Before they were NFL legends at other positions, these guys were the guy under center. Whether it was in high school, college, or just a brief stint before a position switch, each one of them got their start as a quarterback, and some of them were actually pretty good at it.
It turns out slinging the rock was just a pit stop on the way to greatness. From Hall of Fame defenders to elite pass-catchers, these are 15 NFL stars who used to call the plays themselves.
15. Julian Edelman
Long before he was making impossible catches for the Patriots, Edelman was a dual-threat quarterback at Kent State. He traded in the playbook for crisp routes and ended up becoming Tom Brady’s favorite wideout.
14. Antwaan Randle El
A college quarterback at Indiana, Randle El was electric with the ball in his hands. His trick-play touchdown pass in the Super Bowl was a callback to his QB roots.
13. Josh Cribbs
Cribbs was a record-setting quarterback at Kent State before making his name as a return specialist in the NFL. He had the vision of a QB and the speed of a sprinter—a dangerous combo.
12. Mohamed Sanu
Sanu played quarterback in high school and even took some snaps at Rutgers, showing off his cannon of an arm. He kept that arm warm in the NFL, too, throwing multiple trick-play touchdowns.
11. Anquan Boldin
Boldin was a star quarterback in high school and was recruited to Florida State at the position. He eventually transitioned to wide receiver and turned into one of the toughest pass-catchers of his era.
10. Brian Urlacher
Before he became the face of the Bears’ defense, Urlacher played a bit of quarterback in high school in New Mexico. He quickly found his home at linebacker, but the versatility was always there.
9. Hines Ward
Ward was a true Swiss Army knife at Georgia, even playing quarterback when the team needed it. That football IQ and toughness served him well during his rugged NFL career.
8. Paul Posluszny
This linebacker had some early reps at quarterback during his high school days. Once he found defense, there was no turning back—but you could tell he still saw the field like a signal-caller.
7. Odell Beckham Jr.
OBJ was throwing dimes long before he was making one-handed grabs. He played quarterback in high school and still loves to show off his arm every now and then in the NFL.
6. Richard Sherman
Sherman played quarterback in high school and even got recruited to Stanford for it. He switched to cornerback, and the rest is history—but don’t think he forgot how to read defenses from both sides.
5. Eric Weddle
Weddle was an all-around athlete and even lined up at quarterback in college when Utah needed him. It wasn’t his main role, but he looked like a guy who could’ve played just about anywhere.
4. Michael Robinson
Robinson was a star quarterback at Penn State before carving out a career at fullback with the Seahawks. His leadership and football IQ never left, even after the position change.
3. Patrick Peterson
Before locking down receivers as one of the best corners in the game, Peterson was lighting it up as a high school quarterback. That elite athleticism made him dangerous no matter where he lined up.
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2. Randall Cobb
Cobb started as a quarterback at Kentucky and flashed serious playmaking ability. Once he moved to wide receiver, his experience under center made him even harder to defend.
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1. Terrelle Pryor
Pryor was a high-profile quarterback coming out of Ohio State and even started games at QB in the NFL. He later reinvented himself as a wide receiver and had a surprising resurgence with the Browns.
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