"Baddest" player in NFL history?

[maveric]

Poll question: "Baddest" player in NFL history?

Ronnie Lott was the absolute Baddest!

[driver8]

1. Mike Curtis -- Linebacker for The Baltimore Colts in the 60s

A fan ran on the field one time and picked up the ball and took off. Mike Curtis went after him and clothes lined the guy. I think he knocked him out cold.

Honorable mentions

Jack Lambert
Anyone on the 70s Raiders
Randy White
Jim Otto

[maveric]

4. I watched that game when Curtis leveled the guy.

I heard an interview with Bubba Smith one time and he stated that Mike Curtis was the sickest player he had ever seen. "The man was truly demented", he said.

Tatum was pretty bad too. He paralyzed Patriot receiver Darryl Stingley on a cheap but punishing hit. Later admitted that he felt no remorse.
Pretty sick!

[Burma Jones]

65. Plus, Curtis was/is a Right Wing Douchebag

I remember, way back in 1972, he came to speak at our Middle School and basically told us that all our parents were criminals and that we were a generation of losers. This was, of course, after he was roundly Booed by the crowd of Middle School Students when he said he supported the Viet Nam war...

Anyway, he was thinking about entering politics back in the 70's, as a real Right Winger, fortunately, nothing came of it......

[Capn Sunshine]

2. Better picture of Ronnie

BTW don't forget John Matuszak

[taterguy]

17. The Tooz

Deserves a mention for his performance in North Dallas Forty, the best sports movie ever made. Who hasn't wanted to yell the following thing to their bosses: "You're all chickenshit cocksuckers."

[ForrestGump]

3. Point of grammer

Its' "worstest"; not "baddest". a small poynt, but one worth makking.

[Robeson]

5. Alan Page....

...First Defensive Player to be named NFL MVP...

[maveric]

6. Isnt he a superior court judge in Minnesota?

Or he used to be?

[Robeson]

8. Yes, indeed, he is. He sits on the Supreme Court in Minnesota, and....

...would make an excellent U.S. Supreme Court Justice if we ever get the chance to appoint one again. He's liberal, independent, and cares about civil rights. What more could one ask for?

*Of course the fact that he is independent in his thoughts, and not owned by some other interest group, probably disqualifies him from the Supreme Court....

[Wetzelbill]

21. yeah, your last sentence is dead on

[SaveElmer]

61. Ditto on Page...

Great player, great guy!!!

[Blue_Tires]

7. 1. Conrad Dobler

2. Chuck Bednarik

[hfojvt]

11. that was the guy I was thinking of

I still remember a Monday Night Football game where some big Atlanta fullback caught a short pass, turned around and just flattened Lott without really knowing he was there. So Lott is not getting my vote.

[driver8]

18. Conrad Dobler was one of the dirtiest players -- I read an article

about him and he used to bite guys all the time.

[Wetzelbill]

22. he and Romo would be good pals then

[Blue_Tires]

31. yeah, he was VERY mean and VERY dirty

which was what makes him so intimidating

[Awsi Dooger]

9. Simple, it's Butkus and others

Without question the meanest and most intimidating defender in football history. No one threw players around like rag dolls like Dick Butkus. Plus he had terrific sideline to sideline speed, excellent hands for the interception and ran like a possessed bull after the INT. Incredible at making plays in the backfield and a very high sack total. Virtually the perfect football player before knee injuries shortened his career.

Of all the legendary players, Butkus is the one who's actually underrated. If you look at the comments of players in that era, they gushed at least at much about Butkus on defense as Jim Brown on offense. In fact, Bill Curry the Colts center and current ESPN college football announcer said if fotball were going to be renamed, it should be called Dick Butkus.

Excellent list overall. The contemporary player who should be there is Ray Lewis.

[maveric]

10. Ronnie Lott had a finger almost severed in a game once.

Rather than going to the hospital and missing the rest of the game, he bit the end of it off and went back into play.
The hardest hitter I have ever seen!

