Michael Vick and the NFL's All-Time Bad Boy Team

The NFL is rife with bad boys and villains.  Guys who will do anything to get in the limelight and/or who are always knee deep in legal issues and fines from the NFL. 

These are the baddest of the bad.  The ones with the most jaw-dropping stories and the most shocking antics.  None of these players are known primarily for whining about contract issues, or everyday DWI charges—they’ve all done something crazier or scarier.

Could you imagine if they were all on one team?

Quarterback: Michael Vick

Erik S. Lesser/Getty Images

ATLANTA - OCTOBER 6: Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick #7 looks for a receiver against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first half on October 6, 2002 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia. The Buccaneers defeated the Falcon 20-6. (Photo by Erik S.

Philadelphia Eagles’ Michael Vick is well-known for not only participating in, but funding an illegal dog fighting ring.  The offense resulted in Vick serving time in jail and being suspended indefinitely (meaning until 2009) by the NFL. 

As if this weren’t enough, his bad boy status is supported by allegations stating Vick had used the alias Ron Mexico to anonymously get treatment for STDs.

Halfback: Johnny Blood

John McNally played in the NFL from 1925-1938.  His nickname, Johnny Blood was self-imposed, inspired by a marquee advertising the movie Blood and Sand.  His Hall of Fame page refers to him as a “vagabond halfback” and it fits.  His antics included riding the rails out of boredom and challenging acting great John Barrymore to a Shakespeare reciting contest.

He once slashed his own arm in order to sign an autograph in blood and is rumored to have paid the madam of a brothel for the services of the entire house.
   
He was not one for rules, and did not play clean and those on-the-field behaviors during his tenure with the Duluth Eskimos inspired the movie Leatherheads starring George Clooney.

Source: Connor, Floyd. Football’s Most Wanted. Washington D.C.: Potomac Books, Inc, 2000.

Fullback: Bronco Nagurski

Bronco Nagurski was so foreboding a player during his time with the bears that Detroit Lions owner G.A. Richards once offered him a check for $10,000 saying, "not for playing the Lions, because you belong to the Bears, but just to quit the game and get the hell out of the league. You are ruining my team."

New York Giants coach Steve Owen once speculated that the only way to defend Nagurski would be to “shoot him before he leaves the dressing room.”

Legend has it that he knocked flat four different players on a single touchdown run.

To top it off, Nagurski was inducted into the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame as a multi-time heavy weight world champion

Wide Receiver: Rae Carruth

Elsa/Getty Images

21 May 1997: Rae Carruth #84 of the Carolina Panthers at the L.A. Coliseum in Los Angeles, California. Mandatory Credit: Elsa Hasch /Allsport

Rae Carruth, a former receiver for the Carolina Panthers, is currently serving a prison sentence of 18-24 years for orchestrating the murder of his pregnant girlfriend in 1999. 

The couple had just gone to the movies and finished the drive to victim Cherica Adams’ house in separate vehicles with Adams trailing Carruth.  In the course of the drive, a car came alongside Adams’ and shot her four times. 

The details of the incident are outlined in the 911 call made by Adams following the shooting. 

She died a month later, but the baby was saved.

Carruth even attempted to appeal the conviction last year.

All that to avoid a little child support.

Tight End: Ed Sprinkle

One of the great hard-hitters of the ‘50s, Ed Sprinkle was dubbed “The Meanest Man in Football.”

A hit by Sprinkle could turn your helmet around (if you’re halfback Hugh McElhenny) or break your bones (if you’re one of three players playing for the Giants in a 1946 game against Sprinkle’s Bears).

Sprinkle hit Cleveland quarterback Otto Graham so hard it broke his nose, knocked off his helmet and caused a fumble which Sprinkle then returned 55 yards for touchdown.

Sprinkle was one of the league's last 60-minute men playing on both sides of the ball as a defensive end, guard, and tight end.

Source: Connor, Floyd. Football’s Most Wanted. Washington D.C.: Potomac Books, Inc, 2000.

Offensive Lineman: Conrad Dobler

Conrad Dobler was considered to be the dirtiest player in football.  He embraced eye-gouging, punching (Mean Joe Green was once an on-the-field victim), and biting—he bit so much the Vikings requested a rabies shot before meeting him on the field.

Dobler tore apart a locker room in response to future hall-of-famer Dan Dierdorf having cut off one of his pant legs prior to a television interview as practical joke.  He spit on an injured player (Bill Bradley) while he still lay on the ground, Kicked Merlin Olsen in the head, and punched Jim Pietrzak in the throat for simply wishing Dobler good luck in the playoffs.

Source: Connor, Floyd. Football’s Most Wanted. Washington D.C.: Potomac Books, Inc, 2000.

Offensive Lineman: Richie Incognito

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

CHICAGO - DECEMBER 06: Israel Idonije #71 of the Chicago Bears rushes against Richie Incognito #68 of the St. Louis Rams at Soldier Field on December 6, 2009 in Chicago, Illinois. The Bears defeated the Rams 17-9. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

Dolphins’ guard Richie Incognito is notorious for drawing penalties and fines.  He was one of SI.com’s dirtiest players and at the time he signed with Miami in 2010 he had tallied 11 personal fouls and $85,000 in fines.

