Best International Players in NFL History

There's no shortage of great foreign football players.

Best International Players in NFL History

Osi Umenyiora was born in London to Nigerian parents.

The NFL lags behind other pro sports leagues in international influence. While the percentage of foreign players in the NBA and MLB are 25 percent and 27 percent, respectively, and Americans are the minority in NHL as roughly 75 percent of the league comes from another country, the NFL is as domestic as they come. Less than 3 percent of the players are international players.

That doesn’t mean there haven’t been some great foreign players to step on the gridiron. Nine Pro Football Hall of Famers were born in another country, and American football has gained in popularity in foreign places. Canada and Germany have produced the most NFL players, combining to send nearly 200 players into the league. Smaller countries like Cyprus and the Virgin Islands have sent just one player each to the NFL, and those players made this list.

We’ve gone through every player from every foreign country to rank the best 30 international players. It may be a surprise that some of these players aren’t from the United States. For others, it’s just interesting to hear about their journeys to the States. Here are the best foreign players in NFL history.

30. Garo Yepremian, Kicker

Country: Cyprus

Career: 14 seasons (1966-67, 1970-81)

Teams: Detroit Lions, Miami Dolphins, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Stats: 313 FGM, 444 XPM, 1,074 PTS

Super Bowls: 2 (1972, 1973)

Bottom Line: Garo Yepremian

Garo Yepremian played pro soccer in London in his early days, which made him ineligible to play in the NCAA when he emigrated over to the United State. Thus, he decided to pursue an NFL career, and his 14-year career is the longest in league history for someone who did not play in college.

Yepremian played with four seasons but is best remembered for his nine years with the Dolphins, where he won two Super Bowls and was the leading scorer on the undefeated 1972 Dolphins.

But Yepremian is also known for his ignorance regarding the game of football as he never watched it while growing up abroad. In his first career game, the coach told him they lost the coin toss and Yepremian proceeded to run onto the field and search for the "lost" coin.

29. Linval Joseph, Defensive Tackle

Country: Virgin Islands

Career: 10 seasons (2010-present)

Teams: New York Giants, Minnesota Vikings

Stats: 587 TKL, 24 SACK, 8 FF, 1 TD

Super Bowls: 1 (2011)

Bottom Line: Linval Joseph

Born in St. Croix, Linval Joseph relocated 1,300 miles northwest to North Florida where he won a powerlifting championship in high school. He was just a three-star prospect who went to East Carolina but still managed to be a second-round NFL draft pick by the Giants.

Joseph became a starter in his second year, and that year culminated with a Super Bowl victory. He moved onto the Vikings where Joseph has made two Pro Bowls and proudly represented the Virgin Islands.

He's not just the only Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion to come from there. He's the only Virgin Islands-born player in NFL history.

28. Buckets Goldenberg, Running Back/Guard/Linebacker

Country: Ukraine

Career: 13 seasons (1933-45)

Teams: Green Bay Packers

Stats: 365 YDS, 6 TD, 3.4 AVG, 11 REC, 111 REC YDS, 1 REC TD

NFL championships: 3 (1936, 1939, 1944)

Bottom Line: Buckets Goldenberg

With a nickname like "Buckets," you would think that Charles Goldenberg played basketball instead of football. But his nickname was a play on "buttocks," which was apparently a family thing as his older brother had the same nickname.

Goldenberg moved from Ukraine to Wisconsin at 4 years old and went on to play for the local NFL team. He started off as a running back before shifting to the offensive line to allow more talented ballcarriers to handle the ball.

He also played linebacker and is credited with being the originator of the draw play. When the Packers played the Bears and Sid Luckman was at quarterback, Goldenberg would drop back in coverage as soon as he saw Luckman drop back in the pocket. That left a huge void in the defense and the Bears exploited it by devising the draw play, which is a run that fools defenses by first appearing to be a pass play.

