"Who needs costumes?" - The 10 Scariest NFL Players

Trick or Treat?

While Halloween is a time for most of us to show off our scary side, it is important to remember that many NFL players show off their scary sides every Sunday. They've been doing it for years!

Remember when Coca-Cola did that promotion with the players dressed up like mummies, ghosts, and vampires? They even made trading cards that you could find in cases of Coke or inserted into your Sports Illustrated for Kids.

Can I get a hell yeah?

No?

Am I dating myself here?

Oh well. Borrowing from Coke, I think it's time to look at 10 of the scariest players of the last 20 years.

Note: Costumes need not apply. Some of these guys are just naturally scary...and kind of ugly too.

10. Bo Jackson - An offensive player on this list? Aren't the scary guys supposed to be doing the damage? Well, ask some defenders about the damage Bo could deliver (what's Brian Bosworth's number?). Bo knew football, much more so than baseball. I don't think you'll find much argument as to how dominant he could have been had he just focused his efforts on football (I mean, seriously Bo...you played for the Royals!). When he strapped on the shoulder pads, Bo ran with the force of a wild hippo on HGH. He is the sole reason Madden Football has a truck stick.

9. Brian Dawkins - Maybe I'm biased by being an Eagles fan or perhaps it's the fact that Dawkins is my favorite Eagle, but did you see him lay out Michael Vick in the 2003 playoffs? Vick has called it the hardest hit he's taken in the NFL. How 'bout his hit on Alge Crumpler? If you don't believe me, look up Brian Dawkins on Wikipedia. It's right there. Brian Dawkins IS his violent hits. There's a reason he's called "Wolverine" or "Weapon-X."

8. Steve Atwater - Let's stick with the safety position. Dawkins may be the most violent safety in the league right now, but he had a predecessor who wore number 27 in Denver and liked to hit a little bit too. I honestly don't think I've ever seen a more vicious hitter in the secondary than Steve Atwater. I don't understand why teams even ran routes over the middle against the Broncos. Throw the ball Atwater's way and one of two things could happen - a dropped pass or a lot of questions from your receiver about where he was. Usually, it was both.

7. Brian Urlacher - I suspect that by the time his career is over Urlacher will be moved up a few notches on this list. Everyone is aware that he was a safety in college, but few realize he's just as fast as he used to be. He's also smarter. Urlacher has helped restore the long tradition of dominating middle linebackers in Chicago. He's fast enough to run down most offensive skill players and he leaves a 54 imprinted on everyone he tackles.

6. Ray Lewis - Off the field issues aside, this guy almost cracked the top 5. Lewis not only brings it, he lets you know he's bringing it. He has lines that could make a few sailors blush. Lewis doesn't just physically abuse you, he beats up your mind too. You probably can't get your working limbs to move after a game against Ray because you're too scared he's going to show up in the middle of the night to smash you into the turf again.

5. Ronnie Lott - Remember when we talked about Steve Atwater? Well Lott was Atwater...only bigger. Or...maybe not. Lott was actually listed as 3 inches shorter and 20 pounds lighter. But that's not the Ronnie Lott I remember! In my mind's eye, Lott looked like an extra linebacker in the secondary. Lott was the leader of an underrated defense that led the 49ers to multiple Super Bowl victories. He dared teams to try and beat him through the air and he punished them when they did. If you were lucky, Lott would not get the INT. But your receiver was probably still a little slow to get up.

4. Mike Singletary - Don't let the nice guy act fool you - Singletary was perhaps the scariest man in glasses to roam the gridiron. A gentleman off the field and a beast on it, nobody covered more ground or abused more ball carriers in the 80s and early 90s. Singletary quarterbacked one the greatest defensive units in NFL history in 1985. Considered by some to be slightly undersized, Singletary never held back, missing just 2 games in his NFL career.

3. Reggie White - While he was another of the NFL's nice guys off the field, Reggie was a true monster on it. Reggie was a defensive lineman the likes if which the NFL had never seen before and may never see again. He clubbed his way through countless linemen to sack the quarterback more times than any other player prior to his retirement. White reinvented the defensive end position with a wide array of moves that made him nearly impossible to stop.

2. Lawrence Taylor - Just like the NBA is still looking for the next MJ, the NFL is still looking for the next LT. Every few years we hear about a college stud who is going to be the new #56, but it never pans out. Taylor was the perfect blend of speed and power. He played as reckless on the field as he lived off of it. No one will ever forget the gruesome image of Taylor's career ending hit on Theissman. Those who were at old RFK stadium won't soon forget how it sounded either.

1. Bill Romanowski - Easily the scariest player the NFL has ever seen, Romo played by his own rules. He didn't care if you were an opponent or a teammate. No player has been fined more times than Romanowski. He used every piece of equipment as a weapon. He'd spit on you or even grab you in that special place if he had too. Not even Frankenstein himself was juiced up the way Romo was, and that's just scary. Many have played their hearts out the way Romanowki did, but not one has done it with such reckless abandon.

And that's it. The 10 scariest NFLers of the last 20 years. Join me a month from now when I make an entire leftover Thanksgiving dinner out of NBA players who couldn't quite take it to the dish like your Uncle Fred.