NFL: The 25 Easiest-to-Hate Players in History

No matter what they do—whether it be negative or positive—they simply make you cringe and want to smack them in the face a few times: the most hated players in NFL history.

It may or may not be the player's fault for why they're so hated, but it's a solid fact—they're hated. 

These players will give you reasons every week in the NFL season to hate them, and even some do a little bit of overtime in the off-season. 

Here are the 25 easiest-to-hate players in NFL history. I hope you all enjoy and be sure to leave some hate-filled responses regarding these players! 

This article was first seen at PatriotsPlus.net. Be sure to follow Tony Santorsa on Twitter @      TonySantorsa.  

25. Randy Moss

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KANSAS CITY, MO - DECEMBER 26: Receiver Randy Moss #84 of the Tennessee Titans watches from the sidelines during the game against the Kansas City Chiefs on December 26, 2010 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Ima

Ever since Randy Moss' infamous fully-clothed mooning of the Green Bay Packers' faithful, Moss has become one of the easiest-to-hate players in the NFL.

Moss was a quitter in Oakland, New England and Tennessee—he's burned several bridges throughout his career.  

24. Hines Ward

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FORT WORTH, TX - JANUARY 31: Wide receiver Hines Ward #86 of the Pittsburgh Steelers talks with the media at the Omni Fort Worth Hotel on January 31, 2011 in Fort Worth, Texas. The Pittsburgh Steelers will play the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XLV on

Hines Ward may be one of the most hard-working wide receivers in the NFL, but thanks to his questionable blocks, he is definitely an easy-to-hate player.

Ward is known for being a great blocker, however many of his blocks tend to be below the knees as it appears he's attempting to injure the opposing player. 

23. Rodney Harrison

Andy Lyons/Getty Images

INDIANAPOLIS - NOVEMBER 04: Line judge Gary Cavaletto #60 attempts to seperate Ryan Diem #71 of the Indianapolis Colts and Rodney Harrison #37 of the New England Patriots during the first quarter of their game on November 4, 2007 at the RCA Dome in India

Rodney Harrison was one of the most frequently fined players during his time spent in the NFL.

Many fans lean towards hating Harrison due to his proclaimed "dirty" playing-style. However when you watch him play, you begin to respect him for all the effort he puts in every single play. 

22. Martin Gramatica

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NEW ORLEANS - OCTOBER 06: Martin Gramatica #1 of the New Orleans Saints reacts after missing a field goal that would have put the Saints ahead against the Minnesota Vikings on October 6, 2008 at the Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Vikings defeat

From his over-celebrating field goal completions to his inconstancy of completing the kicks—many fans really hate Martin Gramatica. 

Gramatica is currently 35 years old and is a free agent thanks to his inability to routinely make kicks. 

21. Ricky Williams

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

OAKLAND, CA - NOVEMBER 28: Ricky Williams #34 of the Miami Dolphins walks down the tunnel for their game against the Oakland Raiders at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on November 28, 2010 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Ricky Williams can be hated on two levels—whether if it's testing positive for marijuana or being a somewhat of a disappointment—many fans hate him. 

Williams had a few stellar seasons as a member of the New Orleans Saints and the Miami Dolphins, however he announced an early retirement in 2004—after testing positive for marijuana. 

While being retired, he studied Ayuverda, an ancient Indian system of holistic medicine, at the California College of Ayurveda.

In 2007 Williams returned to football and hasn't been the same player ever since. 

20. Plaxico Burress

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LEBANON - JANUARY 14: New York Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress walks through security as he arrives at the Lebanon County Courthouse January 14, 2009 in Lebanon, Pa. Burress is scheduled to appear in a civil trial in a dispute with an automobile dea

Plaxico Burress may not be one of the easiest-to-hate players, but he may be the dumbest player in NFL history.

On November 28, 2008, Burress accidentally shot himself in the leg with a gun that he had placed in his pants while he was at a New York City nightclub and the next day Burress turned himself in to the police. From there, Burress spent 20 months in jail and is currently a free agent. 

