Ad Disclosure
With the way football is going, the big hitter is a dying breed. The new targeting rules have eliminated the big hits that used to have people howling.
They still exist, though. In the SEC, there are plenty of guys who hit hard and, most importantly, within the rules. We honor a few of the heaviest hitters here.
Reuben Foster, Alabama
Is there a such thing as hitting too hard? Foster has reportedly gotten himself hurt in practice by crushing his teammates with the force of a wrecking ball. Seeing Foster with his giant neck roll should let you know he means business, and you need only to watch his crushing hit on a Leonard Fournette kickoff return to see the kind of power the former five-star recruit is packing.
Tony Conner, Ole Miss
Conner might be a bit of a forgotten man in a secondary with senior stars Cody Prewitt and Senquez Golson, but the sophomore is the hardest hitter on an Ole Miss defense loaded with studs. The 6-foot, 217 pound defensive back is capable of stuffing a running back at the line or coming up to blast a receiver.
Jamal Adams, LSU
The Tigers’ freshman safety made a bit of a name for himself by flopping to embellish post-play contact early in the season, but that doesn’t change the fact that he delivered some of the most crushing blows on a physical defense. Adams flies around the field with reckless abandon, laying heavy hits on any ball carrier. His best hit of the season came when he crushed Kentucky’s AJ Stamps with a block on a punt return.
Dante Fowler, Florida
The defensive end, heading to the NFL, has a rare blend of size, speed and strength. Lining up with both his hand in the ground and at linebacker this season, Fowler spent his fair share of time crunching ball carriers and quarterbacks. While he doesn’t have as many highlight reel plays as, say, Jadeveon Clowney, Fowler laid enough hits for opponents to think twice about running his way.
Leonard Fournette, LSU
This list needs an offensive player, as there are plenty out there that leave tread marks on defenders as they run through them. Few have the power that another LSU freshman, Fournette, packs. The 6-foot-1, 230-pound running back tried to use his strength a little too much early in the year, but by the end of the season knew how to blast through defensive players. Just ask Texas A&M’s Howard Matthews what it’s like to try to tackle him.
A former freelance journalist from Philadelphia, Brett has made the trek down to SEC country to cover the greatest conference in college football.
