10 Hardest Hitting Safeties In NFL History

[@midwestyle]

I'm not a Pats fan, but Rodney Harrison not being in the HoF is crazy. Only 1 of 2 plays in NFL history with 30+ sacks and INTs. Most sacks by a DB in NFL history. 3 time All Pro. 2 time SB champion. Dude's resume is legit.

[@JuanMartinez-xf3uz]

LeRoy Butler was in his last year of eligibility. Safeties rarely get in as first ballots.

[@LatonyaRobinson-i9p]

Harrison needs to be in for sure ❤

[@isaacava920]

He’ll be there

[@jaredR207]

I am a Pats fan and I remember when they let Lawyer Malloy go to the Bills after the first Super Bowl and got Rodney from San Diego to replace him, people were upset with Belichick at the time but I clearly remember watching every game and you'd see some WR or TE look like they were about to make a catch over the middle or a running back would look like he was about to break loose and get a decent gain then all of the sudden you'd see a human missile come flying on the TV screen through the air head first at the other offensive player with his body parallel to turf with a number 37 on his jersey and he'd blast whoever you thought was about to get some yards against that defense, he should be in HOF with the sacks and interceptions thing alone but also the impact of his hits that don't seem special on the stat sheet helped the whole team with the compete level and the "we don't want to play this team" attitude of the other teams offense going against them. You'd literally see someone get popped and you'd see that person run routes after that like they don't even want the ball to come their way near Harrison again. He forced a lot of business decisions out there.

[@skiburnski7543]

I don't think too many people liked him. Sometimes the HOF is a peoples choice award, instead of what it really should be.

[@underratedzae5632]

Ed reed at 10 is crazy

[@-PURPLE-HEAD]

Nah. He’s one of the best, but nowhere near the hardest hitting.

[@Aamirosheajones]

You are right Ed reed at 10 is super crazy

[@ambientsounds5832]

he was more of a ballhawk. he is my all timefav saftey tholol

[@LeeIIIOKC]

I was thinking the same thing 😂

[@jagofjokester1127]

One superbowl... sorry

[@FuriousTheGeorge]

Sean Taylor was a beast. He was on pace for a stellar career.

[@slylancey]

Kam Chancellor knocking out guys twice his size on multiple occasions is why he's my favorite Strong Safety of all-time next to Sean Taylor

[@Ragnar_Helsson]

Kam gave Vernon Davis a concussion from hitting him in his CHEST. Now THAT is a hard hit.

[@tylerdurdeniii4476]

Twice his size? Kam was 6'3 almost 6'4 232 lbs.

[@Twizzler300]

That's cool. Surprised he's your favorite if you talking size match up... go check out Brian dawkins vs Jerome betting and alge crumpler. Both men damn near 300lbs.. both men CLAPPED like talent show

[@Maleniabom]

If cam chancellor played during the head hunters or even 90s people would have probably died

[@kingfree3396]

You never heard of Ronnie lott or steve atwater

[@lumi55315]

Sadly, Ronnie Lott played during that time. Personally, i never liked him, would have been more than happy if he somehow didnt get the hall. And its not just me being a seahawks fans hating the absolute living god out of any 49ers player, I love Jerry Rice, Joe Montana, i can even get behind some more recent players like Kittle and Bosa, but Ronnie Lott? I just fucking hated the guy.

[@dapog]

After Atwater hit on Okoye, he became a legend and Okoye was never the same

[@JAMESGANG-f5u]

As an 80s kid I remember seeing Ronnie Lott flying from one edge of the TV screen to the other anytime the other team ran the ball. Or on a Safety blitz. Late hits, Helmet to Helmet… the word targeting didn’t even exist. There was a lot less rules in place to protect the offense. You could hear Lotts hit too through the TV. Like a damn 12 gauge 💥

[@twinthewin969]

RIP Sean Taylor🕊🕊

[@coochiemane408]

💪🏾💪🏾🙏🏾 fly high SeanT

[@scottrackley4457]

loved watching him play ball

[@wlashay56]

Knocking out your brother in law is crazy 😂

[@zeeess6028]

Not as uncommon as you might think, especially around the holidays, lol

[@rathofturkey]

Both of mine would do it. They like me but they wouldn’t lose sleep if they leveled me

[@scottrackley4457]

squaring up Barry is even crazier

[@wlashay56]

@@scottrackley4457 and actually making the tackle too…the man was a beast 😂🔥

[@scottrackley4457]

@@wlashay56 A lot more people have won MVP than have tackled Barry in the open field single handedly.