19. Eli Manning

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EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - DECEMBER 05: Eli Manning #10 of the New York Giants in action against the Washington Redskins during their game on December 5, 2010 at The New Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

It's kind of shocking to believe how hated Eli Manning is by not only NFL fans, but by his own New York Giants fans.

Manning is easy to hate due to his inconsistent play and his lack of emotion and on-field leadership. Also, Manning made a huge deal as he was selected by the San Diego Chargers first overall in the 2004 draft and refused to play for them. 

18. Donovan McNabb

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

ARLINGTON, TX - DECEMBER 19: Quarterback Donovan McNabb #5 of the Washington Redskins on the sidelines against play against the Dallas Cowboys at Cowboys Stadium on December 19, 2010 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Donovan McNabb did so much for the Philadelphia Eagles fan base as he led them to multiple playoff apperances and put his heart and soul into winning games—however fans still find ways to hate him. 

McNabb was often criticized for being a scrambling quarterback, so he then spent more time as a pocket passer—but fans still found a way to hate him. 

Maybe it's just the city of Philadelphia, but either way, McNabb is an easy-to-hate player. 

17. Tom Brady

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FOXBORO, MA - JANUARY 02: Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots celebrates a touchdown by teammate BenJarvis Green-Ellis in the first quarter against the Miami Dolphins on January 2, 2011 at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa

Unlike many players on this list, Tom Brady is one of the classiest players in the NFL, as well as being one of the most hated.

Brady is easy to hate because of his extremely successful life: three Super Bowl titles, two NFL MVP awards, multiple Pro Bowls and is married to one of the most richest and well-known models in the world—maybe it's just jealously. 

16. Deion Sanders

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DALLAS, TX - FEBRUARY 5: Deion Sanders looks on after being inducted into the 2011 Pro Football Hall of Fame class during an announcement at the Super Bowl XLV media center on February 5, 2011 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)

The big mouth that is attached to Deion Sanders is the reason why he's so easy-to-hate—he simply says whatever he wants.

Also, Sanders is known to be one of the biggest celebrators in the history of the sport, as he would frequently dance and high-step his way into the end-zone. 

15. Jack Tatum

Jack Tatum was a perfect fit as an Oakland Raider as he was one of the most feared and dirty players in the history of the game. 

Many fans hate Tatum due to his extremely dirty hit on New England Patriots wide receiver Darryl Stingley in a preseason game in 1978. Stingely's spinal cord was damaged badly in result of the hit and became paralyzed from the chest down.

Tatum openly stated that he believes it wasn't a dirty hit and that he never apologized for Stingley. 

How sick and twisted is that? 

14. Ryan Leaf

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SAN DIEGO, CA - DEC 3: Ryan Leaf #16 of the San Diego Chargers reacts to a call during an NFL game against the San Francisco 49ers on December 3, 2000 at QualComm Stadium in San Diego, California. The 49ers defeated the Chargers 44-17. (Photo by Stephen

Ryan Leaf is one of the biggest busts in NFL history which causes him to be one of the easiest-to-hate players. 

Leaf was the second overall pick in the 1998 NFL draft and was one of the biggest disappointments as he finished his career with an awful 50.0 passer rating while tossing 14 touchdowns, 36 interceptions while only completing 48.4 percent of his passes. 

13. JaMarcus Russell

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OAKLAND, CA - JANUARY 03: JaMarcus Russell #2 of the Oakland Raiders walks off the field against the Baltimore Ravens during an NFL game at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on January 3, 2010 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

JaMarcus Russell had all the talent in the world, but never matured into a grown man.

Russell was the first overall selection in the 2007 NFL draft and was an absolute disappointment. 

The former Oakland Raider was released on May 6 2010 due to drug charges and inability to stay in shape. 

