Ndamukong Suh

Halloween 2016: Five scariest players in the NFL

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Sep 11, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt (99) in action during the game against the Chicago Bears at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

With Halloween here, all sorts of scary imagery can be seen everywhere. Scary images in the form of players can be seen in the NFL as well. Let’s see which players are most the likely to cause nightmares.

When people think of Halloween, they think of costumes and an overload of candy. They also think of frightening imagery that can give you nightmares and wake up in a cold sweat. Stores and possibly your neighbor’s yard are littered with images of ghosts, goblins, witches and other creepy figures. Additionally, there is no shortage of scary costume options that include a werewolf, a zombie, and even an evil clown. It’s truly a time for fright and hopefully some fun.

The NFL is very similar to Halloween where scary figures exist. The only difference is that those figures can be seen for 17 straight weeks as opposed to one day. The size of the players and the intensity of their play is enough to scare anyone. It’s a violent sport where some of the cringe-worthy collisions lead to broken bones and torn ligaments. It may be an exciting game, but it’s also a frightening one.

There is a total of 1,696 players in the NFL and it’s safe to say that the majority of them may appear scary. However, only a handful can be considered as the scariest of them all. Let’s take a look at who they are.

Sep 18, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt (99) looks up at the scoreboard during the fourth quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports

5. J.J. Watt – Houston Texans

J.J. Watt is like a modern-day Frankenstein except that he’s much more athletic. Standing at 6’5″ and weighing 289 pounds, he is a hulking figure that you would regret getting on the bad side of. Many opposing quarterbacks in the league have developed a fear of the number 99 because of Watt due to his ferocious tenacity on the defensive line. He’s not only tenacious, but he’s highly effective as proven by his selection to the Pro Bowl on four different occasions. Watt is also a three-time Defensive Player of the Year and a two-time leader in sacks.

One quarterback in particular that probably has reoccurring nightmares about Watt is E.J. Manuel. In a game against the Buffalo Bills in 2014, Watt hit him nine times and was flagged twice for roughing the passer. J.J. ended up getting fined $16, 537 for only one of the hits. He also intercepted one of Manuel’s passes and returned it for a touchdown. Chances are that E.J. was hit so much that he tried to get rid of the ball in fear of his life.

In the following season, and despite battling a groin injury and a fractured left hand, Watt still led the league with 17.5 sacks. He also recorded 76 tackles and won the Defensive Player of the Year award. It’s a scary thought to imagine what he would have done if he wasn’t hurt.

Despite the fact that Watt is currently on the injured reserve list due to a herniated disc, he is still one of the scariest players in the NFL. As far as opposing quarterbacks are concerned, he can take his sweet time recovering from his surgery.

Oct 9, 2016; Baltimore, MD, USA; Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) sacked by Baltimore Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs (55) at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports

4. Terrell Suggs – Baltimore Ravens

One of the most classic scary poems of all time is Edgar Allan Poe’s The Raven. It involved a raven that kept saying “Nevermore” to everything that the poem’s narrator would ask it. Considering that it was first published in 1845, it may not be as scary in 2016 as it was back then. However, the football version of that raven has been around since 2003 and he refuses to go away like that black-feathered avian. It’s one of the reasons that Terrell Suggs is still one of the scariest players in the NFL.

Perhaps it’s his game-time entrance where flames are shooting up into the sky. It could also be the copious amounts of black war paint that he wears during games. Another reason could be his 6’3″ frame combined with 265 pounds of violent intentions. Whichever reason it may be, and it’s most likely all of the above, Suggs is a frightening individual. He has tortured opposing offenses for over a decade and has proven to be very good at it. He is a six-time Pro Bowler, a former Defensive Player of the Year and a member of the 100 sacks club. Suggs is also a Super Bowl champion and once got fined $5, 512 for wearing a gladiator helmet during a pregame preparation.

Along with his accomplishments on the football field, Terrell also dealt with a few off-the-field incidents that included an aggravated assault charge. He also had to turn over his firearms arsenal to authorities which included an AK-47. When a man as big and intense as Suggs also owns an assault rifle, it definitely qualifies as being scary.

His impressive career may be winding down in a few years, but the level of fright that he generates is not. Terrell Suggs is still one of the top players to fear in the NFL.

Dec 20, 2015; San Diego, CA, USA; Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh (93) warms up before the game against the San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

3. Ndamukong Suh – Miami Dolphins

Coming out of college as a dominant player for the University of Nebraska, Ndamukong Suh was already a feared player. He won every major college award for a defensive player in 2009 and finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting. Therefore, it was assumed that his fear-inducing dominance would transfer easily to the NFL and that’s exactly what happened.

Current and former quarterbacks such as Jay Cutler and Jake Delhomme are more than familiar with the scary things that Suh can do. Suh nearly ripped Delhomme’s head off with a facemask penalty in a 2010 preseason game. He was also fined $15,000 for trying to send Cutler into early retirement during the 2010 regular season. This was only the beginning of the frightful reputation that Ndamukong would develop during his career.

The following season saw Suh push offensive lineman Evan Dietrich-Smith’s head into the ground three times and stomp on his arm. All of this took place after the whistle was blown and it led to him being ejected from the game. Ndamukong was slapped with a five-game suspension afterward and he quickly became one of the least-liked players in the NFL. His most recent violation was stepping on the calf of Aaron Rodgers in 2014 which led to a $70,000 fine.

Suh’s presence on the field has literally been more detrimental to the health of opposing player than the sport itself. The 6’4″, 305-pound behemoth may be a four-time Pro Bowler, but his extra level of violence makes him even more dangerous and effective. Even though he seems to have turned over a new leaf since departing the Detroit Lions for the Miami Dolphins, Ndamukong Suh is easily one of the scariest players in the league.

Jan 17, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison (92) walks off the field after a loss against the Denver Broncos during the third quarter of the AFC Divisional round playoff game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

2. James Harrison – Pittsburgh Steelers

Ever since his high school days, James Harrison has been a scary individual. During his senior year at Coventry High School in Ohio, he was suspended for challenging an assistant coach to a fight. After he returned from suspension, he found himself in court for allegedly shooting a BB gun towards a defensive coach in the locker room. There was clearly some issues that Harrison needed to address and it seemed like he did once his college career was over at Kent State.

Unfortunately, he displayed some behavioral issues during his initial stint with the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens. It led to him being cut a total of four times and he strongly considered not playing football. However, a second stint with the Steelers proved to be just what he needed as his career blossomed in 2007. Since that time, he’s been selected to five Pro Bowls and was the Defensive Player of the Year in 2008.

His nightmare-inducing play reached its pinnacle in 2010 when it seemed like he was getting fined every week for illegal hits. Whether it was his flipping of Vince Young, knocking out two Cleveland Browns receivers in one game or numerous late hits to quarterbacks, players started to fear for their safety when Harrison was on the field. Another scary thing about James was his workout regime. When a man can leg press 1,100 pounds and plays volleyball with a medicine ball, then it takes the term scary to a whole new level.

James Harrison’s most popular nickname is “Silverback” and we all know that being in a cage with a silverback gorilla is beyond frightening. However, being in one with Harrison may be even worse.

Jan 9, 2016; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals outside linebacker Vontaze Burfict (55) reacts after sacking Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) during the third quarter in the AFC Wild Card playoff football game at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

1. Vontaze Burfict – Cincinnati Bengals

Most NFL players look intimidating due to their musculature and intense behavior on the field. Therefore, the best way to define who the scariest ones are is to observe their style of play. When it comes to that aspect, no player in the league may be scarier than Vontaze Burfict. He’s had the reputation of being a loose cannon and his actions have proven it throughout his young career.

Standing at 6’1″ and weighing 248 pounds, one can assume that Burfict is a strong man. Therefore, it’s scary to know that he’s committed violations such as hitting a defenseless receiver, hitting a player in the groin and allegedly twisting the ankles of players after a play was dead. The pinnacle of his unnecessary violation transgressions took place in 2016 AFC Wild Card game against the Steelers. Not only did he commit an illegal and intentional hit to Antonio Brown’s head, but it concussed the All-Pro receiver. It literally looked like he tried to end Brown’s life. The hit led to Burfict being fined and suspended for the first three games of this season.

To be fair, Burfict has promised to change his style of play after the incident with Brown. However, unless he suddenly decides to change careers and become a priest, he will still be feared by many players, especially quarterbacks. It’s not like he will dial down his intensity and take it easy on the opposition. He will simply avoid trying to decapitate players. However, this will not stop him from inflicting painful tackles and you never know what may happen during the heat of competition.

As a result, Vontaze Burfict is the scariest player in the NFL as of today. He can literally be himself for Halloween and still generate blood-curdling screams.