30 Athletes We Wish Were Tougher

Professional athletes are supposed to be tough. Actually, they have to be tough because most sports, outside of golf, demand it. Fans demand it as well.

There are some professional athletes so ridiculously imposing that just being in their presence could reduce an average Joe to tears. Ray Lewis and James Harrison both immediately spring to mind, although they are extreme examples. Most athletes occupy the space somewhere between Ray Lewis and Rory McIlroy (no offense, Rory). 

Unless an athlete is one of the premiere badasses in a sport, chances are he or she has been labeled "soft" by someone at some point. "Soft" is a catch-all term that explains an emotional outburst, an injury-prone career or just a vague unwillingness to take it like a man.    

Here are the 30 athletes we wish were tougher.   

30. Adam Morrison

Adam Morrison was a prolific scorer at Gonzaga who convinced people he was better than he actually was. 

Morrison turned pro after his junior year, and Michael Jordan was so smitten with him that the Charlotte Bobcats drafted him third overall in 2006 NBA draft, despite questions about his athleticism at the next level. 

Morrison struggled and was relegated to the bench halfway through his rookie season, where he remained before being traded to the Lakers in 2009. 

The level of scrutiny that comes with being hand-picked by Michael Jordan was too much for Morrison to overcome, and he hasn’t played since being waived by the Wizards in late 2010.

29. Andre Smith

Andre Smith was considered an amazing raw talent and dominant SEC force, but his bad habits and poor decision-making were on jiggly display when he showed up to the combine overweight and out of shape, before ditching the whole event early without notifying anyone. 

Fortunately for Smith, the Cincinnati Bengals have never seen a potential draft bust they didn’t like, and they snapped him up with the sixth pick. 

Then, Smith did what any out-of-shape, underwhelming rookie should do and held out for the entirety of training camp and three preseason games. Predictably, he promptly fractured his foot and ended up only playing six games. The next year, he ended up on injured reserve from another foot injury.

The big man can’t seem to get out of bed without ending up on injured reserve. 

28. Gina Carano

Gina Carano is an MMA fighter who once ranked as high as No. 3 in the world. In 2007, her fight with Julie Kedzie was the first televised female fight on Showtime. Carano’s career began to decline after losing a highly publicized fight with Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos in 2009.  

Following the fight, Carano took more than a year off before announcing her return in February 2011, although she has yet to schedule a fight.  

27. Matthew Stafford

New head coach Jim Schwartz and GM Martin Mayhew used the 2009 draft to lay the foundation for a new era, beginning with a cornerstone in cannon-armed QB prospect Matthew Stafford.  

When healthy, Stafford has largely lived up to his billing, and in 13 games over two seasons, Stafford has thrown for 2,802 yards, 19 TDs and 21 INTs. The problem is that he is in serious danger of entering “what could have been” territory.  

The Detroit Lions show all the signs of a team that can compete in the NFC, but they need their star QB on the field and not in the training room.

 

26. Limas Sweed

Limas Sweed was considered by many analysts to be a “steal” when selected in the second round of the 2008 NFL draft, but he eventually made them all feel like suckers. 

His performance in the regular season of his rookie year was bad, but his performance in the playoffs was worse. The lowlight was dropping a certain touchdown against the Baltimore Ravens during 2009 AFC championship and then faking an injury to cover it up. 

Beyond the points off the board, he cost the Steelers a valuable timeout because his performance occurred during the final two minutes of the first half.

Sweed never seemed to fully recover from his rookie debacle of a season, landing on the non-football injury list for “personal issues” and then missing the entire 2009-2010 season due to injury. He’s still on the Steelers roster, but his days in the NFL are numbered. 

25. Ilya Kovalchuk

The NHL has a hard-earned reputation as one of the sports that remains largely untainted by the ego and money-driven antics, which drive fans of the NFL, NBA and MLB insane. 

While hockey is still a business, most players seem to separate the money from the game, and contract negotiations are usually pretty low key. Ilya Kovalchuck is a notable exception. 

The 17-year contract worth $102 million that he signed with the Devils in 2010 is the longest-term contract in NHL history.

Kovalchuck thanked the Devils for their piles of money by having the worst season of his NHL career. He has always been a one-dimensional player who could score goals, but his ridiculous contract put a spotlight on his shortcomings. 

24. Ricky Williams

Soft-spoken and shy, Ricky Williams is certainly not the prototypical NFL, reefer-loving running back. 

He’s been diagnosed with clinical depression and social anxiety disorder, and he has come and gone from the league a number of times—sometimes on his own accord, other times via league-mandated suspensions. 

