Best NFL Names of All Time These players have the best names in NFL history. There have been more than 25,000 players in NFL history. That’s more than 25,000 name combinations. Some have been simple names while others have been some of the most unique names you’ve ever heard. For every Ed Reed or Tom Brady, there’s been a D’Brickashaw Ferguson or T.J. Houshmandzadeh. (Maybe the ratio isn’t exactly like that, but play along.) We’ve gone through the NFL archives and picked out the best of the best of NFL names. Players made the cut for having names that are one of a kind like Plaxico Burress. Others got the call for having a connection to pop culture a la John Conner. And some players are on the all-name team because their names sound exactly like who they are as football players. These are the best NFL names of all time. 50. Halapoulivaati Vaitai Halapoulivaati Vaitai was born in Haltom, Texas. Matt Rourke / AP Photo Position: Offensive tackle Career: 8 years (2016-present) Teams: Philadelphia Eagles, Detroit Lions Stats: 80 G, 45 S Championships: 1 (2017) Bottom Line: Halapoulivaati Vaitai Halapoulivaati Vaitai played for the Eagles and Lions. Danny Karnik / AP Photo Both teammates and the media refer to Vaitai as “Big V,” and you can clearly see why. Six syllable first names don’t exactly roll off the tongue, and Big V admits that when signing autographs, after a while he’ll just write “H Vaitai” and save himself 13 letters. But the best part of Vaitai’s name is that he has twin brothers simply named Kevin and William. 49. Guy Whimper Guy Whimper played in 79 NFL games. Don Wright / AP Photo Position: Offensive tackle Career: 7 years (2006-13) Teams: New York Giants, Jacksonville Jaguars, Pittsburgh Steelers Stats: 78 G, 24 GS Championships: 1 (2007) Bottom Line: Guy Whimper You didn’t want to mess with Guy Whimper. Gene J. Puskar / AP Photo There are players on this list like Mack Strong and Bronko Nagurski that just scream football player. Guy Whimper? Not so much. It could have been worse if his name was Guy Whimpier, but he wasn’t a guy who whimpered out on the field. Although the 6-foot-5, 315-pound tackle was a backup lineman for most of his career, he did pick up a Super Bowl ring thanks to being on the 2007 New York Giants. 48. Prince Amukamara Prince Amukamara played his college ball at Nebraska. Charles Rex Arbogast / AP Photo Position: Cornerback Career: 9 years (2011-19) Teams: New York Giants, Jacksonville Jaguars, Chicago Bears Stats: 477 TKL, 10 INT, 6 FF, 1 TD Championships: 1 (2011) Bottom Line: Prince Amukamara Prince Amukamara had 10 career interceptions. Charlie Neibergall / AP Photo Sorry to disappoint, but Prince Amukamara wasn’t named after the famed singer Prince. Amukamara’s grandfather is a king in Nigeria while his father is a chief. Prince is next in line, and his five sisters have similar royal names that begin with “P”: Princess, Promise, Peace, Precious and Passionate. Amukamara got lots of “Coming to America” jokes when he was drafted since he’s a prince that moved to New York City just like Eddie Murphy’s character. But Amukamara developed into a solid NFL cornerback. He won a Super Bowl as a rookie with the Giants and was a starter for eight straight years with three teams. In 2020, he signed a one-year deal with the Raiders but never played with the Silver and Black. 47. Chris Fuamatu-Ma’afala Chris Fuamatu-Ma’afala had a bruising running style. Keith Srakocic / AP Photo Position: Running back Career: 7 years (1998-2004) Teams: Pittsburgh Steelers, Jacksonville Jaguars Stats: 964 YDS, 8 TD, 4.2 AVG Championships: 0 Bottom Line: Chris Fuamatu-Ma’afala Good luck trying to bring down Chris Fuamatu-Ma’afala. John Russell / AP Photo In order to get the 14 letters, hyphen and apostrophe in Fuamatu-Ma’afala’s name on the back of a jersey, a smaller than normal font was required during design. His nickname of “Fu” was much easier to pronounce although we have to also give credit to the late Stuart Scott for saying “that’s a bad Ma’afala” while narrating his highlights. 46. Pierre Garcon Pierre Garcon caught 628 passes in his career. John Hefti / AP Photo Position: Wide receiver Career: 11 years (2008-18) Teams: Indianapolis Colts, Washington Redskins, San Francisco 49ers Stats: 628 REC, 7,854 YDS, 38 TD, 12.5 AVG Championships: 0 Bottom Line: Pierre Garcon Pierre Garcon had 628 receptions in his career. Ben Margot / AP Photo Pierre Garcon is of Haitian descent, and his name is just dripping with French influence. His name literally translates to “Rock Boy,” but Garcon was more like a man of rock on the football field. He was a wide receiver by trade who played like a running back after he got the ball in his hands. Garcon’s biggest play was catching a touchdown pass in Super Bowl XLIV, which was Peyton Manning’s only touchdown pass in the game, to his team. 45. Tiki Barber Tiki Barber was a second-round draft pick (No. 36 overall) in the 