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- The Dude
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11. Bill Romanowski
Bill Romanowski was well-known for his unsportsmanlike behaviors, including spitting in J.J. Stokes’ face, kicking Larry Centers in the head, and hitting quarterback Kerry Collins with a helmet-first shot that broke Collins’ jaw. But when Romanowski’s bullying began to affect his own team, that’s when people realized just how bad his behavior had truly gotten. In 2003, after a brief — and routine — training camp scuffle with teammate Marcus Williams, Romanowski slugged Williams, shattering his eye socket and chipping his teeth. Williams testified that after he blocked Romanowski during a running drill, Romanowski grabbed his helmet and then ripped it off before the crushing blow was delivered. As you can see, the impact of the punch wasn’t pretty. Williams, who never played another snap in the NFL, later sued Romanowski in court, and was awarded $340,000 in damages.
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10. Keyshawn Johnson
Where do we begin with Keyshawn Johnson? After playing just one season in the NFL with the New York Jets, Johnson published a controversial book, in which he ripped his head coach (Rich Kotite) and called his quarterback (Neil O’Donnell) “a stiff.” The book, along with several other narcissistic actions, ultimately led his teammates to label him with the nickname “Me-Shawn.” If all that wasn’t already bad enough, there was also his ongoing (and one-sided) feud with undrafted wide receiver Wayne Chrebet, whom Johnson loathed even though Chrebet was one of the most beloved players on the team. According to teammates, Johnson resented the love and attention Chrebet (who was far less talented) received from the fans and media. The Jets eventually traded Johnson to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where Johnson openly feuded with head coach Jon Gruden. That led to the Buccaneers trading Johnson in 2004, making it twice Johnson was traded in five seasons. Few players in recent history have done a better job of sabotaging their own career.
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9. Ryan Leaf
Coming out of Washington State in 1998, Ryan Leaf was an extremely gifted quarterback prospect. It sounds crazy to think about it now, but there was a time where it was a legitimate debate as to whether he should be taken ahead of Peyton Manning in the 1998 NFL draft. The problem was, Leaf’s arrogance and narcissistic attitude exceeded any physical gifts he had. As soon as he faced adversity in the NFL, as a rookie in San Diego, he immediately began to lash out at everyone around him: teammates, coaches, and the media. His ego simply didn’t allow the idea that he could be a part of the problem to ever cross his mind, and his teammates eventually began to resent his totally lackadaisical and detached attitude towards his career and his team. Since retiring from the NFL — after three of the worst seasons in league history — Leaf has been arrested at least 5 times for burglary and drug possession. Maybe his experience in prison has taught him how to play well with others…
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8. Terrell Owens
Terrell Owens will go down as one of the most decorated wide receivers in NFL history, but his candidacy for the Hall of Fame will be very fragile because of how much controversy he brought to nearly every stop in his career. In San Francisco, Owens made remarks to Playboy magazine suggesting that his quarterback, Jeff Garcia, was a homosexual. In Philadelphia, he publicly questioned quarterback Donovan McNabb’s conditioning after the Eagles lost the Super Bowl, and had a very public holdout for more money (which included plenty of interviews where he made negative comments about the team’s front office and ownership). In Dallas, he had public outbursts when he felt he wasn’t being used correctly in the offense, and also never shied away from making public comments about whatever was on his mind. Let’s put it this way… Terrell Owens made Keyshawn Johnson look like an angel, and that’s saying a lot!
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7. Percy Harvin
Percy Harvin wasn’t exactly known for handling disagreements in a professional manner beforehe got to the NFL. During his high school days, Harvin was suspended numerous times for unsportsmanlike behaviors and disagreements with game officials. And as his national accolades grew — Harvin was a five star recruit coming out of high school — so did his ego. His inflated sense of self-worth always annoyed those around him. Things finally reached a boiling point in 2014, when Harvin was a member of the Seattle Seahawks. Not only did Harvin voluntarily sit out a game over his disapproval from the way the Seahawks were using him, he routinely started fist-fights with other receivers on the Seahawks, teammates Doug Baldwin and Golden Taint. Before the Super Bowl against the Denver Broncos, Harvin punched Taint during practicing, leaving him with a black-eye that was obvious to see during media events. Unfortunately, a Super Bowl ring wasn’t even enough to make Harvin happy, and keep him from fighting teammates. After more physical altercations with teammates in Seattle, the Seahawks shipped Harvin to the New York Jets for a conditional draft pick.