12. Ray Lewis

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BALTIMORE, MD - DECEMBER 19: Ray Lewis #52 of the Baltimore Ravens celebrates the Ravens victory after the game against the New Orleans Saints at M&T Bank Stadium on December 19, 2010 in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens defeated the Saints 30-24. (Photo

Ray Lewis may be loved by Baltimore Ravens fans, but anyone outside of the fan base tends to hate him.

Lewis is a hard-hitting linebacker with a big-mouth—so it's certainly easy to understand why he's so easy-to-hate. 

11. James Harrison

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PITTSBURGH - JANUARY 28: James Harrison #92 of the Pittsburgh Steelers talks to fans during the Super Bowl XLV Pep Rally on January 28, 2011 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)

James Harrison's inability to understand the safety of other NFL players gives him a bad reputation as he's one of the most easy-to-hate players in the NFL.

Harrison has been fined numerous times for dirty hits and helmet-to-helmet contact. Harrison fails to understand the rules in place by the NFL and has publicly stated that he's not changing the way he plays. 

10. Tony Mandarich

Tony Mandarich, like Ryan Leaf, was a huge bust as he was selected second overall by the Green Bay Packers in the 1989 NFL draft.

Mandarich was a massive offensive linemen, but it became known later that he was an avid steroid user. 

Mandarich never panned out to be a solid linemen as he checked into rehab in 1995 due to drug use. 

9. Bill Romanowski

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OAKLAND, CA - SEPTEMBER 8: Linebacker Bill Romanowski #53 of the Oakland Raiders looks on from the bench during the game against the Seattle Seahawks on September 8, 2002 at Network Associates Coliseum in Oakland, California. The Raiders won 31-17. (Pho

Bill Romanowski may have been one of the meanest players in the history of the game. In fact, Romanowski didn't care who he was playing against, even if it was a scrimmage against teammates as he punched Marcus Williams square in the face during a 2003 practice. 

Romanowski has kicked, punched and even spat in opposing players face during his time in the NFL. Romanowski simply didn't play football to make friends, he wanted to hurt whoever he lined up against. 

No wonder he's so hated. 

8. Ben Roethlisberger

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

ARLINGTON, TX - FEBRUARY 06: Ben Roethlisberger #7 of the Pittsburgh Steelers celebrates after Rashard Mendenhall #34 ran for an eight yard touchdown against the Green Bay Packers in the third quarter of Super Bowl XLV at Cowboys Stadium on February 6, 2

Ben Roethlisberger may be loved by Pittsburgh Steelers fans, but ever since he entered the NFL, he's shown inconsistent levels of maturity. 

Roethlisberger has been accused of rape twice during his time in the NFL and even was involved in a motorcycle accident which resulted in many facial fractures that caused him to miss some time with the Steelers in off-season workouts and training camp. 

With Roethlisberger's low maturity level and his instant success as an NFL quarterback, there is no wonder why so many people tend to hate Big Ben. 

7. Lawrence Taylor

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18 Oct 1992: Linebacker Lawrence Taylor of the New York Giants looks on during a game against the Los Angeles Rams at Anaheim Stadium in Anaheim, California. The Rams won the game, 38-17. Mandatory Credit: Ken Levine /Allsport

Lawrence Taylor may be the most feared player in NFL history, but is also extremely easy-to-hate.

Taylor recently pleaded guilty to sexual misconduct and patronizing a 16-year-old prostitute in 2010. 

I'm sorry, but I have zero respect for Taylor and I can see why he's so easy-to-hate. 

6. Lawrence Phillips

Lawrence Phillips had all the potential in the world, but was a pure scumbag.

He refused to attend team meetings in St. Louis, he's assaulted women, he's purposely hit people with his car and has been convicted over several domestic abuse crimes and is currently spending 10 years in jail.

Oh, and by the way, Phillips is the reason why Steve Young retired as he missed a blitzing Aeneas Williams who knocked out Young with a concussion. 

Phillips is so easy-to-hate, it's rather scary.  