1997 NFL draft. Bill Kostroun / AP Photo Position: Running back Career: 10 years (1997-2006) Teams: New York Giants Stats: 2,217 ATT, 10,449 YDS, 55 TD, 4.7 AVG Championships: 0 Bottom Line: Tiki Barber Tiki Barber never won a ring. Julie Jacobson / AP Photo Tiki Barber’s real name is Atiim Kiambu Hakeem-Ah Barber, which means “fiery-tempered king” because he started screaming shortly after birth. His twin brother Ronde’s real name is Jamael Oronde, which means “firstborn son” since he’s seven minutes older than Tiki. The younger Barber was a star running back for the Giants, but he seemed to always have non-football interests that often rubbed teammates and fans the wrong way. He retired after the 2006 season, and the Giants won the Super Bowl the next season with many saying Tiki’s retirement was “addition by subtraction.” 44. Rocky Boiman Rocky Boiman won a ring with the Colts. Ed Reinke / AP Photo Position: Linebacker Career: 8 years (2002-09) Teams: Tennessee Titans, Indianapolis Colts, Kansas City Chiefs, Pittsburgh Steelers Stats: 267 TKL, 1.5 SACK, 5 INT, 1 TD Championships: 1 (2006) Bottom Line: Rocky Boiman Rocky Boiman played eight seasons in the NFL. Al Behrman / AP Photo Most “Rockys” are actually “Roberts” or “Rogers,” but Boiman’s actual first name is Rocky. If that wasn’t enough, would you believe that he actually played in the city where the name Rocky means more than anywhere else? In 2008, the Philadelphia Eagles signed Rocky, which spurred lots of clever headlines in the city despite Boiman being a career backup. But this Rocky’s stay in Philly wasn’t as good as his famous namesake, and Boiman was cut before the season began. 43. John Conner John Conner went to the University of Kentucky. Jeff Haynes / AP Photo Position: Fullback Career: 5 years (2010-14) Teams: New York Jets, Cincinnati Bengals, New York Giants Stats: 27 ATT, 108 YDS, 2 TD, 4.0 AVG Championships: 0 Bottom Line: John Conner John Conner was nicknamed “The Terminator.” Tom Uhlman / AP Photo When you share the same name as an infamous character from the Terminator series, you also inherit the nickname of “The Terminator.” That nickname wouldn’t work with players at every position – no one is calling a kicker “Terminator.” But it worked for Conner, who was a fullback whose main job was to annihilate whoever was in front of him. 42. Plaxico Burress Plaxico Burress scored 64 touchdowns in his career. Gene J. Puskar / AP Photo Position: Wide receiver Career: 11 years (2000-08, 2011-12) Teams: Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Giants, New York Jets Stats: 553 REC, 8,499 YDS, 64 TD, 15.4 AVG Championships: 1 (2007) Bottom Line: Plaxico Burress Plaxico Burress had 64 receiving touchdowns in career. Charlie Riedel / AP Photo Plaxico Burress was named after his uncle, who was another Plaxico, although the former wide receiver is unsure of the name’s origin. But he is sure that many people have messed up his name over the years. He’s been called everything from Texaco to Flexico. Shannon Sharpe even jabbed him once by referring to him as “Plexiglass” while the two were part of the Steelers-Ravens rivalry. Regardless, whenever you hear the name Plaxico Burress, two things come to mind, and they’re on opposite ends of the spectrum. There’s the game-winning touchdown catch in the Giants’ Super Bowl XLII upset of the 18-0 Patriots. And there’s also Burress accidentally shooting himself in a nightclub, which signaled the end of his Giants tenure and resulted in a two-year prison sentence. 41. Captain Munnerlyn Captain Munnerlyn runs a 4.51 40-yard dash. Ross D. Franklin / AP Photo Position: Defensive back Career: 10 years (2009-18) Teams: Carolina Panthers, Minnesota Vikings Stats: 529 TKL, 12 INT, 10 SK, 6 TD Championships: 0 Bottom Line: Captain Munnerlyn Captain Munnerlyn was named after his great-great-grandfather. Rey Del Rio / AP Photo Captain Munnerlyn was named after his great-great-grandfather, who also was a Captain. At first, Munnerlyn wasn’t a fan of the name because he got teased in school, but he learned to embrace it by becoming a leader. He’s hoping his sons embrace their names in the same manner. One is also named Captain, and the other is named Champ. 40. Mack Strong Mack Strong rushed for 909 yards in his career. John Froschauer / AP Photo Position: Fullback Career: 14 years (1994-2007) Teams: Seattle Seahawks Stats: 909 YDS, 5 TD, 4.0 AVG Championships: 0 Bottom Line: Mack Strong Mack Strong was a two-time Pro Bowler. Bill Chan / AP Photo If your name is Mack Strong, you either grow up to become a pro wrestler or an NFL fullback. Strong chose the latter and is one of three fullbacks to play at least 200 NFL games. He was a two-time Pro Bowler and blocked for 10 straight 1,000-yard running backs with the Seahawks. 