Sam Adams – professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour Jennifer E. Alley – former North Carolina Tar Heels women's basketball head coach[61] Isaac Anderson – Olympic wrestler (1988 Summer Olympics) Dexter Coakley – NFL Dallas Cowboys and St. Louis Rams (linebacker) Jamie Coleman – Arena football player Jaylin Davis – Major League Baseball player for the San Francisco Giants Armanti Edwards – NFL Chicago Bears, CFL Toronto Argonauts (wide receiver) Ryan Ellis – NASCAR Driver (NASCAR Cup Series) Ashley Fliehr, better known as Charlotte Flair – WWE professional wrestler (transferred to North Carolina State University) Ed Gainey – football player Alvin Gentry – NBA New Orleans Pelicans head coach, former head coach of Miami Heat, Detroit Pistons, Los Angeles Clippers and Phoenix Suns Dino Hackett – NFL Kansas City Chiefs (linebacker) Mary Jayne Harrelson – track athlete, two-time NCAA Outdoors 1500m National Champion[62] Jason Hunter – NFL Denver Broncos (defensive end) Daniel Jeremiah – analyst for NFL Network, writer with NFL.com, host of Move the Sticks podcast (QB for Appalachian State from 1998 to 2000) Daniel Kilgore – NFL San Francisco 49ers (center) Frank Leatherwood – football player, Arena Football League Rico Mack – NFL player (linebacker) Sam Martin – NFL Denver Broncos (punter) Demetrius McCray – NFL Jacksonville Jaguars (cornerback) Doug Middleton – NFL New York Jets (safety) Melissa Morrison-Howard – two-time Olympic hurdler bronze medalist (2000 & 2004) Dexter Jackson – NFL Carolina Panthers (wide receiver) Paul Johnson – head coach, Georgia Tech football Corey Lynch – NFL Tampa Bay Buccaneers (safety), son-in-law of Franklin Graham Marques Murrell – NFL New York Jets (linebacker) Ron Prince – NFL assistant coach Detroit Lions, former head coach at Kansas State University Mike Ramsey – MLB infielder from 1978 to 1985 Mark Royals – NFL punter from 1987 to 2003 Brian Quick – NFL Washington Redskins, St. Louis Rams (wide receiver) Scott Satterfield - Head Football Coach at Louisville University John Settle – NFL Atlanta Falcons player, running backs coach of Carolina Panthers Belus Smawley – basketball pioneer, one of inventors of jump shot D. J. Thompson – professional basketball player Coaker Triplett – two-sport star and baseball team captain, MLB outfielder for Cubs, Cardinals and Phillies from 1938 to 1945, player-manager for Triple-A Buffalo Bisons, inducted to Appalachian State Athletic Hall of Fame in 1976 Daniel Wilcox – NFL Baltimore Ravens (tight end) Steve Wilks – NFL head coach, Arizona Cardinals Everett Withers – football head coach of Texas State Bobcats, former head coach of James Madison Dukes and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill[63]