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List of NFL Nicknames

This list of NFL nicknames is a testament to the colorful nature of the league and its effects on pop culture. While some of the names below are known only to hardcore NFL fans, a surprising amount have entered into America’s pop culture lexicon.

NFL Fan Nicknames

• 49ers Faithful - A name used for hardcore supporters of the San Francisco 49ers.
• Bills Backers - A NFL fan nickname given to supporters of the Buffalo Bills. Bars catering to Bills Backers can be found all across the United States.
• Cheeseheads - Meant to mock the popularity of cheese in Wisconsin, this name was originally given to Packers fans by supporters of the Chicago Bears. Since that time, the name has been embraced by fans of Green Bay.
• Fireman Ed - Real-life fireman and supporter of the New York Jets. Fireman Ed is famous for wearing a green fireman’s helmet with a Jets logo and leading the J-E-T-S chant during games.
• Franco’s Italian Army - During the 70s, this NFL fan nickname was given to supporters of Steelers running back Franco Harris.
• Gerela’s Gorillas - Steelers kicker Roy Gerela had his own group of fans, known affectionately as Gerela’s Gorillas.
• Hogettes - Collection of Washington Redskins fans who wear wigs, women’s dresses and pig snouts. One of the NFL’s most recognizable group of fans.
• Packer Backer - Sometimes used in a negative fashion by fans of the Bears, this nickname describes the legion of Green Bay Packer fans around the globe.
• The 12th Man - Often applied to fans of the Seahawks and Redskins due to the noise they generate at home games. This can often interfere with the offense of the visiting team, leading to false start penalties and other blunders.
• Raider Haters - Nickname for fans who cheer against the Oakland Raiders.
• Raider Nation - A NFL nickname used to describe fans of the Oakland Raiders.
• Steeler Nation - A moniker given to supporters of the Pittsburgh Steelers organization.
• SuperSkin - Redskins fan who dresses in a superhero costume and attends each home game.
• Who Dat Nation - NFL nickname for supporters of the New Orleans Saints.

