Did Ed O'Neill play in NFL? Football career of 'Modern Family' actor explored

Ed O'Neill is a household name and one of the most beloved actors in showbiz. The Youngstown, Ohio-born, comedian and actor has been a fixture in the mainstream movie industry since Cruising in the 1980s.

In this article, we explore whether Ed O'Neill played in the National Football League before his acting career took off.

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Ed O'Neill did not play in the NFL

Ed O'Neill didn't play in the National Football League; the closest he got to the league was his stint as an off-season squad member of the Pittsburgh Steelers. He went undrafted in the 1969 NFL Draft before he was promptly signed by the Steelers as an undrafted free agent.

O'Neill might not have played in the NFL, but the multifaceted artist enjoyed a great high school and college football career. He was so good at Ursuline High School in Youngstown, Ohio, that he was offered an athletic scholarship to attend Youngstown State.

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Ed O'Neill went on to have a stellar acting career

After getting cut by the Pittsburgh Steelers, O'Neill didn't stick around the league waiting for another franchise to offer him a short-term contract. O'Neill instead re-enrolled at Youngstown State to study.

That move proved one of the best in O'Neill's life, as the former NFL hopeful found his calling in the performing arts world. He has since then acted in movies like The Dogs of War, The Adventures of Ford Fairlane, Wayne's World (1&2), The Bone Collector, Redbelt, Wreck-It Ralph, Traficant: The Congressman of Crimetown, Ralph Breaks the Internet and The Last Shift.

The Youngstown State University product has also been a fixture on television-oriented shows. He featured in Another World, Moonlighting, The Equalizer, Married... with Children, The Earth Day Special, The 10th Kingdom, The West Wing, John from Cincinnati, Kick Buttowski: Suburban Daredevil and Real Husbands of Hollywood. Modern Family, where he played the lead role of Jay Pritchett for 250 episodes, is perhaps the most renowned one.

O'Neill has since gone on to earn four Screen Actors Guild Awards, two Golden Globe Award nominations, one TV Land Award and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.