27. Mark Rypien, Quarterback

Country: Canada

Career: 11 seasons (1986-97, 2001)

Teams: Washington Redskins, Cleveland Browns, St. Louis Rams, Philadelphia Eagles, Indianapolis Colts

Stats: 18,473 YDS, 115 TD, 88 INT, 56.1 CMP%, 78.9 RAT

Super Bowls: 2 (1987, 1991)

Bottom Line: Mark Rypien

Mark Rypien moved to Washington state as a kid before moving to Washington, D.C., as an adult with the Redskins. He was the team’s starter during parts of six seasons and won two Super Bowl rings – one as a starter and the other while on injured reserve.

In the last five seasons of his career, he was the definition of a journeyman and played for four different teams over that span, including two stints with the Rams. Rypien spent 1998 to 2000 out of the NFL before making a comeback at 39 years old in 2001.

That was his final season in the NFL. He spent a year as Peyton Manning’s backup in Indianapolis and threw nine passes all season.

26. Sean Jones, Defensive End

Country: Jamaica

Career: 13 seasons (1984-96)

Teams: Los Angeles Raiders, Houston Oilers, Green Bay Packers

Stats: 601 TKL, 113 SACK, 12 FF, 1 TD

Super Bowls: 1 (1996)

Bottom Line: Sean Jones

Sean Jones was the second Jamaican-born NFL player but attended high school and college in New Jersey and Boston, respectively. He was one of the best pass-rushers of his era but never got the respect that other elite sack artists received.

He posted the seventh-most sacks in the NFL during his career and the six players with more are all in the Hall of Fame. Jones nabbed just one Pro Bowl despite posting five double-digit sack seasons with three different teams.

But he ended his career on a high note as his final game was helping the Packers win Super Bowl XXXI.

25. Visanthe Shiancoe, Tight End

Country: England

Career: 11 seasons (2003-13)

Teams: New York Giants, Minnesota Vikings, New England Patriots, Tennessee Titans

Stats: 245 REC, 2,679 YDS, 27 TD, 10.9 AVG

Super Bowls: 0

Bottom Line: Visanthe Shiancoe

Born to a Liberian mother and a Ghanaian father in Birmingham, England, Visanthe Shiancoe emigrated to the Washington, D.C., metro as a baby.

His first few years in the NFL were nondescript as he was a backup to Pro Bowler Jeremy Shockey and was used mostly as a blocking tight end. After notching just 35 total catches in four years in New York, "Shank," as he was nicknamed, signed with the Vikings, where he averaged 42 catches over his five years in Minnesota.

Shiancoe’s 27 career touchdowns are tied with former running back Sammy Morris for the most among English-born NFL players.

24. Christian Okoye, Fullback

Country: Nigeria

Career: 6 seasons (1987-92)

Teams: Kansas City Chiefs

Stats: 4,897 YDS, 40 TD, 3.9 AVG, 42 REC, 294 REC YDS, 0 REC TD

Super Bowls: 0

Bottom Line: Christian Okoye

Nicknamed the "Nigerian Nightmare," Christian Okoye didn’t start playing football until he was 23 years old. By 26, he was in the NFL, and at 28, he led the league in rushing en route to his lone All-Pro selection.

Okoye was the rare fullback who was his team’s primary ballcarrier, and his bruising style was reminiscent of players like Earl Campbell and John Riggins. But because of that style, and getting a late start at the game, his career lasted just six seasons.

Okoye retired as the Chiefs' all-time leading rusher before being surpassed by Priest Holmes.

23. Patrick Chung, Safety

Country: Jamaica

Career: 11 seasons (2009-present)

Teams: New England Patriots, Philadelphia Eagles

Stats: 778 TKL, 11 INT, 4.5 SACK, 1 TD

Super Bowls: 3 (2014, 2016, 2018)

Bottom Line: Patrick Chung

The Chung family made the 2,800-mile move from Kingston, Jamaica, to Southern California when Patrick was 10 years old. He established himself as one of the best prep players on the West Coast before becoming a defensive stalwart for the Patriots.

Chung spent the first four seasons of his career in New England before spending a lone season in Philadelphia. Chung then rejoined the Patriots in 2014 just in time for their forthcoming dynasty as he won three Super Bowl rings over the next five seasons.