39. Ndamukong Suh Ndamukong Suh was the second overall pick in the 2010 NFL draft. Jeff Haynes / AP Photo Position: Defensive tackle Career: 13 years (2010-present) Teams: Detroit Lions, Miami Dolphins, Los Angeles Rams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers Stats: 590 TKL, 70.5 SK, 5 FF, 3 TD Championships: 1 (2020) Bottom Line: Ndamukong Suh Ndamukong Suh won a Super Bowl with the Bucs. Alex Menendez / AP Photo Ndamukong translates to “House of Spears,” and Suh has been a deadly weapon on the field throughout his career. He’s a five-time Pro Bowler and has been disrupting opposing backfields since entering the league. But sometimes his reckless play can be disruptive to his bank account. Suh has been fined 14 times during his career for nearly $700,000. 38. Orleans Darkwa Orleans Darkwa averaged 4.2 yards per carry during his career. Bill Kostroun / AP Photo Position: Running back Career: 4 years (2014-17) Teams: Miami Dolphins, New York Giants Stats: 246 ATT, 1,038 YDS, 9 TD, 4.2 AVG Championships: 0 Bottom Line: Orleans Darkwa Orleans Darkwa played his college ball at Tulane. Rick Scuteri / AP Photo You would think that with a name like Orleans, Darkwa must have been born in The Crescent City. But he’s actually from Nashville and is of Ghanaian descent. Darkwa never suited up for the Saints, either. That would have been a dream for the team’s marketing department. But he still does have one tie to New Orleans. Darkwa attended Tulane University, which is in New Orleans, and you can only imagine all of the jokes he heard while on campus. 37. Nickell Robey-Coleman Nickell Robey-Coleman began his NFL career in 2013. Bill Wippert / AP Photo Position: Cornerback Career: 10 years (2013-present) Teams: Buffalo Bills, Los Angeles Rams, Philadelphia Eagles, Detroit Lions Stats: 338 TKL, 6 INT, 5 SK, 3 TD Championships: 0 Bottom Line: Nickell Robey-Coleman Nickell Robey-Coleman has played for NFL teams. Rick Scuteri / AP Photo Robey-Coleman’s parents must have been on to something. Their son named Nickell became a nickel cornerback. Of course, Saints fans know the name of Nickell Robey-Coleman. He was the Rams player who infamously and obviously interfered with a Saints receiver in the 2018 NFC championship game. Robey-Coleman knows he got away with one, but he later admitted that there should have been a pass interference penalty. 36. T.J. Houshmandzadeh T.J. Houshmandzadeh caught 627 passes in his career. Luis M. Alvarez / AP Photo Position: Wide receiver Career: 11 years (2001-11) Teams: Cincinnati Bengals, Seattle Seahawks, Baltimore Ravens, Oakland Raiders Stats: 627 REC, 7,237 YDS, 44 TD, 11.5 AVG Championships: 0 Bottom Line: T.J. Houshmandzadeh T.J. Houshmandzadeh played 11 seasons in the NFL. Lynne Sladky / AP Photo T.J. Houshmandzadeh’s name was immortalized in a legendary fantasy football commercial where a guy mispronounced his name in every way possible. The Madden video game also had problems with his surname as earlier editions of the game had a 12-character limit for names appearing on the backs of jerseys. If there’s ever a spelling bee for NFL names, Houshmandzadeh should be a name used in the final round. 35. Frostee Rucker Frostee Rucker had 21.5 career sacks. David Kohl / AP Photo Position: Defensive end Career: 12 years (2007-18) Teams: Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Arizona Cardinals, Oakland Raiders Stats: 296 TKL, 21.5 SK, 8 FF, 1 INT Championships: 0 Bottom Line: Frostee Rucker Frostee Rucker played for four teams in his NFL career. D. Ross Cameron / AP Photo Rucker likely got teased quite often as a kid for being named Frostee, but that teasing also likely stopped as he grew to be 6 feet 3 inches and 280 pounds. As for his name’s origin, his dad was a disc jockey and was nicknamed DJ Frost because he was so cold on the 1s and 2s. So instead of waiting for his son to be nicknamed Lil’ Frost or something similar, DJ Frost beat everyone to it by naming his first-born Frostee. 34. Koy Detmer Koy Detmer was a career backup with the Eagles. Julie Jacobson Career: 9 years (1998-2006) Teams: Philadelphia Eagles Stats: 1,944 YDS, 10 TD, 14 INT, 61.2 RAT Championships: 0 Bottom Line: Koy Detmer Koy Detmer passed for 1,944 yards in his NFL career. Bill Kostroun / AP Photo Someone who is coy with a “C” is considered shy or bashful. Well, Koy Detmer, who was Donovan McNabb’s longtime backup, was anything but bashful whenever he threw a touchdown pass. He had a touchdown dance he called “whippin’ it” in which he would simulate whipping off a belt and then, well, it’s easier to watch the celebration than describe it. 33. T.J. Slaughter T.J. Slaughter made 252 tackles in 78 career games. David J. Phillip / AP Photo Position: Linebacker Career: 7 (2000-06) Teams: Jacksonville Jaguars, Green Bay Packers, Baltimore Ravens, New Orleans Saints, San Francisco 49ers Stats: 252 TKL, 2 SK, 1 INT Championships: 0 Bottom Line: T.J. Slaughter T.J. Slaughter played seven seasons in the NFL. Andy Rogers / AP Photo T.J. Slaughter is the perfect name for a linebacker. Slaughter’s first name is Tavaris, but shortening it to T.J. removes one syllable and allows you to get to the meat and potatoes of his name. Slaughter spent most of his career as a backup before becoming an actor in retirement during his post-football career. 