Nicknames

[schmitty3]

Anyone else sick of these nicknames everyone is going by? These guys are grown men (well most of them) they don't need to be called RG3 or Peanut Tillman, or Ocho Cinco. Not saying anything is wrong with nicknames, I actually like them, but their normal names will do just fine when announcing games.

[Bran32]

+1

[bobbymalone]

meh. rock stars get to do it. what if bruce springsteen wasn't "the boss"?

sure ocho cinco or whatever might be a bit over the top, but RG3 is about as much a nickname as OJ.

[SpitnArgueDuckClub*]

I think that I am like most; fine with old school nicknames like the one's you earn as a kid and carry on through life. The one's that are made up to promote or draw attention to an up and coming star I can do without.

[toughguy]

I'm sick of RG3 and all of them that take part of their first name and part of their last name i.e. A-Rod, K-Mart. The rest of them don't bother me so much.

[LMITOUT]

AP/All Day

[nofishfisherman]

Nicknames have always been apart of sports, certainly nothing new. It starts in elementary school and continues on through the pros.

Just think how many nicknames Babe Ruth had.

[Big Dave2]

We must be running out of things to complain about.

[BEEFEATER]

I think the nick names for playerare gross But i think its funny when people come up with mock nicknames for teams such as when they had the replacements teams years back cuz of the lock out

[schmitty3]

It's mostly the announcers calling these guys by their nicknames that's bothering me. Nothing wrong with having the nickname, but RG3 sounds more like a star wars character than football player. Bob Griffin would work just fine.

[Slabasaurus]

Are y'all truly upset at nicknames in sports, or just a bit upset that you don't have a cool one that everyone calls you?

I am going to start using Bobby Griffin (instead of RG3) though for sure. That's going to catch on, I can feel it!

[nofishfisherman]

It's mostly the announcers calling these guys by their nicknames that's bothering me. Nothing wrong with having the nickname, but RG3 sounds more like a star wars character than football player. Bob Griffin would work just fine.

But Bob Griffin sounds more like a IRS Auditor versus a star quarterback. Remember this is entertainment, sports serve no purpose other than to entertain the masses.

After all what would you rather chant as a fan attending the game?

Bob Grif-fin!, Bob Grif-fin!, Bob Grif-fin!

or

RG3!, RG3!, RG3!

[schmitty3]

But Bob Griffin sounds more like a IRS Auditor versus a star quarterback. Remember this is entertainment, sports serve no purpose other than to entertain the masses.

After all what would you rather chant as a fan attending the game?

Bob Grif-fin!, Bob Grif-fin!, Bob Grif-fin!

or

RG3!, RG3!, RG3!

I suppose. Guess I'm just salty over the Vikes-Skins game lol

[rundrave]

where have you guys been....the whole RG3 vs Bob Griffin is old news already:

LINKY

Quote:

Back in July, before the hype surrounding Robert Griffin III became reality, Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora was asked about the Redskins' rookie quarterback.

At the time, he said that "Bob Griffin" needed to earn the "RG3" nickname. Umenyiora has since changed his tune and pretty drastically, too: Umenyiora said Tuesday that Griffin is an "amazing talent" and said he'll be a "problem ... for a long time."

"He's going to be a problem in this league for a long time," Umenyiora told ESPN radio. “We're going to have our work cut out for us. I actually stopped by the facility and saw some tape of him, and I was just like, 'Wow, this guy's an amazing talent.' It's going to be a big test for us to keep him under control."

Geez, Osi. Settle down, buddy. Although Umenyiora's flip-flop take on RG3 is actually pretty spot-on with the rest of the world. We thought Griffin would be really good, the hype got a little out of control. Now, it appears RG3 somehow wasn't hyped enough.

But you gotta think Griffin still remembers Umenyiora's dismissive remarks from the summer, right?

"Who is this RG3 guy you guys keep talking about?" Umenyiora said at the time. "You talking about Bob Griffin? You guys are giving him a cool nickname already and everything. When he does anything in the NFL, we're gonna call him RG3. Right now, he's Bob Griffin."

[PierBridge]

"Who is this RG3 guy you guys keep talking about?"

He's my Fantacy QB "6-1" and he's Mr RG3 to you guys from here on out, HATERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bob Griffin? LOLOLOL

On a side note: I wish All Day "his life long nick" would have stuck AP is kind of lame if you ask me!

[toughguy]

I must say I like "Megatron"

[SkunkedAgain]

Scam Newton...classssic

Half of these nicknames are started by fans and announcers. I doubt that Bob Griffin thought of RG3, but we certainly know where Ocho Cinco came from. In my old neighborhood you got a beatdown for trying to give yourself a nickname.

[BEEFEATER]

American football

By nickname

* "Ain'ts*" – New Orleans Saints, NFL; rhyming play on the non-standard English negative ain't[1] Also because of their long history of sucking terribly.

