years death_date nfldraftedyear databasefootball birth_place teams article_title records position nfldraftedround birth_date nfl pfr college jersey
1958 1966 -- 1968 -- 1960 1961 -- 1962 1963 -- 1965 26 april 2005 1958 sampljoh01 cape charles , virginia , u.s. nfl afl new york jets baltimore colts nfl pittsburgh steelers nfl washington redskins johnny sample
 only 1958 -rrb- , afl -lrb- 1968 -rrb- , and world professional championship -lrb- 1968 season -rrb- football player to win an nfl -lrb- defensive back 7 / pick 79 15 june 1937 sam127782 sampjo20 maryland eastern shore '' ' 47 , 44 , 24 '' '
johnny sample

john b. sample , jr. -lrb- june 15 , 1937 -- april 26 , 2005 -rrb- was an american football defensive back who played in the national football league for the baltimore colts -lrb- 1958 -- 1960 -rrb- , pittsburgh steelers -lrb- 1961 -- 1962 -rrb- , and washington redskins -lrb- 1963 -- 1965 -rrb- , and in the american football league for the new york jets -lrb- 1966 -- 1968 -rrb- .
sample had the distinction of beginning and ending his career with championship wins in two of the most famous games in professional football history , and winning an nfl championship , an afl championship , and a world championship .
in his rookie season , he won an nfl championship ring with the colts in their victory over the new york giants in the 1958 nfl title game , which became known as the greatest game ever played .
in his final season , he helped the jets win the afl championship against the oakland raiders , and then to defeat the colts in the third afl-nfl world championship -lrb- super bowl iii -rrb- , recording an interception in the jets ' 16 -- 7 win .
he is the only professional football player to have won all three : an nfl , afl , and super bowl championship .
