Top 12 Shortest Players in NFL History Including Darren Sproles and Deuce Vaughn

Every year at the NFL Combine, players run through drills, meet with teams, and get measured. These measurements are important, as teams get an accurate height for each player that they are evaluating.

A player’s height is more important at some positions than others. Who are the shortest players in NFL history, and how did they fare throughout their playing days?

Revisiting the Shortest NFL Players in History

The shortest players in NFL history have played a variety of positions — from running back and wide receiver to cornerback and return specialist.

Jack Shapiro, Staten Island Stapletons, 5’1″

Shapiro holds the Guinness World Record for the shortest player in NFL history. Standing at just 5’1,” the running back played one game for the Staten Island Stapletons. Seven decades after playing in the game, Shapiro earned the world record, and the 92-year-old was still alive to appreciate the honor. Interestingly, he was actually a half-inch below 5’1″, according to his U.S. Army discharge papers. However, he once said 5’1″ “sounded better.”

Trindon Holliday, Denver Broncos, 5’5″

A sixth-round draft pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, Trindon Holliday was a wide receiver who excelled on special teams, particularly with the Denver Broncos. He also played for the Houston Texans, San Francisco 49ers, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In 2012, Holliday led all NFL players with 481 punt return yards.

Deuce Vaughn, Free Agent, 5’5″

Deuce Vaughn is a running back who was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft with the No. 212 overall pick. His story is unique for many reasons. Standing at 5’5″, he’s the shortest player in NFL Scouting Combine history. He’s also the son of one of the coaches on the Cowboys’ staff. His draft day phone call will go down in history as one of the most touching in all the years of the NFL Draft.

The heartwarming phone call between father and son 📲🏈

Witness Cowboys scout Chris Vaughn draft his son Deuce 💙

(via @dallascowboys) pic.twitter.com/HZwHVmXTmn

— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL)

At Kansas State, Vaughn broke a number of school records. Unfortunately, Vaughn was waived by the Cowboys ahead of the 2025 NFL season.

Mack Herron, New England Patriots, 5’5″

Herron was a 5’5″ running back who was selected in the sixth round (No. 143 overall) of the 1970 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons. However, he initially opted to play in the Canadian Football League instead. After a two-year stint with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the CFL, Herron had stints with the Falcons and New England Patriots. While with the Patriots in 1973, he led the NFL in kickoff return yards. The following year in New England, he totaled 2,444 all-purpose yards, which was an NFL record at the time. He was later named to the Patriots’ All-1970s Team.

Darren Sproles, Philadelphia Eagles, 5’6″

The one, the only, Darren Sproles. Over the course of his 14-year NFL career, Sproles electrified the NFL as a rusher (averaging a blistering 4.9 yards per carry), receiver (posting a 553-4,840-32 career receiving line), and special teamer (with more than 11,000 combined kickoff and punt return yards). While ending his career with the Eagles, it should be noted that he made significant contributions with the Chargers and Saints. Since 1945, only five players have racked up more all-purpose yards than Sproles: Jerry Rice, Brian Mitchell, Walter Payton, Emmitt Smith, and Frank Gore.

Tarik Cohen, Chicago Bears, 5’6″

Tarik Cohen is a former fourth-round draft pick whose career was limited by injuries. He caught an incredible 203 passes in his first three NFL seasons and even led the league in punt return yards in his second campaign. While he drew comparisons to Sproles, he just couldn’t stay healthy and replicate Sproles’ durability. Cohen hasn’t appeared in a regular season game since September 2020.

Jacquizz Rodgers, Atlanta Falcons, 5’6″

Jacquizz Rodgers broke onto the NFL scene with the Atlanta Falcons during the 2011 season, spending four years there as a versatile contributor before earning a one-season stint in Chicago. He wrapped up his eight-year career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

J.J. Taylor, New England Patriots, 5’6″

While J.J. Taylor went undrafted in the 2020 NFL Draft, he had a three-year stint with the New England Patriots. In November of 2023, he joined the Houston Texans. The running back and return specialist spent the 2023 season on their practice squad, and he’s still with the squad entering the 2024 campaign.