5. Terrell Owens

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ATLANTA - OCTOBER 24: Terrell Owens #81 of the Cincinnati Bengals celebrates his touchdown against the Atlanta Falcons at Georgia Dome on October 24, 2010 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

How can Terrell Owens be so hated? He has no criminal record and has put up big numbers during his NFL career?

Well, he's been described as a cancer to any NFL locker room. 

Owens has been known to make lives difficult for quarterbacks, such as Donovan McNabb, Carson Palmer and Jeff Garcia. And he's been on numerous reality TV shows during the NFL off-seasons.

Also, Owens embraces all this hatred—if he wants to be hated, well let's keep hating! 

4. O.J. Simpson

Ethan Miller/Getty Images

LAS VEGAS - DECEMBER 05: O.J. Simpson smiles as he arrives in court for his sentencing hearing at the Clark County Regional Justice Center December 5, 2008 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Simpson and co-defendant Clarence 'C.J.' Stewart were sentenced on 12 charge

O.J. Simpson is hated among many levels by fans across the NFL.

Simpson escaped murder chargers of his former girlfriend Nicole Brown and her friend Ronald Goldman—even though many believe that he actually did commit the murders. 

From that point on, Simpson has been in trouble with the law quite a few times and is currently spending to a total of 33 years in prison after being charged with kidnapping and armed robbery. 

3. Rae Carruth

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17 Oct 1999: Rae Carruth #89 of the Carolina Panthers smilles on the field during the game against the San Francisco 49ers at 3Com Park in San Francisco, California. The Panthers defeated the 49ers 31-29. Mandatory Credit: Otto Greule Jr. /Allsport

Former NFL wide receiver Rae Carruth had a bright future as he was selected by the Carolina Panthers 27th overall in the 1997 NFL draft. From there, Carruth had a solid rookie season that displayed huge upside.

However, Carruth's career came cashing down on Novemeber 16, 1999. Carruth was involved in a shooting incident that resulted in the death of his pregnant girlfriend Cherica Adams. Following the shooting, Adams fell into a coma while the baby was forced to be born by a Caesearan section operation. 

Months later, Carruth was found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder, shooting into an occupied vehicle, and using an instrument to destroy an unborn child.

Carruth was then sentenced to 18 to 24 years in prison.  

2. Brett Favre

Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

DETROIT, MI - JANUARY 02: Brett Favre #4 of the Minnesota Vikings talks at a post game press conference after a 13-20 loss to the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on January 2, 2011 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Over the past couple of years, Brett Favre has burned quite a few bridges and has become one of the easiest-to-hate players in the NFL.

Whether if it's reports of Favre "sexting" younger women or him demanding attention from the media—Favre is one hated man. 

1. Michael Vick

Jonathan Ernst/Getty Images

RICHMOND, VA - AUGUST 27: Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick speaks to reporters at the Omni Richmond Hotel after agreeing to a guilty plea on charges stemming from his involvement in a dogfighting ring August 27, 2007, in Richmond, Virginia. (Pho

Michael Vick is by far the most easiest to hate player in NFL history. 

Anyone who gains pleasure by witnessing dogs fight and then even killing the dogs at the end is nothing but a sick a person. 

Vick was arrested for hosting dog fighting at his estate in Virginia and then later spent 23 months in prison.

I believe it's safe to say that the entire Atlanta Falcons fan base have nothing good to say about Vick, as he practically screwed over the entire Falcons organization. 

After spending time in jail, Vick was reinstated into the NFL—which caused much more controversy as many believed that he would have been suspended for life. 

On August 13, 2009 Vick spent a one year contract with the Philadelphia Eagles, and from there his career has resurrected. 

All of the Vick-haters out there have been forced to witness his sudden emergence back into the spotlight of the NFL—in fact he was the recipient for the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year Award this past season. 

From here on out, no matter what Michael Vick will do, he will be the easiest player to hate in NFL history.