His 19 postseason starts are the fourth-most among active players trailing just Ben Roethlisberger and teammates Tom Brady and Devin McCourty.

22. Darren Bennett, Punter

Country: Australia

Career: 11 seasons (1995-2005)

Teams: San Diego Chargers, Minnesota Vikings

Stats: 836 PUNT, 36,316 YDS, 43.4 AVG

Super Bowls: 0

Bottom Line: Darren Bennett

The Aussie Darren Bennett spent the early part of his professional career applying his trade in Australian rules football. At 29, he moved to the United States and tried his hand, and foot, at American football.

Bennett made an immediate impact as a punter and was named All-Pro first-team as a rookie with the Chargers. He made his NFL debut in 1995 but was so impressive that he was named the starting punter on the 1990s All-Decade Team.

He also endeared himself to teammates and fans because, unlike most punters, Bennett would willingly tackle ballcarriers due to his experience doing that in Aussie football.

21. Vai Sikahema, Return Specialist

Country: Tonga

Career: 8 seasons (1986-93)

Teams: St. Louis/Phoenix Cardinals, Green Bay Packers, Philadelphia Eagles

Stats: 4,933 KR YDS, 3,169 PR YDS, 5 TD

Super Bowls: 0

Bottom Line: Vai Sikahema

The first Tongan-born player in NFL history, Vai Sikahema lived in various parts of Polynesia before settling in Arizona as a teen.

His nominal position in the NFL was running back, but he lasted eight years due to his return skills on both kickoffs and punts. He made the Pro Bowl as a return specialist in his first two seasons and led the league in combined kick and punt return yards three times.

Perhaps Sikahema’s most memorable play wasn’t what happened on the play itself, but rather what happened after the play. In 1992, Sikahema scored on an 87-yard punt return and proceeded to box the goalpost, which was an homage to his younger days when he had 80 fights as an amateur boxer.

20. Renaldo Turnbull, Defensive End/Linebacker

Country: Virgin Islands

Career: 8 seasons (1990-97)

Teams: New Orleans Saints, Carolina Panthers

Stats: 245 TKL, 45.5 SACK, 9 FF, 0 TD

Super Bowls: 0

Bottom Line: Renaldo Turnbull

To date, there have been nine NFL players born in the Virgin Islands, and Turnbull is the only one to ever make an All-Pro team.

He was a late bloomer. The former first-round pick didn’t become a starter until he was 27 when he posted 13 sacks for the Saints in 1993. That would be his only double-digit sack season as Turnbull proved to be serviceable but never truly lived up to his lofty draft status.

After seven years in New Orleans, Turnbull then jumped ship to their division rival, the Carolina Panthers, where he played one season. He still resides in North Carolina today.

19. Luis Sharpe, Tackle

Country: Cuba

Career: 13 seasons (1982-94)

Teams: St. Louis/Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals

Stats: Three-time Pro Bowler

Super Bowls: 0

Bottom Line: Luis Sharpe

From Cuba to Detroit to UCLA to the NFL, Luis Sharpe had a winding road that got even more difficult after his 13-year career ended.

While he played, he was a beacon of stability for a franchise that had two locations and three different names during his career. But drug problems that Sharpe had as a player only got worse when he hung up his cleats, and he spent much of the next 20 years in and out of jail.

He was almost killed by other inmates who brutally beat him but eventually rehabilitated himself and got clean. Sharpe has shared his story with others, including speaking at the NFL’s Rookie Symposium, where he talked about turning his life around.

18. Ezekiel Ansah, Defensive End

Country: Ghana

Career: 7 seasons (2013-present)

Teams: Detroit Lions, Seattle Seahawks

Stats: 236 TKL, 50.5 SACK, 12 FF, 0 TD

Super Bowls: 0

Bottom Line: Ezekiel Ansah, Defensive End

Ezekiel Ansah didn’t come to the United States until he was 18 years old when he enrolled at BYU. He had zero experience with playing football and first tried out for BYU’s basketball team but was cut twice.

