The Toughest Players in NFL History, Ranked

The concept of “toughness” can mean different things to different people. “Mental toughness” refers to resilient, thought-provoking individuals that never seem to rest their ideas or morals. Other times, “toughness” is applied to physically demanding jobs or physical strength.

Accordingly, some of the toughest NFL players out there are just plain hardened to both mental and physical stressors. They’ve stood out amongst their old and new brethren for absolutely incredible bouts of toughness. If you ask us, these toughest NFL players should be given medals for being so tough. From fractured ankles to broken bones, you probably don’t want to play a “friendly” game of American football with these guys.

Tommy McDonald

Thomas Franklin McDonald, a product of the Oklahoma Sooners, played flanker with the Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles Rams, Atlanta Falcons, and Cleveland Browns.

He stands out for being one of the toughest NFL players to this day as he was the last non-kicker to play without a face mask in the NFL.

Cliff Harris

Between 1970 and 1979, Dallas Cowboy’s safety, Cliff Harris, was known as “Captain Crash.” He was able to play both offense and defense but was better known for wearing kid’s sized shoulder pads.

Why? To increase his speed and the “damage” of his hits, of course.

Ed Sprinkle

For 11 years, beginning in 1944, Ed Sprinkle was a Chicago Bear defensive end. In the 1950s, Collier’s Weekly magazine named him “The Meanest Man in Football.”

Sprinkle responded, “I was about as aggressive as any football player that walked on the field. If I had an opportunity to hit someone, I hit them…That doesn’t make me mean or dirty.”

Jackie Slater

During his 20 seasons in the NFL, from 1976 until 1995, Jackie Slater played his entire career with the Rams – 19 seasons in Los Angeles and one in St. Louis during the 1995 season.

As crazy as it sounds, he left a legacy in the league for recording the most games played by an offensive lineman.

Jim David

Standing 5 foot 11, and barely weighing 178 pounds, Jim David managed to hold his own as a defensive back with the Detroit Lions between 1952 and 1959.

Miraculously, he was never sidelined with an injury for the entirety of eight seasons.

Anquan Boldin

“That’s always been my attitude. Some people say that’s the best part of me and that’s the worst part of me — my nonchalance,” proudly exclaimed Anquan Boldin of his playing style.

The wide receiver played between 2003 and 2016 for the Cardinals, Ravens, 49ers, and Lions.

Joe Kapp

Disregarding a career in Canada, Joe Kapp was a quarterback for the Boston Patriots and Minnesota Vikings for three years, between 1967 and 1970. However, his personal achievements did not go unnoticed.

His teammate at the time, Dale Hackbart, was honored to say that “[Kapp] was a hell of a leader. He picked us up. There are three kinds of quarterbacks. There’s the brain like Bart Starr and the arm like Joe Namath and the leader like Joe Kapp.”

Mark Bavaro

Distinguished by his receiving, blocking, and all-around toughness, Mark Bavaro played tight end for the Giants, Browns, and Eagles. During his first five-year stint with the New York team, Bavaro helped the Giants win Super Bowls XXI and XXV.

Even after dealing with a degenerative knee condition in 1991, Bavaro returned to play with the Eagles until his retirement in 1995.

Jim Marshall

During his first NFL season in 1960, Jim Marshall played a defensive end for the Cleveland Browns. Then, he played the remainder of his 20-season NFL career with the Minnesota Vikings.

He stands out for playing through bouts of pneumonia and managing to play through games with ulcers.

Lorenzo Neal

Lorenzo Neal was a fullback for 15 years during the 1990s and 2000s – playing for a wide range of teams: the Saints, Jets, Titans, Bengals, Buccaneers, Raven, and Chargers. Former NFL running back, LaDainian Tomlinson, talked about the love shown to “Lo:”

“You see guys from the other team jog out on the field before the game, and they always talk to him. They say, ‘Hey, Lo!’ When somebody does that, you know they respect him. I’ve seen it time and time again.”

Emmitt smith

Sitting out on the sideline after an injury is one thing, but playing with an injury to finish a game… that’s another level of dedication and toughness. This is the fact with former Dallas Cowboy, Emmitt Smith.

During a 1993 game against the Giants, Smith had been involved in a play that ultimately dislocated his shoulder. Rather than hit the bench, he kept playing with his other arm. He even managed to rush for 170 yards!

Bruce Smith

Bruce Smith was a grisly defensive end largely with the Buffalo Bills between 1985 and 1999. Throughout 19 seasons and 279 games, Smith was able to amass an impressive 200 quarterback sacks.

He caused 46 forced fumbles, recovering 15 himself.

George Blanda

George Blanda, once affiliated with the Bears, Colts, Oilers, and Raiders, retired after playing in 26 NFL seasons. To this day, this is the longest playing career in the league.