* "America's Team" - Dallas Cowboys, by sports media [2]

* "Cowgirls" - Dallas Cowboys, by detractors, referring to the team's cheerleaders

* "Cowpies" - Dallas Cowboys, by detractors, refers to cow excrement

* "B.I.L.L.S.*" - Buffalo Bills, by detractors, acronyms for "Boy I Love Losing Super Bowls", in reference to the team's failure to win the Super Bowl in four straight tries during the early 1990s[3]

* "Big Blue (Wrecking Crew)" – New York Giants, NFL; from the color of their jerseys, influenced by the nickname of IBM[4]

* "The Black and Gold" – Pittsburgh Steelers, NFL; from their uniform colors[5]

* "The Blue Giants" - Used for New York Giants because of the team color.

* "Bolts" – San Diego Chargers, NFL; from the lightning bolt design on their helmets[6]

* "Bucs/Buckies" – Tampa Bay Buccaneers, NFL; abbreviation of team name

* "The Bungles" – Cincinnati Bengals, NFL; used by detractors

* The Cardiac Cats* - Carolina Panthers, Coined in 2003 due to their frequent 4th-quarter comebacks and/or losses. *

* "Cheeseheads" - Nickname used for residents of Wisconsin in reference to the state's large dairy industry. Sometimes employed derogatorily by neighboring states, the moniker was embraced by residents, particularly Green Bay Packers fans, and has become synonymous with Wisconsin's football culture. (While the state is presently known for cheese production, the Packers team itself was originally named for the Indian meat packing company in Green Bay, WI.)[7]

* "The Chefs" – Kansas City Chiefs, NFL; origin Snickers candy bar commercial; however, the NFL has licensed official "Kansas City Chief Head Chef Cookie Jars"[8]

* "The Chesapeake Watershed Region Indigenous Persons" – Washington Redskins, NFL; translation of team name into politically correct terms[9] It was later changed to "Potomac Drainage Basin Indigenous Persons" (see below) since the Baltimore Ravens also share the Chesapeake Bay region.

* "The Crows" – Baltimore Ravens, NFL; used by detractors

* "Da Raidahs" – Oakland Raiders, NFL; The way Chris Berman of ESPN says, "The Raiders"[10]

* "Dawgs" – Cleveland Browns, NFL; according to Hanford Dixon, then a cornerback with the Browns, he gave his defensive teammates this nickname to inspire them before the 1985 season[11]

* "DeadSkins" – Washington Redskins, NFL; rhyming play on team name; used by detractors or disgruntled fans.[12]

* "The Donkeys" or "The Denver Donkeys" - Denver Broncos a derogatory nickname for the Denver Broncos used by detractors and by fans when they are playing poorly. This nickname originates from the perception that their 1962-67 logos looked more like donkeys than broncos.

* "Detroit Lie-downs" - - Detroit Lions, NFL; so called because they just lie down and let other teams run over them.

* "The Dirty Birds" – Atlanta Falcons, NFL; team dubbed themselves by this name during their race to Super Bowl XXXIII[13]

* "The Dolts" – Indianapolis Colts, NFL; rhyming play on name with a term for "silly-me"; by detractors[14]

* "The Flaming Thumbtacks" – Tennessee Titans, NFL; a humorous interpretation of their team logo, actually a flaming stylized letter "T"[15]

* "The Fins" – Miami Dolphins, NFL; play on abbreviation of name with the appendages of a dolphin[16]

* "The Fish" – Miami Dolphins, NFL; while the mascot and team logo of bottlenose dolphins are not fish, but mammals. The rhyme detractors used when they played in the Orange Bowl was, "squish the fish in the Orange Dish." Now rarely used due to the Florida Marlins, who are also called "The Fish".

* "G-Men" – New York Giants, NFL; initial of team name, possibly a play on the term for a government (e.g. FBI) agent[17]

* "Goats" – Saint Louis Rams, NFL; when playing poorly[18]

* "Iggles" – Philadelphia Eagles, NFL; reference to how some Philadelphians pronounce "Eagles"

* "Jags" – Jacksonville Jaguars, NFL; abbreviation of team name

* "Gang Green" - New York Jets, NFL; used by supporters (reference to medical condition that is difficult to overcome)(Green Bay Packers), NFL; used by supporters since the mid 1970s; also the name of the unofficial team mascot who is given home field credentials.

* "Jest" – New York Jets, NFL; humorous misspelling of team name; used when team is performing poorly[19]

* "Jints" - New York Giants, NFL; used occasionally by local media, as eye dialect for the team's name. Also used for the baseball team while it was in New York.