NFL Team Nicknames

• Ain’ts - After losing 14 straight games in 1980, the New Orleans Saints were given this team nickname.
• Air Coryell - Nickname given to the potent passing attack of the San Diego Chargers in the 1980s. The team was coached by Don Coryell and led by quarterback Dan Fouts.
• America’s Team - The nickname for the Dallas Cowboys, the moniker originated from a 1978 highlight film of the team.
• Bay of Pigs - In the 80s and 90s, when both the Packers and Buccaneers were struggling, their games were dubbed the Bay of Pigs by ESPN personality Chris Berman.
• Bickering Bills - After a disappointing season in 1989, much of which was blamed on locker room squabbles, the Buffalo Bills were given this nickname.
• Big Blue Wrecking Crew - The defensive unit of the 1986 New York Giants.
• Big D - Nickname for the Dallas Cowboys and the city of Dallas, Texas.
• B.I.L.L.S. - Stands for “Boy, I love losing Superbowls.” A reference to numerous Bills losses in Super Bowl games.
• The Black and Gold - Nickname of the Pittsburgh Steelers, based on the colors of their uniforms.
• Blitz, Inc. - The defensive unit of the Philadelphia Eagles was known by this nickname from 1999 until 2004.
• Blitzburgh - Due to their relentless attacks on opposing quarterbacks, the defense of the Pittsburgh Steelers picked up this nickname in the mid-90s.
• Bolts - Nickname of the San Diego Chargers, based on the lightning bolt on their helmets.
• The Brady Bunch - Nickname for the New England Patriots teams led by Tom Brady.
• Brownies - Nickname for the Cleveland Browns, based on an early mascot.
• The Bucs - Abbreviated name of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
• Bull Elephant Backfield - The rushing backfield of the 1950’s Rams were known by this name. This included “Deacon” Dan Towler, Paul “Tank” Younger and Dick Hoerner.
• Bungles - In the 1990s, the Bengals were given this name to reflect 14 years without a winning season. The name is still used to refer to losing Bengals’ teams.
• Cardiac Cardinals - The St. Louis Cardinals’ teams of 1974 and 1975 were given this name due to their habit of engineering come-from-behind wins. In 1998, the name was also used for the Cardinals team of 1998 (which upset the Dallas Cowboys in the playoffs).
• Cardiac Cats - A name attributed to both the Carolina Panthers and Jacksonville Jaguars in the late 90s. Both teams were engaged in a number of close contests which were decided in the final minutes.
• The Chefs - Nickname of the Kansas City Chiefs which originated from a Snickers commercial.
• The C.O.L.T.S. - Used during the years in which the Colts franchise struggled, it stood for “Count on losing this Sunday.”
• Crunch Bunch - Name given to the New York Giants linebacker corps of the 80s consisting of Lawrence Taylor, Harry Carson, Brian Kelley and Brad Van Pelt.
• Da Bears - A nickname for the Bears made popular by numerous Saturday Night Live comedy sketches in the early 90s (Bill Swerski’s Superfans).
• Dawgs - Browns nickname invented by cornerback Hanford Dixon.
• DeadSkins - Insulting name for the Washington Redskins.
• Dirty Birds - In 1998, Falcons running back Jamal Anderson started an endzone dance known as the “Dirty Bird.” Other members of the team started performing it, and it soon came to apply to the organization as a whole. It is still used.
• Dolts - Insulting nickname for the Indianapolis Colts.
• Dome Patrol - The New Orleans Saints linebacker corps of the 1980s. This group included Sam Mills, Vaughn Johnson, Pat Swilling and Rickey Jackson. This is the only linebacker corps to all be elected to the same Pro Bowl.
• Doomsday Defense - There were two versions of this defensive unit for the Cowboys. The first, known as Doomsday I, was led by Bob Lilly, Mel Renfro and Herb Adderley. The second, Doomsday II, was anchored by Randy White, Ed “Too Tall” Jones and Harvey Martin.
• Electric Company - The Buffalo Bills’ offensive line in the 1970s. They were called this because they “turned on the ‘Juice’” by opening holes for running back O.J. Simpson (who was also known as “The Juice”).
