9 NFL Players Who Didn’t Play A Single Snap Of College Football

It’s pretty hard to make it to the NFL without devoting most of your life to football, and it’s only natural that virtually every player who makes it to the top level of the sport did so after honing their skills at the college level. However, there are some notable exceptions to that rule.

The vast majority of people who play college football will never take a snap in an NFL game, and it’s obviously pretty hard to achieve that goal if you never played college football in the first place.

However, there are more than a few NFL players who defied the odds by earning a spot on the roster after a lengthy hiatus or—in some cases—trying the sport for the very first time.

Antonio Gates

I’m not listing these guys in any particular order as far as their skill or career achievements are concerned, but if I were, Antonio Gates would firmly be at the top.

Gates did play high school football in Detroit but really stood out on the basketball court. He was hoping to pursue both sports after committing to Michigan State, but opted to transfer after Nick Saban (who was coaching the Spartans at the time) said he’d have to choose between him or Tom Izzo while informing him he’d have to change positions if he stayed in Lansing.

He eventually ended up at Kent State and played a key role in the team’s surprising run to the Elite Eight in 2002, but he turned his attention back to football after realizing he was probably too short to make it in the NBA.

The Chargers ultimately signed the 6’4″ tight end who spent the entirety of his 16-year career with the franchise and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2025.

Stephen Neal

Stephen Neal was a multisport varsity athlete in high school who played football but made a name for himself thanks to his prowess as a wrestler before heading to Cal State Bakersfield to continue to pursue that discipline.

He ended up winning two national titles as a heavyweight (including a win over Brock Lesnar in 1999), and in 2001, he inked a contract with the Patriots but was released prior to the start of the season.

However, he earned a spot on the roster in 2002 and won three Super Bowl Rings with the franchise during an eight-year career that was marred by the injuries that influenced his decision to retire in 2011.

Michael Lewis

Michael Lewis played a single season of high school football in Louisiana as a freshman but left the game behind to start working in order to support his family.

He was delivering beer for a distributor in New Orleans when a friend invited him to join a flag football league, which reignited a passion that led to him having stints with a number of semi-pro clubs before attracting the attention of NFL teams.

He was cut by the Eagles in 2000 before getting an opportunity with the Saints the following year. He made the roster and primarily served as a kick and punt returner while getting some reps at wide receiver during a seven-year career where he earned a first-team All-Pro nod and was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2002.

Jordan Mailata

There’s plenty of crossover between football and rugby, and while a number of people who’ve excelled in the latter have attempted to pivot to the former, most of them have come short of actually appearing in an NFL game.

As things currently stand, Jordan Mailata is the most accomplished member of that tiny club. He was a rugby league player in his native Australia before landing a spot in the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program and ended up getting selected by the Eagles in the seventh round of the draft in 2018.

He made the roster as an offensive tackle that year but saw his debut delayed by two seasons due to a back injury. He finally kicked off his rookie year in 2020 and has started every game he’s appeared in since his sophomore campaign while helping the Eagles win Super Bowl LIX.

Daniel Adongo

Daniel Adongo was another rugby star-turned-football player who hailed from Kenya and played the union version of the former in South Africa and New Zealand before attracting the interest of the Colts.

Indianapolis signed him to their practice squad in 2013, and while he only appeared in two games during his short-lived NFL career, that’s still more than most people can brag about.

Efe Obada

Efe Obada was born in Nigeria and had a tumultuous upbringing that led to him ending up homeless as a child in London, where he eventually joined a football team based in the city.

That squad featured a defensive coordinator who’d previously worked with the Cowboys, who offered Obada a tryout on his recommendation before signing him to the practice squad as a defensive end.

He also spent time with the Chiefs and Falcons before finally making an NFL roster with the Panthers in 2018. He was primarily relegated to a backup role in Carolina, and that remained the case during his stints with the Bills and the Commanders.

The 33-year-old hasn’t played in an NFL game since 2023, and it’s currently unclear if he’ll be getting another opportunity.

Eric Swann

This one comes with an asterisk, as Eric Swann was a standout defensive tackle at his high school in North Carolina who had an offer to play at NC State but didn’t have the grades required to suit up.

He opted to join a semi-pro team in Massachusetts until he became eligible for the NFL Draft, and the fact that the Cardinals drafted him with the sixth overall pick in 1991 highlights why he’s a bit of an anomaly on this list.

Swann spent nine seasons in Arizona before capping off his 10-year career with the Panthers and retired as a two-time Pro Bowler.

Ray Seals

Ray Seals also opted to skip college in favor of joining a semi-pro team in the Empire Football League prior to getting a shot with the Buccaneers in 1989.

The defensive lineman spent five seasons in Tampa Bay, another two in Pittsburgh (where he started in Super Bowl XXX), and had one last run with Carolina before his NFL career came to an end in 1997.

Vince Papale

I obviously can’t make a list like this without mentioning the man responsible for the underdog story that ended up getting the Hollywood treatment when it was turned into a movie starring Mark Wahlberg.

If you’ve seen Invincible, you’re likely aware Vince Papale was a high school and college track star who eventually turned his attention to football before getting signed to play wide receiver with the Philadelphia Bell of the World Football League.

His performance caught the attention of the Eagles, who invited him to try out ahead of the 1976 campaign before signing the 30-year-old Papale, who spent three seasons with the team before retiring in 1979 after suffering a shoulder injury.