Ranking best NBC player intros of all time, from Kris Jenkins 'This jersey is too tight' to Terrell Suggs 'Ball So Hard University' originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
For a lot of players, it's another media-related preseason chore, so they keep it simple. For others, it's an opportunity to shout out their alma mater — even sometimes using a clean nickname like "The U" for Miami . But for a select group of NFL players, NBC's "Sunday Night Football" player introductions are a chance to bring some fun to the broadcast.
Since 2006, NBC's premiere NFL coverage has introduced every starter in a game to the audience, aiming to provide the player's name, position, PFF ranking and college to fans before they watch them in action. While the graphics team handles the player's number, position and PFF ranking on-screen, NBC allows players to introduce their name and alma mater themselves.
It started simply as players being told to state their first name, then last name, then school. However, over the years — especially in the wake of the famous "East/West Bowl" skit from Key & Peele, which poked fun at player introductions by using ridiculous, made-up names — NBC has increasingly allowed players to have fun with the process. That's resulted in plenty of hilarious moments in the opening portion of "Sunday Night Football," as fans get to find out which are the goofiest players on each team.
Some players list their high school or elementary school instead of a college. Others share a self-created nickname, or come up with something outlandish to makes the audience laugh. There's also been a share of players to use the opportunity to hype themselves up, from "Him University" to "Best in the nation" quips.
With decades-worth of NBC player introductions, there's some that have stuck out as memorable among the rest.
Here's a ranking of the best NBC "Sunday Night Football" player introductions of all-time, primarily judging based on the humor and creativity of the introduction.
MORE: How do PFF rankings work on NBC's broadcast?
We'll start with a funny but straightforward one. George Pickens built a reputation for his off-the-field antics while he was a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers , despite establishing himself as a top wideout with plenty of talent under Mike Tomlin.
In the 2025 offseason, he was traded to the Dallas Cowboys , a place where outgoing personalities are typically welcomed. And Pickens didn't wait long to make a strong introduction as a member of the Cowboys, saying he went to "Drip University" during Dallas' 2025 season opener on NBC.
No, "Drip University" is not a real school. Pickens was merely referring to his impeccable fashion sense.
This is one that you have to listen to to find the humor in. Part of the fun of the NBC player introductions is that sometimes, the best ones aren't a creative idea — it's just the tone the player says it in.
Davis pronounced every bit of his name on NBC in 2017.
As you'll learn later on this list, this was not a completely original idea from Cleveland Browns star, and certified game-wrecker, Myles Garrett. In 2021, his "SNF" introduction was posed as a question: "I'm Myles Garrett? Texas A&M?"
Another NFL star had this idea long before Garrett, so he was likely inspired by it. So, Garrett gets docked some creativity points here, but it was still pretty funny.
We'll lump this entire idea into one ranking — by now, a player calling his alma mater "(Insert Position) University" is not very unique. It's been done many times, as plenty of NFL stars have taken pride in the fact that their college produced a lineage of talent at their position.
A few examples include Tyrann Mathieu calling LSU "DBU," Ja'Marr Chase referring to LSU as "WRU," and George Kittle calling Iowa "Tight End University."
MORE: Looking back at the oldest players ever selected in the NFL Draft
There haven't been many star-level NFL quarterbacks to have fun with their NBC introduction. However, Russell Wilson did in 2019, still finding a way to shout out his alma mater without specifically naming Wisconsin.
"From a whole pack of Badgers," Wilson said, referring to his college's team name.
Wilson first used that line in 2019, but stuck with it for a few more years.
Most NFL players had extensive college football careers that led to the pros. Not Chris Hogan. Instead, he spent four years playing lacrosse at Penn State before playing one year of football at Monmouth University.
Hogan recognized his unique journey to the NFL through his NBC player introduction in 2017, shouting out "Penn State lacrosse" instead of naming his football alma mater.
Pat Angerer was only in the NFL for a few years, primarily as a member of the Indianapolis Colts as a linebacker. However, he showcased his personality a bit while he had the chance to.
In 2011, Angrerer — who is from Iowa, then played for the Iowa Hawkeyes from 2005-09 — decided to name his entire home state on "Sunday Night Football,"
"Pat Angerer, the United State of Iowa," he said.
MORE: Complete list of Super Bowl MVP winners through the years
While most of the unique NBC player introductions are about the college portion of the statement, Dexter Lawrence still vocalized his alma mater, Clemson, but changed up his name in the 2025 season.
He introduced himself instead as "Sexy Dexy," a nickname he first shared that was attached to his celebration dance move.
Antonio Brown has long stuck with the catchphrase "business is boomin'," especially throughout his prime days as a star receiver for the Steelers.
Rather than state his true alma mater, Central Michigan, during the 2021 season as a member of the Buccaneers , Brown assured fans that business was still boomin' in Tampa Bay.
MORE: Ranking the best QBs taken with picks 1-32, from Peyton Manning to Lamar Jackson
Was this a production error, or intention? I guess we'll never know. But in 2021, Washington linebacker Milo Eifler brought a bright smile to his "Sunday Night Football" introduction ... and that was it.
No words were spoken. For around three seconds, Eifler smiled at the camera, never sharing his name or school.
MORE: 16 NFL stars you didn't know were drafted by MLB teams
Here's another example of how a player's tone can provide an elite "SNF" introduction. Washington wide receiver Antwaan Randle-El sounded more like a professor or a president in his 2009 introduction, throwing off fans with the way he said his name and "Indiana University."
Later on, Randle-El had fun with the spotlight by fully pronouncing, "I'm Antwaan Randle-El, Indiana University."
