Professional football players are built differently than the rest of us. These athletes are gifted with speed, strength, vision, and a host of other traits — as well as, often, incredible size. Occasionally, a player comes along that stands out even among other NFL stars.
Football is a unique sport in that it has a role for players of all shapes and sizes — large, strong players tend to play offensive or defensive line, while smaller, quicker players tend to end up as wide receivers or defensive backs. This means that a player well over 300 pounds could be in the same huddle as someone who is literally half his size.
To determine the largest and smallest NFL players of all-time, 24/7 Tempo reviewed data from Pro Football Reference to find the athletes with the highest and lowest listed heights and weights during the NFL’s Super Bowl era.
Virtually all of the largest NFL players of all-time suited up relatively recently, as athletes have gotten bigger over time. Many of the smallest players came early in league history, with many suiting up for only a year or two in the 1920s, as the fledgling NFL needed to fill out rosters. Height and weight records from this era were often incomplete, and the actual size of these relatively diminutive players would be tough to verify without any photos, so only players from the Super Bowl era were considered.
Professional athletes are used to standing out for their physique, but when one stands out even among other pro athletes, they often become fan favorites. These unusually-sized players often earn nicknames like “Super Gnat,” “Mighty Mouse,” or “Too Tall”. Here are 35 unforgettable nicknames in sports.
Click here to see the largest and smallest NFL players of all-time
Largest players of all-time:
Aaron Gibson
> Height: 6’6
> Weight: 375 pounds
> Career: 2000-2004
> Position: Tackle
> Team(s): Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys, Detroit Lions
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Anthony Rush
> Height: 6’4
> Weight: 361 pounds
> Career: 2019-present
> Position: Defensive tackle
> Team(s): Philadelphia Eagles, Seattle Seahawks
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Char-ron Dorsey
> Height: 6’6
> Weight: 367 pounds
> Career: 2001-2002
> Position: Tackle
> Team(s): Dallas Cowboys, Houston Texans
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Dan Skipper
> Height: 6’9
> Weight: 325 pounds
> Career: 2017-2020
> Position: Tackle
> Team(s): Detroit Lions, Houston Texans
Jared Gaither
> Height: 6’9
> Weight: 350 pounds
> Career: 2007-2012
> Position: Tackle
> Team(s): Baltimore Ravens, San Diego Chargers, Kansas City Chiefs
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Jonathan Ogden
> Height: 6’9
> Weight: 345 pounds
> Career: 1996-2007
> Position: Tackle
> Team(s): Baltimore Ravens
Jordan Mailata
> Height: 6’8
> Weight: 365 pounds
> Career: 2020-present
> Position: Tackle
> Team(s): Philadelphia Eagles
Mekhi Becton
> Height: 6’7
> Weight: 363 pounds
> Career: 2020-present
> Position: Tackle
> Team(s): New York Jets
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Mike Williams
> Height: 6’6
> Weight: 370 pounds
> Career: 2002-2009
> Position: Tackle
> Team(s): Buffalo Bills, Washington Football Team
Morris Stroud
> Height: 6’10
> Weight: 255 pounds
> Career: 1969-1974
> Position: Tight end
> Team(s): Kansas City Chiefs
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Orlando Brown Jr.
> Height: 6’8
> Weight: 363 pounds
> Career: 2018-present
> Position: Tackle
> Team(s): Baltimore Ravens, Kansas City Chiefs
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Richard Sligh
> Height: 7’0
> Weight: 300 pounds
> Career: 1967
> Position: Defensive tackle
> Team(s): Oakland Raiders
Rolando Cantu
> Height: 6’5
> Weight: 361 pounds
> Career: 2005
> Position: Tackle
> Team(s): Arizona Cardinals
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Ted Washington
> Height: 6’5
> Weight: 365 pounds
> Career: 1991-2007
> Position: Defensive Tackle
> Team(s): Buffalo Bills, San Francisco 49ers, Chicago Bears
Terrence Cody
> Height: 6’4
> Weight: 370 pounds
> Career: 2010-2014
> Position: Defensive tackle
> Team(s): Baltimore Ravens
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Trent Brown
> Height: 6’8
> Weight: 380 pounds
> Career: 2015-present
> Position: Tackle
> Team(s): New England Patriots, San Francisco 49ers, Las Vegas Raiders
Smallest players of all-time:
Mack Herron
> Height: 5’5
> Weight: 170 pounds
> Career: 1973-1975
> Position: Running back
> Team(s): New England Patriots, Atlanta Falcons
Reggie Smith
> Height: 5’4
> Weight: 168 pounds
> Career: 1980-1987
> Position: Wide receiver
> Team(s): Atlanta Falcons, New York Jets
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Michael Clemons
> Height: 5’5
> Weight: 166 pounds
> Career: 1987
> Position: Running back
> Team(s): Kansas City Chiefs
Howard Stevens
> Height: 5’5
> Weight: 165 pounds
> Career: 1973-1977
> Position: Running back
> Team(s): New Orleans Saints, Baltimore Ravens
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Trindon Holliday
> Height: 5’5
> Weight: 162 pounds
> Career: 2011-2014
> Position: Wide receiver
> Team(s): Houston Texans, Denver Broncos
Jim Breech
> Height: 5’6
> Weight: 161 pounds
> Career: 1979-1992
> Position: Kicker
> Team(s): Cincinnati Bengals, Oakland Raiders
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Willie Culpepper
> Height: 5’11
> Weight: 155 pounds
> Career: 1992
> Position: Wide receiver
> Team(s): Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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Noland Smith
> Height: 5’5
> Weight: 154 pounds
> Career: 1967-1969
> Position: Wide receiver
> Team(s): Kansas City Chiefs, San Francisco 49ers
Mark McMillian
> Height: 5’7
> Weight: 154 pounds
> Career: 1992-1999
> Position: Defensive back
> Team(s): Philadelphia Eagles, Kansas City Chiefs
Stacey Dawsey
> Height: 5’9
> Weight: 154 pounds
> Career: 1987
> Position: Wide receiver
> Team(s): New Orleans Saints
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Jojo Natson
> Height: 5’7
> Weight: 153 pounds
> Career: 2017-2020
> Position: Wide receiver
> Team(s): New York Jets, Los Angeles Rams
Titus Dixon
> Height: 5’6
> Weight: 152 pounds
> Career: 1989
> Position: Wide receiver
> Team(s): Indianapolis Colts, New York Jets
Brandon Banks
> Height: 5’7
> Weight: 150 pounds
> Career: 2010-2012
> Position: Wide receiver
> Team(s): Washington Football Team
Gerald McNeil
> Height: 5’7
> Weight: 145 pounds
> Career: 1986-1990
> Position: Wide receiver
> Team(s): Cleveland Browns, Houston Oilers
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Tony Jones
> Height: 5’7
> Weight: 142 pounds
> Career: 1990-1993
> Position: Wide receiver
> Team(s): Houston Oilers, Atlanta Falcons
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