[Wetzelbill]

19. played with a dislocated shoulder before too

just would pop it back in and go out and do his shit. I've done that. Wrestled with a dislocated shoulder, popped it back in and continued on. Trust me, it's not for the weak-hearted. I'd rather bite the rest of my finger off than to have to do that shit again. That Lott played whole football games like that and still hit people hard is amazing.

[madrchsod]

12. bronko nagurski

[Aristus]

38. I second Bronko Nagurski.

He could intimidate the opposing players with his name alone! B-)

[maveric]

41. He was Canadian too.

Not too many NFLers from Canada.

[Thom Little]

13. Kyle Turley

[Kickin_Donkey]

14. Earl Campbell ...

he's gotta be up there.

[driver8]

49. Earl Campbell used to punish defenders. Have you seen the

video where he hits Isaiah Robertson of the Rams and knocks him back about five feet?? Unbelievable.

[Kickin_Donkey]

52. Yeah, that's the shot that I and probably everyone else ...

remembers him: In the middle of a long run, Isaiah Robertson, who was a great player himself, tries to take on Campbell head-on ... Campbell lowers his helmet and rams the linebacker in the chest, sending Robertson flying straight back ... Campbell is barely slowed and keeps rambling downfield.

An iconic shot.

[Broken_Hero]

15. Dick Butkus for sure...

with a name like Butkus...i'm sure he was forged into a pent up ball of rage...:)

[DainBramaged]

16. LT, changed how the game is played, no comparison.

[Wetzelbill]

20. I went with "other" and picked Sweetness

Walter Payton was double-edged fucking tough. He would get leveled with a shot that would kill a normal man and just bounce back up. Most guys get laid out and they lay around for a little bit, are slow getting up etc. A truck could have ran over Walter Payton and he would have hopped up in half a second. Not to mention, the man was durable. Never hurt. He was a little piece of steel. He could give it back too. Not a big back by any means, but the guy could block and run over people too, if he had to do so. Just a great tough all-around football player. Consummate pro and teammate. He played the game the way it should be played and conducted himself with class at all times.

[RevCheesehead]

23. Ray Nitschke

http://www.sportsattic.com/nflphoto/photos/Nitschke,Ray8.jpg

He was also one of the kindest and gentlest off the field.

[Wetzelbill]

24. what? No Favre?

Favre may be the toughest quarterback to play the game. Durable as all hell too. I figured you'd be all over that one.

Nitschke will do though. He was tough as nails.

[RevCheesehead]

25. Brett is tough as anyone. But "baddest?" Nah...

Any Packers fan worth their salt would tell you, it's Nitschke.
I couldn't find the photo of him grinning his toothless grin. My 2nd grade teacher had that one up in the classroom all year.

[Wetzelbill]

26. ok, "baddest" may be a different category

I went to Middle School with the Packer's center last year. He got Favre hurt on his first play too. :) Grey Ruegamer is his name, he got cut this year.

[kanrok]

51. I got Butkus first with Nitschke a close second

Both agile, mobile and hostile.

[AngryAmish]

27. I voted for Butkis, however Bronco Nagurski could be voted

He played both ways. Fullback and middle linebacker. Contact on every play. Makes Lott look like a sissy.

[MrBenchley]

28. Night Train Lane

Besides having one of the coolest nicknames EVER, he was one of the all-time great defensive backs...he still holds the single season record for interceptions and ranks third or fourth all time (remember, the season was only 14 games long when he played).

Within a couple years of his debut, clothesline tackles were outlawed, directly due to him. The league also invented the "face masking" penalty in the mid-1950s after he began using them to slingshot players to the ground. What other player is reponsible for two rule changes?

Bonus fun fact: He was married to R&B legend Dianh Washington.

[Elidor]

32. I was hoping someone would mention him

Frank Gifford still gets ugly whenever anyone mentions Night Train, hehehe.

Didn't know that he married Dinah.

[MrBenchley]

34. A number of players from that era should be mentioned...

Chuck Bednarik was the last guy to start on both offense and defense, and damn near killed Gifford in one game.