* "Jokeland (Faders/Traitors)"* - Oakland Raiders, by detractors[18]

* "Lambs" – Saint Louis Rams, NFL; a lamb being a soft, cuddly, meek baby sheep (as opposed to a ram, being an aggressive full-grown male sheep); rhyming nickname used by detractors when team performs poorly[20]

* "Monsters of the Midway" – Chicago Bears, NFL; originally applied to the University of Chicago "Maroons", a strong (former) college football team; "Midway" refers to the Midway Plaisance, a long, green swath of boulevard space bordering the southern end of the campus. The University discontinued its football program in 1939, and the Bears adopted the nickname.[21]

* "'Niners" – San Francisco 49ers, NFL; abbreviation of team name

* "The Oilers" – Tennessee Titans, NFL; a reference of the team's name before it moved to Tennessee, the Houston Oilers.

* "The Tennessee Titanics" - NFL, reference given to the team after their 0-6 start in 2009 including a 59-0 loss to the patriots, this after going 13-3 in 2008

* "The Pack" – Green Bay Packers, NFL; abbreviation of name, and a play on the collective term for a group of animals such as dogs or wolves[22]

* "Pats" – New England Patriots, NFL; abbreviation of team name

* "The Patsies" – New England Patriots, NFL; play on nickname "Pats" (above) and the term patsy, "a person who is easily manipulated or victimized"[23]

* "The Potomac Drainage Basin Indigenous Persons" – Washington Redskins, NFL; translation of team name into politically correct terms,[9] popularized by NFL columnist and Washington, D.C. resident Gregg Easterbrook in his weekly column Tuesday Morning Quarterback.

* "Seagulls" - Seattle Seahawks, term often said by detractors when Seahawks are playing poorly.[24]

* "The Silver and Black" – Oakland Raiders, NFL; from the colors of the uniforms[25]

* "Silver Rush" – Detroit Lions

* "Sinners" – New Orleans Saints, NFL; "sinner" is often a paired opposite of "saint"; used by detractors[26]

* "'Skins" – Washington Redskins, NFL; abbreviation of team name

* "'Stillers" – Pittsburgh Steelers, NFL; how native Pittsburghers (Picksbergers) pronounce the name of their team[27]

* "Tennessee Traitors " * - Tennessee Titans, NFL; derisive nickname of the former Houston Oilers, usually aimed at owner Bud Adams by former Oilers fans

* "Vikes" – Minnesota Vikings, NFL; abbreviation of team name[28]

* "Viqueens" - Minnesota Vikings, NFL; Used by detractors and many fans after a loss.

[edit]

[BEEFEATER]

Nickname Player(s) Description

A-Train[65] Allstott, Mike !Mike Alstott How he was as difficult to tackle as a freight train; "A" is a reference to his surname initial

Ageless Wonder[66][67] Green, Darrell !Darrell Green His remarkable ability to maintain a high level of play during the latter years of his 20 year career.

AD/All Day[68] or AD or AP Peterson, Adrian !Adrian Peterson Given to him by his parents because he would run "all day", his initials

Amish Rifle[69] Fitzpatrick, Ryan !Ryan Fitzpatrick Given to him by Buffalo Bills fans because of his scraggly beard during the 2010 NFL season.

Anytime[70] Hester, Devin !Devin Hester His ability to return kicks and punts for touchdowns any time. Inspired from his mentor Deion "Prime Time" Sanders.

The Assassin[71] Tatum, Jack !Jack Tatum

Bad Moon[72] Rison, Andre !Andre Rison Given nickname by ESPN's Chris Berman in reference to CCR's song "Bad Moon Rising".

Bambi[73] Alworth, Lance !Lance Alworth For his speed, and his spectacular and graceful moves.

Beast Mode[74] Lynch, Marshawn !Marshawn Lynch He used this term to describe himself during an interview. Afterward fans continued to use the term.

Big Ben[75] Roethlisberger, Ben !Ben Roethlisberger His imposing size

Big Game[76] Holt, Torry !Torry Holt

Big Daddy Wilkinson, Dan !Dan Wilkinson His 6'5", 340 lb frame

Big Snack[77] Hampton, Casey !Casey Hampton Apparent reference to his large size and penchant for eating

Blonde Bomber[citation needed] Bradshaw, Terry !Terry Bradshaw His blonde hair combined with his tendencies to throw the ball down the field, hence "bomber"

Broadway Joe[78] Namath, Joe !Joe Namath Reference to the wide avenue that ran through New York - the city where he played QB with the New York Jets

Breesus[79] Brees, Drew !Drew Brees Play on Brees's last name and his perception as the savior of Saints Football.

Brian Crushing Cushing, Brian !Brian Cushing Play on Cushing's last name and his hard-hitting tackles.

Bullet Bob[80] Hayes, Bob !Bob Hayes Reference to his incredible speed. Won gold medal and set world record in the 100 m at 1964 Summer Olympics.

Burner[citation needed] Turner, Michael !Michael Turner Given both because of his ability to break long runs and because it rhymes with his last name. Got the name in college.

