Published September 13, 2010 - 11:56am
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In case you missed it, check out the video above of Ndamukong Suh grabbing a grown man from the head and slinging him to the ground. In what sounds like typical Tennessee Volunteer behavior, this actually happened during a game, making it legal… kind of.
That type of behavior usually merits a tongue-lashing in the media and a hefty fine. But, to me that is commendable. Maybe I am weird, but I like seeing guys who are just plain mean play football. I like ‘em so much, I was inspired to research Man-Beasts of the SEC. Who were the men that struck fear into the soul of the opposition? Where did they play? What/Who did they eat? Hobbies? And thus, I compiled this list of five guys who I felt were worthy of the “Man-Beast” tag.
1) Lee Roy Jordan, Alabama 1960-62 – Every year a player is awarded the Lee Roy Jordan Award for top tackler in the nation. After he made 31 tackles in the 1963 Orange Bowl, that makes perfect sense. Jordan played both sides of the ball, helping the O-Line at Center and leading a defense that pitched six shut-outs in the 1961 National Championship. The man won two bowl MVP awards on defense. That happens just about as often as Les Miles looks at his watch…. Not often.
2) Wilber Marshall, Florida 1980-83 – Before becoming part of the “Monsters of the Midway” in Chicago, Marshall dominated the defensive side of the ball for the Gators. A three-time All-SEC linebacker, Marshall set the record for all-time career Tackles for Loss in Gainesville, with 58. Characterized by his aggressive style of play, he fit right in with the Bears on the ’85 championship team. Former Saint, Archie Manning, admitted that Wilber Marshall was the hardest hit he ever received. Don’t believe him? Ask Joe Ferguson his thoughts:
3) Bo Jackson, Auburn 1982-85 – What can be said about Bo Jackson that hasn’t already been said about modern warfare? Jackson was a nightmare to takedown. He could go through your chest or accelerate to burn you around the corner. With a 7.7 yards per carry average his sophomore season, he led his team to the Sugar Bowl and took away MVP honors. He snagged the Heisman his junior year after rushing for a cool 1,750 yards. The idea of an athlete with that much strength and determination is border-line scary. After being the third Auburn Tiger ever to have his number retired, Bo Jackson’s thighs were released back to their natural habitat in the Sequoia National Forest.
4) Herschel Walker, Georgia 1980-82 - Probably the guy who would be voted President of the Man-Beast Federation, Walker is a freak. Known for his basic workouts that involved no weights, just 1,500 push-ups and 2,500 crunches a day, and his exceptional speed, Herschel Walker was a terror. In high school he rushed for over 3,000 yards in one season, and as a freshman he came third in the Heisman voting. His football skills were impeccable and he had a great pro career, but get a load of this: My boy Herschel competed in the Olympics as a member of the two-man bobsled team and nearly made the U.S.A. Olympic sprint relay team after he churned out a 100-meter run in 10.22 seconds. Say WHAAAATTT???? Yeah, a Man-Beast Olympian. A recent graduate of the American Kickboxing Association 12-week training program he holds a 5th degree black-belt in Taekwondo and a 1-0 record in MMA. No surprise – he won by TKO due to strikes.
5) Jack “Hacksaw” Reynolds, Tennessee 1967-70 - Not the same “Hacksaw”, you may be thinking of, but both have the uncanny obsession with woodworking. Jack Reynolds earned his nickname after cutting through a 53 Chevy Bel-Air using only a hacksaw. The reason? They got beat by Ole Miss on the road 38-0. Other than chopping vehicles in half and freaking people out, Reynolds had a great career at UT. He anchored a defense that averaged giving up a low 11.5 points a game and went on to be a First Round Draft Pick to the Rams and win a couple Super Bowl rings with the ‘Niners. He was also invited to play in just about every post-season all-star game you could imagine. After Ole Miss was beat by Jacksonville State last weekend, Houston Nutt went out and chewed through a ’94 Toyota Camry using his teeth, earning him the new nickname “Loser”.
Hide yo’ kids, Hide yo’ wife, cause we Man-Beastin’ everyone up in here.
Haha. One of the best articles ever. “Bo Jackson’s thighs were released back to their natural habitat in the Sequoia National Forest.” Great line.
Please watch the Marshall video. He killed that guy.
I am a Volunteer fan but, Tebow clearly deserves to be on this list. He is a freak of nature and he has his head screwed on straight.
where in the world is tracy rocker why is he not on this list?
how in THE WORLD can you not include Patrick Willis – PWILLIE..
the hit he made against LSU was the best tackle in the history of football.. perfect form, legal and absolutely destroyed the LSU running back.
Where’s the best of all time……”REGGIE WHITE”
I agree with that list. It’s a good mixture of offense and defense. I can still hear Larry Munson’s radio call about Hershel Walker when Georgia played Tennessee in 1980, ” My God! he ran over 2 men!
Reggie Nelson was pretty beast like in 2006