Defensive back Roy Williams spent eight years in the NFL, but his most memorable contribution might be coining Calvin Johnson’s “Megatron” nickname. Williams gave Johnson the moniker after seeing the Detroit Lions wide receiver’s size and speed. Megatron is the primary antagonist of the fictional “Transformers” universe. A rare athlete at 6’5″, 240 pounds, Johnson set the NFL single-season receiving record by posting 1,964 yards in 2012, which still stands today. He ranks second all-time in receiving yards per game (86.1) among WRs.
Who came up with “Broadway Joe”? Joe Namath credits his New York Jets teammate, offensive tackle Sherman Plunkett, who gave the high-profile QB the nickname after seeing a July 1965 Sports Illustrated cover with Namath under the lights. Namath finally made good on his nickname in 1983, when he appeared on Broadway as a cast replacement in a revival of “The Caine Mutiny Court Martial.”
It wasn't his fear of flying, like Michael Scott would like you to believe, that gave Jerome Bettis "The Bus" nickname. It’s because the Hall of Fame running back measured in at a studly 5’11” and 252 pounds, giving him a powerful running style and absurd tackle-breaking ability. Bettis owes his “Bus” title to a writer at Notre Dame’s student newspaper, and the Fighting Irish faithful soon started chanting “Nobody stops the Bus!” during his games. Bettis ranks ninth all-time in rushing yards (13,662) and is tied for 11th in rushing touchdowns (91).
Deion Sanders was a successful two-sport athlete in the NFL and MLB, but his “Prime Time” nickname comes from basketball. A teammate gave Sanders the name after he scored 37 points in a high school game. The moniker stuck and made sense for Sanders as he developed into one of the NFL’s greatest cornerbacks in what became a Hall of Fame career.
Reggie White was one of the NFL’s best all-time pass rushers, but he also became an ordained Baptist minister as a high school senior. After spending two seasons with the USFL, White made his NFL debut in 1985 and dominated from the jump. White registered at least 11 sacks in each of his first nine pro campaigns, winning Defensive Player of the Year honors after posting 21 sacks in 1987. He won another DPOY award after somehow putting up 16 sacks as a 37-year-old in 1998. “The Minister of Defense” and his never-ending production defied all logic.
ESPN commentator Jon Gruden gave Peyton Manning the moniker “The Sheriff” in a 2009 Monday Night Football broadcast, referring to the then-Indianapolis Colts quarterback’s ability to “lay down the law” (his pre-snap communication) A first-ballot Pro Football Hall of Famer in 2021, Manning ranks third all-time in passing yards (71,940) and touchdowns (539).
Dick Lane acquired his “Night Train” nickname that same year after a Los Angeles Times article noted Lane’s penchant for dancing whenever his teammate, Tom Fears, would play the song “Night Train” by Jimmy Forrest. Lane is fourth on the NFL’s all-time interceptions list, a seven-time first-team All-Pro, and was unanimously selected to the league’s 100th Anniversary Team in 2019.
Marshawn Lynch nicknamed himself during the 2007 pre-draft process. When a reporter asked him to describe his attitude on the field, the soon-to-be first-round pick exclaimed, “Beast mode!” Three years later, having been traded to the Seattle Seahawks, Lynch turned Beast Mode into the “Beast Quake.” Making his first career playoff appearance, Lynch famously broke nine tackles on a 67-yard touchdown run in the Seahawks’ upset win over the Saints.
While William “Refrigerator” Perry started 118 games as a defensive tackle over his 10-year NFL career, he might be best remembered for his occasional work as a fullback for the Chicago Bears. At 335 pounds, “The Fridge” was undoubtedly cut out for blocking work, but he also scored touchdowns. It wasn't more obvious than in the 1985 season, when he scored a rushing TD in the Super Bowl, becoming the heaviest player to ever record a Super Bowl touchdown.
Walter “Sweetness” Payton retired as the NFL’s all-time leading rusher (16,726) and rushing touchdown scorer (110). He played in 198 out of a possible 199 career games and posted at least 100 rushing yards in 77 of those contests. A five-time first-team All-Pro, Payton won the 1977 MVP award and earned a Super Bowl trophy after the 1985 campaign. While he was an outstanding player, Payton was arguably a better person, and the NFL’s Man of the Year Award is named in his honor.
