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15 of the Scariest Athletes In Sports History

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By @jetleli

15 of the Scariest Athletes In Sports History

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There are a number of athletes that strike fear into people, whether because of their physical stature or just a bad reputation. These 15 athletes certainly fit into both of these areas, as they all clearly give nightmares to fans or opposing athletes; or in some cases to both.

15. Clay Matthews

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15. Clay Matthews

Clay Matthews scary athletes
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Matthews is one of the hardest hitting linebackers in recent memory and there is no doubting that he has given a few quarterbacks a nightmare or two.

14. Tonya Harding

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14. Tonya Harding

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Harding isn't physically scary, but an attack on Nancy Kerrigan at the 1994 U.S. Figure Skating Championships shows that she is vicious. Undoubtedly Kerrigan and all of her fans have experienced nightmares at the hands of Harding.

13. Dion Phaneuf

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13. Dion Phaneuf

Dion Phaneuf scary athletes
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Phaneuf is one of the hardest hitting and most penalized players in the NHL today, and his hits have surely left fear in many opposing players and the fans of the Toronto Maple Leafs rivals.

12. Lawrence Taylor

LAWRENCE TAYLOR scary athletes
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12. Lawrence Taylor

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Taylor is known for being an absolute monster on the football field and erratic off the field. One would be hard pressed to find a person who isn't scared of LT.

11. Nolan Ryan

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11. Nolan Ryan

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Ryan showed Robin Ventura and the entire sporting world his fighting abilities in 1993, and many fans were surely left with a lasting impact and fear factor of the MLB strikeout king.

10. Nigel de Jong

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10. Nigel de Jong

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Nigel de Jong is known for his bone-crushing tackles, and he permanently scarred USMNT fans by breaking the leg of Stuart Holden in 2010.

9. Mike Tyson

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9. Mike Tyson

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Tyson is one of the best fighters of all-time and cemented a spot as one of the scariest athletes ever by biting the ear of Evander Holyfield in 1997.

8. Dennis Rodman

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8. Dennis Rodman

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Rodman has been one of the most erratic athletes in sports history. It is hard not to fear a guy that hangs out with Kim Jong-un for fun.

7. Dave "The Hammer" Schultz

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7. Dave "The Hammer" Schultz

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Schultz was a member of the notorious 1970s Philadelphia Flyers teams, claiming the single-season penalty minute mark during the 1974-1975 season and showing the world what it meant to be a feared fighter in the NHL.

6. Bill Romanowski

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6. Bill Romanowski

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Romanowski developed a reputation as one of the craziest players on the field in NFL history, which left him with a reputation as one of the scariest players in league history as well.

5. Ronnie Lott

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5. Ronnie Lott

Ronnie Lott scary athletes
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Lott played through an injury in 1985 that would result in an amputated pinky, and it is hard to not be a little afraid of a guy who could play through that type of injury.

4. Zdeno Chara

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4. Zdeno Chara

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Chara is the tallest player in NHL history, and his massive stature alone has undoubtedly left a number of opposing players with nightmares.

3. Luis Suarez

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3. Luis Suarez

Luis Suarez scary athletes
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Suarez has bitten three different opponents on the soccer field, which might scare the Uruguayan striker's own fans more than it does opponents, but leaves nightmares nevertheless.

2. Ndamukong Suh

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2. Ndamukong Suh

Ndamukong Suh scary athletes
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Suh has been described on multiple occasions as the dirtiest player in the NFL, and there is no doubting he consistently edges on the border of hard and dirty hits. While he may not be intentionally mean, Suh definitely is scary to some people.

1. Ty Cobb

ty cobb scary athletes
The Star-Ledger-USA TODAY Sports

1. Ty Cobb

ty cobb scary athletes
The Star-Ledger-USA TODAY Sports

Cobb is known by many baseball historians as the hardest player in MLB history, which earned him many diehard fans and hated rivals. Whether or not Cobb should be debated as a dirty player, he certainly was regarded as a scary one.

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