Alazdo was’nt even the most intense guy on his own DL when he played with the Raiders. John Matuzak was far crazier and intense. Jack youngblood, Lambert and Ham are about as intense a group of defensive wrecking balls as you could ever hope to find. Offensively, it’s hard to imagine anyone more intense than Payton and before he got used up, Earl Campbell put the heart on a lot of would tacklers. Jim Brown was also a mean s.o.b. In my opinion the most intense players in general were and are offensive linemen. Mike Webster was classic LB hunter and Gene Upshaw laid the lumber on hundreds of D linemen. Kevin Cogan was another mean O linemen and did it for a lot of years. The list of badass O linemen is much much longer than at any other position, it’s just that few people ever heard of them.
Andre Tippett was no joke for the Pats. And I can’t believe no one has mentioned an offensive player. BO JACKSON!!!
Magnus – come on now. I’m a life-long Raiders fan. Matuszak was good, but he was a drunk – high half the damn time. His crazyness was chemically induced. Alzado was MEAN to his very core. Teddy Hendricks was mean too. Anybody with the nickname “The Mad Stork” has got to be pretty mean. Props to the guy above who mentioned Tatum – also Atkinson on those old teams. Mike Haynes and Lester Hayes were badass, but not vicious hitters.
I was just thinking that there are a lot fewer badass, hard-hitting, safeties these days – the type of guys who make wide receivers soil themselves at the thought of going over the middle. There was a stretch there, with the overlap with Lott, Easley, Bennie Blades, Cecil, Atwater – those guys straight blew people up. And all the teams had a good hitter up at one of the safety spots. Now I’d say that off the top of my head, maybe Lynch and perhaps Rodney Harrison on the Patriots are scary – but I don’t think they’re in the same league as Lott, Atwater and Easley. And it seems most of the safeties are cover guys now. I can’t think of a safety now whom I think would stop a 260 lb. back cold going up the middle the way Atwater did with Okoye back in the day. Where did all the scary safeties go?
To answer the original query, I think Ray Lewis is about the only defensive player who would keep me watching a game I otherwise wouldn’t find interesting.
Chris Spielman. I’ve met him a few times and he is an opposing presence. I can only imagine how intimidating this dude was when he played.
Oh, and he’s a really nice guy. I’ve got a signed #36 OSU jersey hanging on my wall as we speak.
As far as active players, Roy Williams from Dallas hits like a ton of bricks.
Best Tackler of all time: Deion “primetime” Sanders.
Bo Jackson had unbelievable talent and genetics. I read a book about him and it said he hated lifting weights, but man look at how the guy was built.
favorite old time: lambert
present:kendrell bell
fav non-steeler: ray lewis or arrington
Im only 21 so I havent watched some of the older guys, but I here Ronnie Lott was one hell of a tackler. Right now I gotta say Ray Lewis is the most intense guy in the league. Whoever mentioned Warren Sapp in this post of tough guys, all I gotta say is Warren Sapp is shit.
when i was in HS and doing track this one guy from Locke HS i think, sirr parker, would come and kill literally every event he would feel like doing… i know he wasnt the best athelete ever, but he was definitely a big fish in shallow water…
i was surprised to find out that there was a movie about him with michael clark duncan: “they call me sirr” in 2001 (i think).
sadly he was injured in the nfl and i have no idea what has happened to him since…
Sirr Parker, Texas A&M running back
Jessie Armstead won the state 5A 100 meter dash in high school. It was amazing to watch. He dwarfed everyone else.
Ray Lewis without a doubt, Everyone is talking defense.
I think the baddest offensive dude has got to be Ricky Williams, he’s probably running behind the worst o-line in the league right now but if anyone saw him in action last season and college - Damn! Seeing him jack up Roy Williams on Turkey day was something pretty.
Concrete Chuck Bednarik and Dick Butkus for the hall of famers.
Loved watching Tatum on the Super Bowl team.
These days Lewis, Urlacher and recently retired Reggie White, the minister of defense. If he wasn’t double teamed he got a sack, almost automatic.
BB: you’re probably right that Matuszak’s intensity was a product of his liberal use of alcohol and narcotics, but even Alazado conceded that Matuszak was much crazier and mean than he ever was. Good call on Hendricks BTW. I also agree with your point on the lack of headhunting safeties nowadays. Tatum, Lott and Atwater were great. Rod Woodson has made a great transition to playing safety, but i would say he’s more of finesse type safety than a headhunter. At least in comparison the ones listed above.
Nowadays you gotta look at Romo and Urlacher there the two most intense players ive seen.
Dexter Manley and John Randle were intense. Romo WAS intense. Now he gets a concussion combing his hair. Last year Kennoy Kennedy was hitting everything in sight. He had a bunch of helmet to helmet fines and one suspension. The hit on Terrel Owens was great, and Owens just jumped up like it was nothing. Most intense name, Mack Strong, damn, what else could you be but a fullback.