[@BriskoGotWrk]

11:04 "He was like Spikes I'm gonna take his soul" is insane dawgg 😭😭😭💀

[@LaVanderWilliams]

Dawkins' *best attribute was taking out tight ends. When he was traded, tight end production increased against the Eagles.

[@RDB32]

The Assassin, Jack Tatum was the most feared and Lotts Idol

[@nunestunes]

They kept track of his knockouts

[@Archie-z8o]

Jack was a head hunter.

[@RDB32]

@@Archie-z8o They all were up to when they changed the rules. There is no difference between Tatum, Lynch, Sean Taylor, or even a Ronnie Lott. All hitters and they all hit to send a message to receivers and anybody else on the opposing team. Dawkins even said " I'm going to take his soul". What does that tell you?

[@UndesirablyStrange]

Never forget Ronnie Lott had this finger amputated so he could keep playing.

[@JuanMartinez-xf3uz]

Tomlinson once sat out a game vs rival KC because of a "sore toe".

[@holdencaulfied7492]

This is so overhyped. Any safety on this list would've done the same thing.

[@UndesirablyStrange]

@@holdencaulfied7492 No. No they wouldn't

[@theINQBS]

@@holdencaulfied7492 No way another player would do that. ONLY Ronnie Lott was that Football Obsessed! ONLY RONNIE!!! The greatest Safety of all time, and the statistics won't reflect that. You have to have seen the man play. He was other worldly!

[@holdencaulfied7492]

@@theINQBS You don't think Butkus would have done that? You're delusional.

[@davidd5407]

Ronnie Lott. Doug Plank (46 defense named after him) Gary Fencik. Night Train Lane. Jack Tatum. Top 5 from the last 70 years.

[@harveyhoffman5477]

You left off Kenny Easley. He and Ronny Lot were the two best safeties of the 80’s. Ronny played for a much better team. But no receiver wanted to be hit by Kenny. In the play offs the Miami receivers complained to the league that he hit too hard…… He would have been a hall of famer if his body did not break down.

[@hawksareit]

Agree on Kenny Easley. He was finally admitted to the Hall of Fame in 2017.

[@benahern7410]

Beat me to it. Ease 45 (his autograph on my football) is one of my all time favorite players.

[@siouxwa]

Easley is in the HOF

[@territhostenson5455]

Yes!

[@BishjamIC]

I'm a biased Hawkeye fan, and his prime was terribly short, but Bob Sanders defined heat seeking missile for a time in my eyes. I can see him being perhaps an honorable mention.

[@LittleBill_Sr]

Man Bob sanders was a problem

[@tylerdurdeniii4476]

Totally agree with you about sanders. His full speed bullet style hitting was what caused him to have a short career. 5'8 208 and nobody was getting the best of him head on in open field.

[@mastick5106]

As someone without that bias, I agree. Him being that small just meant the ferocity was concentrated. You look at the stats for his defenses when he was playing versus when he was injured and you see how much of a difference he made.

[@badguy338]

Born in raised in Erie Pa got to see Bob growing up most people don’t know he was a savage running back still holding hometown records, a 814 legend

[@dila9366]

Dude was 5’8” but played like he was 6’8”. He should definitely be on this list.

[@LeeIIIOKC]

Sean Taylor was my favorite safety to watch! And as a Cowboys fan favorite to hate he was always gonna make a play.

[@playmaker7331]

Him & Laron Landry; what could have been 🥺 Never forget Area 51

[@LeeIIIOKC]

@@playmaker7331 My God the nightmare fuel of receiver's across the league .

[@Serg.T1347]

Bro snubbed Darren Sharper... he should have gone into the mind of Greg Jennings

[@ShermanNFL]

😂

[@Niqstory]

Probably cause he’s a rapist

[@JuanMartinez-xf3uz]

Not for nothing, but he led the league in rapes every year.