Center: Jim Otto

Jim Otto played for the Oakland Raiders for 15 straight years overcoming ten broken noses and multiple knee injuries and surgeries. 

Otto had his right leg amputated in 2007 for his troubles.

Source: Connor, Floyd. Football’s Most Wanted. Washington D.C.: Potomac Books, Inc, 2000.

Offensive Lineman: Nate Newton

Brian Bahr/Getty Images

28 Dec 1996: Offensive lineman Nate Newton of the Dallas Cowboys celebrates during a playoff game against the Minnesota Vikings at Texas Stadium in Irving, Texas. The Cowboys won the game, 40-15. Mandatory Credit: Brian Bahr /Allsport

Six-time pro-bowler Nate Newton had a competitive streak.  Six weeks after he was arrested for having 213 lbs. of marijuana in his trunk, he was caught with another 175 lbs. 

Of the incident Newton said, "I've always been competitive. I've always been in sports. I couldn't see myself not being the biggest dope man."

Offensive Lineman: William Afflis

Green Bay Packers offensive lineman William Afflis is better known as Dick The Bruiser: the personification of professional wrestling in the 1950s through the early 1980s.  He reigned as the U.S. heavyweight champion from 1957 through 1962.

While still playing football he broke the leg of one of his opponents.

Source: Connor, Floyd. Football’s Most Wanted. Washington D.C.: Potomac Books, Inc, 2000.

Safety: Larry Wilson

St. Louis Cardinals safety Larry Wilson is in the Hall-of-Fame for his formidable presence on the teams secondary, racking up 52 career interceptions.

One of those interceptions he made—and returned for 35 yards—was with the obstruction of casts on both of his hands, prompting quarterback Bobby Lane to dub Wilson “pound for pound the toughest player in the NFL.”

Source: Connor, Floyd. Football’s Most Wanted. Washington D.C.: Potomac Books, Inc, 2000.

Safety: Jack Tatum

Jack Tatum was known for his viciously hard hits and role in “the immaculate reception.”  He once hit Sammy White so hard his helmet flew off.

He’s best known, though, for being the player who paralyzed Patriots’ receiver Darryl Stingley.

Defensive Back: Ronnie Lott

Stephen Dunn/Getty Images

SAN FRANCISCO - 1989: Defenseman Ronnie Lott #42 of the San Francisco 49ers follows the offense during a game at Candlestick Park during the 1989 NFL season in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

Another of the NFL’s hardest hitters, Ronnie Lott entered NFL lore with a legend involving his pinky.  Rumor had it that after a brutal helmet hit pinned Lott’s pinky to his chest crushing it, Lott went to the locker room and cut off the end of his pinky.

Sadly, the rumor wasn’t true.  Lott did have the finger amputated, but later, by a professional. 

Still, though, it takes a certain kind of man to bring that sort of story into fruition and have it believed by so many.

Defensive Back: Pacman Jones

Elsa/Getty Images

FOXBORO, MA - SEPTEMBER 12: Adam Jones #24 of the Cincinnati Bengals talks from the sideline in the second half against the New England Patriots during the NFL season opener on September 12, 2010 at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by

Adam “Pacman” Jones was consistently charged with various counts of drug possession, assault, and obstruction of justice.  His most famous offense, and the most jarring took place in a Vegas strip club in 2007.

Jones allegedly bashed a stripper’s head on the stage for collecting money Jones had been throwing onto the stage.  He also allegedly threatened a guard who intervened and matters were made worse when a member of Jones’ entourage returned to the scene later and shot the guard twice and paralyzed a patron.

Linebacker: Lawrence Taylor

Mike Powell/Getty Images

11 Nov 1990: Linebacker Lawrence Taylor of the New York Giants moves down the field during a game against the Los Angeles Rams at Anaheim Stadium in Anaheim, California. The Giants won the game, 31-7. Mandatory Credit: Mike Powell /Allsport

New York’s original L.T., Lawrence Taylor was considered one of the best defenders in football.  He played through injuries including a broken foot and a separated pectoral muscle, and inflicted pain, breaking quarterback Joe Theisman’s leg in brutal fashion.

He struggled with substance abuse, getting suspended after testing positive for cocaine for a second time.

After his career he defeated Bam Bam Bigelow in Wrestlemania XI.

His recent foray into the limelight has him branded a sex offender for his affair with a 17-year old.

Linebacker: Hardy "The Hatchet" Brown

Hardy “The Hatchet” Brown led a hard life and the brutality translated on the field. 

Brown witnessed the death of his father when he was just four years old.

He broke jaws and noses so routinely that teams suspected his pads were loaded though no supporting evidence was ever found.  The Hatchet once hospitalized Cleveland’s Billy Reynolds for four days and hit Dick Hoerner so hard he remained flat on the field through halftime.

As if all that weren’t scary enough, Brown eventually landed in a mental institution where he died in 1991.

Source: Connor, Floyd. Football’s Most Wanted. Washington D.C.: Potomac Books, Inc, 2000.