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6. Tim Tebow
How incredibly ironic that a person with almost no personal flaws, a person so deeply grounded in their faith, and a person so beloved by teammates and fans alike in college, could turn out to be one of the most disliked players in the NFL? Yet, that’s exactly what happened with Tim Tebow during his NFL career. The thing was: nobody actually disliked Tebow as a person, because there was little they could dislike about him as a human being. But the constant media attention and scrutiny around his ultra-conservative beliefs quickly caused resentment from his teammates who got sick of answering questions about a guy who they didn’t really respect as a player. Wherever he went, an extra slew of media cameras followed, which annoyed teammates to no end. It’s safe to assume history will repeat itself as Tebow attempts to make a name for himself as a baseball player.
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5. Lawrence Phillips
Photo via: Getty Images
It’s not usually the best practice to talk poorly of the deceased, but it’s hard to dispute the fact that Lawrence Phillips, in general, was a pretty awful human being. When St. Louis Rams’ head coach Dick Vermeil benched Phillips, thanks to his string of inconsistent performances and continued troubles off the field, instead of taking the move as a wakeup call, Phillips stormed out of Vermeil’s office and skipped that day’s meeting and practice. After he bounced around the NFL, and NFL Europe, the 49ers signed Phillips in 1999. Unfortunately, things didn’t go any better while Phillips was in San Francisco. He was such an unwilling pass blocker that he couldn’t be used in passing situations. He famously whiffed on the block that ended up being the hit that ended Steve Young’s career. Eventually, Phillips was waived later that season, ending his embarrassing three year career in the NFL.
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4. Richie Incognito
The attention we have in today’s culture around anti-bullying campaigns, and the focus we’ve placed on creating environments both for our children, and in the workplace, might have originated from the scandal that made Richie Incognito persona non grata with the American public. Incognito was always one of those guys who teammates never wanted to get on the wrong side of, and once he began to sense some level of weakness in former teammate Jonathan Martin, he began to bully and torment Martin. Incognito’s behavior included him sending messages with racial slurs — for being different than your stereotypical “jock.” Incognito was out of the NFL for the entire 2014 season as a result of the waves his behavior created.
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3. Deion Sanders
As a member of the Dallas Cowboys dynasty in the 1990’s, Deion Sanders was a four-time Pro Bowl selection, and a four-time All Pro selection. Unfortunately, for his teammates and coaches, he was also a world class headache. According to teammates and coordinators, Sanders would sit totally disinterested in defensive meetings, arrogantly stating he would take care of shutting down his guy, and it was up to the rest of the defense to worry about the scheme. According to former teammate Kevin Smith, Sanders was a horrible influence on his teammates — “when Deion came in, something changed for the worst. Guys who should have been studying football on a Wednesday…were focused on other things.” Some teammates took things a step further, providing this quote for sportswriter Jeff Pearlman, “he was just a bad dude, a bad teammate, a bad example, a bad egg, who happened to be a real good football player.”
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2. Jeff George
As a pure passer, Jeff George was one of the most gifted prospects of his generation. There was good reason he was the #1 overall pick in the 1990 NFL draft. The problem was, there was also good reason he bounced around eight different NFL teams over his 14 year career. For as gifted a passer as he was, nearly everyone around him felt he relied far too much on his physical gifts alone, and never really wanted to put in the work to be a leader. There were constant refrains from people, when describing George: didn’t want to prepare, didn’t want to be a good teammate, didn’t want to compete. We can all agree these are essential qualities of anyone seeking to be a good quarterback in the NFL.
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1. Charles Haley
We saved the best (but really the worst) for last… Charles Haley is the only player in the storied history of the NFL with five Super Bowl rings. But some of the other stories about Haley’s behavior in the locker room are just as unprecedented. Haley was known to try and push the buttons of any teammate he possibly could, looking for players he believed to be mentally weak, so he could bully them. To further prove the extent of his manhood, he was fond of pulling out his “junk” wherever he pleased — sometimes even in team meetings — and either showing off its size, or pleasuring himself while talking about other player’s wives. According to former teammates, Haley cut a hole in the roof of teammate Tim Harris’ car, got on top, and pissed inside. Haley, a member of the Hall of Fame, is lucky he played in an era that did not have a 24 hour news cycle or social media.