32. Lawyer Milloy The Patriots drafted Lawyer Milloy in the second round (No. 36 overall) in 1996. Amy Sancetta / AP Photo Position: Defensive back Career: 15 years (1996-2010) Teams: New England Patriots, Buffalo Bills, Atlanta Falcons, Seattle Seahawks Stats: 1,439 TKL, 25 INT, 21 SK, 1 TD Championships: 1 (2001) Bottom Line: Lawyer Milloy Lawyer Milloy was a big hitter. Hans Deryk / AP Photo There was actually an NFL player named Lawyer who proceeded Milloy, but this Lawyer was the best in NFL history. He’s one of 15 members of the 20/20 club, recording more than 20 sacks and 20 picks in his career. And he was also one of Bill Belichick’s favorite players. The notoriously grumpy head coach offered high praise to Milloy and said cutting him in 2003 was the hardest release he ever had to make in his NFL career. 31. Na’il Diggs Na’il Diggs made a lot of plays during his career. Mike McCarn / AP Photo Position: Linebacker Career: 12 years (2000-11) Teams: Green Bay Packers, Carolina Panthers, St. Louis Rams, San Diego Chargers Stats: 679 TKL, 11.5 SK, 5 INT, 4 FF Championships: 0 Bottom Line: Na’il Diggs Na’il Diggs played 12 seasons in the NFL. Charles Krupa / AP Photo Pronounced Ny-el, Diggs has heard his name mispronounced from Nail to Neal to Nell. It means “the successful one” in Arabic, and Diggs certainly lived up to its meaning both on and off the field. He is a licensed pilot with an aviation degree, survived 11 years as an NFL starter and is on the board of directors of a meditation company. 30. Forrest Lamp Los Angeles Chargers offensive guard Forrest Lamp in 2020. Peter Joneleit / AP Photo Position: Offensive guard Career: 5 years (2017-2022) Teams: Los Angeles Chargers Stats: 26 G, 18 GS Championships: 0 Bottom Line: Forrest Lamp Forrest Lamp went to Western Kentucky. John Cordes / AP Photo Forrest Lamp was born just weeks before the release of Forrest Gump — so you can connect the dots if you wish — but the real star of his name is his surname. That’s because it’s made him money. Shortly before becoming a second-round pick in 2017, Lamp signed an endorsement deal with the lighting retailer “Lamp’s Plus.” No word on if he’s gotten any offers to endorse forests yet. 29. Ras-I Dowling Ras-I Dowling, right, had a brief NFL career. Brian Blanco / AP Photo Position: Defensive back Career: 3 years (2011-12, 2014) Teams: New England Patriots, Oakland Raiders Stats: 11 TKL, 0 INT, 1 PD Championships: 0 Bottom Line: Ras-I Dowling Ras-I Dowling played for the Patriots and Raiders. Marcio Jose Sanchez / AP Photo Not to be confused with Ra’s al Ghul of Batman fame, Ras-I Dowling is the rare player with a hyphenated first name. His dad picked out the name because he was a huge boxing fan and followed the career of former WBA lightweight champion Ras-I Bramble. But Bramble was born with the first name of Livingston before changing it while Dowling has been a Ras-I since birth. Dowling’s name was much more interesting than his NFL career. Despite being the 33rd overall pick in the 2011 draft, he played just 12 games in his entire career. 28. Wonder Monds Wonder Monds played at Nebraska before going to the NFL. RScottClark / AP Photo Position: Defensive back Career: 1 year (1978) Teams: San Francisco 49ers Stats: 16 G Championships: 0 Bottom Line: Wonder Monds Now that’s some good hair. Matt_Davison / Twitter Wonder Monds’ real name is Wonderful Terrific Monds Jr. No, seriously. He could have gone with his middle name and shortened it to Terry, but he chose to shorten his first name, and we are all in wonder. Monds has a son that also played in the NFL named Mario, but he kept the Wonderful Terrific lineage going by giving his other son that name, and Wonderful Terrific Monds III played some minor league baseball in the 1990s and 2000s. 27. Quentin Jammer Quentin Jammer had 21 career interceptions. Jack Dempsey / AP Photo Position: Defensive back Career: 12 years (2002-13) Teams: San Diego Chargers, Denver Broncos Stats: 735 TKL, 21 INT, 7 FF, 2 TD Championships: 0 Bottom Line: Quentin Jammer Quentin Jammer played 12 seasons in the NFL. Jack Dempsey / AP Photo If Quentin Jammer played any position besides cornerback, then he wouldn’t be on this list. But he played the position where he’s required to “jam” opposing wide receivers and he excelled at doing that. At six feet tall and over 200 pounds, Jammer was the prototypical bump-and-run cornerback who would jam receivers at the line of scrimmage to throw off their routes. Ironically, he had a brother and two cousins who also played in the NFL, but none of their surnames were Jammer. 