Linebacker: Bill Romanowski

Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images

OAKLAND, CA - JANUARY 12: Bill Romanowski #53 of the Oakland Raiders celebrates after recovering a fumble against the New York Jets during the AFC Divisional Playoff game at Network Associates Coliseum on January 12, 2003 in Oakland, California. (Photo

Bill Romanowski was an an unapologetic hard hitter responsible for breaking Kerry Collins’ jaw.  Of the hit he said it was "one of the best hits of my career. It was perfect. It was one that you dream about."

He is also responsible (among other altercations) for the end of Oakland teammate Marcus Williams’ career after he punched him in the face during practice, crushing his eye-socket.

Linebacker: Tim Rossovich

Tim Rossovich’s antics have to be among the most entertaining.  He lit himself on fire and ate lit cigarettes.  He challenged Mike Ditka to a beer bottle opening contest and using only his teeth proceeded to open 100 bottles to Ditka’s three.

And, that’s just the tip of the iceberg. 

Linebacker: Chuck Bednarik

Philadelphia’s Chuck Bednarik is known best as the man who ended Giants running back Frank Gifford’s 1960 season with a jarring hit and what was termed a “deep brain concussion.”  The photo of Bednarik standing over Gifford celebrating is as legendary as his brawls, including one with Chuck Noll in Noll’s playing days.

Linebacker Honorable Mentions

There are so many brutally awesome defenders throughout NFL history, they can't all fit on a single starting lineup. 

These guys fit on the depth chart though

Mike Curtis
A linebacker for the Baltimore Colts, Curtis once admitted that he played football because it was the only way he could get away with hitting people.  He once chewed the bars off his face mask and ate the window pane of a bus—likely part of the source of his nickname “The Animal.”


Zany Zatkoff
Another of the NFL’s legendary hard-hitters, Roger “Zany” Zatkoff liked to spear people with his helmet, kept a tally of the players he knocked out of each game, and was forced  by his own teammates to wear a cowbell so they wouldn’t be blindsided by one of his brutal attacks.

Source: Connor, Floyd. Football’s Most Wanted. Washington D.C.: Potomac Books, Inc, 2000.

Defensive Tackle: "Mean Joe" Greene

“Mean Joe” Greene was a part of Chuck Noll’s storied Steel Curtain and a repeatedly disrespected opponents.  He kicked Bob McKay in the groin repeatedly while he lay on the ground after a play.  He even had the gall to spit in the face of the ever-feared Dick Butkus.

Nose Tackle: Albert Haynesworth

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

GLENDALE, AZ - SEPTEMBER 02: Defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth #92 of the Washington Redskins in action during preseason NFL game against the Arizona Cardinals at the University of Phoenix Stadium on September 2, 2010 in Glendale, Arizona. The Cardina

Albert Haynesworth has had issues on and off the field throughout his career.  Most recently he is in the news for the alleged sexual assault of a waitress, his subsequent racially charged statement and a road rage assault case.

His most jarring offense was in 2006 when he stomped on the helmet-less head of Dallas center Andre Gurode following a rushing touchdown by Julius Jones.

Gurode got 30 stitches and Haynesworth got suspended for an unprecedented five games.

Defensive End: Jim Marshall

Minnesota Vikings Jim Marshall may be the most durable football player ever.  He played in 282 consecutive games (not counting playoffs) despite a bout with pneumonia, an ulcer, and having shot himself while cleaning the gun he carried with him. 

He also found himself the victim of a blizzard while on a snowmobiling trip with a group.  To survive, Marshall offered up the large amount of cash he carried with him as fuel for a fire.

We’ll just ignore the fact that he holds the record for the shortest play ever with a -66 yard safety for the San Francisco 49ers.

Source: Connor, Floyd. Football’s Most Wanted. Washington D.C.: Potomac Books, Inc, 2000.

Head Coach: Woody Hayes

Though he never coached at the professional level, Ohio State coach Woody Hayes deserves to be a part of this legendary team.  Known for his abuse of referees and reporters the end of Hayes’ career came during the 1978 Gator Bowl.  Clemons’ Charlie Bauman intercepted a pass by future gambler and NFL star Art Schlichter in the final minute of the game. 

Hayes’ temper once again got the better of him and he marched over to Bauman and punched him in the throat before advancing on the refs.  He was fired promptly afterwards.

Fan: Some Guy from Tennessee

Scott Strazzante/Getty Images

General view of the flag of the Tennessee Volunteers during a game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana.

Every team needs a good fanbase and this team wouldn’t be complete without the boldest of the bunch.

At a 1908 game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Georgia Bulldogs an avid Tennessee supporter stepped from the stands and pointed a revolver at the Georgia players lining up just two yards from the end zone.  The game had been scoreless up to that point and the man intended to keep it that way, threatening to shoot anyone who crossed the goal line. 

Naturally the man was arrested but his ploy ultimately worked.  Georgia’s quarterback, undoubtedly shaken, fumbled on the next play and Tennessee ended up winning 10-0.

This man is certainly deserving of a professional team to root for.

Source: Connor, Floyd. Football’s Most Wanted. Washington D.C.: Potomac Books, Inc, 2000.