Jim Parker was the toughest offensive lineman in the league and John Unitas' bodyguard.

John Henry Johnson was a very tough running back....

[Elidor]

42. Oh, man, how could I forget Chuck Bednarik?

I was watching one of those NFL retrospectives once, and everyone was going on about him, and he was talking matter-of-factly about playing with a broken finger or something. I remember thinking that I had seldom seen such a hardass tough guy in my life. I remember thinking that I'd hate to have to contend with such a formidable opponent in such a physical game. Bednarik was brutal on the field.

And who was that guy who specialized in knocking people out with his shoulder? I can't remember. He was just evil. Maybe that was Bednarik, too.

[MrBenchley]

62. Bednarik actually crosses the line into crazy

but he was tough as a two dollar steak....

[mikeargo]

58. And let's not forget...

Eugene "Big Daddy" Lipscombe

[MrBenchley]

63. Big Daddy was an amazing athlete...fast, strong and smart.

Many of his teammates still think he was murdered, although his death is listed as an accidental overdose.

[Faygo Kid]

60. Agreed. Clothesline.

[rurallib]

29. During the strike year there were some really bad players

[NeoConsSuck]

30. Toughest Quarterback..

who was the Minnesota QB? Joe Kapp? Flattened the linebacker on a quarterback run.

[livetohike]

33. Jack Lambert

[dajoki]

36. mine too...

mike curtis from the Baltimore Colts 2nd.

[driver8]

50. One of my all time favorite players! This guy was born to play

linebacker in the NFL. That Steeler defense was pretty amazing.

[livetohike]

55. In his retirement, he is a fish and game warden in PA

He was the best and my all time favorite Steeler.

[maveric]

35. We cant forget Otis Sistrunk.

Never went to college. In the team program/roster his college was listed as "Mars".

[ashling]

37. O.J. Simpson just keeps getting badder

anyone want to help hime look for the real killer?

[Karenina]

39. Lyle Alzado

Peace be unto you, Badboy.

And ALL of the above.

[Thom Little]

53. Not the baddest player, just the baddest drugs

[MrSlayer]

40. Lott was great but LT redefined the linebacker position.

I hated the bastard because he was on the Giants but he was a wrecking machine out there. Reggie White also needs to be mentioned.

[liberaltrucker]

43. Ian Gold

Of the Broncos among current players, but the baddest of all time has to be Dick Butkus.

[LSK]

57. not John Lynch?

[mtowngman]

44. L.T. was the man

Seen him take control of games many times. Invented the position of outside linebacker. Eagles OT Stan Walters said it was playing against L.T. twice a season that convinced him it was time to retire. Ask Joe Theisman who the baddest player ever was.

[GrpCaptMandrake]

45. Sam Huff

The only man in NFL *or* college who routinely outright owned Jim Brown.

[dajoki]

46. remember Johnny Sample

:grr:

[mikeargo]

56. I remember Johnny...

I read his biography "Confessions of a Dirty Football Player" while sitting in study hall in eighth grade. He played safety, IIRC.


On edit, I voted for Jack Tatum. Had absolutely no remorse about what he did to Darrell Stingley.

[MrBenchley]

64. Boy there was a tough guy!

Very few receivers ran crossing routes in the middle when Sample was back there--he'd take their heads off.

[obxhead]

47. "The Bus"

but my opinion is biased.

[lpbk2713]

48. Riggo

John Riggins, Redskins, 76 - 85

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/sports/redskins/history/greats/articles/riggins.htm

[SalmonChantedEvening]

54. Mike Curtis - Baltimore Colts.

A heap of hurt aimed at anyone who was dumb enough to carry the ball his way. Thwack. Zowie. And other Batman sound effects.

Honorable mention to George Atkinson of the Raiders. Ouch and ouch again.

[Dying Eagle]

59. Bill Romonowski

Romo! Romo! Romo!

[Faygo Kid]

66. Joey Harrington

OK, so maybe not.

[bluecrush]

67. #39 Larry Csonka

...Called for unnecessary roughness while carrying the ball. :evilgrin: