Famous Nicknames of NFL Players Quiz

Answer: Red Grange

Grange was noted by many as one of the first major football stars to bring spectators to pro football when he signed with the Chicago Bears in 1925.

Answer: Ed Jones

A towering defensive end who took a year off midway in his career to persue boxing, Ed Jones was part of a dominating defensive line that helped the Dallas Cowboys to win the 1978 Super Bowl.

Answer: William Perry

A massive Chicago Bear defensive tackle and member of the 1985 Super Bowl team. When a reporter asked him what his primary weakness was, Perry replied 'Cheeseburgers'.

Answer: Joe Namath

Namath, a native of Beaver Falls, PA and star QB for Alabama, shocked the football world when he led the New York Jets to upend the heavily-favored Baltimore Colts 16-7 in the 1969 Super Bowl.

Answer: Joe Greene

Greene, one of the mainstays of the Pittsburgh Steelers defense from 1969 to 1981, including four Super Bowls, is probably best remembered for showing his rarely-seen soft side to a young fan in a Coca Cola commercial.

Answer: Earl Campbell

From 1978 to 1985, running back Campbell almost single-handedly pushed the Houston Oilers (now the Tennessee Titans) into the playoff picture.

Answer: Don Meredith

A backup quarterback with Dallas in the 1970's, under the shadow of Roger Staubach, Meredith achieved fame as a color commentator with Howard Cosell on 'Monday Night Football'.

Answer: Sam Cunningham

A blocker for the USC Trojans, coach John McKay said this future running back for the New England Patriots was 'the best runner I ever ruined'.

Answer: Ken Stabler

A journeyman quarterback for 14 years, Stabler led the Oakland Raiders to beat Minnesota in the 1977 Super Bowl.

Answer: Thomas Henderson

A promising linebacker with the Dallas Cowboys, 'Hollywood' Henderson wavered between bouts with drug addiction through most of his career.

Answer: Pittsburgh

The much feared 'Curtain' of the 1970's included 'Mean Joe' Greene, Ernie Holmes, Dwight White, Jack Lambert and L.C. Greenwood. This lineup helped the Steelers to win four Supers Bowls.

Answer: Miami

The 1972 Dolphins were shored on defense by Nick Buoniconti, Doug Swift, Jake Scott and Manny Fernandez to lead Miami to the only undefeated season in NFL history to date.

Answer: Minnesota

The Viking defense, widely feared in the 1960's, but saddled with losing four Super Bowls. The Eaters included Carl Eller, Jim Marshall, Alan Page, and Gary Larsen.

Answer: Denver

The Broncos defense, led by the likes of Randy Gradishar, Lyle Alzado, Joe Rizzo and Tom Jackson, dominated the NFL in the 1977 season, only to fall to Dallas in the Super Bowl.

Answer: L. A. Rams

The Rams defensive lineup in the 1960's practically reads as a 'Who's Who' of football history...Roosevelt Grier, Deacon Jones, Merlin Olsen and Lamar Lundy. Other supporters in the defense include Irv Cross and Jack Pardee.

Answer: Chicago

Widely believed one of the best defenses in a single season, the 1985 Bears defense included Mike Singletary, William 'the Refrigerator' Perry, Dan Hampton, Steve 'Mongo' McMichael, Richard Dent and Wilbur Marshall. The season was capped by a 46-10 rout of New England in the Super Bowl.

Answer: Dick Lane

A legendary cornerback for the L.A. Rams and Detroit Lions in the 1950's and 60's, Lane got his nickname from the song of the same name constantly played in the locker room. Lane's vicious penchant for 'head hunting' caused the NFL to outlaw tackling near the head area. Lane was elected to the Football Hall of Fame in 1974.

Answer: Gene Lipscomb

One of the most imposing player of his day, 'Big Daddy' Lipscomb played a pivotal role in what many consider 'the greatest NFL game ever played' in 1958, helping Baltimore beat the N.Y. Giants in Yankee Stadium. He starred in three Pro Bowls before his death in 1963 at age 31.

Answer: Lance Alworth

A former running back for the University of Arkansas, Alworth achieved fame as a receiver for San Diego and later with Dallas. He was the first star of the old AFL (later merged with the NFL) to be elected to the Hall of Fame in 1978.

Answer: Walter Payton

A longtime Chicago Bears great, Payton remains to this date the all-time NFL leader in rushing, combined net yardage and most yardage (275 yards) in a single game.

Answer: Paul Hornung

With the likes of Bart Starr for a quarterback and Vince Lombardi for a coach, Hornung helped the Green Bay Packers to dominance in the 1960's, including the first two Super Bowls.

Answer: Elroy Hirsch

The man who revolutionized the wide receiver position in the late 1940's and 50's with the L.A. Rams, Hirsch got the nickname from sportswriter Francis Powers. Hirsch joined the Hall of Fame in 1968.

Answer: O.A. Phillips

'Bum' Phillips got his nickname as a child when his infant sister tried to say 'brother'. Phillips coached the Houston Oilers and New Orleans Saints.

Answer: Deion Sanders

'Neon Deion' is to this date the only sports figure to play in both the World Series, with the Atlanta Braves, and the Super Bowl, with the Dallas Cowboys.

Answer: Fred Williamson

A star cornerback for the Kansas City Chiefs, Williamson branched out into the film world in such films as 'Black Caesar' and 'Original Gangsters'.