What’s in a name? For pro football players who are in the spotlight, having their names spoken by announcers and fans all the time, it can be helpful to have a name that sounds cool. This week’s America Loves Countdowns® series takes a look at some of the great names in NFL history. Keep in mind that this is a list of ACTUAL player names or at least shortened real names, not made-up nicknames like Dick “Night Train” Lane or William “The Refrigerator” Perry.
Atari Bigby (2005-Present)
Green Bay DB Atari Bigby was named by his grandmother, who apparently just liked the name. Bigby was born in 1981, so at the time Atari was a very cool video game console. Although he was undrafted and had to earn his stripes in NFL Europa, Atari became a solid player in 2007 with the Packers, earning the NFC’s Defensive Player of the Month award in December.
Louis Lipps (1984-1992)
“Those aren’t boo’s you are hearing folks. Those are Lou’s.” That is what the announcers always told us during Steelers games in the 1980′s, and The Nation heard plenty of “Lou’s” during that time for the dynamic Steelers receiver / kick returner who now hosts a weekly radio show in Pittsburgh.
Dre’ Bly (1999-Present)
Donald Andre’ Bly decided at one point in his that “Dre’ Bly” sounded way cooler, and he stuck with it. He even has the apostrophe to add additional coolness. It’s a simple name for a very good NFL defensive back who has graciously given back during his career. The Dre’ Bly Foundation has raised more than $40,000 towards their mission to promote physical education by providing athletic equipment and scholarships to deserving schools and students.
Tiki Barber (1997-2006)
Barber’s NFL success is well-documented. He quietly went from 3rd down back to the Giants all-time leading rusher, and when he retired in 2006, he held the distinction of gaining more yards from scrimmage than any other NFL running back this decade. But the other thing that made Barber stand out was his name. Tiki’s full name is Attiim Kiambu Barber. His mom gave him that name because he screamed a lot as a baby and the name meant “fiery-tempered king”.
Osi Umenyiora (2003-Present)
Just say that name a few times. It rolls off the toungue so nicely. The Giants upset the Patriots in Super Bowl XLII largely due to the play of their defensive line, and Umenyiora was a big part of that. He was born in London to Nigerian parents, and his full name is Ositadinma Umenyiora. Let’s see Joe Buck try to pronounce that during a sack!
Weegie Thompson (1984-1989)
Yet another Steelers receiver from the 1980′s makes this list. His real name was Willis, but he got the name “Weegie” from a younger brother who couldn’t pronounce Willis. At 6’6″, 215 pounds, Weegie would have been a coveted pass catcher by today’s standards. Unfortunately he instead was used heavily as a blocking receiver in Chuck Noll’s “run twice, pass once, punt” offense. Still, it’s a name that many Steelers fans will never forget, even if they can’t remember too much about Weegie on the field.
Eric Bienemy (1991-1999)
The former Chargers/Bengals running back may have never made a big impact in the NFL like he did in college at Colorado (where he was a Heisman Trophy finalist), but he sure had one of the coolest names. Chris Berman helped his cause by always referring to him as “Eric Sleeping with Bienemy” (a reference to the Julia Roberts film “Sleeping with the Enemy”). Simply put, a very cool name.
Raul Allegre (1983-1991)
The Giants kicker was the poster boy for the “foreign soccer player” stereotype that existed for kickers back in the 1970′s and 1980′s. He was forever immortalized by the Saturday Night Live sketch which parodied the Super Bowl Shuffle video with a video by the NFL kickers. “My name is Raul / I kick the ball / I play with ball / I kick the ball!” Good times, back when that show was funny.
Dick Deer Slayer (1922)
This is not a joke. A guy by this name actually did play in the NFL. Dick Deer Slayer was a member of one of the most unique teams in league history – the Oorang Indians. The franchise consisted of all Native American players, led by the immortal Jim Thorpe. In addition to Slayer, the roster also featured names like Joe Little Twig and Big Bear. But can you imagine if you were watching a game today and the announcer yelled out, “The pass is picked off by Dick Deer Slayer!” How cool would that be?
Joe Montana (1979-1994)
If you were writing a movie script about a guy who was so cool under pressure that he was able to win four Super Bowls and become arguably the greatest quarterback in football history, could you think of a better name for the main character than Joe Montana? It’s such a fitting name that you almost wonder if it was made up. Like if before he went to Ringgold, his name was Joe Smith or something like that. It was only fitting that the NFL’s coolest player also had the NFL’s coolest name.