A lot of players have left their mark on the NFL, and many of them left with great nicknames. But who owns the best? And which New Orleans Saints legends would you rank highest?
Thomas Neumann put together an expansive list over at Touchdown Wire, making his picks for the 101 greatest nicknames in NFL history. And just one Saints player made his list: Craig “Ironhead” Heyward, at No. 20. Here’s what Neumann wrote of Heyward:
Not only did longtime NFL running back Craig Heyward have a terrific nickname, but there also was an awesome backstory behind it. One of Heyward’s sons, current Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Cameron Heyward, relayed the story in a 2016 article. It seems young Craig got into a scuffle, and an antagonist broke a pool cue over his head. Unfazed, he didn’t flinch, which led Craig’s mother to dub him Ironhead. After rushing for 3,086 yards in three seasons at the University of Pittsburgh, Craig was drafted No. 24 overall by the New Orleans Saints in 1988. He went on to record 5,860 yards from scrimmage and 34 total touchdowns in 11 pro seasons with the Saints, Bears, Falcons, Rams and Colts.
Heyward is well remembered among Saints fans even to this day, but he isn’t the only member of the black and good to rock a great nickname. What about the “Quiet Storm” Marques Colston, one of the most underrated receivers to ever play the game? He who let his play speak for itself and who caught more passes for more yards than Donald Driver in 2007 and scored almost six times as many touchdowns as the big-name Packers wideout, only to be overlooked in that year’s Pro Bowl voting?
Some Saints diehards still remember Super Bowl XLIV champion blocking tight end and part-time fullback David Thomas, nicknamed “Wendy’s” in honor of the fast food chain’s founder, Dave Thomas. Or Mike “The Predator” McKenzie, whose signature hairstyle and fiery playstyle invoked the sci-fi alien’s dreadlocks? And who can forget Josh “Playoffs” Hill, who doubled his receiving yards-per-game average in the postseason?
To say nothing of Alex Anzalone, whose last name was (affectionately?) spun off as “Autozone,” “Calzone,” and some profane variants we can’t put in print here, depending on how well he was playing at the time. “Thor” would have been the easy pick given his luscious blond locks, but Saints fans are (sometimes) too creative to take such low-hanging fruit.
In any case, there are more great nicknames in Saints history than we have time to recount. So which ones stand out to you? Who will you remember to tell your grandkids about someday?
