Honey Badger and the Most Hilarious Nicknames in College Football History

By (Correspondent) on January 27, 2012

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From "Joltin" Joe DiMaggio to Earvin "Magic" Johnson, nicknames have always been a very fun and important part of sports.

While college football is not as well known for nicknames as the MLB or NBA, it perhaps has provided as many funny ones as any other sport.

The humorous nickname of course came to the forefront of the college football world this year with the LSU Tigers' Heisman finalist Tyrann Mathieu, and his "Honey Badger" moniker.

Here are the five funniest nicknames in college football history.

Jared Lorenzen: "The Hefty Lefty"

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Andy Lyons/Getty Images

The Kentucky Wildcats had a solid quarterback in Jared Lorenzen from 2000 to 2003. He set school records in total yards, passing yards and passing touchdowns before graduating.

However, the thing he will likely be most remembered for is his enormous size. While with the Wildcats, he obtained the nickname "Hefty Lefty."

At 6'4'' and 275 pounds, he was quite a big boy. 

Adam "Pacman" Jones

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Tyler Barrick/Getty Images

With his troubles with the law (and odd behavior, such as taking tens of thousands of dollars to strip clubs), Cincinnati Bengal Adam Jones' nickname is not the most notable or interesting thing about him.

However, when he was with the West Virginia Mountaineers, it was a popular story. Not only is "Pacman" a funny nickname in and of itself, the back story is fairly amusing.

His mother apparently starting calling him "Pacman" because he drank his milk as fast as the video-game character.

William "Refrigerator" Perry

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Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

William Perry might be best known for his play with the Chicago Bears and the Super Bowl he helped them win, but he also has one of the best nicknames in football history.

Even before his decorated NFL career, Perry was known as "The Refrigerator" when he was with the Clemson Tigers.

His teammates joked that he could empty a refrigerator in one sitting, but "The Fridge" could have acquired his nickname by being the size of a refrigerator. His size-25 Super Bowl ring is still the largest the NFL has ever had to order.

Tyrann Mathieu: "Honey Badger"

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Chris Graythen/Getty Images

Tyrann Mathieu is fierce and scrappy, so you might think his play would be associated with any number of common predators.

But no, an LSU Tigers fan chose to splice his play against the Oregon Ducks with a video of a honey badger.

Mathieu didn't even know what a honey badger was until after the video went viral, but the nickname stuck, and Mathieu has come to terms with it.

The nickname is weird, but with his style of play and hair, Mathieu actually somewhat resembles a honey badger.

Jack Thompson: "The Throwin' Samoan"

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Jeff Gross/Getty Images

Most people probably don't remember Jack Thompson's football career, since he played for the Washington State Cougars in the mid-70's.

And if they do, they might remember that he was a huge bust at the next level. After being drafted third overall in the 1979 NFL Draft, Thompson only lasted five years in the pros.

Still, Thompson can console himself in knowing he had an excellent nickname. Thanks to his heritage and solid play, he earned the moniker "The Throwin' Samoan" during his impressive sophomore season with the Cougars.

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