11. Bill Romanowski
Bill Romanowski was well-known for his unsportsmanlike behaviors, including spitting in J.J. Stokes’ face, kicking Larry Centers in the head, and hitting quarterback Kerry Collins with a helmet-first shot that broke Collins’ jaw. But when Romanowski’s bullying began to affect his own team, that’s when people realized just how bad his behavior had truly gotten. In 2003, after a brief — and routine — training camp scuffle with teammate Marcus Williams, Romanowski slugged Williams, shattering his eye socket and chipping his teeth. Williams testified that after he blocked Romanowski during a running drill, Romanowski grabbed his helmet and then ripped it off before the crushing blow was delivered. As you can see, the impact of the punch wasn’t pretty. Williams, who never played another snap in the NFL, later sued Romanowski in court, and was awarded $340,000 in damages.
-------------------------------------------
10. Keyshawn Johnson
Where do we begin with Keyshawn Johnson? After playing just one season in the NFL with the New York Jets, Johnson published a controversial book, in which he ripped his head coach (Rich Kotite) and called his quarterback (Neil O’Donnell) “a stiff.” The book, along with several other narcissistic actions, ultimately led his teammates to label him with the nickname “Me-Shawn.” If all that wasn’t already bad enough, there was also his ongoing (and one-sided) feud with undrafted wide receiver Wayne Chrebet, whom Johnson loathed even though Chrebet was one of the most beloved players on the team. According to teammates, Johnson resented the love and attention Chrebet (who was far less talented) received from the fans and media. The Jets eventually traded Johnson to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where Johnson openly feuded with head coach Jon Gruden. That led to the Buccaneers trading Johnson in 2004, making it twice Johnson was traded in five seasons. Few players in recent history have done a better job of sabotaging their own career.
-------------------------------------------
9. Ryan Leaf
Coming out of Washington State in 1998, Ryan Leaf was an extremely gifted quarterback prospect. It sounds crazy to think about it now, but there was a time where it was a legitimate debate as to whether he should be taken ahead of Peyton Manning in the 1998 NFL draft. The problem was, Leaf’s arrogance and narcissistic attitude exceeded any physical gifts he had. As soon as he faced adversity in the NFL, as a rookie in San Diego, he immediately began to lash out at everyone around him: teammates, coaches, and the media. His ego simply didn’t allow the idea that he could be a part of the problem to ever cross his mind, and his teammates eventually began to resent his totally lackadaisical and detached attitude towards his career and his team. Since retiring from the NFL — after three of the worst seasons in league history — Leaf has been arrested at least 5 times for burglary and drug possession. Maybe his experience in prison has taught him how to play well with others…
----------------------------------
8. Terrell Owens
Terrell Owens will go down as one of the most decorated wide receivers in NFL history, but his candidacy for the Hall of Fame will be very fragile because of how much controversy he brought to nearly every stop in his career. In San Francisco, Owens made remarks to Playboy magazine suggesting that his quarterback, Jeff Garcia, was a homosexual. In Philadelphia, he publicly questioned quarterback Donovan McNabb’s conditioning after the Eagles lost the Super Bowl, and had a very public holdout for more money (which included plenty of interviews where he made negative comments about the team’s front office and ownership). In Dallas, he had public outbursts when he felt he wasn’t being used correctly in the offense, and also never shied away from making public comments about whatever was on his mind. Let’s put it this way… Terrell Owens made Keyshawn Johnson look like an angel, and that’s saying a lot!
-----------------------------------
7. Percy Harvin
Percy Harvin wasn’t exactly known for handling disagreements in a professional manner beforehe got to the NFL. During his high school days, Harvin was suspended numerous times for unsportsmanlike behaviors and disagreements with game officials. And as his national accolades grew — Harvin was a five star recruit coming out of high school — so did his ego. His inflated sense of self-worth always annoyed those around him. Things finally reached a boiling point in 2014, when Harvin was a member of the Seattle Seahawks. Not only did Harvin voluntarily sit out a game over his disapproval from the way the Seahawks were using him, he routinely started fist-fights with other receivers on the Seahawks, teammates Doug Baldwin and Golden Taint. Before the Super Bowl against the Denver Broncos, Harvin punched Taint during practicing, leaving him with a black-eye that was obvious to see during media events. Unfortunately, a Super Bowl ring wasn’t even enough to make Harvin happy, and keep him from fighting teammates. After more physical altercations with teammates in Seattle, the Seahawks shipped Harvin to the New York Jets for a conditional draft pick.