He then moved to track where he impressed coaches and caught the eye of BYU’s football team. Ansah then put on pads for the first time at 20 years old, although he needed help getting them on as he was so unfamiliar with the sport.

But his raw ability was impossible to miss, and just three years after playing football for the first time, Ansah was a top-five pick in the 2013 NFL draft. He’s posted double-digit sacks in his still-going NFL career and ranks fourth all-time in Detroit Lions history with 48.0 sacks.

17. Gary Anderson, Kicker

Country: South Africa

Career: 23 seasons (1982-2004)

Teams: Pittsburgh Steelers, Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers, Minnesota Vikings, Tennessee Titans

Stats: 538 FGM, 820 XPM, 2,434 PTS

Super Bowls: 0

Bottom Line: Gary Anderson

One of just three South African NFL players, Gary Anderson moved to the United States after high school and played both football and soccer at Syracuse. He ranks third all-time in points scored in NFL history, but it’s one game that sticks out more than any Anderson played in during his 23-year career.

In 1998, he became the first kicker to have a perfect season and made all 35 of his field goals and all 59 of his extra points. However, once the postseason rolled around, Anderson missed when it mattered most, and a late field goal in the NFC championship game went wide.

The game went to overtime where the Falcons made a field goal of their own to eliminate Anderson and the 15-1 Vikings.

16. Danielle Hunter, Defensive End

Country: Jamaica

Career: 5 seasons (2015-present)

Teams: Minnesota Vikings

Stats: 270 TKL, 54.5 SACK, 6 FF, 2 TD

Super Bowls: 0

Bottom Line: Danielle Hunter

Jamaican-born and Houston-raised, Danielle Hunter was a prodigy who was making an impact as a 17-year-old freshman at LSU. He was then the youngest player in the NFL as a 20-year-old in 2015 where he made an immediate impact with 6 sacks.

He’s blossomed into one of the league’s best pass-rushers and in 2019 became the youngest player in NFL history to reach 50 career sacks.

Hunter also nabbed his second Pro Bowl selection in 2019 which makes him the first Jamaican-born player to reach multiple Pro Bowls.

15. Mosi Tatupu, Fullback

Country: American Samoa

Career: 14 seasons (1978-91)

Teams: New England Patriots, Los Angeles Rams

Stats: 2,415 YDS, 18 TD, 3.9 AVG, 96 REC, 843 REC YDS, 2 REC TD

Super Bowls: 0

Bottom Line: Mosi Tatupu

What Matthew Slater is for the Patriots today Mosi Tatupu was for the team for 13 years.

His nominal position was fullback, but he was best known for his work on all facets of special teams. He could be a gunner, a personal protector or even a returner in some instances. Tatupu started just 22 of the 199 games he played in, but he received recognition for his work by being selected to the 1986 Pro Bowl.

Tatupu’s son, Lofa, also played in the NFL and was a three-time Pro Bowler. He was born in Massachusetts while his father was with the Patriots, so Lofa didn’t qualify for this list.

14. Tamba Hali, Defensive End/Linebacker

Tampa Hali — Tamba Hali was sent to America at the age of 10 to escape civil war in Liberia.

Country: Liberia

Career: 12 seasons (2006-17)

Teams: Kansas City Chiefs

Stats: 588 TKL, 89.5 SACK, 33 FF, 2 TD

Super Bowls: 0

Bottom Line: Tamba Hali

Tamba Hali migrated to New Jersey as a 10-year-old to escape civil war in Liberia and lived with his father, who was a professor at Fairleigh Dickenson. From a young age, Hali sought to become a football player with hopes of earning enough money to reunite with his mother, who remained behind in Liberia.

It took 12 years, but Hali’s mother finally came over to the United States in Hali’s rookie year in 2006. That was Hali’s first of six seasons with at least eight sacks, and he made five straight Pro Bowls from 2011 to 2015.