• Evil Empire - Name given to the New England Patriots teams of the 2000s.
• Faiders - Insulting nickname assigned to the Oakland Raiders.
• Fearsome Foursome - Name for the Rams’ defensive line of the 1960s.
• The Fins - Abbreviated name of the Miami Dolphins.
• The Fish - Another nickname given to the Miami Dolphins.
• The Flaming Thumbtacks - Name given to the Tennessee Titans based on the look of their team logo.
• Fort Knox - The nickname for the pass pocket created by the Bills’ 1981 offensive line. The team’s coach at the time was Chuck Knox.
• G-Men - Nickname for the New York Giants.
• Gang Green - Nickname originally used for the Eagles defense from 1987 until 1990. Since that time, the team nickname has been applied to the New York Jets.
• Goats - A name referring to the St. Louis Rams when they play poorly.
• Greatest Show on Turf - Most commonly applied to the offensive unit of the Rams from 1999 to 2001. It was previously used for the 1992 Houston Oilers. Both teams had very explosive offenses.
• Gritz Blitz - Another name for the defense of the 1977 Atlanta Falcons.
• Homeland Defense - The Patriots defense was given this nickname during their runs to Super Bowl 38 and 39.
• Jags - Abbreviated team name of the Jacksonville Jaguars.
• Kardiac Kids - Due to playing in many close games, the 1980 Cleveland Browns team received this NFL team nickname.
• The Killer Bees - Since six of the 11 starters on defense had names beginning with the letter ‘B,’ the 1982 Miami Dolphins defense earned this name.
• Lambs - Insulting nickname for the St. Louis Rams.
• Monsters of the Midway - Originally used for the Chicago Bears in the 40s, it was again used in the 1980s. Since that time, it has been used for any Bears defensive unit.
• New York Sack Exchange - The Jets defense of the early 80s. This unit was manned by players such as Marty Lyons, Joe Klecko and Mark Gastineau.
• Niners - Abbreviated version of the San Francisco 49ers.
• No-Name Defense - A nickname given to the Dolphins defense of the 70s. During a famous interview, Cowboys coach Tom Landry said he couldn’t remember the names of the Dolphins defensive players, and the name stuck.
• The Old Browns - A nickname for the Baltimore Ravens.
• Orange Crush - Led by Lyle Alzado and Randy Gradishar, the Broncos defense of the 70s earned this name.
• Over-the-Hill Gang - The Redskins team of the early 1970s. They were given this name due to the large number of veteran players on the team.
• The Pack - Nickname for the Green Bay Packers.
• Pats - Abbreviated name for the New England Patriots.
• Patsies - A deliberate play on the “Pats” nickname, the Patsies moniker was used for a number of underwhelming New England teams.
• Pewter Pirates - Name given to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after they changed their colors and logo in 1997.
• Purple People Eaters - Defensive line of the 1970s Minnesota Vikings. This group was made up of players such as Gary Larsen, Carl Eller, Jim Marshall and Alan Page.
• Queens - Since the word “Viking” ends in “king,” this nickname was meant to make fun of the team when they played poorly.
• The Rammers - Another name for the St. Louis Rams.
• San Diego Superchargers - Taken from the title of a disco song, this nickname is used for the Chargers.
• Silver and Black - Nickname for the Raiders based on their team colors.
• Skins - Nickname for the Washington Redskins.
• Steel Curtain - The Steelers defense of the 1970s. They were so dominant that many rules changes were implemented to help other teams compete with them. Players such as Joe Greene, Mel Blount, Jack Ham, Jack Lambert and LC Greenwood were all part of the team.
• Seagulls - A less-than-flattering nickname for the Seattle Seahawks.
• Vikes - Abbreviated name for the Minnesota Vikings.
• Yuccaneers - Negative nickname for the hapless Buccaneers teams of the 80s and early 90s.