--------------------------------------
6. Tim Tebow
How incredibly ironic that a person with almost no personal flaws, a person so deeply grounded in their faith, and a person so beloved by teammates and fans alike in college, could turn out to be one of the most disliked players in the NFL? Yet, that’s exactly what happened with Tim Tebow during his NFL career. The thing was: nobody actually disliked Tebow as a person, because there was little they could dislike about him as a human being. But the constant media attention and scrutiny around his ultra-conservative beliefs quickly caused resentment from his teammates who got sick of answering questions about a guy who they didn’t really respect as a player. Wherever he went, an extra slew of media cameras followed, which annoyed teammates to no end. It’s safe to assume history will repeat itself as Tebow attempts to make a name for himself as a baseball player.
-------------------------------------
5. Lawrence Phillips
Photo via: Getty Images
It’s not usually the best practice to talk poorly of the deceased, but it’s hard to dispute the fact that Lawrence Phillips, in general, was a pretty awful human being. When St. Louis Rams’ head coach Dick Vermeil benched Phillips, thanks to his string of inconsistent performances and continued troubles off the field, instead of taking the move as a wakeup call, Phillips stormed out of Vermeil’s office and skipped that day’s meeting and practice. After he bounced around the NFL, and NFL Europe, the 49ers signed Phillips in 1999. Unfortunately, things didn’t go any better while Phillips was in San Francisco. He was such an unwilling pass blocker that he couldn’t be used in passing situations. He famously whiffed on the block that ended up being the hit that ended Steve Young’s career. Eventually, Phillips was waived later that season, ending his embarrassing three year career in the NFL.
---------------------------------
4. Richie Incognito
The attention we have in today’s culture around anti-bullying campaigns, and the focus we’ve placed on creating environments both for our children, and in the workplace, might have originated from the scandal that made Richie Incognito persona non grata with the American public. Incognito was always one of those guys who teammates never wanted to get on the wrong side of, and once he began to sense some level of weakness in former teammate Jonathan Martin, he began to bully and torment Martin. Incognito’s behavior included him sending messages with racial slurs — for being different than your stereotypical “jock.” Incognito was out of the NFL for the entire 2014 season as a result of the waves his behavior created.
--------------------------------------
3. Deion Sanders
As a member of the Dallas Cowboys dynasty in the 1990’s, Deion Sanders was a four-time Pro Bowl selection, and a four-time All Pro selection. Unfortunately, for his teammates and coaches, he was also a world class headache. According to teammates and coordinators, Sanders would sit totally disinterested in defensive meetings, arrogantly stating he would take care of shutting down his guy, and it was up to the rest of the defense to worry about the scheme. According to former teammate Kevin Smith, Sanders was a horrible influence on his teammates — “when Deion came in, something changed for the worst. Guys who should have been studying football on a Wednesday…were focused on other things.” Some teammates took things a step further, providing this quote for sportswriter Jeff Pearlman, “he was just a bad dude, a bad teammate, a bad example, a bad egg, who happened to be a real good football player.”
------------------------------------
2. Jeff George
As a pure passer, Jeff George was one of the most gifted prospects of his generation. There was good reason he was the #1 overall pick in the 1990 NFL draft. The problem was, there was also good reason he bounced around eight different NFL teams over his 14 year career. For as gifted a passer as he was, nearly everyone around him felt he relied far too much on his physical gifts alone, and never really wanted to put in the work to be a leader. There were constant refrains from people, when describing George: didn’t want to prepare, didn’t want to be a good teammate, didn’t want to compete. We can all agree these are essential qualities of anyone seeking to be a good quarterback in the NFL.
--------------------------------------
1. Charles Haley
We saved the best (but really the worst) for last… Charles Haley is the only player in the storied history of the NFL with five Super Bowl rings. But some of the other stories about Haley’s behavior in the locker room are just as unprecedented. Haley was known to try and push the buttons of any teammate he possibly could, looking for players he believed to be mentally weak, so he could bully them. To further prove the extent of his manhood, he was fond of pulling out his “junk” wherever he pleased — sometimes even in team meetings — and either showing off its size, or pleasuring himself while talking about other player’s wives. According to former teammates, Haley cut a hole in the roof of teammate Tim Harris’ car, got on top, and pissed inside. Haley, a member of the Hall of Fame, is lucky he played in an era that did not have a 24 hour news cycle or social media.