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid[citation needed] Csonka, Larry !Larry Csonka & Jim Kiick Miami Dolphins running back duo from 1968–1974; named after the movie about the famous outlaws.

Bus[81] Bettis, Jerome !Jerome Bettis Because of his ability to carry tacklers on his back like a "bus"

Captain Checkdown[82] Edwards, Trent !Trent Edwards Name given to quarterback Trent Edwards for his refusal to throw the deep ball, preferring instead to dump off to running backs or tight ends.

CJ2K, CJ2 Chris Johnson CJ for Chris Johnson, 2K for his 2000 yard rushing season, 2 as a play on CJ2K and a reference to his poor perfomance towards the beginning of the 2011 season

Comeback Kid[citation needed] multiple Nickname given to any player, particularly quarterbacks such as Tom Brady, Roger Staubach, John Elway, Eli Manning and Joe Montana for leading teams in comebacks.

Concrete Charlie[citation needed] Bednarik, Chuck !Chuck Bednarik Because of missing only 3 games in his 13 season of playing, as well as his offseason employment as a concrete salesman.

Crazy Legs[citation needed] Hirsch, Elroy !Elroy Hirsch

Crystal Chandelier[citation needed] Chandler, Chris !Chris Chandler Was plagued by concussions and injuries, referencing his presumed fragility

Crunch Bunch[citation needed] New York Giants 1981 !Harry Carson, Brian Kelley, Lawrence Taylor and Brad Van Pelt The 1981–83 New York Giants linebacking corps noted for their hard-hitting play and for generating many quarterback sacks, Taylor in particular. Mario Sestito of Troy, New York is credited with coining the name after a NY Giants newsletter at the time called 'Inside Football' held a contest to name this defensive unit.

Curtis "My Favorite" Martin[citation needed] Martin, Curtis !Curtis Martin Pun on the television show My Favorite Martian; bestowed by ESPN's Chris Berman

Deebo[83] Harrison, James !James Harrison His similarity in appearance and demeanor to the character in the movie Friday played by Tom Lister, Jr.

Diesel[84] Riggins, John !John Riggins Because of his powerback style of play - compared to a truck that ran on diesel.

Dr Death Thomas, Skip !Skip Thomas Because of his physical tackling, and apparent resemblance to the cartoon character

Don't Cross The[85] Moats, Arthur !Arthur Moats Name bestowed after Moats laid a clean, but particularly devastating hit on Brett Favre, ending Favre's streak of consecutive starts as well as leading to Favre's retirement at the end of the 2010 season. Moats are large trenches surrounding castles that served as a line of defense.

Double Trouble[86] Williams, DeAngelo & Jonathan Stewart !DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart Carolina Panthers running back duo from 2008–present, previously known as Smash and Dash

D.T. or D.D.T.[citation needed] Thomas, Derrick !Derrick Thomas His initials. Also went by D.D.T. (bestowed by fans) which stood for "Dangerous Derrick Thomas" and after the toxic synthetic pesticide

Dump Truck[87] Davenport, Najeh !Najeh Davenport Allusion to an incident which allegedly occurred when he was in college as well as a take on one-time teammate Jerome Bettis' nickname, "The Bus"

Dwight Hicks and the Hot Licks[citation needed] San Francisco 49ers 1984 !1984 San Francisco 49ers defensive secondary led by Dwight Hicks

Dynamic Uno[citation needed] Wilson, David !David Wilson His all-around skills at Running Back

Edge[88] James, Edgerrin !Edgerrin James Shortening of his first name

Earth, Wind and Fire[89] New York Giants 2008 !Brandon Jacobs, Derrick Ward& Ahmad Bradshaw 2008 NY Giants running backs; Jacobs = Earth, Ward = Wind, Bradshaw = Fire

ELIte Eli Manning Play on the name his first name, Eli, and the word Elite. Used by New York Giants fans in reference to quarterback Eli Manning claiming that he considers himself in the same elite class of quarterbacks as Tom Brady during a preseason interview. Manning backed up this claim by beating Brady and the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI

The Face Cleaver[citation needed] Weaver, Leonard !Leonard Weaver

Fast Willie[citation needed] Parker, Willie !Willie Parker His speed

Fatso[citation needed] Donovan, Art !Art Donovan

Fitzmagic[90] Fitzpatrick, Ryan !Ryan Fitzpatrick His ability to turn around a long-struggling Buffalo Bills offensive attack after several years of mediocrity. It was later turned around to Fitztragic when his play, as well as the team's, declined.