26. Bacarri Rambo Bacarri Rambo played on three NFL teams. Bill Wippert / AP Photo Position: Free safety Career: 4 years (2013-16) Teams: Washington Redskins, Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins Stats: 151 TKL, 4 INT, 2 SK, 2 FF Championships: 0 Bottom Line: Bacarri Rambo Bacarri Rambo made 151 career tackles. Rich Barnes / AP Photo While the origin of Bacarri is unclear, anyone over 30 years old knows about Rambo. Sylvester Stallone’s infamous character John Rambo was a reckless Vietnam veteran and some of the characteristics he possessed would be useful in a football player. Bacarri Rambo had an uneventful NFL career with the highlight being named AFC Defensive Player of the Week during the 2015 season. 25. Will Shields Will Shields was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2015. 41actionnews / Twitter Position: Offensive guard Career: 14 years (1993-2006) Teams: Kansas City Chiefs Stats: 223 GS, 12-time Pro Bowler Championships: 0 Bottom Line: Will Shields Will Shields was a 12-time Pro Bowler. Reed Saxon / AP Photo Will blocks. Will protects. And Will Shields his quarterback from the defense. Shields had the perfect name for an offensive lineman, and he was nearly the perfect player. He never missed a game in his 14-year career and paved rushing lanes for Marcus Allen, Priest Holmes and Larry Johnson. Shields was equally as good off the field and is a former winner of the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award. 24. Ebenezer Ekuban Ebenezer Ekuban retired in 2008. David Zalubowski / AP Photo Position: Defensive end Career: 9 years (1999-2008) Teams: Dallas Cowboys, Cleveland Browns, Denver Broncos Stats: 281 TKL, 36.5 SK, 7 FF Championships: 0 Bottom Line: Ebenezer Ekuban Ebenezer Ekuban played for three NFL teams. David J. Phillip / AP Photo A video game developer once described Ebenezer Ekuban as the perfect name for an evil wizard, and we can’t disagree. The Ghanaian-born Ekuban is the only player in NFL history to have the name of either Ebenezer or Ekuban. While it’s fun to think he was named after Ebenezer Scrooge, Ekuban was likely named after Ebenezer Ako-Adjei, who was once the foreign minister of Ghana. 23. Craphonso Thorpe Craphonso Thorpe caught 12 passes in his NFL career. Denis Poroy / AP Photo Position: Wide receiver Career: 1 year (2007) Teams: Indianapolis Colts Stats: 12 REC, 70 YDS, 1 TD, 5.8 AVG Championships: 0 Bottom Line: Craphonso Thorpe Craphonso Thorpe prefers to go by “Cro.” AP Photo Craig Alphonso Thorpe liked his first and middle names so much that he combined them and passed them onto his son. But Craphonso disliked the name so much – particularly the first four letters – that he prefers to go by “Cro.” Thorpe caught one touchdown pass in his career, and it came during Peyton Manning’s heyday with the Colts. However, Manning had been pulled from the game, so Thorpe’s touchdown was via backup Jim Sorgi. 22. Phillip Supernaw Phillip Supernaw caught one touchdown pass in his NFL career. Jeff Haynes / AP Photo Position: Tight end Career: 6 years (2012-17) Teams: Houston Texans, Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens, Tennessee Titans Stats: 14 REC, 163 YDS, 1 TD, 11.6 AVG Championships: 0 Bottom Line: Phillip Supernaw Phillip Supernaw played six seasons in the NFL. Jeff Haynes / AP Photo Supernaw is one of those names that you hear on TV and go, “Wait, a super what?” No one is quite sure what a Supernaw is or even what a regular naw is, but the name just sounds cool. Phillip Supernaw was a backup tight end for six years and caught one touchdown pass, but he’s been more successful in his post-NFL career. He recently married Miss Arkansas. 21. Colt McCoy Colt McCoy went 10-23 in 33 NFL starts. Nick Wass / AP Photo Position: Quarterback Career: 13 years (2010-present) Teams: Cleveland Browns, San Francisco 49ers, Washington Redskins, New York Giants, Arizona Cardinals Stats: 7,195 YDS, 33 TD, 29 INT, 80.3 RAT Championships: 0 Bottom Line: Colt McCoy Colt McCoy went to college at Texas. Rick Osentoski / AP Photo Colt McCoy sounds like the protagonist of a Western movie who’s tasked with saving the town from being run amok. He’s been jokingly referred to as The Real McCoy and while he was a two-time All-American in college at Texas, he’s been a journeyman backup in the NFL. But there’s no shame in that. Despite winning just one game as a starter in seven seasons, he’s made over $15 million since 2012. 20. Lincoln Kennedy Lincoln Kennedy was a three-time Pro Bowler. NFLMAVERICK / AP Photo Position: Offensive tackle/guard Career: 11 years (1993-2003) Teams: Atlanta Falcons, Oakland Raiders Stats: 141 GS, three-time Pro Bowler Championships: 0 Bottom Line: Lincoln Kennedy Lincoln Kennedy started 141 games in his NFL career. Aaron Suozzi / AP Photo You can’t have a more presidential name than Lincoln Kennedy whose first name was actually Tamerlane, but he went by his middle name of Lincoln. Kennedy once joked that he knows he’s going to die by assassination seeing as both Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy passed in that manner. If two presidents weren’t enough, Kennedy added a third one to his resume in college by attending out of all places, Washington. Lincoln Kennedy from Washington. 