Ndamukong Suh and the 5 Biggest Crybabies in the NFL

The NFL and its 32 teams are rich with unique characters and quirky personalities. The most popular are the diva's, prima donnas and, of course, the crybabies.

I’d like to show you the five biggest crybabies from this past NFL season.

The rubric for an NFL crybaby includes a plethora of prerequisites. Crybabies are those players and coaches who typically whine, complain, throw temper tantrums, etc.

The most important aspect that will make or break crybaby is whether or not the attitude interferes with the way the team performs.

All the players I’ve selected either hurt themselves or their team because of immaturity.

1. Ndamukong Suh

Ndamukong Suh is one of the best and most emotional defensive tackles in the NFL. It's hard to get mad at a football player for being too fierce, but it's warranted when the mean streak continues after the whistle is blown.

While Suh has been a large part (quite literally) in helping the Detroit Lions turn around to becoming a playoff team, the Lions could have gone farther had Suh learned to be more mature.

The worst frenzy was on Thanksgiving day when Suh pushed Packers lineman Evan Dietrich-Smith's head in the ground and stomped on Smith while getting up.

The tantrum was followed by Suh's ejection from the game, and a two-game suspension.

The game was, at the time, the most important for the Lions since their last playoff run in 1999. At 7-3 the Lions could have potentially shown the 10-0 Packers and the nation just what kind of team they were. In fact they did, but it wasn't the kind of team they wanted to be. 

Missing Suh for the rest of the game and the following two hurt the Lions who went 1-2 during that stretch.

Suh's production was also down from last season, so there is reason to believe that his attitude is getting to be a problem.

2. Albert Haynesworth

Albert Haynesworth is someone who Ndamukong Suh should look at and learn from. Both play the same position, and each player has received his share of hype and criticism.

Like Suh, Haynesworth also had a stomping incident early in his career. The road has been rocky for Haynesworth ever since. He has been on three teams since the start of the the '09 season.

The reason he cannot stick with a team boils down to his work ethic, and his willingness to be a team player. Haynesworth refused to take a roll as a 3-4 end and was therefore useless for the Washington Redskins and New England Patriots.

After being cut by New England, Haynesworth found a new home in Tampa Bay with the Buccaneers.

Haynesworth signed with the Super Bowl-bound Patriots before the season, but managed to once again cry-baby his way out of town. If he had just worked hard and put his wants aside for the team, he would be competing for a title on Sunday.

After just two great seasons with the Tennessee Titans from '07-'08, Haynesworth was said to be the best defensive tackle in the league. Because of his attitude and meager stats since, he is now seen as one of the biggest babies.

3. Rex Ryan

As the only coach on my list, New York Jets' Rex Ryan belongs with these players for the way his actions affected his team's performance.

Ryan is another guy with a lot of emotions. When the Jets are doing well, it's fantastic, but when they are not doing so well, it's the end of the world.

While this may be due to the so-called "brutal" New York media, Ryan could have kept his cool a little better than he did.

With his team at 8-5 and primed to make a playoff push, the Jets lost their final three games in a row, ending the season 8-8 and out of the playoffs for the first time in Ryan's tenure.

After the final loss, Ryan reportedly cried in a speech to his team. The tears showed his players how much he cares, but did nothing to change the fact that his team crumbled down the stretch.

4. Brandon Marshall

Brandon Marshall put up good numbers and earned himself a trip to the Pro Bowl after his second season with the Miami Dolphins. Marshall grabbed 81 catches for 1,214 yards and six touchdowns, but was also tied for second in the league for most drops.

The Dolphins showed sparks of great football but still ended the season 6-10. As they try to transform into a more competitive team, Miami will need Marshall to be on the same page with his teammates.

This is where the crybaby part comes in because Marshall shows no trust in the quarterbacks currently on the roster.

According to the Palm Beach Post, Marshall was talking to free agent quarterback Matt Flynn about joining him in Miami.

Marshall won the Pro Bowl MVP with his six catches for 174 yards and four touchdowns (only two less than he grabbed all season).

During the game in a sideline interview, he praised the All-Star quarterbacks who were throwing him the ball.

If he just quits being a baby and works with the quarterbacks at hand, maybe Marshall and the Dolphins could be a competitor in the AFC East.

5. James Harrison

Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker James Harrison is the scariest of the babies. Harrison and commissioner Roger Goodell have been butting heads for the past three seasons on which hits are legal or illegal.

To everything the commissioner does, Harrison has a distinct and usually opposite opinion. Take the example from this Bleacher Report article, where Harrison is bitter towards the very league for which he plays.

Harrison was suspended for one game this season, but it was an important late season game against the San Fransisco 49ers.

Because of his absence the Steelers did not have that ferocious force they are used to having when Harrison is in the game.

There's no question Harrison's bitter relationship with Goodell has hampered his play, and thus the Steelers' progress.