His 89.5 sacks are the second-most in Chiefs history, trailing only Hall of Famer Derrick Thomas.

13. Jan Stenerud, Kicker

Country: Norway

Career: 19 seasons (1967-85)

Teams: Kansas City Chiefs, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings

Stats: 373 FGM, 580 XPM, 1,699 PTS

Super Bowls: 1 (1969)

Bottom Line: Jan Stenerud

Jan Stenurud — Jan Stenerud was the first kicker inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The second Norwegian player in NFL history, Jan Stenerud came to the U.S. on a ski jumping scholarship at Montana State University. Ski jumping landed him a spot on the football team after a coach saw him just kicking a ball around one day during down time.

After booting the longest field goal in college history at the time, Stenerud was signed by the Chiefs, where he won a Super Bowl. He helped bring the soccer style kicking technique to the NFL as most kickers used a straight-on approach beforehand.

When Stenerud retired in 1985, he was the second-leading scorer in NFL history. In 1991, he became the first kicker to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

12. Mike Iupati, Guard

Country: American Samoa

Career: 10 seasons (2010-present)

Teams: San Francisco 49ers, Arizona Cardinals, Seattle Seahawks

Stats: Four-time Pro Bowler, one-time first-team All-Pro

Super Bowls: 0

Bottom Line: Mike Iupati

Mike Iupati spent the first part of his childhood in American Samoa before his family moved to Los Angeles before he started high school. Due to poor test scores, Iupati ended up at Idaho, where he became an All-American and the highest-drafted Vandal in 43 years.

As a first-round pick of the 49ers in 2010, Iupati became an immediate starter and helped the team reach three straight NFC championship games from 2011 to 2013. He’s moved on from San Francisco but has stayed on the West Coast with the Cardinals and Seahawks.

Among active offensive guards, only Marshal Yanda (7) and Zack Martin (5) have been selected to more Pro Bowls than Iupati’s four.

11. Sebastian Janikowski, Kicker

Country: Poland

Career: 19 seasons (2000-18)

Teams: Oakland Raiders, Seattle Seahawks

Stats: 436 FGM, 605 XPM, 1,913 PTS

Super Bowls: 0

Bottom Line: Sebastian Janikowski

A youth soccer player, Sebastian Janikowski moved to Florida as a teenager and quickly learned about American football while also learning English.

After an All-American career at Florida State, "Seabass" became the third kicker in NFL history to be drafted in the first round. While he struggled with accuracy at times in his career, his power never came into question as he holds the NFL record of 58 made field goals of 50-plus yards.

Janikowski is also a part of lore for two field goals, which show off his leg strength. One is a reported 82-yard field goal that he made while still in high school and the other is a 76-yard attempt in the NFL, which is unofficially the longest in league history.

10. Osi Umenyiora, Defensive End

Country: England

Career: 12 seasons (2003-14)

Teams: New York Giants, Atlanta Falcons

Stats: 435 TKL, 85 SACK, 35 FF, 5 TD

Super Bowls: 2 (2007, 2011)

Bottom Line: Osi Umenyiora

Osi Umenyiora spent the first seven years of his life in London and the next seven years in Nigeria. He then moved to Auburn, Alabama, to live with his sister and pursue a better education. Umenyiora was high school and college (Troy) teammates with the Auburn-born DeMarcus Ware, and those two later became premier pass rushers in the NFL.

Umenyiora was a major defensive piece for two Super Bowl-winning Giants squads as they upset the Patriots in the big game both times. But his best single-game performance came against the rival Eagles in 2007 when Umenyiora sacked Donovan McNabb six times.

That was one shy of tying the NFL record as the Giants had 12 team sacks, which did tie an NFL record.

9. Jesse Sapolu, Guard

Jess Sapolu — Jesse Sapolu, left, won four Super Bowls with the 49ers.