19. Whitney Mercilus Whitney Mercilus was a first-round pick (No. 26 overall) out of Illinois in the 2012 NFL draft. Eric Christian Smith / AP Photo Position: Linebacker Career: 10 years (2012-2021) Teams: Houston Texans, Green Bay Packers Stats: 362 TKL, 58 SK, 13 FF Championships: 0 Bottom Line: Whitney Mercilus Whitney Mercilus shows no mercy on the field. Kamil Krzaczynski / AP Photo “Merciless” is defined as being cruel and showing no mercy. That is exactly the type of mentality you would want from a pass-rusher, and Whitney Mercilus lives up to his name. Although he plays in the shadow of J.J. Watt, Mercilus has racked up 50 sacks in his career and is one of just 10 linebackers to reach that total since 2012. 18. Jack Youngblood Jack Youngblood is a Hall of Famer. MrLemons / AP Photo Position: Defensive end Career: 14 years (1971-84) Teams: Los Angeles Rams Stats: 187 GS, 24 SK, seven-time Pro Bowler Championships: 0 Bottom Line: Jack Youngblood Jack Youngblood played 14 seasons in the NFL. AP Photo There’s been several Youngbloods and Truebloods in the NFL, but only one of them is a Hall of Famer like Herbert Jackson Youngblood III. He was a part of the Rams’ “Fearsome Foursome” defensive line during the 1970s and unofficially had 151.5 sacks during his career. But the single greatest moment of Youngblood’s career may be when he gutted it out on a broken leg and sacked Roger Staubach during a playoff game. 17. Conrad Dobler Conrad Dobler was known as a troublemaker when he played. deljamesgang / Twitter Position: Offensive guard Career: 10 years (1972-81) Teams: St. Louis Cardinals, New Orleans Saints, Buffalo Bills Stats: 125 GS, three-time Pro Bowler Championships: 0 Bottom Line: Conrad Dobler Conrad Dobler was mean. AP Photo “Conrad Dobler” is a gritty and grimy sounding name, and Dobler’s style of play was befitting. He was one of the best offensive linemen of his era but also one of the dirtiest players in NFL history. Sports Illustrated even labeled him as such when they called him pro football’s dirtiest player. Dobler reveled in pushing the envelope and didn’t mind physically hurting his opponent as long as it helped his team win. 16. Nick Toon Nick Toon caught 21 passes in his NFL career. Bill Haber / AP Photo Position: Wide receiver Career: 4 years (2012-15) Teams: New Orleans Saints, St. Louis Rams Stats: 21 REC, 283 YDS, 1 TD, 13.5 AVG Championships: 0 Bottom Line: Nick Toon Nick Toon played four seasons in the NFL. Nam Y. Huh / AP Photo The son of former Pro Bowl receiver Al Toon, Nick Toon was also an NFL receiver. A “Nick toon” is also something you’d see on Nickelodeon programming roughly 20 hours a day. Nick never reached the heights of his father, who once led the NFL in receptions, but both Toons attended Wisconsin. And the younger Toon edged out his old man in both receptions and receiving yards in college. 15. Ashton Youboty Ashton Youboty, left, had two career interceptions. Rusty Kennedy / AP Photo Position: Defensive back Career: 6 years (2006-11) Teams: Buffalo Bills, Jacksonville Jaguars Stats: 86 TKL, 2 INT, 2 SK, 1 TD Championships: 0 Bottom Line: Ashton Youboty Ashton Youboty was born in Liberia. Stephen Morton / AP Photo The third NFL player to hail from Liberia, Ashton Youboty likely thought there was nothing unusual about his surname while growing up in his native country. However, those thoughts vanished once he relocated to the United States and heard every “ya booty” joke imaginable. Youboty spent six years in the NFL as a cornerback and is now part of Wisconsin’s football staff. 14. Bronko Nagurski Chicago Bears legends Red Grange, left, and Bronko Nagurski. AP Photo Position: Fullback, linebacker, tackle Career: 9 years (1930-37, 1943) Teams: Chicago Bears Stats: 2,778 YDS, 25 TD, 4.4 AVG Championships: 3 (1932-33, 1943) Bottom Line: Bronko Nagurski Bronko Nagurski was as tough as they come. Gene Herrick / AP Photo Nothing says football like the name Bronko Nagurski. Without him, the only Bronko that NFL fans would be aware of is the white Bronco that O.J. Simpson used. Nagurski was a bruising running back, who was the size (6-foot-2, 226 pounds) of many linemen of that era. He also was one of the first stars of the NFL and later parlayed that stardom into a successful pro wrestling career. 13. Peerless Price Peerless Price scored 31 touchdowns in his NFL career. Kevin Rivoli / AP Photo Position: Wide receiver Career: 9 years (1999-2007) Teams: Buffalo Bills, Atlanta Falcons, Dallas Cowboys, Buffalo Bills Stats: 403 REC, 5,281 YDS, 31 TD, 13.1 AVG Championships: 0 Bottom Line: Peerless Price Peerless Price had 403 career receptions. Ric Feld / AP Photo Someone who is peerless is unrivaled and has no equal. That’s exactly the type of player you want on your football team and the alliteration with his last name being Price is just icing on the cake. The wide receiver wasn’t exactly peerless on the football field, but he had a solid career, primarily with the Bills, and ranks in the top 10 in team history in receiving yards. 