The fact that he’s still playing after such a turbulent stretch is impressive and says something about his talent, but it’s hard not to be irritated at the guy for squandering so many years. 

23. Cristiano Ronaldo

Flopping is an epidemic in soccer, and nobody can take a dive with more style and grace than Cristiano Ronaldo. Every time he collapses to the ground clutching his knee despite having never been touched, he singlehandedly validates our national reluctance to embrace the sport.

If Ronaldo isn’t flopping around on the ground like he just lost a limb, then he’s off somewhere crying like some motorcyclist threw his dog Baxter off a bridge. 

22. Randy Moss

Randy Moss’ talent has never been questioned. When he wanted to play, he was the best deep-threat receiver in the game. 

Unfortunately, he was also deeply opposed to taking a hit, but that’s not uncommon. A lot of the top receivers step out of bounds to avoid a hit. 

What separates Moss is his inability to control his emotions when things aren’t going exactly as he wants, and his reaction has ranged from pouting and taking a few plays off, to bizarre outbursts at press conferences. 

His abilities have waned in recent years, finally making him more trouble than he’s worth, which is why the most talented receiver of the last decade was a disgruntled journeyman for most of his career and ultimately retired with little fanfare.

21. Beanie Wells

The Arizona Cardinals drafted Beanie Wells in the first round of the 2009 NFL draft because they needed a big power back to complement their passing attack. Wells fit the bill perfectly at 6'2" and weighing in at 235 pounds. 

In August of that year, he was carted off the practice field hours after signing his five-year contract, thus beginning his unremarkable career in the NFL. When playing between injuries, Wells has been unimpressive, but he does manage to find time to selfishly complain to reporters about his lack of playing time. 

The Cardinals drafted a running back in the second round of the 2011 NFL draft, which officially makes Beanie a bust.

20. Danica Patrick

Women everywhere wish Danica Patrick were a lot of things. Tougher, less irritating and better at driving race cars are just a few of those wishes. 

It’s difficult for women to break into a lot of fields, and Patrick would be a barrier-breaking hero if she were any good...but she’s not.  

Patrick, who has been described as menacing, is known for causing scenes during races and getting in the faces of other drivers and then crying sexism when she’s called out publicly for her bad behavior. 

A Go Daddy girl knows sexism when she sees it. Being a hypocrite who is bad at her job requires a thicker skin.

19. Chris Bosh

Chris Bosh is definitely the squishiest member of the Big Three, metaphorically speaking (literally speaking, he’s the least squishy). 

Measuring up while standing next to LeBron James and Dwyane Wade is a tall order, and Bosh really tries his best, with varying levels of success. Seriously though, Bosh’s tendency to turn on the waterworks after a loss looks especially soft next to the cold, blank stare of King James.  

Getting mega-dunked on by Rajon Rondo also doesn’t help his case.

18. Mike Ribeiro

What’s worse than an NHL player who takes an eye-roll-inspiring dive in the playoffs? When the NHL player who takes an eye-roll-inspiring dive in the playoffs has yet to prove himself, for the most part.

Cue serial diver, Mike Ribeiro, who either likes to pretend he’s not tough or just isn’t and is best known for two gratuitous dives, including one in response to…goalie…Chris Osgood’s less-than-violent high stick.  

This dive in 2006 takes the cake as the antithesis of toughness, complete with squealing, and his head being gently cradled by the trainer.

17. Tiki Barber

In 2006, Tiki Barber walked away from the NFL as one of the most reviled players in history. Barber probably thought he was doing the admirable thing by going out on top, but fans didn’t see it the same way. 

Despite his achievements, Barber had a reputation for being both soft and selfish, and his decision to retire when he did (and the way he did) cemented those feelings for people. 

Barber is currently attempting a comeback, but his motives and abilities are being questioned, and he has yet to find a taker for his services.

16. Pau Gasol

Plenty of folks have taken it upon themselves to get the word out that Pau Gasol is not soft. Some of Gasol’s teammates may have his back , but coach Phil Jackson certainly doesn't seem to. 

He's described Gasol's game as weak and sickly and seems to relish in calling out one of his best players.

Perhaps when your coach openly questions your toughness to the media and physically abuses you in front of millions of viewers, it’s his way of gently telling you to toughen up and quit playing like a girl. 

15. Percy Harvin

It’s probably a little unfair to call Vikings wide receiver Percy Harvin "soft" after two seasons, but sometimes life isn’t fair. 

He was a first-round draft pick in 2009, despite an injury-plagued college career and testing positive for marijuana at the combine. Harvin’s rookie season was impressive but mired by injuries, a string of illnesses and persistent migraine headaches.

There’s no reason to expect this trend will reverse. Harvin doesn’t have the physical durability required to play in the NFL.   

