NFL teams by Presidential last names on their rosters
As I watched the Steelers' disgraceful game against the Eagles yesterday, I had plenty of time to think. "Why," I wondered, "do the Steelers have so many starters with Presidential names?" James Harrison first sprung to mind. There's also Nate Washington and Anthony Madison. Ike Taylor slipped my mind but he starts often. Lastly the Steelers have Tyrone Carter and Arnold Harrison, the latter on Injured Reserve. That's 6 Steelers with names of former Presidents. Can any team stop them?
Thanks to the magic of regular expressions, I now know the answer: yes. The Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers each have 7 ex-Presidents on their rolls.
The Chiefs have Larry Johnson, Herb Taylor, T.J. Jackson, Tank Tyler, Derrick Johnson, Edwin Harrison, and Tavares Washington. (The last two are on the practice squad.) The Bucs have Josh Johnson, Dexter Jackson, Gaines Adams, Kevin Carter, Geno Hayes, Tanard Jackson, and Julius Wilson, of whom only Wilson is on the practice squad.
Here are the totals as of September 22, 2008. They include the reserve and practice squad. Matches are considered on complete last names only; partial matches don't count (or else "...ford" would match a ton).
| American Football Conference | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East | North | South | West | ||||
|
Bills Patriots Jets Dolphins |
4 3 1 0 |
Steelers Bengals Browns Ravens |
6 4* 3 2 |
Texans Colts Titans Jaguars |
5 4 4 3 |
Chiefs Raiders Broncos Chargers |
7 5 3 2 |
| National Football Conference | |||||||
| East | North | South | West | ||||
|
Redskins Giants Cowboys Eagles |
5† 5 4 2 |
Vikings Lions Packers Bears |
5 3 3 2 |
Bucs Panthers Falcons Saints |
7 6 3 2 |
Cardinals Seahawks Rams 49ers |
5 5 2 2 |
* 5 if you include Reagan Mauia.
† 4 are defensive ends.