NFL Player Nicknames

• AD - Short for “All Day,” it’s one of the nicknames for Vikings running back Adrian Peterson.
• The Ageless Wonder - Due to his high level of play at the later stages of his 20-year career, Redskins cornerback Darrell Green was given this nickname.
• Air McNair - Name for Steve McNair, former quarterback for the Tennessee Titans.
• Anytime - NFL player nickname given to Bears KR/WR Devin Hester, for his ability to score frequently when returning punts and kicks.
• Assassin - Player nickname for Jack Tatum, a Raiders safety known for his hard-hitting style of play.
• A-Train - Nickname for Mike Alstott, former fullback with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
• Automatic - Nickname for Otto Graham.
• Automatica - Nickname for kicker Martin Gramatica.
• “Bad Moon” Rison - Nickname for Falcons receiver Andre Rison. Created by Chris Berman.
• Big Ben - Name given to Ben Roethlisberger, current quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
• Big Cat - Nickname for James Williams.
• Broadway Joe - A reference to the flashy lifestyle and attitude of Jets quarterback Joe Namath.
• The Bus - Moniker for former Steelers running back Jerome Bettis.
• Cadillac - Nickname for running back Carnell Williams, due to his smooth running style.
• Captain Comeback - While this name had been applied to many players, it was originally given to Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach.
• Catfish - Nickname for Roger Craig, running back for the San Francisco 49ers. Players said he seemed to “swim” through defenses, and he would run with his eyes wide open.
• Comeback Kid - Name given to numerous players who have led their teams to comebacks, including John Elway, Joe Montana and Tom Brady.
• Crazy Legs - Nickname for Elroy Hirsch.
• Curtis My Favorite Martin - Nickname created for running back Curtis Martin by ESPN broadcaster Chris Berman.
• Danimal - NFL nickname given to Dan Hampton.
• Dan the Man - Moniker for Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino.
• Darth Raider - Name for Lyle Alzado during his playing days with the Raiders.
• The Diesel - Name given to running back John Riggins during his days with the Washington Redskins.
• The Edge - Nickname for Edgerrin James, running back of the Colts and Cardinals.
• Eric “Sleeping With” Bieniemy - Nickname given to running back Eric Bieniemy by Chris Berman.
• Fast Willie - Due to his speed, name given to Steelers running back Willie Parker.
• First Down - Because of his ability to move the chains, legendary running back Jim Brown was known as First Down.
• Flipper - Nickname for wide receiver Willie Anderson.
• The Freak - Nickname for defensive end Jevon Kearse.
• Fun Bunch - Receivers and tight ends of the Redskins in the early 80s. Their post-touchdown celebrations led the league to start giving out penalties for “excessive celebrations” in 1984.
• The Ghost - The nickname for Dave Casper, a former tight end for the Raiders. Took part in the famous play known as “Ghost to the Post.”
• Goose - Nickname for Tony Siragusa.
• Grave Digger - Nickname for Gilbert Brown.
• The Great One - Nickname for Jerry Rice, roundly considered the best receiver to ever play the game.
• The Hogs - Redskins offensive line of the 80s and 90s.
• Hollywood - Nickname for Thomas Henderson, former star of the Dallas Cowboys.
• T.J. Housyamama - Play on the difficulty of pronouncing the last name of Bengals receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh.
• Ironhead - Moniker given to the late Craig Heyward for his bruising running style.
• Iron Man of the NFL - Name given to Brett Favre to reflect his consecutive starts and ability to play through injuries and personal tragedy.
• Jake the Snake - Name given to Jake Plummer due to his mobility.
• Joe Cool - Joe Montana was given this nickname due to his ability to stay calm under pressure.
• Johnny U - The legendary nickname of quarterback Johnny Unitas.
• The Juice - Since O.J. is a common nickname for orange juice, this moniker was given to Bills running back O.J. Simpson.
• Lights Out - Name given to linebacker Shawne Merriman for his hard-hitting style of play.
• LJ - Shortened form of Larry Johnson, running back for the Kansas City Chiefs.
• LT - In the 80s, this name was used for Lawrence Taylor. Since then, it has become synonymous with running back LaDainian Tomlinson.
• LT2 - Some use this designation to make a distinction between the nicknames for Lawrence Taylor and LaDainian Tomlinson.
• Marion the Barbarian - Nickname for Cowboys running back Marion Barber.
• Marks Brothers - Nickname given to Mark Duper and Mark Clayton, wide receivers who played with Dan Marino and the Miami Dolphins in the 80s.
• Megatron - The nickname given to Lions receiver Calvin Johnson by teammate Roy Williams.
• Minister of Defense - Nickname of the late Reggie White, star defensive lineman and ordained minister.
• Mongo - Steve McMichael, former great of the Chicago Bears.
• Moose - Name for Cowboys fullback Daryl Johnston.
• Neon Deion - Nickname for cornerback Deion Sanders.
• Ocho Cinco - Started as a nickname for Bengals receiver Chad Johnson, due to the fact that his jersey number was 85. He has since legally changes his name to Chad Ocho Cinco, allowing him to put the moniker on the back of his jersey.
• The Playmaker - Moniker of Michael Irvin, the Hall of Fame wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys.
• The Posse - Redskins receiving trio of Gary Clark, Art Monk and Ricky Sanders.
• Prime Time - Nickname for cornerback Deion Sanders.
• Purple Jesus - With his ability to perform miraculous moves on the field, this name was given to Vikings runner Adrian Peterson.
• Ray Ray - Nickname of Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis.
• The Refrigerator - Name granted to William Perry, a defensive lineman for the Chicago Bears. This name was based on his massive size.
• Roger the Dodger - Nickname given to Roger Staubach during his college football days with Navy.
• Shock Man - Another name for Saints tight end Jeremy Shockey.
• Smurfs - Redskins receiving corps of the 80s. They consisted of Gary Clark, Alvin Garrett and Charlie Brown, and the tallest was 5’10”.
• The Snake - Nickname for Kenny Stabler, the scrambling Raiders quarterback from the 70s.
• Super Freak - Nickname for receiver Randy Moss.
• Sweetness - Nickname given to Bears running back Walter Payton.
• T.D. - Nickname for Cowboys runner Tony Dorsett. Based on both his initials and his ability to score touchdowns.
• Three Amigos - Broncos receivers of the 80s and 90s, specifically Mark Jackson, Ricky Nattiel and Vance Johnson.
• T.O. - Abbreviated name of Cowboys receiver Terrell Owens.
• Too Tall - Name given to Cowboys star defensive end Ed Jones on account of his height (6‘9“).
• The Triplets - Primary stars of the Dallas Cowboys during their dynasty of the 90s. They consisted of Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin.
• The Tuna - Nickname of legendary coach Bill Parcells.
• Windy City Flyer - Moniker for Devin Hester, return man and receiver for the Chicago Bears.
• The X-Factor - Nickname for return man Dante Hall.