Flash 80[citation needed] Rice, Jerry !Jerry Rice His stunning plays combined with his number, 80

The Flyin' Hawaiian[91] Polamalu, Troy !Troy Polamalu His style of diving into receivers and diving into pass paths for interception, and for Polamalu's Polynesian ancestry (Polamalu is in fact Samoan, but Hawaiian rhymes better)

Fragile Fred[citation needed] Taylor, Fred !Fred Taylor Perception of being injured constantly

Freak[citation needed] Moss, Randy !Randy Moss His freakish athletic abilities

Freak Kearse, Jevon !Jevon Kearse Combine stats off the charts for someone his size

FredEx Mitchell, Freddie !Freddie Mitchell Because he "always delivered"

The Freezer[92] Raji, B.J. !B.J. Raji A play off the nickname of William "The Refrigerator" Perry whom the Bears utilized in a similar manner during the 1980s. "Freezer" also alludes to the Packers home stadium, Lambeau Field, which is known for its freezing temperatures in December and February.

Fun Bunch[93] Washington Redskins 1981 !Early 1980s Washington Redskins wide receivers and tight ends This groups choreographed touchdown celebrations led to a league-wide ban of "excessive celebration" in 1984.

Galloping Ghost[94] Grange, Harold !Harold "Red" Grange Because no one could catch him

Ghost (or "Space Ghost")[citation needed] Casper, Dave !Dave Casper

Golden Boy[citation needed] Hornung, Paul !Paul Hornung A reference to his blonde hair and his alma mater, Notre Dame, with its gold helmets and the golden dome of the main building on the Notre Dame campus. Notre Dame students and alumni are also referred to as "Golden Domers."

The Gravedigger[citation needed] Brown, Gilbert !Gilbert Brown Earned nickname in honor of his celebratory dance following a thunderous tackle."

Golden Graham[citation needed] Graham, Jimmy !Jimmy Graham This is a play on his last name to describe his all-star talent that he has. Golden comes from the fact that the New Orleans Saints secondary color is gold. He is also nicknamed this after his breakout 2011-2012 NFL Season at the Tight end position with the New Orleans Saints. "

Gronk[citation needed] Gronkowski, Rob ! Rob Gronkowski Shortning of his last name which is Gronkowski."

The Gunslinger[citation needed] Favre, Brett !Brett Favre He earned this nickname for his intrepid attitude on the field, his legendary toughness and ability to come back from and play through injuries, and the fact that he threw bullet passes so hard he was known to break his receiver's fingers. The "gunslinger mentality" refers to Favre's tendency to fearlessly force throws to covered receivers, a high risk/high reward style of play.

Hacksaw[citation needed] Reynolds, Jack !Jack Reynolds Earned his nickname in 1969 by cutting an abandoned 1953 Chevrolet Bel Air in half with a hacksaw after his previously unbeaten University of Tennessee team returned from an embarrassing 38-0 road loss to Ole Miss.

The Hammer[citation needed] Tuggle, Jessie !Jessie Tuggle Earned his nickname because of impact of hits he put on opposing ball carriers and QBs. Played his entire career with the Atlanta Falcons and was part of the 1998 "Dirty Birds" team.

He Hate Me Smart, Rod !Rod Smart Self-bestowed nickname Smart used on the back of his jersey during his time in the XFL. The nickname, which became a symbol of the XFL, stuck with Smart after he joined the NFL.

Hefty Lefty', 'Pillsbury Throwboy', 'J-Load[citation needed] Lorenzen, Jared !Jared Lorenzen His size and left-handed throwing motion

Hit and Run[citation needed] Jones, Thomas !Thomas Jones and Leon Washington New York Jets running back duo from 2008–2009

The Hotel[citation needed] Adams, Flozell !Flozell Adams His 6-7, 340-pound frame

The House[citation needed] Johnson, Herman !Herman Johnson His 6-7, 386-pound frame

Housh[citation needed] Houshmandzadeh, T.J. !T.J. Houshmandzadeh Play on the first syllable of his name.

Hogs !Hogs[35] Washington Redskins !1980s and early 1990s Washington Redskins offensive line Name first used by offensive line coach Joe Bugel during the team's 1982 training camp prior to winning Super Bowl XVII.

The Human Joystick/ X-Factor[citation needed] Hall, Dante !Dante Hall Nickname given to him by coach Vermeil because of his big play ability in the return game

Iron Head[citation needed] Heyward, Craig !Craig Heyward His hard-nosed straight-ahead, bruising running style.

Iron Mike[citation needed] Ditka, Mike !Mike Ditka

Jake "daylight come and you gotta" Delhomme Delfomme, Jake !Jake Delhomme Used by Chris Berman, a play on Delhomme's name and the Banana Boat Song by Harry Belafonte.

Joe Cool[citation needed] Montana, Joe !Joe Montana His ability to remain calm in pressure situations

Juice[citation needed] Simpson, O.J. !O. J. Simpson His initials (which also are used to refer to orange juice)

JPP Pierre-Paul, Jason !Jason Pierre-Paul His initials

Kam "Bam Bam" Chancellor[citation needed] Chancellor, Kam !Kam Chancellor Given for his big, hard hits

K.G.B.[citation needed] Gbaja-Biamila, Kabeer !Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila His initials

Kansas Comet[95] Sayers, Gale !Gale Sayers "Kansas Comet" was stuck on him by the Director of Sports Information at the University of Kansas.

