List of players who have converted from one football code to another

American football to Canadian football

American football and Canadian football are very similar gridiron codes; talented Canadian youth players are often recruited by American universities offering scholarships, and conversely the Canadian Football League enforces roster minimums for Canadian-trained players to prevent its clubs from fielding American-dominated rosters. The CFL and NFL competed for the same player pool in their earlier years before the CFL settled into a de facto (and from time to time formal) developmental role to its American sister. Dozens of professional players move between these codes' top professional leagues every year, making any attempt at a list incomplete at best.

Two quarterbacks in particular became well known in both codes. Warren Moon, a California native who starred at the University of Washington, began his professional career with the Edmonton Eskimos before crossing the border back south to the Houston Oilers and later Minnesota Vikings, earning Hall of Fame recognition in both professional leagues. Doug Flutie, who authored a comeback win for Boston College considered an iconic moment in the history of American college football, played a long CFL career that led to him being the first non-Canadian honored with induction to Canada's Sports Hall of Fame before a brief NFL coda.

American football to rugby union

NB:

Association football to American football

Numerous American football placekickers grew up playing football (soccer); however, very few have competed at a very high level in their original code. A large number of the first "soccer-style" placekickers of the 1960s, and early 1970s were Europeans and Latin Americans who changed codes in adulthood. Eventually, kickers who changed codes in adulthood were largely, though not completely, displaced by players who were either born and raised in the U.S. or immigrated to the U.S. at a relatively early age, thus receiving more exposure to American football than most of the first soccer-style placekickers.

Most of the women to have played men's American football have crossed over from soccer.

Association football to Australian rules football

Following the establishment of AFL Women's in 2016 (the first professional women's Australian rules football competition), several Australian soccer players switched codes. No male professional soccer players are known to have ever switched to play professional Australian rules football.

Association football to rugby union

Association football to rugby league

Australian rules football to American football

Notably, the specialist American football punting role requires similar skills to those found in Australian football players.

Australian rules football to association football

International Rules participation provides experience with the round ball and even goal keeping.

As well as the players below, some player have been known to have played amateur level soccer after retiring from the AFL include Gary Ablett, James Hird, Gavin Wanganeen, Glenn Manton and Ang Christou.

Australian rules football to Gaelic football

Some players involved in the Irish Experiment to play professional Australian rules football returned to Ireland and went on to be notable in senior football. Such players have included:

Australian rules football to rugby union

As in rugby league and Australian rules, early in the history of the two codes in Australia the two codes were interchangeable. There is a much greater divide today. Jason Akermanis was the first professional Australian football player to suggest a switch to rugby union. Nevertheless, there are still some positions and roles that have commonalities. Also at amateur level, conversion is quite common, as in the case of many start-up Australian Rules clubs in countries such as France and developing Aussie Rules countries such as New Zealand and Samoa where there are dual-internationals at junior level.

Australian rules football to rugby league

Early in the history of the two codes in Australia, players would interchange the codes and even had discussions of merging them into a single game. Rugby league has since evolved to specialise in physicality and body type making it more difficult for successful conversion between the two, although it does sometimes happen at junior level, particularly in areas where both codes are played (such as the Riverina region). Though the modern specialist fullback and winger positions in rugby league can be suitable for the body type and skill of some Australian rules players. League greats Darren Lockyer, Glen Lazarus, Greg Brentnall, Peter Sterling, Marcus Bai and Kevin Proctor played Aussie Rules at a junior level.

Canadian football to American football

As discussed above, Canadian and American football are highly similar gridiron codes. Dozens if not hundreds of players and coaches move back and forth between Canadian and American codes every season and occasionally even within a season, making assembling a list of these players an impossible and largely immaterial task.

From Gaelic football

Gaelic football is especially vulnerable to code-switching, for reasons outlined by rugby union journalist Hugh Farrelly in 2009:

Gaelic football to Australian rules football

Like rugby union and league, the two codes share similarities, making switching between them a possibility. International rules representation for players of both codes is common. The Gaelic Athletic Association prohibits professionalism, meaning that there is a financial lure for players to compete in the professional elite Aussie Rules competitions in Australia.

Gaelic football to rugby union

Up until the mid-1990s, both codes were officially amateur. However the professionalisation of rugby union has provided a financial lure.

NB: byrne and Duffy both changed codes twice. Each first switched to rugby union as a teenager, then returned to Gaelic football after a long professional rugby career. This entry discusses their Gaelic football careers before their first code switch.

Gaelic football to rugby league

see also Category:Gaelic footballers who switched code

Rugby league / rugby union

Two of the closest codes, they share some similar skills. Until 1995 union was "officially amateur" and union players were offered money to switch codes. That trend has since reversed. Conversion from one code to the other is more difficult for forwards rather than backs where the similarities are most adjacent. It is worth noting that several players, including Iestyn Harris and Mat Rogers, have converted between the two codes on more than one occasion.

Rugby union to American football

Rugby union and American football share the same origins, but have evolved into very different games. Both are very physical and require similar body types.

Rugby union to Australian rules football

In recent years, several schoolboy rugby union players have made a transition to Australian Rules, including Ray Smith (Queensland Under 19), Jim Stynes, Lewis Roberts-Thomson, Aaron Edwards, Adam Campbell (New Zealand Under 15), Daniel Merrett, Brad Moran (West Midlands (England) Under 16) and Tom Williams (Queensland Under 16).

In 2012, Canadian Mike Pyke became the first former professional rugby player to win an AFL premiership.

Rugby league to rugby union

While the traffic used to be almost entirely from rugby union to rugby league, the tide has now turned the other way, and numerous rugby league players have gone over to union, since the game was professionalised.

Rugby league to Australian rules football

In recent years, several junior and schoolboy rugby league players have made a transition to Australian rules, including Wayne Carey, Paul Kelly, Kieren Jack, Michael McLean, Andrew McLeod, Jared Brennan, Matthew Whelan, and Sam Gilbert.

Rugby league to American football

On 3 March 2015 Jarryd Hayne became the first rugby league player (that hadn't already played in the NFL) to sign a contract with a National Football League team.