Even more incredible, Blanda switched between playing kicker, linebacker, and quarterback.

Steve Young

From 1987 until 1999, Steve Young played as “Joe Cool,” Joe Montana’s replacement, with the San Francisco 49ers. Due to his propensity for quarterback scrambles, Young was often thrown around.

With 43 rushing touchdowns to his name, it should come as no surprise that Young walked away with many concussions.

Earl Campbell

As a star out of Texas, Earl Campbell was drafted in 1978, playing with the Houston Oilers before playing one season with the New Orleans Saints in 1985.

Sadly, injuries forced him to retire after his one season with the Saints. Nonetheless, his punishing and aggressive play allowed him to break dozens of tackles, becoming one of the premier power running backs in NFL history.

Gino Marchetti

In 1969, Baltimore Colts icons, Gino Marchetti, was voted as “The Greatest Defensive End in Professional Football” during the season, named to the National Football League 50th Anniversary All-Time Team the same year.

Near 10 years prior, during the 1958 NFL Championship Game, Gino fractured his ankle but watched the rest of the game, overtime and all, before he sought medical attention.

Julian Edelman

Julian Edelman is considered to be one of the toughest players in the NFL not only physically but mentally as well. In week 3 of the 2020 regular season, he suffered a partially torn rib cartilage during New England’s 30-14 win over the New York Jets.

While he had to leave the game due to the injury shortly before the half, Edelman returned and finished the game as its leading receiver: the Super Bowl MVP caught seven passes for 62 yards and a touchdown.

Tom Brady

Tom Brady transcends football as he’s established himself as the greatest quarterback of all time. However, he’s also the one quarterback that gets sacked more than anyone else every season.

What makes him tougher than the rest is that his thirst for competition never dwindles despite being on the receiving end of some hard sacks. If anyone is an example of mental toughness, its the GOAT, Tom Brady.

Christian McCaffrey

At 5’11” and 205 pounds, McCaffrey’s frame isn’t particularly big or small for his position, but after the 2,000-yard season he had, he knew he wasn’t going to go unnoticed in future seasons.

He decided he had to get bigger, faster, and stronger to beat the odds, which is why his arms look bigger than ever in this training camp photo.

Hardy Brown

Hardy Brown was a linebacker, and only one of two players to have played in the All-America Football Conference, the American Football League, and the National Football League.

He was named #5 on the NFL’s “Top 10” show of “The Most Feared Tacklers of All Time.”

Jack Tatum

For 10 seasons, Jack “the Assassin” Tatum played for the Raiders and former Houston Oilers. In his 2010 obituary, the New York Times noted that Tatum was a “symbol of a violent game.”

This line is immortalized as Tatum has paralyzed New England Patriots wide receiver, Darryl Stingley, during a 1978 preseason game.

Ray Lewis

Ray Lewis, the former 17-year player for the Baltimore Ravens, is a two-time Super Bowl champion. Better yet, he’s even considered the greatest Raven of all time.

In eight seasons, he managed over 100 tackles and was a 13-time Pro Bowler.

Ted Bruschi

Ted Bruschi, was a three-time Super Bowl champ while he played the entirety of his 13 seasons with the New England Patriots.

Fascinatingly, Bruschi endured a mild stroke in 2005, mere days after playing in the 2005 Pro Bowl. Upon having surgery to fix a congenital heart defect and months of rehabilitation, Bruschi played once again several months later.

Bruce Matthews

Between 1983 and 2001, Bruce Matthews was a tackle, offensive guard, and center for the Tennessee/Houston Oilers. In fact, he’s got more games under his belt as an offensive lineman than any other NFL player in history.

Warren Moon, a former teammate commented on Matthews: “Bruce was kind of a laid-back, quiet guy, but he was very, very competitive.”

Walt Garrison

For eight years, Walt Garrison was a fullback for the Dallas Cowboys. Turns out, he’s got some grit in his genes. During one game, in which he scored a touchdown and gained 121 yards, it was later revealed that the hearty Cowboy was playing with a broken collarbone and fractured ankle, and only when he had to be carted off the field did this become apparent.

Larry Wilson

Larry Wilson, a safety with a lot of football intelligence, changed the game of football forever. The concept of the safety blitz became his pride and joy, earning him 52 interceptions in total.

Ernie Stautner

Sometimes, achievements don’t portray a person’s true nature – as is the case for Ernie Stautner. Andy Russell, a former teammate of Ernie’s, said he saw one of Stautner’s finger bones exposed, literally piercing through his skin.

And yet, he didn’t stop playing. Apparently, Ernie simply replied, “Gimme some tape.”