Jakeem Grant, Miami Dolphins, 5’6″

Jakeem Grant is that rare player who earned his first Pro Bowl appearance in his final NFL season — and in a year when he played for two different teams. Grant was selected with the No. 186 overall pick in the sixth round of the 2016 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins. He stayed in Miami for more than five seasons before wrapping up his career with the Chicago Bears. A capable receiver, Grant also thrived as a kick returner, totaling six kick returns for touchdowns throughout his career.

Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville Jaguars, 5’7″

During a three-year stretch from 2009 to 2011, Maurice Jones-Drew was one of the best NFL players, period. He earned 299+ carries and 1,324+ rushing yards in each of those three seasons, along with 317+ receiving yards. Most running backs never once achieve what Jones-Drew managed to do in three straight campaigns. He finished his career with more than 11,000 offensive yards, proving that a diminutive RB could still be a power back.

Andrew Hawkins, Cleveland Browns, 5’7″

Andrew Hawkins was 25 years old before he finally got his shot in the NFL. He was a steady tertiary receiving option for the Cincinnati Bengals for three years. Then, he joined the Cleveland Browns, where he led the team in receptions and receiving yards in his first year.

Mark McMillian, Philadelphia Eagles, 5’7″

Nicknamed “Mighty Mouse,” McMillan was the No. 272 pick of the 1992 NFL Draft. The cornerback is regarded as the shortest defensive player to ever compete in the NFL. Notably, in 1997, he netted the second-most interceptions (eight) while leading the league in interception return yards.

Who Was the Shortest NFL Player of All Time?

As highlighted above, Jack Shapiro was the shortest NFL player of all time, reportedly standing at a little under 5’1″. Shapiro was roughly four inches shorter than the next-shortest player in NFL history.

Who Is the Shortest Player Currently in the NFL?

Cowboys running back Deuce Vaughn is officially the shortest player currently in the NFL. Coming in second is Texans running back and return specialist J.J. Taylor.

Cowboys-Eagles Week 1 Preview and Prediction

The Eagles and Cowboys will have their juices flowing on Thursday night in Philadelphia, as both teams enter the 2025 season with high expectations. Head coach Nick Sirianni will be tasked with leading a title defense charge, as opposing teams will have the Eagles circled on their calendars with hopes of taking down the reigning champion.

Dallas has been in the headlines recently, as they dealt away superstar pass rusher Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers after deciding not to pay him top-of-the-line money despite his two All-Pro honors in four seasons. They got back three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kenny Clark, who will aid in helping against the run.

That has been a significant deficiency for the Cowboys in recent years, as they allowed 137.1 rush yards per game (17th in the league) last season and 112.35 yards per game in 2023. That’s precisely where Philadelphia excels offensively, as they were second in the NFL last season in rushing for 179.3 yards per game.

Star running back Saquon Barkley is back after a banner 2024 campaign: 345 carries, 2,005 yards, and 13 touchdowns. He capped it off by running for 442 yards in the Eagles’ postseason run.

It’s hard to see a complete flip in the run-stopping abilities for Dallas, potentially spelling doom for them as the game wears on. Offensively, for the Cowboys, they’ll be heavily reliant on quarterback Dak Prescott and the pass game. Their running back room, headlined by former Denver Broncos’ Javonte Williams, is arguably the weakest unit on the roster.

Meanwhile, the wide receiver room has the potential to be the strongest, as they’ll trot out a star-studded duo of CeeDee Lamb (1,194 yards, six touchdowns last season) and newly acquired wide receiver George Pickens (900 yards, three touchdowns with the Pittsburgh Steelers).

Across from them will be a capable secondary in second-year cornerbacks Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. Both were key pieces in Philadelphia’s Super Bowl run and will be expected to step up even more with a second year in the organization. The Eagles’ wide receiver duo is no slouch as well. AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith combined for 1,912 yards and 15 touchdowns last season, giving quarterback Jalen Hurts two Pro Bowl-caliber receivers to throw to.

Throughout this game, several intriguing matchups are present. But looking beyond that at the overall depth between the two teams, Philadelphia wins out in a landslide. They’re far better in the trenches on both sides of the ball, have a much more talented secondary, and have potentially the best running game in the NFL.

The Eagles will open the season with a healthy dose of Barkley carries, running all over an undermanned Cowboys run defense. In front of a home crowd, Philadelphia runs — literally — away with this one in the second half.

Prediction: Eagles 27, Cowboys 13