The 15 best Canadian players in NFL history

There have been well over 100 Canadian players in the National Football League history, many of whom have left lasting impacts on the game.

This list will change over time with active players like Atlanta Falcons guard Matthew Bergeron, Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown, New York Giants safety Jevon Holland, Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard, and Los Angeles Rams offensive tackle Alaric Jackson performing at high levels early in their careers.

For now, however, here is an updated ranking of the best Canadian NFL players of all-time.

Honourable mentions: OL Ian Beckles, RB Tim Biakabutuka, K Steve Christie, DL Tyrone Crawford, OL Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, DL Harald Hasselbach, DB Jevon Holland, RB Chuba Hubbard, OL Alaric Jackson, LS L.P. Ladouceur, REC Josh Palmer, P Jon Ryan

15) Jerome Pathon

Raised in Vancouver, B.C., the six-foot, 195-pound target played eight NFL seasons as a member of the Indianapolis Colts, New Orleans Saints, and Atlanta Falcons, making 260 catches for 3,350 yards and 15 touchdowns over 100 career games. Pathon was the No. 32 overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft and immediately made the starting lineup in Indianapolis alongside fellow rookie Peyton Manning, future Hall of Fame receiver Marvin Harrison, and Canadian offensive lineman and high-profile NFL draft bust Tony Mandarich.

Photo: Chicago Bears

14) Israel Idonije

The six-foot-six, 275-pound defender was raised in Brandon, Man. and played collegiately at the University of Manitoba before signing with the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted free agent. Idonije went on to play 10 seasons in the league almost entirely with the Chicago Bears, recording 288 total tackles, 52 tackles for loss, 29 sacks, 15 pass knockdowns, six forced fumbles, six fumble recoveries, and one touchdown.

13) Roy Gerela

The native of Sarrail, Alta. played 11 seasons in the NFL, most of which were spent with the Pittsburgh Steelers during the team’s glory years of the 1970s. Gerela made 60.1 percent of his career field goal attempts, which was around the league average for the time, and 96.2 percent of his point-after attempts. Gerela was twice named second-team All-Pro with the Steelers and won three Super Bowls.

12) Mitch Berger

The native of Kamloops, B.C. played 15 years in the NFL primarily as a member of the Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints, winning Super Bowl XLIII with the latter. Berger was named second-team All-Pro in 1999 and first-team All-Pro in 2004, finishing his career with 847 punts for a gross average of 42.9 yards and a net average of 35.9 yards over 187 games. He also parked 265 career punts inside the 20-yard line.

11) Jason David

The native of Edmonton, Alta. played only five NFL seasons but was a ballhawk at cornerback, making 16 interceptions and knocking down 55 passes over 75 career games. The five-foot-eight, 180-pound defender won Super Bowl XLI as a member of the Indianapolis Colts but also spent time with the New Orleans Saints. In addition to the interceptions and knockdowns, David finished his career with 225 total tackles, four tackles for loss, five fumble recoveries, three forced fumbles, and one touchdown.

10) Mike Vanderjagt

The native of Oakville, Ont. played nine NFL seasons primarily as a member of the Indianapolis Colts, earning one first-team All-Pro, one second-team All-Pro, and leading the league in scoring in 1999. The placekicker became the fourth player in NFL history to have a perfect season when he went 33-for-33 on field goals in 2003, though he is perhaps best remembered for publicly being called an “idiot” by Peyton Manning. Vanderjagt also won two Grey Cups with the Toronto Argonauts.

9) O.J. Atogwe

The native of Windsor, Ont. was a hard-hitting safety who spent most of his seven-year NFL career with the St. Louis Rams. The five-foot-eleven, 205-pound defender recorded 454 total tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 48 pass knockdowns, 25 interceptions, 16 forced fumbles, eight fumble recoveries, and two touchdowns over 101 games. Atogwe was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week in 2008 after making four tackles, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and one touchdown in a 19-17 win over Washington.

Photo: Ben Swanson/Denver Broncos

8) Alex Singleton

The 32-year-old has been one of the NFL’s most productive linebackers over seven seasons since leaving the CFL. The Canadian-American defender has recorded 736 total tackles, 25 tackles for loss, 16 pass knockdowns, five sacks, five fumble recoveries, three forced fumbles, and three interceptions over 91 games with the Philadelphia Eagles and Denver Broncos despite missing games due to a torn ACL and a cancer diagnosis.

7) Rueben Mayes

The native of North Battleford, Sask. was named the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year in 1986 after rushing for a Canadian NFL record 1,353 yards and eight touchdowns. The two-time Pro Bowl selection’s career was derailed by a torn Achilles he suffered in 1989, though he still managed to record 3,484 rushing yards, 401 receiving yards, and score 23 total touchdowns over eight seasons with the New Orleans Saints and Seattle Seahawks. Mayes is a member of the New Orleans Saints Hall of Fame.

6) David Onyemata

The New Orleans Saints traded up to select Onyemata in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft and that turned out to be a wise decision. The six-foot-four, 310-pound product of the University of Manitoba played seven seasons with the team and has been since a member of the Atlanta Falcons, recording 388 total tackles, 48 tackles for loss, 31 sacks, 10 pass knockdowns, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and one interception over 151 career games.

5) Eddie Murray

The native of Halifax, N.S. played 19 seasons in the NFL, 12 of which were spent with the Detroit Lions, who gave him a spot on their 75th anniversary team. The one-time first-team All-Pro, three-time second-team All-Pro, and Super Bowl XXVIII champion connected on 75.5 percent of his career field goal attempts, 98.7 percent of his point-after attempts, and kicked off 303 times for an average of 56.3 yards over 250 games.

Photo: Seattle Seahawks

4) Nate Burleson

The third-round pick out of the University of Nevada was versatile contributor over 10 seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, Seattle Seahawks, and Detroit Lions, recording 457 receptions for 5,630 yards and 39 touchdowns. The native of Calgary, Alta. was also an underrated returner, bringing back 213 career kicks for 2,809 yards and four scores. Burleson is still the only Canadian receiver in NFL history to record a 1,000-yard season, which he did with the Vikings in 2004.

3) Mark Rypien

The six-foot-four, 225-pound passer was a two-time Pro Bowl selection, two-time Super Bowl champion, and the Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl XXVI after completing 18-of-33 pass attempts for 292 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception in a 37-24 win over the Cowboys. The native of Calgary, Alta. went 47-31 as an NFL starter and threw for 18,473 yards, 115 touchdowns, and 88 interceptions over 15 seasons spent mostly in Washington.

2) Arnie Weinmeister

The native of Rhein, Sask. was a standout in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) for two seasons before becoming a four-time first-team All-Pro selection with the New York Giants. The six-foot-four, 235-pound defensive tackle recorded eight fumble recoveries and one safety over 71 career games (tackles and sacks weren’t recorded as official statistics at the time) and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1984, 31 years after capping his NFL career.

Photo: Handout

1) Bronko Nagurski

There was only ever going to be one player atop this list as Nagurski remains an NFL icon 35 years after his death. The six-foot-two, 225-pound fullback and defensive lineman rushed for 2,778 yards and 25 touchdowns over nine seasons with the Chicago Bears, earning four first-team All-Pro selections and winning three NFL championships. The native of Rainy River, Ont. was a charter member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the Bears retired his No. 3.