12. Takeo Spikes Takeo Spikes played on five NFL teams in his 15-year career. Marcio Jose Sanchez / AP Photo Position: Linebacker Career: 15 years (1998-2012) Teams: Cincinnati Bengals, Buffalo Bills, Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers, San Diego Chargers Stats: 1,431 TKL, 29 SK, 19 INT, 4 TD Championships: 0 Bottom Line: Takeo Spikes Takeo Spikes went to Auburn. Lenny Ignelzi / AP Photo Takeo Spikes didn’t shy away from knocking out opponents over his 15-year career. Only four players had more tackles than Spikes during those years, but his teams always came up short on the scoreboard. Spikes’ 219 career games are the most in NFL history for a player without a postseason appearance. 11. Barkevious Mingo Barkevious Mingo was a first-round pick (No. 6 overall) in 2013. Michael Wyke / AP Photo Position: Outside linebacker Career: 8 years (2013-20) Teams: Cleveland Browns, New England Patriots, Indianapolis Colts, Seattle Seahawks, Houston Texans Stats: 215 TKL, 10 SK, 1 INT, 5 FF Championships: 1 (2016) Bottom Line: Barkevious Mingo Barkevious Mingo played eight seasons in the NFL. Jim Mone / AP Photo Barkevious has a great first name and an equally great nickname of “KeKe.” His mother’s name is Barbara, and she had an affinity for the name of Kevious. Thus, she combined the first three letters of her name along with Kevious to form Barkevious. Mingo has four brothers and three of them have normal names. The other is named Hughtavious, and that must have been dad’s idea since Papa Mingo’s first name is Hugh. 10. BenJarvus Green-Ellis BenJarvus Green-Ellis played in 84 NFL games. Stephan Savoia / AP Photo Position: Running back Career: 6 years (2008-13) Teams: New England Patriots, Cincinnati Bengals Stats: 3,914 YDS, 42 TD, 3.9 AVG Championships: 0 Bottom Line: BenJarvus Green-Ellis BenJarvus Green-Ellis finished his NFL career with the Cincinnati Bengals. Tim Umphrey / AP Photo Green-Ellis was nicknamed “Law Firm” due to his collection of names sounding like one, and he actually planned on going to law school in college. But football got in the way, and “Benny,” as he was called by Bill Belichick, became a favorite of the Patriots’ head coach. Any coach would be a fan of a running back who protected the ball like Green-Ellis. His 589 straight touches without fumbling is an NFL record to start a career. 9. LeGarrette Blount LeGarrette Blount rushed for 6,306 yards in his career. Margaret Bowles / AP Photo Position: Running back Career: 9 years (2010-18) Teams: Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers, Philadelphia Eagles, Detroit Lions Stats: 1,495 ATT, 6,306 YDS, 56 TD, 4.2 AVG Championships: 3 (2014, 2016, 2017) Bottom Line: LeGarrette Blount LeGarrette Blount was a beast. Duane Burleson / AP Photo While LeGarrette is a unique name itself, the surname of Blount is the real MVP. Blount was a big, bruising running back that could break tackles left and right and his name was infamously used by Deion Sanders during a highlight. While Sanders was narrating a video package of Blount breaking several tackles against the Packers, Prime Time said, “Five different Packers tried to hit that Blount.” Classic. 8. Ha Ha Clinton-Dix Ha Ha Clinton-Dix rides a bike to Packers training camp in 2014. Morry Gash Position: Safety Career: 7 years (2014-2021) Teams: Green Bay Packers, Washington Redskins, Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys, Las Vegas Raiders, Denver Broncos Stats: 522 TKL, 16 INT, 5.5 SACK, 1 TD Championships: 0 Bottom Line: Ha Ha Clinton-Dix Ha Ha Clinton-Dix played his college ball at Alabama. Paul Sancya / AP Photo Born Ha’Sean Clinton-Dix, the safety got the nickname “Ha Ha” when people kept mispronouncing Clinton-Dix’s real name. It’s supposed to be pronounced Ha-SEEN, but people kept saying Ha-SHAWN so Ha Ha just became easier. His name may be hilarious, but Ha Ha is no joke on the field. He’s a versatile safety who was tasked with filling Charles Woodson’s role in the Packers’ defense. He bounced around to a couple of other teams since leaving Green Bay and became the director of player development at the University of Alabama in 2023. 7. Fair Hooker Fair Hooker played six years in the NFL. WPS / AP Photo Position: Wide receiver Career: 6 years (1969-74) Teams: Cleveland Browns Stats: 129 REC, 1,845 YDS, 8 TD, 14.3 AVG Championships: 0 Bottom Line: Fair Hooker Fair Hooker finished his career with 129 receptions. AP Photo There have been three Hookers in the NFL, but only one of them has been a Fair Hooker. Fair is his real first name, and he’s a junior, so there was a Fair Hooker who preceded him. As a player, Hooker wasn’t bad. But he wasn’t great either, which would make him fair. He lasted six seasons as an NFL wide receiver and never topped 45 receptions or more than two touchdowns in a season. 