College Football's 11 Best Nicknames for Southern Players, 1959-2009

A wonderful actress in a dreadful movie once remarked "It's a southern thang dahlin'."

The plot of the film has long since disappeared from memory, but the ice-cold reality of that statement has never left for a moment.

The story of nicknames concerns people bigger than life.

More dynamic.

A listing of the 11 best nicknames applied to players who fine tuned their ability at schools south of the Mason-Dixon line.

This is not to disrespect the intriguing nicknames we've seen from other parts of the country.

Jack "The Assassin" Tatum, Red "The Gallopin' Ghost" Grange, "The Golden Boy" Paul Hornung, and Elroy "Crazy Legs" Hirsch are samples of great imagination.

But ask yourself, is there really anything that conjures up an image like the moniker hung on the big man from Clemson pictured above?

To be brief, let us propose a list of only 11, as that is the number on each side of the ball in play. 

To be fair, we shall refrain from going back further than 50 years.

11. Jevon Kearse, "The Freak", Defensive Line and Linebacker, Florida 1996-98

10. Steve "Air" McNair, Quarterback, Alcorn A&M 1991-94

9. Lance Alworth, "Bambi", Running Back and Receiver, Arkansas 1959-61

8. Reggie "Minister of Defense" White, Defensive Line, Tennessee 1980-83

7. Randy "The Manster" White, Defensive Line, Maryland 1972-74

6. Kenny "The Snake" Stabler, Quarterback, Alabama 1965-67

5. Walter "Sweetness" Payton, Running Back, Jackson State 1971-74

4. Deion "Primetime" and "Neon Deion" Sanders, Defensive Back, Florida State 1985-88

3. "Mean" Joe Greene, Defensive Line, North Texas State 1966-68

2. William "The Refrigerator" Perry, Defensive Line, Clemson 1981-84

1. Ted "The Mad Stork" Hendricks, Defensive Line and Linebacker, Miami 1966-68