10 Top NFL Follows on Twitter

Twitter: The once-burgeoning fad has now become mainstream, and everyone who is anyone has an account. No longer reserved for following celebs and star athletes, Twitter is now a tool of advertisers, professionals, educators, and teenagers—anyone looking to promote an agenda.

Still, since the inception of Twitter, star athletes—many NFL players—quickly signed on, realizing this social media would give them a direct connection to their fan base. As Twitter has become a household name and more and more people tweet, NFL players still provide fans with exclusive daily content.

Whether it is what time they work out, the type of car they drive, or recommendations about who to start in fantasy leagues, there is virtually no limit to the amount of information Twitter can provide—instantaneously.

The following slides list the top 10 NFL Follows on Twitter, and there are few honorable mentions to boot. Enjoy! And we'll see you somewhere out in the Twitterverse.

1. @ochocinco

The Original. The OG. The Ocho. Ochocinco.

An early adopter of Twitter, Chad Ochocinco has maximized the social media to essentially brand himself and create an immediate connection with his fans. He pushed Twitter to the limits, sustaining fines from the NFL for tweeting. The NFL has implemented parameters to limit tweeting during games, thanks in part to No. 85.

Since then, he has played within the rules, but has ushered in friends and competitors to the world of Twitter. And he continues to be a daily, hourly constant in the Twitterverse. Ochocinco tweets out everything from football, to politics, to personal anecdotes, to inspirational messages for his fans.

No NFL Twitter account would be complete without @ochocinco.

2. @RayRice27

Ray Rice is a Twitter vet who mixes up content: Tweeting about football and all things NFL, but also tweeting out encouragement to his fantasy owners.  

@RayRice27 is a solid Twitter account, and it's a must have on your NFL Twitter Follows, for League news from an inside perspective, and also inside info regarding your No. 1 fantasy RB.

3. @DeseanJackson10

The Eagles' electric playmaker is also an electric Twitter follow.

Full of style and personality, DeSean Jackson will tweet shoutouts, football updates, college football projections, fashion advice, and often what he's up to and where he's headed.

Keep an eye on @DeseanJackson10 and you could possibly run into this bird out and about. Regardless, his tweets are just as entertaining as his moves on the gridiron, which makes him an excellent follow.

4. @drewbrees

The man who saved a city and rejuvenated New Orleans by injecting it with life and a Super Bowl championship is also an avid Tweeter, and he makes for a great follow.  

He certainly gives fans some great insight and attempts to reach out to the Who Dats in a very personal way, being very conscious of giving back to society.

Brees uses his twitter to inform others of his charitable pursuits and ways that they can become involved as well. Mix in a little touching family tweets and some jocular locker room banter, and @drewbrees is a wholesome yet macho Twitter follow.  

Check him out!

5. @Jones_Drew32

Maurice Jones Drew is a stud on the football fieldz—there's no denying it. But he's a stud on UberTwitter, as well. He welcomes friends to Twitter, throws shoutouts to his friends, advocates for his NFL fraternity brethren in contract disputes, and is in hot pursuit of 200,000 followers.

@Jones_Drew32 rolls off the tongue and is an excellent Twitter follow. His tag line reads: My Life Journey as a NFL Player, and his Twitter is just that and more. This cannonball of a running back will keep you well informed of what's going on from the locker room, to the board room, to cyberspace.

6. @Mark_Sanchez

It's hard to live in Broadway Joe's shadow, but the New York Jets' quarterback is in the Twitter spotlight. Keeping things real in the city that never sleeps, Mark Sanchez gives his fans an inside look at what he goes through on a daily basis, as well as highlights of notable Jets fans he comes in contact with.

At the same time, Sanchez keeps to his roots and makes sure his West Coast fans aren't forgotten from his days at USC. In this way @Mark_Sanchez is a transcontinental Twitter, and he's certainly worth following in your NFL repertoire.

7. @johnelway

Fittingly, good ol' No. 7 comes in at No. 7.  

Although the content of his twitter is more specifically relevant to Broncos fans, John Elway makes the list, as he has taken to Twitter with a flair, and uses his account to communicate official team business with the fan base as well as with the media.

Elway must know the loyalty Bronco Nation feels with their team, and putting the fans on the same level as the local media is pretty astounding. Certainly, all teams have official Twitter accounts where info is disseminated from the PR department, but that's different than hearing, as decisions are made straight from the horse's mouth.  

Just follow @johnelway to know exactly what happens with the Denver Broncos—when it happens.

8. @ndamukong_suh

The only defensive player to make the list is currently in the process of turning the Motor City upside down. And he's also a great Twitter follow.

Ndamukong Suh strikes fear into the hearts of offensive linemen, but he is open and welcoming in cyberspace. Follow @ndamukong_suh to hear Husker football banter, personal shout outs, and to get updates on his neatly refined golf game.

9. @SI_PeterKing

Although not a huge fan of his work—certainly not his television appearances—Sports Illustrated's senior NFL writer Peter King certainly has his ear to the ground. Follow @SI_PeterKing to get the skinny on team news, player updates, and transactions in the works before they happen.

Whether you read him on the newsstands or not, he's certainly worth following on Twitter.

10. @MatthewBerryTMR

Anybody out there play fantasy football? Yeah, thought so. That being the case, @MatthewBerryTMR is a must follow.

The Host of ESPN's Fantasy Football Live and author of the blog The Talented Mr. Roto, Matthew Berry dispenses invaluable advice for fantasy football addicts everywhere. Chances are, you already pay attention to his fantasy football advice, and now you can do it instantly on Twitter.

Honorable Mention: @LarryFitzgerald

L-Fitz comes in as an honorable mention. Although having a mildly disappointing season on the field, he is still very active on Twitter.

Follow @LarryFitzgerald to hear him promote Pittsburgh football, his interaction with fans, and his tremendous work ethic. It's nothing if not an inspiring Twitter follow.

Honorable Mention: @juliojones_11

Another honorable mention could be the Twitter Breakout Rookie of the Year. Although he still has a long way to go, Julio Jones is quickly attracting a large fan base.

Perhaps it's because he's not opposed to giving fans personal shout outs on their birthdays. He's also in the habit of alerting friends and teammates to just how early he hits the weight room.  

Follow @juliojones_11 to get motivated and see exactly what it takes to keep up with this exciting young player. 

Honorable Mention: @FauxJohnMadden

This is an interesting phenomenon that quickly popped up across Twitter—admittedly fake account of celebs and athletes that are dutifully maintained, usually in very humorous ways.

One honorable mention goes to one faux account worth mentioning: @FauxJohnMadden. In the same way that impersonations of Harry Caray have almost become more recognizable than anecdotes from the real Harry Caray, so, too, does this account give us some priceless Maddenisms, although admittedly fake.

Give these top 10-plus accounts a Follow and enhance both your NFL and Twitter experience. Oh, and for links to interesting B/R articles and more, don't forget to check out yours truly: @jaycpercell.

Thanks for the Follow! See you on Twitter!