14. Tony Romo

In recent years, Tony Romo and his Dallas Cowboys have developed a reputation as being soft, and having Wade Phillips on the sideline certainly contributed to that perception. 

Not that Romo, who was named the starter in 2006 and has yet to do much of anything in the post season, has done much to dispel the notion. 

His high-profile romance with Jessica Simpson was bad for his image, but the NFL players voting him the second-most overrated player in the league in 2010 was much worse. At least Terrell Owens was No. 1. That had to soften the blow a little. 

Maybe Jason Garrett can help change the trajectory of Romo’s career. 

13. Donovan McNabb

Booed when his name was called by the Eagles during the 1999 NFL draft, that moment seemed like a distant memory as McNabb and head coach Andy Reid led the Eagles to four consecutive NFC East championships, five NFC championship games and one Super Bowl.   

In the latter half of career, McNabb's inconsistency and possibility of losing a quarterback competition proved too much, resulting in the end of the McNabb era in Philly, and a disastrous season with the Redskins.

Now that the dust has settled, it’s pretty clear that, at least in the second half of his career, McNabb couldn’t handle the pressure of Kevin Kolb, Michael Vick or (God, help us) Rex Grossman waiting in the wings.

12. Alex Rodriguez

There is a plethora of reasons cited by the general public for hating on A-Rod: the steroids, the gambling, the arrogance, the Madonna and the centaur painting are just a few examples. 

Probably a lot of you just don’t like his stupid face, which is valid, but not why he made this list. 

Mr. September made the list because, despite his consistently impressive regular seasons, he generally packs it in for the year by early October. 

There are only two possible explanations for his habitual shortcomings in the playoffs. Either he can’t handle the pressure, or he’s failing on purpose just to make people mad. I kind of hope it’s the latter.   

11. Cadillac Williams

In 2005, Cadillac Williams and Ronnie Brown entered the draft after their senior years at Auburn. As No. 1a and No. 1b in Auburn’s backfield, both boasted the kind of size, strength and versatility NFL scouts drool over. 

Williams was picked fifth overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and shined early in the 2005 season.  Despite missing two weeks due to foot and ankle injuries, he won the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year award after rushing for 1,178 yards. Then, the warranty seemed to end on this Cadillac. 

During the 2006 season, Cadillac rushed for only 798 yards, suffering from nagging injuries and a crappy supporting cast. Then in 2007, he tore his patella tendon in his right knee—one of the worst football injuries—and after recovering to play in 2008, he tore the same tendon in his left knee. 

Williams simply has never been the same, and a once-promising career appears to have been derailed by an inability to stay off the PUP list.

10. Yao Ming

Yao Ming’s NBA career was good, not great. 

His first three years in the league were promising. He exceeded expectations, was voted to the All-Star Game and managed to stay relatively healthy, only missing two games in three years. 

In 2005, his health and career began to steadily decline, and injuries kept him out of 250 regular-season games and ultimately forced his retirement in 2011. 

9. Sidney Crosby

There’s no question that, outside of Pittsburgh, most hockey fans have a strong dislike of Sidney Crosby.  Strong dislike is an understatement, considering there are very few words used to describe him that are fit for publication. "Crybaby" is the only one that comes to mind. 

It’s not just fans. In 2009, fellow players voted him the biggest complainer in the NHL by an overwhelming majority. Crosby received 52 percent of the vote, and the second-highest vote getter received eight percent. 

If you’re not a hockey fan, it may be hard to truly grasp how divisive this kid is, but a quick Google search of his name will help paint the picture, because about 50 percent (give or take) of the results are sites dedicated to hating Crosby. 

The Kid is one of the best two players in the league, and nobody wants to see someone at that level whining to the refs or embellishing hits. 

8. Tito Ortiz

Tito Ortiz is one of MMA’s most famous faces, and everything about this gigantic beast is superficially intimidating. However, dig a little deeper and a different picture begins to form. 

First and foremost is the fact that he doesn’t win very often. He’s won once since 2006, and many of his recent UFC fights haven’t even been competitive. 

Then there’s the crying...about everything. He cries when he loses, he cries when he wins and he cries when he’s arrested for domestic violence. Oh, and he also cries when he’s in a fender bender, not because he’s concerned for his son’s safety, which nearly made him cry, but because he damaged his Rolls-Royce. 

Nice priorities, crybaby.

7. Reggie Bush

As the No. 2 overall pick in the 2006 NFL draft, Reggie Bush is officially a bust. There are just a different set of standards for first-round picks. Had he been selected in the second or third rounds, the perception of his career would be completely different. 