He would later go on to become a wide receivers coach for the Bears , and their social media team allowed him to break down some of the best NBC introductions.
We'll lump these together as well, since being done more and more often. Once players realized they could name any school they wanted — high school, middle school, or even elementary school — the seal was broken.
Tyler Lockett and Puka Nacua are two of the most well-known examples of players who have shouted out their elementary schools.
Talk about confidence. There wasn't a wide receiver quite like Odell Beckham Jr. in his prime, and he knew it.
On two occasions, the former star made sure to tell the "SNF" audience that's he's "him." If you don't get the reference, it's simply a vote of extreme confidence or being considered the "best."
First was simply , "OBJ, I'm Him." Then, it was "OBJ, Him University."
In 2016, Martellus Bennett used his NBC spotlight not to shout out his alma mater, Texas A&M, but to name "The Imagination Agency," which is a real company of his that has previously released a series of children's books.
According to Artsy, Bennett created the company in 2014, "inspired by the birth of his daughter and the lack of people of color in children's books."
"I started reading all different children's books and realized there were not many characters that looked like her or that she could relate to," Bennett told Artsy. "So I decided to start making my own characters for her."
At first, the introduction was a bit confusing to NFL fans, but the strong message behind it was a job well-done by Bennett, who also called himself "Marty."
Speaking of the Bennett brothers, Michael also had a fantastic NBC introduction. In 2019, the year after the release of Marvel's "Black Panther" movie, Bennett took one of the most common lines from the film: "Wakanda Forever."
Then a member of the Patriots , Bennett screamed it into the microphone after his name.
When you hear about Dion Dawkins, it's hard not to think of his iconic catchphrase on "Sunday Night Football." As a massive left tackle for the Bills , he made more of a name for himself in 2021 by saying he went to "You Already 'Shnow University."
That line is reportedly shoutout to Dawkins' childhood nickname, "the Shnowman," as he used to shovel driveways in the snow when he was growing up in New Jersey.
In his prime, Jamal Adams truly did have an argument as the best safety in the league. He certainly thought so.
He once used his "SNF" opportunity to declare he was "the best in the nation."
In 2023, offensive lineman Justin Pugh, who was drafted by the Giants in the first round in 2013, signed with New York's practice squad in October after a four-year stint with the Cardinals . At the time, he was coming off a season-ending ACL tear in 2022.
Just weeks after being signed to the practice squad, Pugh was promoted to the Giants' active roster — and he knew fans might not yet be familiar with him after spending time away from the league.
"Justin Pugh, straight off the couch," he said on NBC.
Given the circumstances of his return to the Giants, his introduction was hard to beat.
This one is surprising that NBC even let go, considering Matthew Judon didn't name a school at all — or even any type of inclination about his roots.
Instead, the then-Ravens linebacker, in 2019, claimed he had a "body built by Taco Bell."
Greg Hardy was unapologetic about his outlandish NBC introduction in 2013. Then a member of the Panthers , Hardy didn't just call himself "Kraken." He also said he attended Hogwarts, the fictional wizarding school from the "Harry Potter" series.
It was just those two words: "Kraken. Hogwarts." Oh, and Hardy also had sunglasses on.
According to USA Today, Hardy later said: "I can do whatever I want. I'm the Kraken. If you feel like you can ask the Kraken personally where he goes to school at, and prove me wrong, then I feel like I'll change it."
Extra points for being wholesome. In perhaps the first time in "Sunday Night Football" history, the live shot of the player included more than just the individual.
In 2024, Buccaneers wide receiver invited his two daughters into the shot, and they helped him say "Oklahoma."
Here's a multi-part series from Jared Allen, who made it an annual tradition to have one of the most unique introductions.
In one year, he named his preschool. In another, he said "homeschool," then, "thanks, mom." And of course, he also said he went to culinary school.
Allen later said he was "bored" at training camp and he didn't always think NBC would air all of them.
MORE: Full Jared Allen career timeline
Tony Gonzalez was one of the first true NFL stars to let his personality shine in his NBC introduction. He owns two of the most iconic clips ever.
One year, he did a bit of a Scarface impersonation, adding a thick accent to his clip. Another year, he posed his name and college as a question, the first player to do so: "I'm Tony Gonzalez?"
The Pro Bowl is a time for NFL players to let loose and have fun, with no serious competitions taking place. NBC was airing the 2009 Pro Bowl — and Kris Jenkins, instead of saying a college, had something to get off his chest.
"This jersey is too tight," Jenkins told the audience.
Jamaal Williams is one of the most intense, unique personalities the NFL has ever seen. He made sure fans knew it.
The running back had one of the most entertaining NBC introductions ever back in January 2023, going full-on Key & Peele mode by calling himself "Swagg Kazekage, Leader of the Hidden Village of the Den."
That jumble of words was unfamiliar to most fans, but Williams later explained that it was a nod to "Naruto."
"It's basically just my own version of Naruto," Williams later said.
It's hard to argue this isn't the most iconic NBC player introduction. Not only was Terrell Suggs a bonafide star in the NFL, but he also became one of the earliest players to add a twist to his mandatory "Sunday Night Football" introduction by stating he went to "Ball So Hard University."
Suggs also called himself "Sizzle," referring to his nickname "T-Sizzle." And it's hard to sound cool while calling yourself "Sizzle," but Suggs managed to do it."
It was catchy, unique and helped lead the movement of unique introductions.
"Ball So Hard University" was so popular that Suggs dropped the line one last time to Ravens fans when he was inducted into the team's Ring of Honor.