Country: Western Samoa

Career: 15 seasons (1983-97)

Teams: San Francisco 49ers

Stats: Two-time Pro Bowler

Super Bowls: 4 (1984, 1988, 1989, 1994)

Bottom Line: Jesse Sapolu

Born in Samoa and raised in Hawaii, Jesse Sapolu was one of the cornerstones of the 49ers' dynasty during the 1980s and 1990s. He is one of six players to be on four of the five Super Bowl-winning teams from 1981 to 1995 and the only one to be on the last four of those squads.

He protected two Hall of Fame quarterbacks in Joe Montana and Steve Young, while also clearing rushing lanes for four different 1,000-yard running backs.

Sapolu’s 23 career postseason games are the third-most for an offensive lineman in NFL history.

8. Ernie Stautner, Defensive Tackle, Nose Guard and Offensive Guard

Country: Germany

Career: 14 seasons (1950-63)

Teams: Pittsburgh Steelers

Stats: Nine-time Pro Bowler, one-time first-team All-Pro

NFL championships: 0

Bottom Line: Ernie Stautner

Ernie Stautner didn’t make his NFL debut until he was 25 after serving in World War II, but he still had a Hall of Fame career with the Steelers. He played both ways but made his name as a defensive lineman and played everything from tackle to end to nose guard.

The Steelers never made the postseason during Stautner’s career, but it certainly wasn’t his fault. When he retired in 1963, Stautner ranked first all-time in safeties (3) and third all-time in recovered fumbles (23).

In 1969, Stautner and the Italian-born Leo Nomellini became the first two European players to be enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

7. Morten Andersen, Kicker

Country: Denmark

Career: 26 seasons (1982-2007)

Teams: New Orleans Saints, Atlanta Falcons, New York Giants, Kansas City Chiefs, Minnesota Vikings, Atlanta Falcons

Stats: 565 FGM, 849 XPM, 2,544 PTS

Super Bowls: 0

Bottom Line: Morten Andersen

Morten Andersen was a foreign exchange student who attended high school and college in the Midwest before becoming the NFL’s all-time leader in games played.

He was blessed with a strong kicking leg and also benefited from playing in domed home stadiums for 22 of his 25 seasons. Despite retiring as the league’s all-time leading scorer, Andersen never led the league in scoring in any season.

His points record was surpassed by Adam Vinatieri in the 2018 season, but Andersen still holds the marks for most game-winning field goals (103) and most 50-plus-yard field goals in a game (3).

6. Hines Ward, Wide Receiver

Country: South Korea

Career: 14 seasons (1998-2011)

Teams: Pittsburgh Steelers

Stats: 1,000 REC, 12,083 YDS, 85 TD, 12.1 AVG

Super Bowls: 2 (2005, 2008)

Bottom Line: Hines Ward

Born into a military family in Seoul, South Korea, Hines Ward moved to Georgia as an infant and later attended the University of Georgia.

He transitioned from a college quarterback into one of the most prolific receivers in NFL history and was the eighth player to ever record 1,000 receptions. He recorded more receptions than 1970s Steelers legends Lynn Swann and John Stallworth had combined, but unlike those two, Ward has yet to be enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

In addition to his regular-season accomplishments, Ward also performed admirably in the postseason and ranks fourth all-time in postseason receptions and receiving touchdowns.

5. Leo Nomellini, Offensive and Defensive Tackle

Country: Italy

Career: 14 seasons (1950-63)

Teams: San Francisco 49ers

Stats: 10-time Pro Bowler, six-time first-team All-Pro

NFL championships: 0

Bottom Line: Leo Nomellini

Leo Nomellini was born in Tuscany, Italy, but moved to the States as an infant and was raised in the Midwest. He fought in World War II after high school and, because of that, didn’t start his pro career until he was 26 years old.

But Nomellini didn’t need much seasoning to become an impact player on both sides of the ball. He was all-pro at both offensive and defensive tackle during his career. He was nicknamed "The Lion" and dabbled in pro wrestling during his career, even once defeating the legendary Lou Thesz during an NFL offseason.

