Toughest players to ever play on your favorite team

[SabresRule]

Now that the repairs have been made to the site,

let's see if we can get back on track.

Anyway,

I ask you this:

Who were the toughest players to ever play for your favorite team?

My Sabres have been stocked with a history of tough and gritty guys- Michael Peca, Mike Ramsey, Matthew Barnaby, Mike Grier, and Rob Ray.

 

[BillD1984]

Manny Ramirez

 

[SabresRule]

Manny Ramirez

I thought you'd go with Cam Neely, Terry O'Reilly, Carlton Fisk, Andre Tippett, or John Hannah.

They were some of the toughest guys to ever play in Beantown.

 

[BillD1984]

I thought you'd go with Cam Neely, Terry O'Reilly, Carlton Fisk, Andre Tippett, or John Hannah.

They were some of the toughest guys to ever play in Beantown.

Ok......seriously:


Bruins: Terry O'Reilly, Stan Jonathan, John Wensink, Lyndon Byers, Don Marcotte, Wayne Cashman, Chris Nilan, Cam Neely

Celtics: Larry Bird, Danny Ainge, Paul Pierce, Kendrick Perkins, Leon Powe, Dennis Johnson, M.L. Carr

Red Sox: Jason Varitek, David Ortiz, Curt Schilling, Josh Beckett, Trot Nixon

Patriots: John Hannah, Sam Gash, Steve Nelson, Raymond Clayborn, Tim Fox, Willie McGinest, Andre Tippett

But there's only one man that I can choose for my all-time toughest Boston athlete (in my lifetime), and IMO, it's not even close: STEVE GROGAN

Grogs played with two bad knees, a neck brace because of neck injuries, and various concussions, but that did not deter him from diving head-first for a first down. I'm tellin you, Steve Grogan had a pair the size of grapefruits!!!

And if you don't believe me about Grogan's courage, just ask the man SI once dubbed the "Greatest offensive lineman ever", John Hannah.

 

[AntAltMike]

Red Sox: Butch Hobson. Bill James wrote that Hobson was the worst percentage player in baseball. He said all Hobson knew about playing defense was to run as hard as you can at the ball, and then throw it as hard as you can when you get it. In that article, he also criticized George Brett and Paul Molitor for playing too hard. He said that was the reason they missed so many games. People liked Butch Hobson because he played baseball like it was football, which is stupid, because baseball is not football. You play 162 baseball games a year and if you beat yourself into oblivion trying to make one play to win one baseball game, you will be a lousy player for the next several because of the aches. In football, there is often no tomorrow, but in baseball, there are lots of tomorrow.

I have to vote for Grogan. That year when he set the record for touchdowns for a quarterback, I once saw him act like he was going to step out of bounds after getting a first down, but instead then cheap shot the defensive back by throwing his shoulder into the guy's chest before he stepped out of bounds. I also saw Grogan throw a 300 pound lineman off himself who had piled on and start beating the sh*t out of the guy.

 

[brainfry]

Bengals - Jim LeClair, LB - once wrestled a bear
Reds - Charlie Hustle, of course

 

[cybok0]

Steelers defense in the 70's, the Steel Curtain.

Enough said.

 

[mccoyrj]

Steelers defense in the 70's, the Steel Curtain.

Enough said.

Yeah baby!

 

[lancemccaffrey]

Larry Brown. No, not the Steelers tight end of the '70s or the basketball coach who has been in charge of half the teams in the NBA. The Larry Brown I speak of was a tough, gritty running back for the Washington Redskins in the late '60s and early '70s.

When Vince Lombardi took over the Skins in '69, he wondered why Brown was always late getting started after the ball was snapped. Lombardi soon realized that Brown hid the fact that he was literally deaf in one ear. Lombardi got Brown a hearing aid . . . . and was about to propel him into football lore. But when Lombardi died and George Allen took over in '71, he ran Brown into the ground. The undersized back aged too fast and too quickly.

Larry Brown was the toughest player I ever saw play for the Washington Redskins.

 

[vurbano]

Bill Bates. Shear toughness was the only reason he was on those great 90's cowboys teams.

And any 49ers fan that doesnt say Ronnie Lott needs their head examined. The man cut off his finger so he could keep playing that season.

 

[SabresRule]

Larry Brown. No, not the Steelers tight end of the '70s or the basketball coach who has been in charge of half the teams in the NBA. The Larry Brown I speak of was a tough, gritty running back for the Washington Redskins in the late '60s and early '70s.

I know who you're talking about.

1972 NFL MVP with 1,216 rushing yards and 12 total touchdowns.

 

[vurbano]

Yeah baby!

Steroids will do that for ya

 

[SabresRule]

Lance,

may I recommend you get a Redskins avatar?

With Monk and Green being enshrined this weekend, I think it would be fitting for you.

 

[lancemccaffrey]

Lance,

may I recommend you get a Redskins avatar?

With Monk and Green being enshrined this weekend, I think it would be fitting for you.

When I was on DBS Forums, I used to have a Tech avatar. But it is time for a change. And thanks for the SI cover and the stat you posted. I forgot that Brown won the league MVP one year. You learn something new everyday.

 

[mccoyrj]

Steroids will do that for ya

Actually they'll do this:

Then this:

 

[freddy]

Well, he was before my time, but from the highlights ive seen, Jack Tatum.

 

[cybok0]

Steroids will do that for ya

I'm not going to say that the Steelers of past didn't take steroids, that would be ridiculous.

But the Steelers weren't the only team during that time to take them, they were legal back then. Plus if every team took them, and they did, that part would make the allegation that the Steelers were better because they took steroids moot.

 

[SandraC]

Joey Kocur was the toughest player I think I've ever seen on the Rangers. He not only was a top fighter, he was mean. I used to hope nobody on the other team would fight him for their sake. Kocur didn't want to just win fights, he wanted to knock you out...and he did that often.


Sandra