BY MANUEL MARSELIAN
With the 2026 to 27 NFL and college football seasons approaching, it is an ideal time to reflect on the remarkable contributions Armenian-Americans have made to one of America’s most popular sports.
Although the Armenian athletic tradition is often associated with wrestling, weightlifting, boxing, and, more recently, mixed martial arts, Armenian-Americans have also established a significant legacy in American football. From the earliest decades of the game through today’s NFL, generations of players, coaches, executives, and innovators have contributed to the sport at both the collegiate and professional levels.
Their history stretches across more than a century of American football, encompassing pioneering athletes, All-Americans, championship-winning coaches, professional standouts, and influential figures behind the scenes. Many competed during periods when ethnic heritage was rarely documented, leaving parts of this history largely unknown outside the Armenian community.
This article brings that history together, tracing the Armenian-American presence on the gridiron from its early pioneers through the generations that followed and recognizing the individuals whose accomplishments helped secure a distinctive place for Armenian-Americans in the story of American football.
Mian (Mihran) “Mike” Gulian
The First Verified Armenian-American Football Player
Born on July 29, 1900, in Marash, Mian (Mihran) “Mike” Gulian, known as the “Armenian Prince,” immigrated to Newton, Massachusetts, where he developed into one of America’s premier football players.
At Brown University, Gulian became one of the nation’s top tackles during football’s “Iron Man” era. A four-year letterman and 1922 team captain, he earned First Team All-American honors after leading Brown to a memorable victory over Harvard.
He played professionally from 1923 to 1927 with the Buffalo All-Americans, Frankford Yellow Jackets, and Providence Steam Roller. Based on available historical records, Gulian is recognized as the first verified Armenian-American football player to achieve national prominence in major college football, the first verified Armenian-American to compete in the National Football League, and the first verified Armenian-born player in NFL history.
Widely regarded as the father of Armenian participation in American football, Gulian paved the way for future generations of Armenian-American players and holds a distinctive place among the sport’s early ethnic pioneers.
Research Note: Richard Demirjian’s Armenian-American/Canadian Who’s Who of Outstanding Athletes, Coaches and Sports Personalities (1989) states that Michael Gaspar Kaprielian played four years of football at the University of Southern California from 1910 to 1913. However, this claim remains unresolved because historical records show that USC did not field a varsity football team during most of those seasons, having temporarily replaced football with rugby.
The Most Decorated Armenian-Americans in College Football
Alex Agase
Walter Camp Foundation All-Century Team
Alexander “Alex” Agase was born on September 17, 1922, in Evanston, Illinois, to an Assyrian father and an Armenian mother, Eslie Darwitt, whose family originated from Iran.
Agase became one of the most accomplished linemen in college football history and was among a select group of players to earn First Team All-American honors three times.
He starred at Illinois in 1942 and 1946 and at Purdue in 1943 while serving in the U.S. Marine Corps V-12 Program during World War II. A two-time Consensus First Team All-American, he won the 1946 Chicago Tribune Silver Football as the Big Ten’s Most Valuable Player and captained Illinois to victory in the 1947 Rose Bowl.
Following his playing career, Agase spent several seasons in the All-America Football Conference and National Football League before embarking on a successful coaching career at Northwestern and Purdue.
He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1963 and named to the Walter Camp Foundation All-Century Team in 1989, cementing his legacy as one of the great linemen in college football history.
Ara Parseghian
Two-Time NCAA National Championship Head Coach
Ara Raoul Parseghian was born on May 21, 1923, in Akron, Ohio, into a family of Armenian and French heritage. His father, Michael Parseghian, was Armenian, while his mother was of French descent.
Parseghian became one of the most celebrated head coaches in college football history. After successful tenures at Miami University (Ohio) and Northwestern, he took over at Notre Dame in 1964 and immediately restored the Fighting Irish to national prominence.
Over his head coaching career, Parseghian compiled a remarkable 170–58–6 record, guiding Notre Dame to consensus national championships in 1966 and 1973. A multiple-time National Coach of the Year, he became renowned for his strategic discipline, motivational leadership, and ability to rebuild struggling programs.
Parseghian was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1980 and remains one of the defining figures in Notre Dame football history, alongside legendary coaches Knute Rockne and Frank Leahy. His success also made him one of the most prominent Americans of Armenian heritage ever associated with college football.
The Five Stanford Armenians
A Remarkable Story in College Football History
In the fall of 1951, five Armenian-American athletes, Gary Kerkorian, Harry Hugasian, Norm Manoogian, Chuck Essegian, and Ed Krapilian, came together on Stanford’s football field. Recruited with the support of Pasadena booster Sam Salesian, they became part of a remarkable team that fought its way to the Rose Bowl on January 1, 1952.
