Football nicknames

This article is concerned with American football only.

Players and Coaches

  • A-Train: Anthony Thomas
  • Air: Don Coryell
  • Air McNair: Steve McNair
  • Automatic: Otto Graham
  • Bad Moon: Andre Rison
  • Big Ben: Ben Roethlisberger
  • Big Cat: James Williams
  • Broadway: Joe Namath
  • Chucky: Jon Gruden
  • Crazy Legs: Elroy Hirsch
  • Da Coach: Mike Ditka
  • Danimal: Dan Hampton
  • Darth Raider: Lyle Alzado
  • Edge: Edgerrin James
  • Famous Amos: Amos Zereoue
  • Fast Willie: Willie Parker
  • First Down: Jim Brown
  • Flipper: Willie Anderson
  • Grave Digger: Gilbert Brown
  • Hollywood: Thomas Henderson
  • Iceman: Adam Vinatieri
  • Ickey: Elbert Woods
  • Iron Mike: Mike Ditka
  • Ironhead: Craig Heyward
  • Joe Pa: Joe Paterno
  • Joe Willy: Joe Namath
  • Kangaroo Kicker: Pat O'Dea
  • Kansas Comet: Gale Sayers
  • Mean: Joe Greene
  • Mongo: Steve McMichael
  • Night Train: [...] Lane
  • Papa Bear: George Halas
  • Prime Time: Deion Sanders
  • Samurai: Mike Singletary
  • Slash: Kordell Stewart
  • Sweetness: Walter Payton
  • The Assassin: Jack Tatum
  • The Bearded Bomber: Dan Fouts
  • The Beer Man: Michael Lewis
  • The Big Tuna: Bill Parcells
  • The Burner: Michael Turner
  • The Bus: Jerome Bettis
  • The Diesel: John Riggins
  • The Elmira Express: Ernie Davis
  • The Eraser: Anthony Muñoz
  • The Freak: Jevon Kearse
  • The Fridge: William Perry
  • The Galloping Ghost: Red Grange
  • The Golden Boy: Paul Hornung
  • The Horse: Alan Ameche
  • The Juice: O.J. Simpson
  • The Mad Stork: Ted Hendricks
  • The Minister of Defense: Reggie White
  • The Molester: Lester Hayes
  • The Nigerian Nightmare: Christian Okoye
  • The Ol’ Ballcoach: Steve Spurrier
  • The Samoan Headhunter: Troy Polamalu
  • The Snake: Jake Plummer
  • The Toe: Lou Groza
  • The Tyler Rose: Earl Campbell
  • The Windy City Flyer: Devin Hester
  • The Wizard of Az: Az Hakim
  • The Wizard of Oz: Ozzie Newsome
  • Zonk: Larry Csonka

Units, Games, etc.

  • America's Team: The Dallas Cowboys
  • The Black Hole: A section at McAfee Coliseum with the most diehard members of the Raider Nation
  • Bounty Bowl: A 1989 Thanksgiving Day game between the Cowboys and the Eagles
  • Bounty Bowl II: A rematch of the Bounty Bowl
  • The Greatest Show on Turf: 2001 St. Louis Rams high-powered offense that played on turf.
  • The Immaculate Reception: Steelers' 1972 AFC divisional playoff victory
  • The Catch: Dwight Clark's leaping catch in the back of the endzone against the Cowboys in the 1982 NFC Championship Game
  • Wide Right: Scott Norwood's missed field goal in the Super Bowl or Florida State's field goal follies
  • The Ice Bowl: Packers' 'chilling' victory over the Cowboys in the 1967 NFL Championship
  • The Drive: John Elway leads his Broncos on a 97 yard drive to get past Cleveland in the 1987 AFC Championship
  • The Play: Cal stuns Stanford on multiple-lateral kickoff return in 1982
  • The Music City Miracle: Titans stun Bills on kickoff return in 2000 NFL playoffs
  • The Fumble: Earnest Byner drops ball as Cleveland loses at Denver in AFC Championship in 1988
  • Ghost to the Post: Ken Stabler to Dave Casper in 1977 AFC divisional playoff.
  • Holy Roller: A fumble advanced into the endzone by the Raiders’ Dave Casper.
  • Fumblerooski: Nebraska's trickery vs. Miami in 1984 Orange Bowl
  • The Phantom Spike: Dan Marino fools Jets by pretending to kill the clock
  • Fog Bowl: Bears beat Eagles in 1988 NFC divisional playoff
  • The Tuck: 2001 AFC Divisional Playofff Game between the Raiders and Patriots played in a snowstorm
  • The Miracle at the Meadowlands: Jets score on a fumble recovery by Herman Edwards to win the game
  • Heidi Game: A 1968 game between the Jets and Raiders that was cut short by a TV showing of the movie Heidi
  • The Game of the Century: Nebraska beats Oklahoma in 1972
  • Catholics vs. Convicts: Notre Dame-Miami series in late 1980s
  • The Four Horsemen: Notre Dame backfield of 1922-24, named after the biblical Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse - Death, War, Famine, and Plague
  • The Hogs: 1980’s Redskins offensive line
  • Blackshirts: University of Nebraska’s defense
  • Monsters of the Midway: 1960’s Chicago Bears defense
  • Gang Green: 1991 Philadelphia Eagles defense
  • The New York Sack Exchange: 1980’s defensive line of the New York Jets
  • Gritz Blitz: 1977 Atlanta Falcons defense
  • No Name Defense: 1970’s Miami Dolphins defense
  • Orange Crush: 1970’s Denver Broncos defense
  • The Steel Curtain: 1970’s Pittsburgh Steelers defense
  • Doomsday Defense: 1970’s Dallas Cowboys defense
  • The Purple People Eaters: 1970’s Minnesota Vikings defense
  • Fearsome Foursome: 1960’s Los Angeles Rams defensive line
  • Fun N’ Gun: Steve Spurrier offense at the University of Florida
  • Run N’ Shoot: University of Houston offense of the late 1980’s and early 1990’s
  • Rocket Left: A 1994 game between Colorado and Michigan ending with a Hail Mary
  • Miracle Bowl: 1980 Holiday Bowl between SMU and BYU
  • Hail Flutie: A 1984 game between Miami and Boston College ending with Hail Mary
  • Bluegrass Miracle: A 2003 game between Kentucky and LSU ending with a Hail Mary
  • Choke at Doak: A 1994 game between Florida St. and Florida
  • Earthquake Game: A 1988 game between Auburn and LSU
  • Fifth Down: A 1990 game between Missouri and Colorado
  • The three headed monster:The Eagles runningback trio up until 2000 that consisted of Brian Westbrook, Correll Buckhalter, and Duce Staley.