Pro football history is littered with players that have interesting nicknames, so it was really difficult to trim this list down to a top ten. Here are some that didn’t make the cut: “Mean” Joe Greene, BenJarvus Green-Ellis “The Law Firm”, Craig “Ironhead” Heyward, Deion “Prime Time” Sanders, Christian Okoye “The Nigerian Nightmare”, Ed “Too Tall” Jones, “Broadway” Joe Namath, “Slingin'” Sammy Baugh, Jack Tatum “The Assassin”. All of these are classics, but here are my top ten:
1. Red Grange “The Galloping Ghost” – Grange played in the 1920s and ’30s for the Chicago Bears, in an era when sportswriters created nicknames for star players to enhance their stories about the games. He was probably the NFL’s most important star player in the league’s formative years, and was well known nationally at a time when pro football was considered a second-class, savage sport. Grange was the first football player to appear on a Wheaties box.
2. Reggie White “The Minister of Defense” – just like David “Deacon” Jones was dubbed “The Secretary of Defense” a generation before him, White earned his nickname by being the dominant defensive lineman of the 1980s and ’90s. A thirteen time Pro Bowler in his 15 year career, White was the cornerstone of Buddy Ryan’s dominant Philadelphia Eagle defenses of the time, then moved on to Green Bay, where he helped the Packers win a Super Bowl.
3. Bucky Pope “The Catawba Claw” – he has to be one of the most obscure players in NFL history, but his nickname is a classic. A product of tiny Catawba College, Pope had a sensational rookie year with the Los Angeles Rams in 1964, averaging over 31 yards a reception and scoring 10 touchdowns. He suffered a serious knee injury in the 1965 preseason, however, which basically ended his career.
4. George “Papa Bear” Halas – is there a more fitting nickname in all of sports than this one? Halas was the founder of the Chicago Bears’ franchise (originally the Decatur Staleys) and was the iconic face of that franchise, as coach and owner, until his death in 1983, a span of 63 years. He was one of the original class inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1963, and the trophy awarded to the NFC champion each year is named after him.
5. Ted Hendricks “The Mad Stork” – Hendricks’ nickname was a product of two factors – his frantic style of play, and his tall, lean build. He was an early pioneer of the NFL’s free agency experiments, moving from the Baltimore Colts to the Green Bay Packers to the Oakland Raiders, while maintaining a level of play that ultimately got him elected to the Hall of Fame.
6. Billy “White Shoes” Johnson – always a fan favorite, this guy was the NFL’s original self-promoter. His white cleats set him apart from all other players (other than Joe Namath), while he was also the first guy to celebrate his touchdowns with an elaborate dance, which he called “The Funky Chicken”. Johnson wasn’t just a dancer, however, he was one of his era’s most feared kick returners.
7. Walter Payton “Sweetness” – the origin of his nickname is uncertain. Some say it came from his personality, or his grace as an athlete. Others claim it’s a sarcastic nod to his tough, aggressive playing style. Either way, it seemed to fit him perfectly. The NFL gives out an award in his name annually to a player for his contributions to the community.
8. William “The Refrigerator” Perry – there’s no ambiguity at all to Perry’s nickname – it came from his large size. He was also known, in abbreviated form, as “The Fridge”. Perry was one of the most popular players among Chicago Bear fans in the club’s dominant era in the mid-1980s, and became a national phenomenon. His legend grew when Bears’ coach Mike Ditka became using him as a blocking back on offense, and he even wound up scoring a touchdown in the Super Bowl.
9. Dick “Night Train” Lane – one of the greatest defensive backs in NFL history, Lane’s single season interception record (14 in a 12 game season) has stood for over 60 years. He got his nickname because of his fear of flying, as he chose to take night trains home from away games. He wore an unusual jersey number (81) for a defensive back, but it was because he started his career with the Rams as a receiver. Two future Hall of Famers – Tom Fears and Elroy Hirsch – were ahead of him on the depth chart, so he was switched to defense.
10. Elroy “Crazy Legs” Hirsch – speaking of Hirsch, he also makes the top ten list for his classic nickname, “Crazy Legs”. A star split end for the Los Angeles Rams, the funny name stuck after a sportswriter described his running style this way: “His crazy legs were gyrating in six different directions, all at the same time. He looked like a demented duck.”