Top 5 NFL Bad Boys

What is the NFL Bad Boys Ranking All About?

The NFL is full of different personalities – tough guys like Ray Lewis and J.J. Watt, hero-type superstars like Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, prodigies like Ezekiel Elliott and Odell Beckham Jr., and humble off-the-spotlight nice dudes like…most of the offensive linemen.

But this time we focus on the NFL bad boys. They are strong, fearless and hard-hitting injury-inducers with problematic behavior on and off the field. The bad guys of the NFL play nasty and don’t respect the rules. What they love the most is dealing damage, causing pain to the opposing players, and sometimes putting an end to their careers.

5. DT Ndamukong Suh

The 30-year-old defensive tackle born in Portland, Oregon, has a long history of game suspensions and fines due to his violent actions on the field. While playing for the Lions, Ndamukong stomped on two Green Bay players – QB Aaron Rodgers and OL Evan Dietrich-Smith. The second one took a few hits to the head as well. Suh’s stomping affinity quickly went viral and earned him an automatic spot in any NFL Bad Boys list.

But stomping enemies with his huge feet and nearly 140 kg mass is not Ndamukong’s only weapon. In sack situations he goes for the QB’s head and twists it. Nasty moves such as a kick to the groin is also part of Suh’s arsenal. Matt Schaub, Jake Delhomme, and John Sullivan are just some of the players who felt the pain of playing against the now-Miami Dolphins monster DT.

4. LB Dick Butkus

Dick Butkus, whose real name is actually Richard, is known as the most ferocious linebacker of all time. He was drafted in 1965 by the Bears and became an iconic figure for Chicago fans. Recently the NFL named him “the most feared tackler.” Butkus played nine seasons for the Bears and by the time of his retirement due to knee injuries, he held the NFL record for fumble recoveries (27).

Dick Butkus was responsible for many concussions and serious injuries. Nothing could stop him from hitting his targets – even his own team mates, as he would sometimes tackle through them. You could sometimes hear him trashtalking opponents, trying to intimidate them psychologically, even before the plays. Ironically, after football this guy took part in a philanthropic activity called “I Play Clean”.  Now aged 74, Dick Butkus is an actor, football consultant, writer, and still a role-model for young NFL linebackers.

3. DT Joe Greene

“Mean” Joe Greene, who lead the 70’s “Steel Curtain”, helped the Steelers win four Super Bowl games and is a true hero for every Pittsburgh fan. Even as a rookie he would threaten the veteran players and if he didn’t’ like someone, he’d fight him. On the field he would point at the offensive lineman in front and say “I don’t know you but I will crush you!” Then rush head-first delivering a devastating impact.

Guys who played against him admit he was almost impossible to go 1-on-1 with. He would just explode into people and bring them down. And if something didn’t go as planned, dirty tricks came in handy – face mask pulls, kicks to the groin, verbal provocations.

2. S Jack Tatum

The Safety played for the Oakland Raiders and Houston Oilers in the 70’s and was nicknamed “The Assassin”. Players who faced him on the field say that the hit he delivered was so hard that it sounded differently. Jack Tatum was like a wild animal – a nightmare for any receiver. He often started fights and bullied his opponents.

One of Tatum’s hardest hits, during Super Bowl 11, knocked the helmet off of Minnesota Vikings WR Sammy White. The receiver kept control over the ball but remained stunned on the ground for a long time, and was taken away to the sideline shortly after. In 1978 during a pre-season game, “The Assassin” hit WR Darryl Stingley so hard, he remained paralyzed for the rest of his life.

1. LB Bill Romanowski

And the number one on our NFL Bad Boys list is the veteran with 243 consecutive league games and 1,105 tackles – Bill Romanowski. Even if you do a search for this guy on Google, the headlines you get may scare you. Career-ending hits, training camp fights, knock-outs – this guy was out of control! And his look is terrifying – with a big smile and eyes of a psychopath, ready to unleash his inner evil.

In 1997 Bill Romanowski spat at 49ers’ J.J. Stokes. Once he even threw a microwave oven at his team mate Dexter Carter. During his 16-year-long career in Denver Broncos, San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles, and Oakland Raiders, Romanowski did a lot of damage. He purposely dislocated Denver’s TE Shannon Sharpe’s elbow and broke QB Kelly Collins’ jaw. Toughness comes with a price, though, as our Top NFL Bad Boy suffered more than 20 major concussions. Now at age 51, he is very concerned about his health and players’ head protection during games in general.

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