As I sit here writing this with a cup of coffee, it’s the morning of Super Bowl Sunday, an unofficial but treasured American holiday. Later today, I’ll sit and watch the LA Rams and Cincinnati Bengals compete for the Lombardi trophy and I can’t wait.

For me, football is more than a game, it’s an all-encompassing experience. On Sundays, I will pace around the house with a football in hand awaiting kickoff and I’m usually worn out by the time the game starts.

The feel of the ball, the sounds of the game, the logos, the helmets and the rituals that make up a football Sunday are cherished in my house. Watching these warriors go at it, on the field of battle is one of my great joys in life and some of these men standout above the others, they are the tough guys.

I love the phrase “tough guy”, it’s most often used sarcastically to diminish the grit of someone who talks a big game but can’t back it up.

But, “tough guy” can be applied to a select few that actually are feared. The NFL is arguably the most violent professional sports league we have in America, so all of the players who make it to the league have to be “tough guys” but there are a small collection of men who standout on that level.

Some of the NFL’s All-Time Most Feared Tough Guys – Part 4

I’ve been watching the NFL my whole life and while the game has changed drastically in my 42+ years, but one thing remains the same, you must be a “tough guy” to make it to the league. On that level of athleticism, all the players are strong and physical but some clearly are better than others. The following are some of the players who go beyond, passing the eye test and were flat out scary on a football field. 

Coming soon, Some of the NFL’s All-Time Most Feared Tough Guys – Part 5. OK, not soon, it will be next year around this time but, it will happen. No one is going to read football articles in late February.

Some of the NFL’s All-Time Most Feared Tough Guys – Part 3

I’ve been watching the NFL my whole life and while the game has changed drastically in my 42+ years, but one thing remains the same, you must be a “tough guy” to make it to the league. On that level of athleticism, all the players are strong and physical but some clearly are better than others. In parts 1 + 2, I highlighted John Lynch, Bill Romanowski, Troy Polomalu, James Harrison, Maxx Crosby, Reggie White, Earl Campbell, Mean Joe Greene, Mike Singletary and Brett Favre. The following are some of the players who go beyond, passing the eye test and were flat out scary on a football field. These are “Some of the NFL’s All-Time Most Feared Tough Guys – Part 3” 

Some of the NFL’s All-Time Most Feared Tough Guys – Part 2

In Part 1 of this series, I featured John Lynch, Bill Romanowski, James Harrison, Maxx Crosby and Troy Polamalu. For part 2 I felt the need to go back a bit further for some of these players, guys I was not old enough to see play but I grew up reading about. 

Some of the NFL’s All-Time Most Feared Tough Guys – Part 1

I’ve been watching the NFL my whole life and while the game has changed drastically in my 42+ years, but one thing remains the same, you must be a “tough guy” to make it to the league. On that level of athleticism, all the players are strong and physical but some clearly are better than others. The following are some of the players who go beyond, passing the eye test and were flat out scary on a football field. 

More From WRKI and WINE