Offense
QB
Slingin’ Sammy Baugh
I may be starting out with a homer pick, but Slingin’ Sammy was the perfect nickname for the NFL’s first dominate passing quarterback. Baugh actually received the nickname playing baseball in college, playing both football and baseball for TCU. Slingin’ Sammy turned out to be a great fit for his NFL play as well. His 1937 rookie season ended with Baugh leading the league in passing yards and completions, as well as a victory over the Chicago Bears in the NFL Championship game. He would go on to lead the league in passing 4 times and in completion percentage 8 times, setting numerous records along the way.
The Mad Bomber
Daryle Lamonica received the nickname “The Mad Bomber” during his time with the Oakland Raiders for his affinity for the long ball. Lamonica had a knack for throwing the ball deep down field, though struggled with accuracy from time to time. In 1969, Lamonica lead the league in passing yards and touchdowns, throwing 10 more touchdown passes than the man in second place, Roman Gabriel, who went on to win league MVP (Gabriel threw 7 interceptions to Lamonica’s 25). This deep ball mentality became synonymous with the Raiders and owner Al Davis.
Other Notables: Broadway Joe, Captain Comeback, The Blonde Bomber, The Sheriff, Pillsbury Throwboy, The Gunslinger, Matty Ice, Joe Cool
RB
The Nigerian Nightmare
Born in Nigeria, Christian Okoye was a rare combination of size and speed. He stood 6’1” and a solid 260lbs while playing fullback for the Kansas City Chiefs. In 1989, Okoye lead the NFL with 1,480 rushing yards, earning a trip to the Pro Bowl, 1st team All-Pro honors, and being named AFC Offensive Player of the Year. His hard nose running style that earned him the nickname also became his decline in the NFL, as he struggled with injuries.
Galloping Ghost
Red Grange is one of the earliest stars of the NFL. Grange was given the nickname “Galloping Ghost” during his time at the University of Illinois by Chicago sportswriter Warren Brown. His stellar college career left teams fighting for him in the NFL. He ultimately signed with George Halas and the Chicago Bears. His exceptional play and lore as the “Galloping Ghost” lead to large crowds at his NFL games, which helped fuel the leagues popularity.
Other Notables: Sweatness, The Bus, Juice, Beast Mode, Crazylegs, The Diesel, Purple Jesus, The Golden Boy, Shady, Muscle Hampster, The Law Firm, A-Train, Moose, Ironhead, Sausage
WR
Megatron
One of the few modern-day nicknames on this list, “Megatron” is the perfect description for former Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson. Standing 6’5” almost 240lbs, Johnson is a physical anomaly, running a 4.35 40 at the combine and jumping an unofficial 46in vertical. In his rookie 2007 season, teammate Roy Williams gave him the nickname “Megatron,” and its perfect fit stuck with the fans. Johnson went on to a Hall of Fame career with the Lions, including a 2012 season where he broke Jerry Rice’s single season receiving records, with 1,964 yards.
Bambi
Lance Alworth is one of the most dominate wide receivers in NFL history. He signed with the San Diego Chargers in 1962 and was given the nickname “Bambi” by his teammates for his speed, gracefully running style, and baby-faced complexion. Alworth became the fasted player to reach 3,500 receiving yards in a career (at 37 games), a record that was only broken in 2016 by Odell Beckham Jr. (36 games). The length that record stood shows just how dominate of a player he was, considering how vastly different the game was in the 1960s compared to the game we know today.
Other Notables: World, Bullet, The Playmaker, Freak, Bad Moon, Rocket, Ochocinco, The Natural, Slot Machine
TE
Iron Mike
Mike Ditka is another dominate figure of the 1960s NFL. He was drafted by the Bears in the 1st round of the 1961 draft after a very successful college career at the University of Pittsburgh. Ditka credits growing up in a small, steel town outside of Pittsburgh for his “Iron Mike” nickname. He went on to become one of the first, real receiving threats from the tight end position, and impacted the game right form his rookie season, receiving for 1,076 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Other Notables: The Ghost, Gronk, Captain Chaos
T
Intellectual Assassin
Ron Mix played LT for the San Diego Chargers in the 1960s. He earned the nickname “The Intellectual Assassin” because of his excellence in academics, earning his law degree before entering the NFL, and his vicious attitude on the field. Mix used that intellect to his advantage in games, being called for only 2 holding penalties in his 10 year career. He was also one of the first advocates for weight lifting as a way to improve his performance on the field; making him one of the most physically dominate players on the field at that time.