Each made a distinctive contribution. Kerkorian became an All-American quarterback, Hugasian scored Stanford’s only touchdown in the Rose Bowl, Manoogian became a team captain, Essegian later reached baseball’s World Series, and Krapilian strengthened Stanford’s line.
Kerkorian and Hugasian became such a memorable combination that sportswriters nicknamed them the “Shish-Kebab Twins.” Together, the five created an enduring chapter in Stanford and Armenian-American sports history.
The Most Decorated Armenian-Americans in NFL
Ben Agajanian
Two-Time NFL Champion and Two-Time Super Bowl-Winning Coach
Ben Agajanian was born on October 28, 1919, in Santa Ana, California, to Armenian immigrant parents. Despite losing several toes on his kicking foot in a childhood accident, he overcame the injury to become one of professional football’s great kicking pioneers.
During a professional career spanning 1945 to 1964, Agajanian played for nine NFL teams, including the Cleveland Browns, New York Giants, Los Angeles Rams, and Philadelphia Eagles, as well as the Los Angeles Chargers of the AFL. He won two NFL championships as a player, with the New York Giants in 1956 and Green Bay Packers in 1961, and later earned two Super Bowl rings as kicking coach for the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowls XXVII and XXVIII.
A pioneer of the specialist kicking position, Agajanian helped transform placekicking into a distinct role in professional football and established a legacy that endured well beyond his playing career.
Garo Yepremian
Two-Time Super Bowl Champion
Garo Yepremian was born on June 2, 1944, in Larnaca, Cyprus, to Armenian parents. After immigrating to the United States, he became one of the NFL’s most successful kickers despite having no prior experience playing organized American football.
Yepremian spent the majority of his career with the Miami Dolphins from 1970 to 1978, helping the franchise win Super Bowls VII and VIII. He was a member of the legendary 1972 Dolphins, who completed the only perfect season in NFL history. A two-time Pro Bowl selection and two-time First Team All-Pro, he led the NFL in scoring in 1973 with 127 points.
Yepremian became one of the defining kickers of his era and a pioneering Armenian presence in professional football.
Steve Furness
Four-Time Super Bowl Champion
Steve Furness was born on June 21, 1950, in Providence, Rhode Island, to an English father and an Armenian-American mother. He went on to become an accomplished defensive lineman, enjoying a distinguished nine-year NFL career with the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1972 to 1980.
After starring at the University of Rhode Island, Furness was selected by Pittsburgh in the fifth round of the 1972 NFL Draft. He developed into a key member of the legendary “Steel Curtain” defense, helping the Steelers capture four Super Bowl championships: IX, X, XIII, and XIV. Known for his strength, quickness, and relentless pass rush, he recorded 26.5 career sacks, although sacks were not yet an official NFL statistic during the early years of his career.
His role in Pittsburgh’s championship dynasty placed Furness among the most successful Armenian-American players of the Super Bowl era.
Berj Najarian
Six-Time Super Bowl Champion Executive
Berj Najarian is an Armenian-American football executive who served for more than two decades with the New England Patriots, rising from equipment assistant to Director of Football/Chief of Staff under head coach Bill Belichick. A trusted member of the Patriots’ leadership, he played an important behind-the-scenes role during one of the greatest dynasties in NFL history.
Najarian was part of the organization that won six Super Bowl championships, XXXVI, XXXVIII, XXXIX, XLIX, LI, and LIII, during the Bill Belichick and Tom Brady era. Widely respected for his leadership and football operations experience, he later joined the Houston Texans as Senior Advisor to the General Manager.
With six Super Bowl rings, Najarian stands among the most decorated Armenian-Americans in professional football and represents another dimension of the Armenian-American contribution to the sport: achievement and influence beyond the playing field.
Armenian-Americans have written a distinctive, often overlooked chapter in American football history. It began with Mike Gulian, the Marash-born All-American who became the first verified Armenian-American to play in the NFL. It continued with Alex Agase’s All-American career, Ara Parseghian’s national championships at Notre Dame, and the remarkable Five Stanford Armenians, who helped carry Stanford to the 1952 Rose Bowl. Later generations added to that legacy through Ben Agajanian’s pioneering placekicking career, Garo Yepremian’s role on Miami’s perfect 1972 team, Steve Furness and Pittsburgh’s “Steel Curtain,” and Berj Najarian’s six Super Bowl championships with New England.
Across generations, Armenian-American players, coaches, pioneers, and executives have been part of some of the defining teams and moments in football history. Their achievements form a remarkable legacy that extends from the earliest days of the sport to the modern NFL. And with a new generation taking the field today, the Armenian story on the gridiron continues to be written.
—