Image via Complex Original
Things change in the world, but there will always be constants. Water is wet. "Poison" fucks up the club. Football is only truly football with the hard, sometimes inhuman hits. Say what you want about concussions, nonsense rules that prevents the defense from doing its job, and the flags. Violence is in the nature of the game; pro football ceases to be pro football without it.
Whether it's through our love of athleticism or natural schadenfreude, brutal hits will never cease to entertain the football fanatics. That goes regardless if simply the wind gets knocked out of somebody or if there's a broken bone. It sounds sadistic when it's put that way, but hey, this is America's Sport, y'all. Very few hits on this list are as brutal as the one the NFL took because of the mix of lies and idiocy, but still. Watch, reminisce, and cringe with us as we present Fineable or Clean? The Most Brutal Hits in NFL History
Buffalo takes another L.
Date: 10/5/2008
Victim: Trent Edwards, Buffalo Bills
Hit by: Adrian Wilson, Arizona Cardinals
We don't know what deserves a bigger FOH: Adrian Wilson getting fined a hefty $25K for this concussion-inducing hit on the Bills' Trent Edwards or the announcer saying that losing Edwards would be a big blow for then-Bills coach Dick Jauron.
Bo knows.
Date: 11/20/1987
Victim: Brian Bosworth, Seattle Seahawks
Hit by: Bo Jackson, Los Angeles Raiders
So, this was it? This was the showdown between the two most hyped rookies of '87? The only thing we learned is that Bo knows carrying overrated linebackers into the end zone.
A linebacker vs. a kicker = bad news.
Date: Preseason 2007
Victim: Sav Rocca, Philadelphia Eagles
Hit by: Antwan Barnes, Baltimore Ravens
Even if it were linebacker versus kicker, this hit is still ridiculous. Welcome to the league, fam!
The beef is real.
Date: 11/6/2007
Victim: Ed Reed, Baltimore Ravens
Hit by: Hines Ward, Pittsburgh Steelers
Ward went down like a battering ram to destroy Reed. Too bad this tackle would be considered an illegal helmet-to-helmet hit today. SMH, the No Fun League has got to go back to the old days.
Lights out!
Date: 11/18/2007
Victim: Shawne Merriman, San Diego Chargers
Hit by: Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville Jaguars
Sure, Shawne Merriman was on the end of a mean pancake block on this play but back in '07 he was on his way to a third straight Pro Bowl...even if five years later he would be out of the league all together. Remember kids, shit can always get 10x worse than it already is.
This is what happens when you collide with Ray Lewis.
Date: 1/10/2009
Victim: Ahmard Hall, Tennessee Titans
Hit by: Ray Lewis, Baltimore Ravens
Despite being de-helmeted, Ahmard Hall got the first down and bounced right up after the hit. Props on that! #headgamecrazy
Excuse me! Thank you!
Date: 9/9/2006
Victim: Laron Landry, Washington Redskins
Hit by: Brandon Jacobs, New York Giants
Yes, we know that the the video quality is ridiculous but whether it's free streaming porn quality or HD, it ain't hard to tell what happens in this clip. Jacobs straight up trucked Landry. Side bar: One YouTuber's comment of “let the finger hit the mute” has got to be the best advice we've heard in a while. Uploaders, you're not going to win an Oscar for your shitty soundtracks, let the real audio play out.
Add some injury to insult.
Date: 10/9/2011
Victim: Mike Williams, Tampa Bay Bucaneers
Hit by: Dashon Goldson, San Francisco 49ers
Check the score, fam. It was 34-3 when this went down. Was this hit really necessary? SMH.
Chris Henry gets lit up.
Date: 12/24/2006
Victim: Chris Henry, Cincinnati Bengals
Hit by: John Lynch, Denver Broncos
On this play Lynch launches Henry into a 360 and forces a fumble in this bone-crunching wreck at the one-yard line. And you wonder why Henry used to smoke weed on his off days? R.I.P., fam.
PETA would be proud.
Date: 1/11/2003
Victim: Michael Vick, Atlanta Falcons
Hit by: Brian Dawkins, Philadelphia Eagles
During his heyday, B-Dawk broke bread, ribs, hundred-dollar bills, and quarterbacks. This legendary hit during the 2003 NFC Divisional Playoffs left a pre-jail Michael Vick feeling the pain. Word is that to this day members of PETA watch this clip to relieve stress.
Everything is bigger in Texas.
Date: 10/31/2004
Victim: Tai Streets, Detroit Lions
Hit by: Roy Williams, Dallas Cowboys
Cues the appropriate soundtrack which is curiously enough Jerry Jones' theme song
Chris Henry goes nowhere in a hurry.
Date: 12/30/2007
Victim: Chris Henry, Tennessee Titans
Hit by: Darrell Reid, Indianapolis Colts
Darrell Reid to Chris Henry: “Where are you going? Oh, yeah, that's what I thought.”