Nicknames of NFL Locations

• 700 Level - From 1971 until 2002, this referred to the upper levels of Veteran’s Stadium in Philadelphia. Brawls were frequent between home and visiting fans.
• The Big Sombrero - Tampa Stadium, the first home of the Buccaneers, was given this nickname due to its resemblance to the brim of a sombrero.
• The Black Hole - The area behind the south endzone at McAfee Coliseum in Oakland, California. The Raiders fans found in this section are known to be some of the most dedicated fans in the NFL.
• The Blue Wall - Nickname of Giants Stadium
• Dawg Pound - The bleacher section behind the east endzone in Cleveland Browns stadium. Known for being filled with die-hard fans of the Browns, the group sometimes throws dog biscuits at opposing players.
• The Frozen Tundra - Nickname given to the home field of the Green Bay Packers, where the field would actually freeze when temperatures dropped low enough.
• House of Pain - Nickname for the Houston Astrodome during the days of the Houston Oilers.
• The New Sombrero - Raymond James Stadium, the current home of the Buccaneers. The name is a play on the moniker given to the old Tampa Stadium.
• Peanut Heaven - The orange seats in the upper levels of the Steelers’ Three Rivers Stadium.
• The Q - Another name for Qualcomm Stadium, home of the San Diego Chargers.
• Ralph - Another name for Ralph Wilson Stadium, the home of the Buffalo Bills.
• Razor - An alternate name for Gillette Stadium, the home of the New England Patriots.
• The Rockpile - The area under the scoreboard at Ralph Wilson Stadium. This area is considered one of the rowdiest in the NFL.
• The Swamp - Nickname of Giants Stadium.
• Titletown - A name which refers both to the championship teams of the Green Bay Packers and the city of Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Various NFL Nicknames

• Growl Towel - Towel waved by Carolina Panthers fans. A spin-off of the Terrible Towel.
• Horrible Hankies - Used by Dolphins fans, this is a spin-off of the Terrible Towel.
• The Ickey Shuffle - Touchdown dance invented by Bengals running back Ickey Woods.
• K-Gun - The no-huddle offense used by the Jim Kelly-led Buffalo Bills.
• Lambeau Leap - After scoring a touchdown, some players of the Packers will leap into the stands in the endzone. This celebration is sometimes copied by players from other teams. First done by LeRoy Butler.
• Mile High Salute - A post-touchdown salute done by Terrell Davis of the Denver Broncos. Said to be a salute to his father.
• Sack Dance - A famous post-sack dance done by Jets defensive end Mark Gastineau. He had to stop when the league started fining him for it.
• The Terrible Towel - Used by Steelers fans, it is a yellow towel with the words “Terrible Towel” in black.
• Title Towel - Towel waved by Packers fans after winning their third Super Bowl.

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