, wrestled and ran track at Central High School in his hometown and graduated in 1979. His senior season was stellar, rushing for 1,565 yards and 27 touchdowns en route to All-American honors.
Craig then played at Nebraska, where he rushed for 2,446 yards and 26 touchdowns across four seasons, three as a starter, before being drafted in the second round, 49th overall by the San Francisco 49ers in the 1983 NFL Draft.
He quickly became an integral part of the most legendary period in the franchise’s history. Craig was an elite rusher and pass catcher out of the backfield, averaging over 1,500 yards from scrimmage per year over his first seven seasons. In 1985, he became the first running back to tally 1,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards in a single season.
Craig’s best campaign came in 1988, when he led the league in yards from scrimmage (2,036) with 10 total touchdowns, earning Offensive Player of the Year, first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors. He also finished third in MVP voting.
Craig earned all his accolades between 1985 and 1989: OPoY, two All-Pros and four Pro Bowls. The 49ers also enjoyed immense success in the ’80s, winning Super Bowls in 1984, 1988 and 1989. Craig scored eight total postseason TDs across those three championship runs.
Although Craig’s production declined rapidly after 1989, he was a solid producer for the Los Angeles Raiders in 1991 before serving as a backup in Minnesota over his final two seasons before retiring in 1993.
Craig was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s All-1980s team.
Jay Hilgenberg (C, 1981-93)
Jay Hilgenberg is Iowa through and through.
Born in Iowa City in 1959 as the son of former Iowa Hawkeye football player Jerry Hilgenberg, Jay Hilgenberg became a Hawkeye legacy on the roster in the late 1970s before joining the Chicago Bears in 1981.
With one of the greatest running backs of all time, Walter Payton, on the roster, the Bears signed Jay Hilgenberg to help bolster their offensive line. He didn’t become a starter until 1983, but Jay Hilgenberg developed into a key cog on an improving roster that eventually morphed into a powerhouse franchise during the mid-1980s.
He made his first Pro Bowl during Chicago’s legendary 1985 season, which culminated in a Super Bowl victory, and was selected for the honor in seven consecutive seasons through 1991. Jay Hilgenberg also earned four All-Pro nods, including consecutive first-team selections in 1988 and 1989.
His final two years were spent playing for the Cleveland Browns in 1992 and New Orleans Saints in 1993, during which he was teammates with his brother Joel.
Jay Hilgenberg has been on the Pro Football Hall of Fame ballot for several years and currently works as a game analyst for WBBM-AM Radio in Chicago and the Bears Radio Network.
Bryce Paup (LB, 1990-2000)
Paup may not have the longevity of some other Iowans on this list, but the Jefferson native’s peak is hard to ignore.
After an amateur career at Scranton High School and the University of Northern Iowa, Paup was selected in the sixth round, 159th overall in the 1990 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers.
He had a slow start with the franchise, recording just one total tackle as a rookie before gradually earning more playing time over the next four seasons.
By 1993, Paup was a full-time starter in Green Bay. He earned his first Pro Bowl selection in 1994, a season that featured a career-high three interceptions, including the lone defensive touchdown of his career.
But after signing with the Buffalo Bills in 1995, Paup’s career skyrocketed. He exploded with career highs in sacks (17.5), total tackles (89) and forced fumbles (three) that season, garnering NFL Defensive Player of the Year, first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors.
Paup followed up that campaign with two more Pro Bowl appearances, but by the time he signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 1998, his production dropped a bit. He played two seasons with that franchise before finishing his career as a role player for the Minnesota Vikings in 2000.
Paup entered the coaching profession following his playing career and is currently the assistant head coach at UNI.
Gus Martin is a Digital Producer/Content Director for The Des Moines Register. Follow him on X at @GusMartin_DMR.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: The 5 best NFL players of all time who were born in Iowa
Reporting by Gus Martin, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