Other Notables: The Hotel, Silverback, Blind Side, The Toe
G
Uptown
Uptown Gene Upshaw was the rock at left guard for the Oakland Raiders in the 1970s. He earned 7 trips to the Pro Bowl and 5 1st team All-Pro awards during his Hall of Fame career. The nickname Uptown reportedly is a play on his last name that emulates his aggressive run blocking.
Other Notables: The Kitchen, Pork Chop
C
Concrete Charlie
Even as a Redskins fan, one of my all-time favorite nicknames is “Concrete Charlie.” Chuck Bednarik was the starting center and middle linebacker for the Eagles in the 1950s. Playing both sides of the ball, Bednarik is known as the NFL’s last 60 Minute Man. He played with a ferocious attitude and was one of the best blocking centers in the league, but this only had a small part to play in his nickname. During the offseason, Bednarik was a concrete salesman, sparking sportswriter Hugh Brown to say that Bednarik was “as hard as the concrete he sells.” There is no better example of this than his infamous 1960 hit on the Giants’ Frank Gifford that knocked Gifford out of football for 18 months.
Defense
DE
Minister of Defense
Reggie White earned the nickname “Minister of Defense” during his time at the University of Tennessee. He received the nickname from being involved in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and becoming an ordained Baptist minister during his time in college. White continued to be heavily involved in the church during his time in the NFL, doing multiple speaking engagement, interviews, and appearing in a Christian film. He also appeared in hateful, anti-gay newspaper ads that lead to CBS retracting an offer to join their CBS Sports team as an analyst after he retired.
Other Notables: Too Tall, Deacon, The Freak, KGB
DT
The Fridge
One of the most recognizable nicknames in NFL history has got to be William “The Refrigerator” Perry. One look at Perry and you can see why he earned the nickname “The Fridge.” Perry got the nickname from teammate Ray Brown at Clemson University, saying “Man, you’re about as big as a refrigerator” after having to squeeze in an elevator with him on the way to doing laundry. Despite being a serviceable DT, Perry is more known for his time on offense at fullback. He ran over Patriots linebacker Larry McGrew to score a touchdown in Super Bowl XX.
Other Notables: Mean Joe, Big Daddy, Fatso, Pot Roast, JJ Swat
ILB
Fudge Hammer
Frank Nunley played middle linebacker for the San Francisco 49ers in the late-60s – early-70s under defensive innovator Dick Nolan. He earned the nickname “Fudge Hammer” from teammate Stan Hindman, saying “he looked like fudge and hit like a hammer.” Nunley said, “I never had the best figure in the world, looking at it from a womanly point of view,” but he was a dominate presence on the interior of the 49ers stout defense. Nunley helped lead the 49ers to the NFC Championship game in 1970 & 71.
Other Notables: Samurai, Hacksaw, Humble Hammer
OLB
Lights Out
Shawne Merriman earned the nickname “Lights Out” in his sophomore year of high school, knocking 4 players unconscious in the first half of a game. His ferocious hitting style lead his high school coaches to leave him out of contact drills during practice. Merriman took that hard hitting playing style first to the University of Maryland, then to the San Diego Chargers, and the nickname came with him. He showed the nickname was worth it in his first year with the Chargers, being named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. Merriman amassed 39.5 sacks in his first 3 seasons in the NFL, but injury problems cut his promising career short.