6. Happy Feller Happy Feller was a fourth-round draft pick (No. 83 overall) out of Texas in the 1971 NFL draft. Amazon Position: Kicker Career: 3 years (1971-73) Teams: Philadelphia Eagles, New Orleans Saints Stats: 16 FGM, 37.2 FG%, 27 XPM, 96.4 XP% Championships: 0 Bottom Line: Happy Feller Happy Feller played three seasons in the NFL. Amazon Born James Feller, “Happy” acquired his nickname because he smiled often as a kid. Good thing he became a kicker because “Happy” may not have been received as well if he were a lineman. Feller may have started looking for a new nickname after his NFL career since he made just 37.2 percent of his 43 field-goal attempts. That’s the worst percentage since the 1970 merger. Which wouldn’t make anyone happy except opposing teams. 5. Equanimeous St. Brown Equanimeous St. Brown is the first “Equanimeous” in NFL history. Matt Ludtke / AP Photo Position: Wide receiver Career: 4 years (2018, 2020-present) Teams: Green Bay Packers Stats: 21 REC, 328 YDS, 0 TD, 15.6 AVG Championships: 0 Bottom Line: Equanimeous St. Brown Equanimeous St. Brown went to Notre Dame. Morry Gash / AP Photo How Equanimeous St. Brown got his name is quite interesting. His dad was a bodybuilder and two-time Mr. Universe who was named John Brown. No, not John St. Brown, but John Brown, which is about as dull a name as possible. Not wanting his sons to have similarly dull-sounding names, he named his kids Equanimeous, Osiris and Amon-Ra. He then added the St. to their names to give the names a little more flavor. 4. D’Brickashaw Ferguson D’Brickashaw Ferguson was a Jets fan favorite. Denis Poroy / AP Photo Position: Offensive tackle Career: 10 years (2006-15) Teams: New York Jets Stats: 160 GS, three-time Pro Bowler Championships: 0 Bottom Line: D’Brickashaw Ferguson D’Brickashaw Ferguson made three Pro Bowls. Don Wright / AP Photo If you had to create a Mount Rushmore of NFL names, D’Brickashaw Ferguson would make most lists. The origin is a character from the novel “The Thorn Birds,” whose name was Father Ralph de Bricassart. Name aside, Ferguson was as solid as they come in terms of offensive linemen. The No. 4 overall pick in the 2006 draft never missed a single start in his career and played in 10,707 out of 10,708 regular-season offensive snaps. 3. Earthwind Moreland Earthwind Moreland played 12 games in the NFL. Chuck Burton / AP Photo Position: Defensive back Career: 3 years (2000-01, 2004) Teams: New York Jets, Cleveland Browns, New England Patriots Stats: 12 G, 2 GS, 17 TKL Championships: 1 (2004) Bottom Line: Earthwind Moreland Earthwind Moreland was named after his mom’s favorite band. jlang20 / Twitter You don’t have to be a music historian to figure out where Mr. Moreland got his name. His mom’s favorite band was Earth, Wind and Fire. She left out the “fire” part, and Moreland’s middle name begins with a “C.” Not surprisingly, he’s the only Earthwind in NFL history. Moreland played in just 12 games in his career, but he was on the 2004 Patriots, which means he collected a Super Bowl ring for his service. 2. Lil’Jordan Humphrey Lil’Jordan Humphrey went undrafted out of Texas in 2019. Kelvin Kuo / AP Photo Position: Wide receiver Career: 4 years (2019-present) Teams: New Orleans Saints Stats: 18 G, 6 GS Championships: 0 Bottom Line: Lil’Jordan Humphrey Lil’Jordan Humphrey is 6-foot-4. Brett Duke / AP Photo Lil’Jordan sounds more like a rap name than a wide receiver, but it actually is a homage to the greatest basketball player of all time. Humphrey’s mother let Lil’Jordan’s older brother pick out his name, and he went with “Michael” in honor of his favorite athlete, Michael Jordan. Mom then stepped in and said he’s a little Jordan, which then became Lil’Jordan. By the way, as a 6-foot-4, 225-pound wide receiver, Lil’Jordan is anything but little. 1. Richie Incognito Richie Incognito has had a controversial career. Wilfredo Lee / AP Photo Position: Offensive guard Career: 13 years (2006-13, 2015-20) Teams: St. Louis Rams, Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders Stats: 164 GS, four-time Pro Bowler Championships: 0 Bottom Line: Richie Incognito Richie Incognito is not the most popular player in NFL history. D. Ross Cameron / AP Photo Another name for Richie is also a slang word that means jerk, and Incognito translates to “in disguise.” Put that all together, and Richie Incognito has the perfect name to describe himself based on all of the controversies he’s been involved in. He was part of the most famous bullying scandal in NFL history, has been voted the dirtiest player in the NFL, was kicked off two college teams and was arrested for threatening to shoot people at a funeral home. That’s one way to make a name for yourself.