Bush got the big payday, though, so he gets the big expectations and the bigger criticisms when he doesn’t meet them. The main problem with Bush is that he is simply too small and too injury prone to be an effective running back, and his punt return abilities don’t even get close to making up the difference. 

Well, that and the fact that he’s afraid to take a hit.

6. Andy Roddick

Andy Roddick takes a lot of flak for his teary-eyed, racket-smashing displays after losses. Generally, a little passion after defeat is welcomed, but his temper tantrums have increased in number and intensity as his career, which peaked in 2003, has declined. 

He’s just not good enough to beat the best players in the world, and he’s not tough enough to handle the losses with a little dignity. 

Do you think the Pittsburgh Pirates smash a bunch of bats every time they lose a game? No, because that would be weird. It’s not that they don’t care about losing—obviously losing is embarrassing. They just have absolutely no record of success that warrants lashing out.

Roddick won his only major in 2003. It’s been almost a decade. It’s time to quit smashing the bat. 

5. Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Is there any bigger mouth in professional boxing than Floyd Mayweather Jr.? Probably not, but at 41-0 he has earned the right to talk a little. Of course, Mayweather doesn’t do anything "a little."

In September 2010, Mayweather posted a racist and homophobic rant on Ustream that was directed at the Filipino boxer he’s been refusing to fight for nearly two years, Manny Pacquiao. 

Expounding your dominance on Twitter and Ustream is fine if you can back it up, but Mayweather can’t or won’t back it up, and it’s pretty bush league.  

Mayweather won’t fight Pacquiao because he’s afraid to tarnish his perfect record, and all the talk in the world won’t change that fact.

4. Jay Cutler

Jay Cutler’s inability to suck it up and play on a torn MCL has nothing to do with him making this list, and whether or not Philip Rivers would have played is irrelevant. Got it, Rivers? 

He made the list because, through his mediocre (thus far) career, he’s appeared listless and disinterested enough to inspire nearly universal disdain. Quarterbacks don’t have to be the toughest guys on the field, but they do have to be the most passionate and inspiring guys on the field, and Cutler isn’t either.

Is there any other starting quarterback who would be accused of exaggerating an injury to get out of a conference championship game? 

Cutler just hasn’t proved he’s cut out to play in the NFL, and toughness is only one of the things he’s lacking.

3. Henrik and Daniel Sedin

For years, the Sedin brothers have been two of the NHL’s best players in the regular season, both having routinely notched 80-plus points since 2000. 

Unfortunately for Canucks fans, they tend to cap each season with an epically disappointing performance in the playoffs, and 2011 was no different. The Sedins all but vanished in the Finals against the Bruins, a considerably less talented team, and ultimately, the Canucks lost in seven.

They were so physically and mentally intimidated by the Bruins that Daniel Sedin actually retracted statements he made guaranteeing a win before Game 7. Seriously, dude. Do you and your brother like being called the “Sedin sisters”?

2. LeBron James

LeBron James has been called the next Michael Jordan throughout his career but has consistently fallen short of the vast expectations that come with that comparison. 

His disappearing act in the NBA Finals this year (and overall penchant for taking the fourth quarter off) was bad, but his victim mentality is worse. 

We think he’s got all the physical tools to be the next MJ, and LeBron thinks he’s a scrappy underdog who is unfairly targeted by fans and media alike. His recent Twitter tirade defending Tim Tebow is the perfect example. 

Maybe Tebow appreciated the support, or maybe he was irritated that he was being defended by a guy who is constantly wallowing in self-pity, and wasting his talent. You know that if Tebow had the natural ability to become the next Joe Montana, he wouldn’t be wasting his time on Twitter defending LeBron James.

Maybe LJ doesn’t care about being MJ, or maybe he just knows he can’t measure up. 

1. Vince Young

Vince Young is proof that you should never judge a book by its cover. 

He’s a physically imposing figure at 6'5" and weighing in at over 230 pounds, but he hasn’t intimidated on the field since leading the Texas Longhorns to a national championship in the 2006 Rose Bowl. 

Young had a disappointing rookie season with the Titans, and at the time, said he contemplated retirement because being a quarterback wasn’t “fun” or “exciting” anymore. In subsequent seasons, he was frequently benched and often injured, he was cited for a brawl at a strip club and, in 2008, Titans coach Jeff Fisher called the police after he learned Young had mentioned suicide before leaving his house with a gun. 

The Titans finally cut ties with their emotionally unstable, injury-prone quarterback in July 2011. 

Young was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles within days of his release and will play backup to Michael Vick. Maybe he’ll redeem himself in Philly, but he has got a long road ahead of him because he has proved time and again that he just isn’t tough enough to play in the NFL.