Bob St. Clair

Bob St. Clair was known to eat raw meat. As a joke, he was nicknamed “The Geek” by a movie character at the time that was fed live animals within the confines of a cage.

Still, for being a talented kick blocker, he took one ball to the face which caused him to lose six teeth at once.

Eli Manning

We can already hear the haters, but truly there’s no denying that Eli Manning is one of the toughest NFL quarterbacks of all time.

Not only did he lead the Giants to two Super Bowl victories over the New England Patriots, but he also played in 210 consecutive regular season games (plus 12 playoff games), proving himself an iron man by playing through countless injuries.

Drew Bledsoe

These days, Drew Bledsoe’s legacy as quarterback of the New England Patriots is overshadowed by his successor Tom Brady. However, during the 1990s, Bledsoe was known for being one of the NFL’s toughest and best signal callers.

His toughest moment likely came in September 2001 when he was knocked out of a game with the New York Jets with a life-threatening lung injury. Bledsoe returned to playing shape only two months later, though by then he’d been supplanted by the eventual GOAT.

John Elway

For nearly two decades, John Elway was known as the toughest NFL quarterback to never win a Super Bowl. However, in is finally two years, Elway’s Broncos won two titles, letting him ride off into the sunset.

Rodney Harrison

Rodney Harrison was already one of the NFL’s toughest players throughout the late 90s and early 00s, but he took things to another level when he joined the New England Patriots prior to the 2003 season. Harrison’s tough-nosed play helped the pats to two Super Bowl Championships and a third appearance.

His toughness was best spelled out during Super Bowl XXXVIII, when Harrison broke his arm in the midst of the game, but insisted on standing on the sidelines and celebrating in full uniform with nothing but an air cast holding his arm in place.

Dick Butkus

From 1965 through 1975, Dick Butkus defined toughness as he led the linebacking corps of the Chicago Bears. Butkus won back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year Awards in 1969 and 1970.

He was known to be so intimidating that other teams often felt “beaten” by him before even taking the field.

Joe Montana

Prior to Tom Brady, Joe Montana was thought of by many as the greatest quarterback of all time. Joe Cool was known for his calm demeanor while leading the 49ers to four Super Bowl victories.

However, that coolness hid a resolute toughness that saw Montana play through often debilitating arm and back injuries.

Lawrence Taylor

With all due respect to everyone else on our list, Lawrence Taylor has to take the victory as the toughest player in NFL history.

Taylor decimated the league for two decades, terrifying quarterbacks on his way to two Super Bowl Champions, an NFL Most Valuable Player award, three NFL Defensive Player of the Year trophies, and the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award in 1981.

Ray Nitschke

Ray Nitschke was the rock-solid anchor who led coach Vince Lombardi’s Packers through the team’s 1960s glory years. Over the course of Nitschke’s 15-year career with Green Bay, the Packers won 5 NFL Championships as well as the first two Super Bowls, and the middle linebacker’s hard-nosed play was a key to the dynasty’s success.

Terry Bradshaw

While the Pittsburgh Steelers dynasty of the 1970s is often credited to the defense, there’s no denying that quarterback Terry Bradshaw was a major team’s success. Bradshaw was one of the league’s toughest signal-callers during the decade, and his durability allowed him to lead the Steelers to four Super Bowl titles, the first NFL team to reach that milestone.

Nick Buoniconti

Throughout the 1960s and 70s, Nick Buoniconti was widely recognized as one of professional football’s toughest players. The middle linebacker began his Hall of Fame career as a member of the AFL’s Boston Patriots, playing there for several years before moving on to the Miami Dolphins.

Following the AFL/NFL merger, Buoniconti and the Dolphins’ so-called “no-name” defense led the Dolphins to two Super Bowl Championships, including the NFL’s only undefeated season ever in 1972. Sadly, Buoniconti’s toughness came with a price, as the final years of his life saw the Hall of Famer afflicted by neurological issues stemming from his football career.

Rob Gronkowski

Rob Gronkowski is best known for his dominating tight-end play and goofy persona, which often sees him loved or loathed depending on what team someone roots for. However, underneath the spikes and bawdy jokes, Gronk has shown himself to be one of the NFL’s toughest players.

Despite a series of injuries that would have likely ended the careers of lesser players, Gronkowski has continuously come back stronger. He’s won 4 Super Bowl titles and an NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award, all while continuously rewriting the record book at his position.

Joe Greene

These days, “Mean” Joe Greene is best known for his appearance in a famous Coke commercial. However, during his prime, the defensive tackle was the heart and soul of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ legendary “Steel Curtain” defense of the 1970s. Over the course of his career, Greene won four Super Bowl Championships, two NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards, and had five first-team All-Pro selections along with ten Pro Bowl appearances.