"Baddest" player in NFL history?

[maveric]

Ronnie Lott once had part of his finger partially removed by a hit, in a game, where, rather than leaving the game, he bit the rest of his finger off, and stayed in the game.

The NFL had to change the rules about leading with the helmet hits, becasue of Lott. He was the "Baddest" IMO.

[Magrittes Pipe]

1. L.T.

Lawrence Taylor once snorted part of his cocaine, in a game, where, rather than leaving the game, he snorted the rest of his cocaine, and stayed in the game.

[democracyindanger]

4. I thought it was

LT once broke his crack pipe in a game, and rather than leaving the game, he McGuyvered a pipe out of a loose filling and his mouthpiece, smoked the crack, and stayed in the game.

[Magrittes Pipe]

5. That was in '92.

My story was from '89.

[ewagner]

2. Had to go with Butkus

I remember stories about him biting people in the "pile-up"...

Also, Jim Davis of the Raiders was a terror on the field too....

[Rick Myers]

3. Conrad Dobler!!!

mid 70's St. Louis, the dirtiest man in football!!!

[elvisbear]

6. Lott was darn tough player but he didn't bite his finger off.

The archetypal anecdote about Ronnie Lott recounts the time, late in the 1985 season, when doctors recommended surgery to repair the tip of his left pinky finger. The 49ers' star defensive back didn't want to miss any playing time in recuperation, so he chose a simpler procedure. He had the finger amputated above the third knuckle. He didn't miss a down.

http://www.nfl.com/insider/story/5853695

[mark414]

7. if i had to pick on the basis of one game

it would be this game

The Cowboys and Giants were both 11-4. The winner got the NFC East title, home-field advantage in the playoffs and a first-round bye. The loser got a wild-card game the following week.

(Emmitt) Smith separated his shoulder in the third quarter but returned to the game, which went into overtime tied at 13. He carried the ball on nine of the Cowboys' 11 plays in the extra period at one point raising his aching shoulder to stiff-arm Lawrence Taylor on his final run, which set up Eddie Murray's game-winning field goal.

He finished with 229 total yards and a touchdown on 32 carries and 10 receptions, the heaviest workload in team history, then spent the night in a hospital.

Had the Cowboys lost that game, Smith probably wouldn't have been able to play the following week in a wild-card game. That would have made the road much more difficult in what turned out to be the Cowboys' second of three Super Bowl victories in four seasons.

dude basically played with ONE ARM and still got the best of LT

[XNASA]

11. Are you saying Emmitt Smith was the baddest player ever?

I've never seen anybody run out of bounds most often to avoid a hit than Emmitt.

Never saw him throw a block either. Oh well, to each his own.

[mark414]

12. i'm just saying

that game was insane

i voted for LT, btw

[underpants]

8. Bednarik because he knocked Gifford out

Which come to think of it might explain the whole Kathie Lee thing.

[maveric]

13. He knocked Gifford back to the 5th grade. Ever see film of that hit?

Viscous!

[underpants]

16. Yep

Gifford missed the rest of the year.

[Allenberg]

9. Jack Lambert.

Scared John Elway so bad he lined up behind the guard.

[CrownPrinceBandar]

14. Lambert!

"greatest middle linebacker of all time"

http://www.mcmillenandwife.com/lambert.html

[XNASA]

10. Jack Tatum

[peekaloo]

17. Is that the guy who paralyzed Darrell Stingley (sp?)

BOO!

[tjwash]

15. Gotta give a shout out to Chuck Bednarik...

...dude was a fierce player, and he was the last of the "sixty minute men." You think LT would have gone both ways?