The Kitchen Newton, Nate !Nate Newton Since he was presumably larger than "The Fridge"

L.J.[citation needed] Johnson, Larry !Larry Johnson His initials

L.T.[citation needed] Taylor, Lawrence !Lawrence Taylor His initials

LT[citation needed] Tomlinson, LaDainian !LaDainian Tomlinson His initials

Law Firm Green-Ellis, BenJarvus !BenJarvus Green-Ellis Play on the length of his full name and its resemblance to the name of a law firm, also because since his 2008 debut in the NFL he has never fumbled the football

Lights Out[citation needed] Merriman, Shawne !Shawne Merriman Because of his reputation of being a hard hitter; has been shortened to "Lights" by teammates in interviews

Long Gone[citation needed] Dupre, L.G. !L.G. Dupre An alternate take on his initials, and a reference to his ability to run away from competitors

Machine Gun Kelly[96] Kelly, Jim !Jim Kelly Jim Kelly was perhaps best known for running the Bills' "No-Huddle Offense", which was fast-paced and denied opposing defenses the opportunity to make timely substitutions, establishing the Buffalo Bills as one of the NFL's most successful and dangerous offenses. A reference to mobster George "Machine Gun" Kelly.

Mad Duck[97] Karras, Alex !Alex Karras Because of his short legs, he appeared to waddle like a duck.

Mad Stork[citation needed] Hendricks, Ted !Ted Hendricks

Manster[citation needed] White, Randy !Randy White Half Man, Half Monster.

Marion the Barbarian[98] Barber, Marion III !Marion Barber III Because of his physical running style and reputation for repeatedly breaking tackles

Marks Brothers[99] Clayton, Mark !Mark Clayton and Mark Duper Prolific Miami Dolphins wide receiver duo of the 1980s who shared the same first name (also a reference to the Marx Brothers. They were also christened "Mark Twain.")

Mean Joe[citation needed] Greene, Joe !Joe Greene

Meast[citation needed] Taylor, Sean !Sean Taylor Half Man, half beast

Megatron[100] Johnson, Calvin !Calvin Johnson A reference to his large frame, comparing him to a Transformers character

Mercury[citation needed] Morris, Eugene !Eugene Morris

The Milkman[citation needed] Watt, JJ !JJ Watt

Missile[citation needed] Ismail, Qadry !Qadry Ismail His speed (particularly as a kick returner), and also a play on his brother Raghib Ismail's nickname, Rocket

Mongo[101] McMichael, Steve !Steve McMichael Taken from the character in the film Blazing Saddles, played by Alex Karras.

Moose[102] Johnston, Daryl !Daryl Johnston Given to him by Cowboys backup quarterback Babe Laufenberg for his blocking ability and opening holes for runningback Emmitt Smith.

Mossiah, The !The Mossiah[citation needed] Moss, Randy !Randy Moss The Savior for the Vikings. In his rookie year, Moss led the Vikings towards one of the most powerful offenses in the NFL.

MoJo Jones-Drew, Maurice !Maurice Jones-Drew RB for the Jaguars. Nickname was first used when he added his late grandfather's last name (Jones) to his original last name (Drew) out of respect. "Mo" - Maurice, "Jo" - Jones.

Mr. Rodgers Rogers, Aaron !Aaron Rodgers QB for the Packers. His last name is a homonym of that of long-time children's television host Mister Rogers.

The Natural/ Optimus Prime Johnson, Andre !Andre Johnson WR for the Houston Texans. Nicknamed due to his incredible natural talent and his team colors and due to his last name being Johnson just

like Calvin "Megatron" Johnson.

Neon Deion[citation needed] Sanders, Deion !Deion Sanders His flashy play and the rhyme with his first name

Nigerian Nightmare[citation needed] Okoye, Christian !Christian Okoye To his homeland as well as to the difficulty he posed to defenses

Night Train[citation needed] Lane , Dick !Dick Lane Due to his fear of flying, Lane road a night train to away games while the rest of the team flew

Ocho Cinco[103] Johnson, Chad !Chad Johnson Self-bestowed pidgin Spanish reference to his uniform number (85); originally named Chad Johnson, legally changed name to "Chad Ochocinco" in 2008 (changed back to Johnson in 2012). Also self-refers as "Esteban Ochocinco"

Papa Bear[104] Halas, George !George Halas The founding father of the Chicago Bears

Playmaker[105] Irvin, Michael !Michael Irvin For his ability to defeat tight coverage, even double coverage, and make big plays.; possibly self-bestowed

Pocket Hercules Jones-Drew, Maurice !Maurice Jones-Drew For his durability as a featured back, his strength to break tackles and to make crucial pancake blocks (most notably on Shawn Merriman) despite his diminutive size.

