Most of the world knows Snoop Dogg as a legendary rapper and an iconic figure in the Hip Hop scene. While that is true, the MC has also ventured into many other things in entertainment and beyond. One of his most interesting ventures yet is inarguably the Snoop Youth Football League, which he founded in 2005. Since its inception, the league has had over 60,000 kids go through it. Out of the multitude, several of its former players have moved on to greater things. As a matter of fact, a number of former Snoop Youth Football League players have been drafted into the NFL while others, like Vince Staples, have followed more closely in Snoop’s footsteps. During a recent appearance on Nick Cannon’s Big Drive, Snoop shared that his league has produced a handful of NFL players. Here they are.
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C.J. Stroud
One of the most popular alumni of the Snoop Youth Football League, C.J. Stroud is a very gifted player. The 22-year-old was born on October 3, 2001, and honed his skills at a young age in Snoop’s league. Subsequently, Stroud played college football at Ohio State before being drafted into the NFL in 2023. He was the second overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft where he was selected by the Houston Texans. Since then, he has gone on to achieve some impressive feats playing as the team’s quarterback. At the NFL Honors on February 7, 2024, Stroud took home Offensive Rookie of the Year honors.
Jack Jones
Jack Jones currently plays as a cornerback for the Las Vegas Raiders. Before being drafted into the NFL, he went through the Snoop Youth Football League. Subsequently, Jones went on to play college football at USC, Moorpark College, and Arizona State University. While at Arizona State, he was drafted in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL draft by the New England Patriots. After being waived by the Patriots in November 2023, Jones was claimed by the Las Vegas Raiders.
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Keisean Nixon
After sharpening his skills at the Snoop Youth Football League, Keisean Nixon moved on to play college football at Arizona Western. Soon after, however, he transferred to the University of South Carolina. While there, in 2019, Nixon was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Oakland Raiders. Subsequently, in 2022, he signed with the Green Bay Packers, and has played with them since. The 26-year-old recently agreed to re-sign with the Packers.
Juju Smith-Schuster
In the 2017 NFL draft, Juju Smith-Schuster was the 62nd overall pick, selected in the second round. Before this, he had spent some time in the Snoop Youth Football League when he was younger. He also gained significant skills and experience playing college football for the USC Trojans. After he was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2017, he played with the team until the 2021 season. In 2022, Smith-Schuster played for the Kansas City Chiefs, but only for a year. Since 2023, the wide receiver has played for the New England Patriots.
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Romeo Doubs
Another product of the Snoop Youth Football League, Romeo Doubs now plays for the Green Bay Packers. The 23-year-old played college football at the University of Nevada before he was drafted into the NFL in 2022. Doubs was the 132nd overall pick, and was drafted in the fourth round by the Packers during the 2022 NFL draft. Since then, he has played with the team as a wide receiver.
Deommodore Lenoir
After his time at the Snoop Youth Football league, Deommodore Lenoir went on to play college football at the University of Oregon. Being a phenomenal talent, it’s no surprise that he subsequently got drafted into the NFL. During the 2021 NFL draft, Lenoir was the 172nd overall pick, and was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the fifth round. He plays the cornerback position, and has remained in the team since he joined in 2021.
Daiyan Henley
Since his time at the Snoop Youth Football League, David Henley has been a notable football player. Likewise, while playing college football at Nevada and Washington State between 2017 and 2022, his talent shone brightly. Subsequently, Henley was selected in the 2023 NFL draft by the Los Angeles Chargers. He was drafted in the third round, and was the 85th overall pick. The 24-year-old plays as a linebacker, and is slowly but surely making his mark in the team.
Ronnie Hillman
Ronnie Hillman is notable for being the very first Snoop Youth Football League alumnus to make it into the NFL. After his time in the league, he played college football for the San Diego State Aztecs. Subsequently, he transitioned into the NFL when he was drafted in 2012. The Denver Broncos drafted Hillman in the third round of the 2012 NFL draft. He was the 67th overall pick, and stayed with the team until 2015. Afterwards, he played for the Minnesota Vikings (2016), the San Diego Chargers (2016), and the Dallas Cowboys (2017). Unfortunately, Ronnie Hillman passed away at the age of 31 in 2022 due to renal medullary carcinoma, a rare form of kidney cancer.
De’Anthony Thomas
De’Anthony Thomas played college football at Oregon after his time with the Snoop Youth Football League. Subsequently, Thomas was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL draft. He is a wide receiver and a return specialist, and played with the Chiefs from 2014 until 2019. Afterwards, he played for the Baltimore Ravens from 2019 to 2020.
John Ross
A talented wide receiver, John Ross is among the alumni of the Snoop Youth Football League who made it into the NFL. After playing college football at the University of Washington, he was drafted into the NFL in 2017. Ross was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals as the ninth overall pick. He stayed in the team from 2017 until 2020 before transferring to the New York Giants in 2021. Afterwards, Ross signed with the Kansas City Chiefs in January 2023. However, in July 2023, the 28-year-old informed the team that he was retiring.
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