- Mark Rypien started and won a Super Bowl, throwing for 292 yards and two touchdowns.
- Mike Vanderjagt made all 37 field goal attempts in 2003.
- Bronko Nagurski led the NFL in rushing in 1932.
The NFL was established in September 1920, and now, for over a century, it has continued to assert itself as the top professional football league in the world. Whether born in the United States or Canada, the top football players globally seek a spot on an NFL roster.
Throughout history, plenty of international players have made their way to the NFL, and here, I’ll be looking at the seven best Canadian-born players of all time.
Let’s dive into the best Canadian-born NFL players to hit the gridiron, including one active player whose actions on the field could impact your football betting strategy.
Best Canadian-Born NFL Players of All Time
| Rank | Name | Birthplace | NFL Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Jevon Holland | Coquitlam, British Columbia | Miami Dolphins |
| 6 | Mitch Berger | Kamloops, British Columbia | Philadelphia Eagles, Chicago Bears, Minnesota Vikings, St. Louis Rams, New Orleans Saints, Arizona Cardinals Pittsburgh Steelers, Denver Broncos |
| 5 | Nate Burleson | Calgary, Alberta | Minnesota Vikings, Seattle Seahawks, Detroit Lions |
| 4 | Mike Vanderjagt | Oakville, Ontario | Indianapolis Colts, Dallas Cowboys |
| 3 | Mark Rypien | Calgary, Alberta | Washington Redskins, Cleveland Browns, St. Louis Rams, Philadelphia Eagles |
| 2 | Arnie Weinmeister | Rhein, Saskatchewan | New York/Brooklyn Yankees, New York Giants |
| 1 | Bronko Nagurski | Rainy River, Ontario | Chicago Bears |
7. Jevon Holland – Coquitlam, British Columbia
Holland is still an active NFL player today. Still, he’s already cemented himself as one of the best Canadian-born players to hit the NFL. A second-round pick from the Oregon Ducks, Holland has quickly established himself as one of the better coverage safeties the league has seen, including a 99-yard Hail Mary return for a touchdown this year.
He has a long career ahead of him and is already considered one of the best safeties on an NFL roster.
6. Mitch Berger – Kamloops, British Columbia
Punters don’t often get much credit, but Berger played 14 years, making two Pro Bowls and winning a Super Bowl in 2008 with the Steelers. He was a sixth-round pick in 1994. He averaged 42.9 yards per punt and more than 30,000 net punting yards across his career.
5. Nate Burleson – Calgary, Alberta
Best known today for his media personality, Burleson had a solid 10-year career in the NFL playing wide receiver.
He never won a Super Bowl or made a Pro Bowl, but he served as an excellent complimentary receiver, most notably to Calvin Johnson during his run with the Lions from 2010-2013.
He was a third-round pick in 2003 by the Vikings. In his career, he saw 750 targets, caught 457 of them, and went for 5,630 yards and 39 touchdowns. He added another 23 receptions for 273 yards and two scores in seven playoff games.
His best season came in 2007 with the Seahawks. He had 50 catches for 694 yards and nine scores.
4. Mike Vanderjagt – Oakville, Ontario
Before coming to the NFL in 1998, Vanderjagt played in the CFL for the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Toronto Argonauts. He also had stints with the Tampa Bay Storm and Minnesota Fighting Pike of the Arena Football League.
He played for the Colts from 1998-2005 and with the Cowboys in 2006 before the end of his NFL career. During that time, he was a First-Team All-Pro in 2003, Second-Team All-Pro in 1999, made the Pro Bowl in 2003, was the scoring leader in 1999, and won various other awards in the other leagues he played in.
He made 86.5% of his field goals (230 for 266), and his longest was 54 yards. In 2003, he made all 37 of his attempts.
3. Mark Rypien – Calgary, Alberta
Of all the Canadian-born quarterbacks, Rypien is the go-to guy. He won two Super Bowls with Washington and spent time with the Browns, Rams, Eagles, Falcons, and Colts.
In his career, he started 78 games, going 47-31. He completed 56.1% of his passes for 18,473 yards, 115 touchdowns, and 88 interceptions.
His best season was 1991, when he had 3,564 yards, 28 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions.
His first Super Bowl win was in 1988 when he didn’t play, but the other came in 1992. He completed 18 33 passes for 292 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception as Washington defeated the Buffalo Bills 37-24.
2. Arnie Weinmeister – Rhein, Saskatchewan
Not much about Weinmeister regarding statistics is known, but he’s in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He made four First-Team All Pro’s from 1950-1953 and four Pro Bowls playing defensive tackle for the New York Giants in that same stretch.
1. Bronko Nagurski – Rainy River, Ontario
From 1930-1937 and in 1943, Nagurski played offensive tackle and fullback for the Bears. He won three NFL championships in 1932, 1933, and 1943. He made four First-Team All-Pro’s, was the NFL rushing leader in 1932, and his No. 3 is retired by the Bears.
His first stats were recorded in 1932. Since then, he had 633 carries for 2,778 yards and 25 touchdowns.
He’s a member of the Pro and College Football Hall of Fame.