Other Notables: Deebo, T Sizzle, Don’t Cross the Moats
CB
Night Train
Dick Lane earned the nickname “Night Train” during his first training camp with the Los Angeles Rams. Lane had made the team after walking into the team office and asking for a tryout, while working at an aircraft plant. During training camp, teammate Tom Fears would play records in his room. One of his favorites was “Night Train” by Jimmy Forrest. It’s said Lane could always be found dancing outside Fears’ room when Night Train was playing. Lane was hesitant on the nickname at first, but in their first exhibition against the Washington Redskins, Lane broke the collarbone of Charlie “Choo Choo” Justice. This prompted one sportswriter to write the headline “Rookie Dick ‘Night Train’ Lane derails Charlie ‘Choo Choo’ Justice.” Lane liked seeing it as the headline of the paper and decided to embrace the name.
Prime Time
“Prime Time” is one of the most recognizable nicknames on this list, especially for being the perfect fit for Deion Sanders. His flashy play, charismatic personality, and multisport talent all make “Prime Time” the perfect fit for Sanders. However, the nickname originates from his high school days. Sanders and high school teammate Richard Fain would play pickup basketball games during the “prime time” TV hours. His incredible play on the basketball court would have the guys saying he was “must-see viewing.”
Other Notables: Ageless Wonder, Revis Island, Peanut, Dr. Death, Pacman
S
Weapon X
Brian Dawkins earned the nickname “Weapon X” after his first Pro Bowl season for the Philadelphia Eagles in 1999. The nickname is a reference to Marvel character Wolverine, also known as Weapon X. Dawkins’ aggressive and passionate playing style made the “Weapon X” moniker an excellent fit, as he became one of the top, hard-hitting safeties in the league.
Meast
This is another homer pick, but still a great nickname nonetheless. Sean Taylor exploded onto the scene in 2004 as a first round pick of the Washington Redskins. Taylor immediately became known as one of the hardest hitting safeties in the league. This lead teammate Marcus Washington to call Taylor a “Meast,” half-man, half-beast. The beast was something that was built into Taylor and a major part of his playing style, not something that could be easily turned off. This was evident in practice when Taylor would be his same aggressive self even in shorts, and in the 2006 Pro Bowl when Taylor, controversially, laid out punter Brian Moorman. Unfortunately, Taylor was never able to show the world the full force the “Meast” when his life was taken in 2007 after a home invasion.
Other Notables: The Assassin, The Flyin’ Hawaiian, Honey Badger, Ball Hawk
K
The Polish Cannon
Sebastian Janikowki’s nickname is pretty straight forward; the man is polish and has a cannon for a leg. Janikowski played for the Polish under-17 national soccer team before emigrating the US. He played both soccer and football in high school and earned a reputation for having a monster leg. It is said that he even kicked an 82-yard field goal one day during practice. This earned him a scholarship to Florida State where he continued with his reputation as having a cannon leg. This led to him being the 4th place kicker in NFL history to be drafted in the first round. The power continued in the NFL, when, in 2011, Janikowski tied the NFL record for longest field at 63 yards.
P
Boomstick
Not many solid punter nicknames in NFL history, but former Colts punter Pat McAfee surely did a lot to earn him nickname. During his 8 year run with the Colts, McAfee earned 2 trips to the pro bowl, a 1st team All-Pro honor, and a reputation for being one of the best punters in the league. His “Boomstick” nickname was given to him by the fans in reference to his powerful kicking leg. However in 2013, McAfee lived up to the nickname in a different way; delivering a booming hit on Broncos punt return Trindon Holliday, one that had everyone around the league talking. So much so, that the NFL decided to “randomly” drug test McAfee the next day.
Returner
The Kansas Comet
Gale Sayers earned his nickname while at the University of Kansas, where he was one of the most dynamic and explosive runners the world had even seen. He earned 3 All-Big Eight and 2 Consensus All-American honors. Sayers had some of the most dynamic plays in the college football during his time in Kansas, including a record 99 yard run against Nebraska and a 93 yard kickoff return for a touchdown to open a game against Oklahoma. That dynamic running style continued to grow in the NFL. In his first season, Sayers averaged 31.4 yards per kick return and finished the season with 2272 all-purpose yards. He grew on that in his second season, tallying a then NFL record 2440 all-purpose yards. “Just give me 18 inches of daylight. That’s all I need.”
Other notables: White Shoes, The Human Joystick, Anytime
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