Ray Lewis' block steals the show.
Date: 9/30/2002
Victim: Keith Burns, Denver Broncos
Hit by: Ray Lewis, Baltimore Ravens
The man “speaks life” and makes you want to run through walls. So it's no surprise that he makes a 6'2”, 235-pound linebacker look like Verne Troyer on this play. All players probably feel a little bit better running down the middle of the field with Ray Lewis retired.
The hit that almost cost a player a limb.
Date: 9/5/1994
Victim: Napoleon McCallum, Oakland Raiders
Hit by: Ken Norton Jr., San Francisco 49ers
Checking out a most brutal NFL hits of all time list is all fun and games until you come up on that clip that ends a career and almost causes a player to lose their leg. At the bottom of that pile Napolean McCallum's leg was twisted like pretzel. If it weren't for successful emergency surgery, McCallum's leg would've been amputated due to a ruptured artery and nerve damage.
Isiah Robertson got rammed.
Date: 10/24/1978 season
Victim: Isiah Robertson, Los Angeles Rams
Hit by: Earl Campbell, Houston Oilers
Earl Campbell used his head as a battering ram and took half the L.A. Rams with him for about 20 yards. He was an absolute monster.
The greatest block in NFL history happened before the creation of the Super Bowl.
Date: 12/8/1940
Victim: Two defenders, Washington Redskins
Hit by: George Wilson, Chicago Bears
The Bears literally ran over the Redskins, beating them 73-0 in the 1940 Championship Game. George Wilson took out two defenders with one devastating hit.
Even the greats are vulnerable.
Date: 1/20/1991
Victim: Joe Montana, San Francisco 49ers
Hit by: Leonard Marshall, New York Giants
Just listen to what Montana had to say about the hit in the video. Thinking you're gonna die after a tackle is some serious shit.
He put his team on his back, doe.
Date: 12/7/2008
Victim: Brad Smith, New York Jets
Hit by: Patrick Willis, San Francisco 49ers
Brad Smith ran into a brick wall called Patrick Willis. He tried to take it like a man and act like it was nothing. Little did he know a concussion diagnosis was in his future.
All pain, no gain.
Date: 10/7/2008
Victim: Dallas Clark, Indianapolis Colts
Hit by: Tenard Jackson, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Not only did Tenard Jackson leave Clark crying for his mom, he stepped on his face as well. SMH, so disrespectful.
Keep your head up, Chad. No, really.
Date: 9/17/2006
Victim: Chad Johnson, Cincinnati Bengals
Hit by: Brian Russell, Cleveland Browns
Chad never had a chance at catching that ball. During the post-game interview he was asking about Joe Biden and shouting out some guy named, Hugh. It was sad.
Laid out.
Date: 1960 NFC Championship game
Victim: Frank Gifford, new York Giants
Hit by: Chuck Bednarik, Philadelphia Eagles
Concrete Charlie lived up to his name with this tackle. Frank Gifford tried his best to get away from Bednarik. He looked like he died on impact.
So long, Joe.
Date: 11/18/1985
Victim: Joe Theismann, Washington Redskins
Hit by: Lawrence Taylor, New York Giants
Theisman suffered a compound fracture of the tibia and fibula after this take down. It's almost as if LT knew he ended Joe's career after you see his reaction. It must've been hell seeing No. 56 coming at you in full speed.
One of the originators shows 'em how it's done.
Date: 1/9/1977, Super Bowl VII
Victim: Sammy White, Minnesota Vikings
Hit by: Jack Tatum, Oakland Raiders
Jack Tatum is the reason the NFL is soft today. He came down the middle of the field knocking heads off and not giving a single fuck. They didn't call him The “Assassin” for nothing.
There's a reason he's a Pro-Bowler.
Date: 2/10/2007
Victim: Brian Moorman, Buffalo Bills
Hit by: Sean Taylor, Washington Redskins
What the hell was Brian Moorman thinking? He might've forgot that he's a punter. The late Sean Taylor never took a play off, not even in the Pro Bowl.
Who's down for some fencing?
Date: 9/28/2008
Victim: Anquan Boldin, Arizona Cardinals
Hit by: Eric Smith, New York Jets
The Jets Eric Smith suffered a concussion while Boldin suffered a fractured skull and was out three weeks. Want to know why Anquan is fighting the air? Check out this weird list.
Crawl it off, son.
Date: 1/13/2007
Victim: Reggie Bush, New Orleans Saints
Hit by: Sheldon Brown, Philadelphia Eagles
The video quality is what you'd expect from a video upload in the mid-2000s, but the brutality of this hit shines through despite those factors. Boy, do we miss this type of football. This kind of hit would certainly be flagged these days. Bush didn't know whether to come or go. Bendito.