Porcelain Pennington[citation needed] Pennington, Chad !Chad Pennington Derogatory reference to his repeated season-ending injuries

Pork Chop[citation needed] Womack, Floyd !Floyd Womack

Posse[106] Monk, Art !Art Monk, Gary Clark and Ricky Sanders Trio of wide receivers on the Washington Redskins of the late 1980s through the early 1990s:

Prime Time[107] Sanders, Deion !Deion Sanders His ability to step up at critical moments and make big plays; possibly self-bestowed

Pudge[citation needed] Heffelfinger !William Heffelfinger

Purple Jesus[citation needed] Peterson, Adrian !Adrian Peterson His Vikings uniform color; see also Chris Johnson's nickname, "Light Blue Jesus"

Purple People Eaters[citation needed] Minnesota Vikings !Mid-1970s Minnesota Vikings defensive line of Alan Page, Carl Eller, Gary Larsen and Jim Marshall Reference to the purple uniforms of the Vikings and a takeoff of the 1960s song "One Eyed One Horned Flying Purple People Eater"

Quiet Storm[108] Colston !Marques Colston Reference to Colston's shyness and ability to make big plays.

Red Rifle Dalton !Andy Dalton Reference to Dalton's red hair.

Refrigerator or Fridge[109] Perry, William !William Perry His immense size in comparison to other defensive linemen

Resolute Runner[citation needed] Williams, Ryan !Ryan Williams His fearless running ability

Revis Island[110] Revis, Darrelle. !Darrelle Revis His ability to cover wide receivers was compared to being stranded on an island

Road Runner[citation needed] Wilson, David !David Wilson His speed, quickness, agility, and dynamic running ability; given to him while he was at Virginia Tech

Rocket[citation needed] Ismail, Raghib !Raghib Ismail His speed; given to him while he was at Notre Dame

Roger the Dodger[citation needed] Staubach, Roger !Roger Staubach His ability to avoid the pass rush; given to him while at Navy

Run DMC[citation needed] McFadden, Darren !Darren McFadden His speed; given to him in beginning of 2011 season, also a play on his initials.

The Samoan Head Hunter Polamalu, Troy !Troy Polamalu His ability to confuse the opposing offense and make bone crushing tackles.

Scramblin' Fran[citation needed] Tarkenton, Fran !Fran Tarkenton His ability to avoid defenders in the backfield and penchant for running with the ball if the pass play broke down

Silverback[77] Harrison, James !James Harrison His strength, which is likened to that of a silverback gorilla

Sixty Minute Man[111] Bednarik, Chuck !Chuck Bednarik Playing on both offense and defense (and thus playing all sixty minutes of the game); is sometimes applied generally to any player that does this

Slash[citation needed] Stewart, Kordell !Kordell Stewart The punctuation mark used when describing his dual position as a quarterback/receiver.

Slingin' Sammy[citation needed] Baugh, Sammy !Sammy Baugh His affinity for passing the ball, particularly deep downfield

Slot Machine[citation needed] Welker, Wes !Wes Welker His effectiveness lining up between the split end/flanker and the linemen (i.e. "the slot")

Smash and Dash[112] Johnson, Chris & LenDale White !Chris Johnson & LenDale White Running back duo of the Titans starting in 2008; White being Smash for his 'power running back' skills and Johnson being Dash because of his astonishing breakaway speed

Smash, Dash, and Tash[citation needed] Barber, Marion III; Felix Jones !Marion Barber III, Felix Jones, and Tashard Choice Dallas Cowboys' 3 man running attack starting in 2008; nod to the Titans' "Smash and Dash"; Barber = Smash (power back), Jones = Dash (speed back), Choice = Tash (contraction of first name)

Snake[citation needed] Ames, Knowlton !Knowlton Ames His speed and elusiveness

Snake[citation needed] Stabler, Ken !Ken Stabler Earned his nickname from his coach following a long, winding touchdown run

Snake[citation needed] Plummer, Jake !Jake Plummer His ability of "snaking" around out of pressure in the pocket; also rhymes with first name

Smurfs[113] Clark, Gary; Alvin Garrett !Gary Clark, Alvin Garrett, and Charlie Brown 1980s Redskins' receiving corps; because of their diminutive size (Garrett was 5'7”, Clark was 5'9”, and Brown the tallest at 5'10”), comparing them to the tiny blue comic and cartoon characters

Spiderman[114] Webb, Joe !Joe Webb Drafted as a wide receiver by the Minnesota Vikings, on Brett Favre's insistence Joe Webb was signed to the team as a back-up QB. Went on to lead Vikings to a win in Philadelphia, against Michael Vick and the Eagles playing a must-win game. Lovingly called Spiderman, due to his last name.

Superman[115] Newton, Cam !Cam Newton Due to both his unusually athletic physique and habit of pretending to rip open his jersey to reveal a 'S' underneath when scoring a rushing touchdown.

