50+ NJCAA Alumni Competing in 2026 NFL Playoffs
Charlotte, NC – The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) has over 50 alumni participating in the 2026 NFL Playoffs as either players or coaches. All 14 playoff teams have at least one coach or player with an NJCAA background. Keep reading for highlights of a few NJCAA alumni.
Pittsburgh Steelers' Running Back Jaylen Warren began his college career at Snow College (UT) where he was named the 2018 NJCAA Football Offensive Player of the Year along with NJCAA All-America First Team honors. Warren totaled 1,435 rushing yards and led the nation with 159.4 rush yards per game. He also ranked second with 8.6 yards per carry and third with 15 touchdowns.
DeMarcus Lawrence, who currently plays for the Seattle Seahawks, was a defensive leader at Butler Community College (KS). He helped the Grizzlies to Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference (KJCCC) and Region VI titles in 2011 as Butler finished as the No. 2 team in the nation that season. Lawrence received NJCAA All-America Second Team recognition and All-KJCCC and All-Region VI First Team accolades. The Defensive End led his team with 27 tackles for loss and 10 sacks.
Former Lackawanna College (PA) Safety, Ji'Ayir Brown, is in his third season with the San Francisco 49ers who drafted him in 2023. Brown helped Lackawanna make an appearance in the 2019 NJCAA Football Championship and finish with a 10-1 overall record. He received NJCAA All-America First Team honors and was named the Northeast Football Conference (NEFC) Defensive Player of the Year.
The Defensive Backs & Pass Game Coordinator for the Chicago Bears, Al Harris, was part of history at Trinity Valley Community College (TX). The Cardinals went 20-1-2 in Harris' two seasons there, including the program's first-ever 12-0 season. Harris won the 1994 NJCAA Football Championship with Trinity Valley in 1994. As a player in the NFL, Harris was a two-time Pro Bowl selection with the Green Bay Packers. He began coaching in the league in 2012.
Also with the Chicago Bears is Defensive End, Montez Sweat. Playing for Copiah-Lincoln Community College (MS) in 2016, Sweat recorded 39 total tackles with six for a loss and added five sacks, two forced fumbles, and one interception.
Lane Johnson played his freshman season at Kilgore College (TX) as a Quarterback and Tight End in 2008. He then transferred to the University of Oklahoma and was the practice squad Quarterback while redshirting. In the fall of 2010, he transitioned to a role as a Tight End and Defensive End, but after some injuries on the offensive line, Johnson made this switch permanently.
A couple of current NFL stars participated in sports other than football in the NJCAA. San Francisco 49ers Kicker, Eddy Pineiro, committed to ASA Miami (FL) to play soccer. In the school's inaugural football season in 2015, the team needed help at kicker. Pineiro kicked extra points and kickoffs in high school, so he started practicing with ASA Miami's football team which catapulted him into a football career. Chicago Bears' Offensive Coordinator, Declan Doyle, was the baseball team captain at Iowa Western in 2016 before transferring to the University of Iowa where he served as an offensive student assistant with the football team.
Visit the NFL website to learn more about how to follow the 2026 NFL Playoffs.
About NJCAA
Since 1938, the NJCAA has served as the premier governing body for two-year collegiate athletics, providing student-athletes with opportunities to prepare, compete, succeed, and achieve in both their academic and athletic disciplines. The NJCAA is the second-largest national intercollegiate athletic organization in the United States, with over 500 member schools and 3,400 teams competing in 28 different sports. Each year, the NJCAA sponsors 57 national championships and invitationals.
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