Background and career
Joseph Horn (born January 16, 1972) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the fifth round of the 1996 NFL draft, and also played for the New Orleans Saints, the Atlanta Falcons, and the Memphis Mad Dogs of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football for the Itawamba Indians. After his playing career, he became an assistant coach at Northeast Mississippi Community College.
Horn attended Douglas Byrd High School in Fayetteville, North Carolina, where he played for legendary coach Bob Paroli. He stood out as a quarterback, tailback, wide receiver, and punter. He was only voted to the Mid-South 4A All-Star team as a punter. Horn was also a standout basketball player in which he started every game for the Douglas Byrd Eagles as a point guard. Horn nearly signed with the University of South Carolina and had offers from other Division I programs. However, his academic performance and SAT score were insufficient for Division I schools.
Horn played two years of college football (1991–1992) at Itawamba Community College in Fulton, Mississippi. At Itawamba, he picked up 54 catches for 878 yards and seven touchdowns as a wide receiver and a punt returner. Still unable to qualify for Division I college football, he returned to Fayetteville and worked at a fast food restaurant and at a furniture factory.
Horn did not play a down of football for two years after leaving college. After playing two years at Itawamba Community College in Fulton, Mississippi, Horn worked at a Bojangles' restaurant in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Down to his final few dollars, he bought a Jerry Rice workout video from a local Blockbuster and studied the drills and moves Rice performed in the film. Horn then made a highlight video of himself working out and sent the tape to multiple professional teams across the United States and Canada.
Horn tried out for the CFL Baltimore Stallions and was signed to the practice squad, but never played in a game for the team. Horn also had a minor stint with the Shreveport Pirates. On March 28, 1995, Horn was signed by the Memphis Mad Dogs. With Memphis, Horn played well in 1995, with 71 catches for 1,415 yards, and caught the attention of NFL scouts.
Horn was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the fifth round of the 1996 NFL draft with the 135th overall pick. He was mainly relegated to special teams and reserve duty at WR during his four seasons with the Chiefs. In his years there, he gained 879 receiving yards on 53 receptions with seven touchdowns, starting only two games.
Sources
Net-worth figure: Celebrity Net Worth (October 2026), in USD. Biography and career facts: the person's Wikipedia article and linked reporting. Snapshot date for all StarWorth figures: 28 October 2026.