Sweetness[116] Payton, Walter !Walter Payton Earned in college at Jackson State University for his slick moves on the field, his amazing dancing skills, and his friendly personality.

TD[citation needed] Davis, Terrell !Terrell Davis His initials, also referring to the abbreviation for "touchdown"; Davis holds the record for most rushing touchdowns in one Super Bowl game with three

T-Mobile[citation needed] Tyrod Taylor His Initials and Scrambling ability

Tebow Time[citation needed] Tim Tebow Used as Tim Tebow for making comebacks in games

T.O.[citation needed] Owens, Terrell !Terrell Owens His initials

Tom Terrific[117] Brady, Tom !Tom Brady Given after Brady's terrific play through much of the 2000s, including 3 Super Bowls, 2 League MVPs, 2 Super Bowl MVPs, and the NFL regular season record for passing touchdowns (50) in 2007.

The Tasmanian Devil Polamalu, Troy !Troy Polamalu He plays with a style that borders on reckless, and, like the cartoon character, he is something of whirling dervish.

Three Headed Monster[118] Duce Staley, Correll Buckhalter and Brian Westbrook Trio of star running backs that all played for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2003.

The Throwin' Samoan Thompson, Jack !Jack Thompson A quarterback whose birthplace was American Samoa

Thunder & Lightning Keenan McCardell & Jimmy Smith 1996-2001 Jaguars wide receiver tandem; McCardell = Thunder, Smith = Lightning

Thunder and Lightning[citation needed] Dayne, Ron; Barber, Tiki !Ron Dayne & Tiki Barber 2000 Giants running back tandem; Dayne = Thunder, Barber = Lightning

Thunder and Lightning[citation needed] Watters, Ricky; Charlie Garner !Ricky Watters & Charlie Garner 1995–1997 Eagles running back tandem; Watters = Thunder, Garner = Lightning

Tommy Gun aka Touchdown Tommy[citation needed] Maddox, Tommy !Tommy Maddox Nickname given for Maddox's passing ability, making the Steelers more of a downfield team.

Touchdown Tommy[citation needed] Vardell, Tommy !Tommy Vardell He was given the nickname in college by Stanford head coach Dennis Green after scoring four touchdowns against Notre Dame.

Tyler Rose !The Tyler Rose[citation needed] Campbell, Earl !Earl Campbell Campbell is from Tyler, Texas

Two-Minute Tommy[citation needed] Kramer, Tommy !Tommy Kramer Had a knack for late game come-from-behind wins.

Uptown[citation needed] Upshaw, Gene !Gene Upshaw A play on his name, but also his role as a guard when run-blocking.

Wash and Wear[citation needed] Jones , Thomas; Leon Washington !Thomas Jones & Leon Washington 2008–2009 Jets duo of running backs

Weapon X/Wolverine[citation needed] Dawkins, Brian !Brian Dawkins Used to describe his hard hitting, game changing play style. As well as make flying tackles.

Well Dressed Amani Toomer Toomer, Amani !Amani Toomer Given by Chris Berman, play on Armani suits.

White Shoes[citation needed] Johnson, Billy !Billy Johnson His choice of footwear at a time when most players wore black cleats

Wheaton Iceman !The Wheaton Iceman[119] Grange, Harold !Harold "Red" Grange A part-time job he once held delivering ice in his hometown of Wheaton, Illinois

Wildman[citation needed] Nitschke, Ray !Ray Nitschke

Windy City Flyer and Miami Missile[120] Hester, Devin !Devin Hester Hester's speed and a nickname for the city of Chicago, in which he plays; bestowed by WBBM 780 radio-announcer Jeff Joniak

World[citation needed] Rice, Jerry !Jerry Rice He acquired the nick

[BEEFEATER]

the 1987 Scab season:

The replacement player teams were given mock names like "Chicago Spare Bears", "San Francisco Phoney Niners", "New Orleans Saint Elsewheres", "Washington ScabSkins", and "Seattle Sea-scabs".[1] Final television revenues were down by about 20%, a smaller drop than the networks had expected.[2] The defending Super Bowl Champion New York Giants went 0–3 in replacement games, ultimately costing them a chance to make the playoffs and repeat their championship.

[BEEFEATER]

maybe i shoulda just had a link ta these sites. Whoops sorry

[FISHINGURU]

I like appropriate nicknames that actually mean something and tells about what kind of player they are, like T-Junk or Junkson.

[MuleShack]

I like appropriate nicknames that actually mean something and tells about what kind of player they are, like T-Junk or Junkson.

The classics

[MuleShack]

It's mostly the announcers calling these guys by their nicknames that's bothering me. Nothing wrong with having the nickname, but RG3 sounds more like a star wars character than football player. Bob Griffin would work just fine.

The way He moves around, he is like a JEDI

[Slabasaurus]

This is my favorite emoticon I've seeon on this site.