Nomellini's strength was legendary. "He was as strong as three bulls," said 49ers teammate Joe Perry. "He'd slap you on the back and knock you twenty feet." In 1969, Nomellini and the German-born Ernie Stautner became the first two European players to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

4. Tom Fears, Wide Receiver

Country: Mexico

Career: 9 seasons (1948-56)

Teams: Los Angeles Rams

Stats: 400 REC, 5,397 RYDS, 38 TD, 13.5 AVG

NFL Championships: 1 (1951)

Bottom Line: Tom Fears

Born in Guadalajara, the Fears family moved 1,500 miles northwest to Los Angeles when Tom was 6 years old. He had quite a journey before reaching the NFL. He fought in World War II and acted in a Humphrey Bogart movie before focusing on football.

As a split end, Fears led the NFL in receptions in each of his first three seasons. In his 1950 season, he set the league’s all-time single-season receptions mark (84) while also catching a record 18 passes in one game, a mark that stood for 50 years.

After retiring, Fears went into coaching and was the first head coach in New Orleans Saints history. That tenure didn’t go well. The expansion Saints struggled, but Fears still became the first Mexican-born NFL player to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame during this tenure.

3. Steve Van Buren, Running Back

Country: Honduras

Career: 8 seasons (1944-51)

Teams: Philadelphia Eagles

Stats: 5,860 YDS, 69 TD, 4.4 AVG, 45 REC, 523 RYDS, 3 RTD

NFL championships: 2 (1948, 1949)

Bottom Line: Steve Van Buren

Born in La Ceiba, Honduras, Steve Van Buren became an orphan at 10 years old and was sent to live with relatives in New Orleans. That led him to LSU, which made him into a first-round pick in 1944.

Van Buren developed into the best NFL running back in the 1940s and won four rushing titles while his Philadelphia Eagles won two NFL championships. He did everything on the field. In addition to being a world-class running back, he also had five return touchdowns on special teams, picked off nine passes on defense and even filled in at kicker and punter.

Van Buren scored 77 touchdowns in 83 games and is one of just six players in NFL history to average at least 0.9 touchdowns per game.

2. Bronko Nagurski, Fullback

Country: Canada

Career: 9 seasons (1930-37, 1943)

Teams: Chicago Bears

Stats: 2,778 YDS, 25 TD, 4.4 AVG, 11 REC, 134 REC YDS, 0 REC TD

NFL championships: 3 (1932-33, 1943)

Bottom Line: Bronko Nagurski

Ontario born and Minnesota raised, Bronko Nagurski was a running back who was ahead of his time. At 6 feet, 2 inches and 230 pounds, Nagurski was bigger than most linemen of his day and even filled in at offensive tackle when he needed a rest from carrying the ball.

As with all players during this era, Nagurski was a two-way player who also played defensive tackle. He was just as accomplished at that as he was at running back, and that’s evident by the Bronko Nagurski Trophy now being awarded to the best defensive player in NCAA football.

1. Ted Hendricks, Linebacker

Country: Guatemala

Career: 15 seasons (1969-83)

Teams: Baltimore Colts, Green Bay Packers, OAK/LA Raiders

Stats: 60.5 SACK (unofficial), 26 INT, 4 TD

Super Bowls: 4 (1970, 1976, 1980, 1983)

Bottom Line: Ted Hendricks

The tallest linebacker in NFL history at 6-foot-7, Ted Hendricks was nicknamed "The Mad Stork" for obvious reasons. He was born to an Italian mother and American father in Guatemala, while being raised in Miami where he learned to speak Spanish fluently. He has a very diverse background and was an equally diverse football player since there was nothing on the field he couldn’t do.

Hendricks used his size to his advantage and blocked an astounding 25 kicks and punts during his career. That is an NFL record as are his four career safeties. Sacks weren’t tracked for the first 13 years of his career, but Hendricks unofficially had 60.5 sacks, which would make him the only player in NFL history with 60-plus sacks and 20-plus interceptions.

He also won four Super Bowls as a player, which was the NFL record until Charles Haley and Tom Brady came along, and Hendricks made eight Pro Bowls. All of that adds up to Ted Hendricks being the greatest international player in NFL history.