Byron Leftwich
Leftwich spent most of his NFL career as a backup quarterback. While he wasn’t the greatest player to step onto a football field, he had a lot of heart. He showed this during his time in school with Marshall. The Herd played Akron when Leftwich broke his leg. He knew the potential consequences for his long-term career but refused to quit the game.

Everybody knew what happened because he underwent an x-ray during the break. But he returned to the action in the gutsiest performance of his career. This is even more impressive because he was a young college athlete. There are NFL players who wouldn’t push themselves this hard but Leftwich kept fighting (via Sportscasting).