[@someguyik]

You mean..Darren SHARPUH? One of the most hardest hitting safeties in da league

[@TheWhipsnap]

I mean…we know why he was ignored…I get it…but as a saints fan…he was the player that made the defense serviceable enough to win the Super Bowl in 2009

[@mards2479]

Ed Reed wasn’t known for his hits, but that’s due to an injury that made him change his playing style. He was an absolute missile early in his career.

[@mainsource8030]

yup, happened around 2007 or 6 when i noticed he wasnt wrecking dudes as much. Imagine if he was drafted 1 or 2 years earlier and played with the Baltimore Bullies defense with woodson

[@jdr4503]

I mean I watched all these guys and Sean Taylor was on another level. He was also a ball magnet and extremely clutch

[@jaredshinn5840]

I know his career was short but bob sanders was a beast when healthy

[@BishjamIC]

Absolutely!

[@bruceleeroy8302]

Rodney Harrison should definitely be in the Hall of Fame

[@38109MURDA]

Ronnie Lott and Jerry Rice are who made me a 49ers fan...

[@General_ed]

Great video your one of the best

[@evankrohn4]

They are AI generated sadly

[@dariusdafigga]

You’re** damn did you graduate middle school

[@SimonMeshko]

Brian Dawkins was a beast! one of my favorite Eagles players along with Reggie White. Safety and Linebacker are my two favorite positions in football

[@SeekanDestroy03]

Also these guys are savages, but Kam was one of the most entertaining to watch. Especially because most of his guys were clean😂

[@bobbyromeii3418]

😂😂 That's me that Kam was laying on in the VT UNC Photo. Truthfully we didnt want any smoke in college, he was hitting folks like that in the Acc 😅. We wasnt surprised at all lol 😂

[@ChristopherDonaldson-z2n]

Why is no one mentioning Chuck Cecil? Dude knocked his own self out, on more than one occasion!

[@mason7119]

Chuck Cecil was feared by every receiver. He wasn't fast but he basically launched himself like a torpedo once you caught a pass and could blow you into next week.

[@davidhooper259]

It’s because this guy doesn’t know football. Cecil had to quit because the fines were higher than his salary.

[@marcweier1634]

Top 5 at least. NFL changed rules because of him!

[@nitro8in]

I was just about to say , how can anyone not remember chuck cecil!

[@jgorud1294]

Donny Shell! Come on!

[@antoniodearry7114]

Whenever I think of Ed Reed I hear Ray Lewis screaming "OH MY GOODNESS" 😂😂

[@davidvaladez4662]

I think you guys forgot about Doug Plank from the Chicago Bears.

[@Sam1787]

And Gary Fencik.

[@mr.commonense8177]

He put the fear of GOD in the receivers.

[@3243_]

Gotta have Donnie Shell, Ken Houston, Chuck Cecil, Doug Plank, Gary Fencik, Larry Wilson, and Cliff Harris at least as Honorable Mentions.

[@chadowen4766]

Chuck Cecil hit Redskins player Ron Middleton so hard his helmet popped off and the chin strap was still buckled.

[@billbeliakoff5589]

Plank should be on the list not an honorable mention.

[@pimpdotcom1161]

John lunch was my favorite safety ever lol I’m from Chicago and that hit on his bro in-law made me a fan fr fr

[@einundsiebenziger5488]

John Lynch* (two typos in one five-letter word is quite an accomplishment😉)

[@TMSBMC]

@@einundsiebenziger5488probably auto-correct...

@@einundsiebenziger5488 no one thinks your cool or special my man just stop

[@TroyGwyn-m7p]

Someone needs to interview Dennis Smith when they run video on "Hardest Hitting Safeties". He played with Ronnie Lott at USC. Plus, Smith was an All-American in his own right. Giving him automatic credibility. In the NFL, he played with Steve Atwater on the Denver Broncos. Again, Smith was a multiple time Pro Bowler & All-Pro. And again, no question of Smith's credentials.

[@YUHJKT]

All these guys are great. All I gotta say is the first time I watched a game with Steve Atwater in it, even from my couch I was disturbed. I think it's human instinct. When you see a guy like that, you immediately make a mental note about him. I think it's unconscious self-preservation.

[@icewaterslim7260]

Good list. Safeties in the closeline and necktie tackle era might've had those options to run up stats with but QBs today don't have to overlook passing down the middle for fear of their recievers taken out of the game.

[@Oso_99]

Bro How tf is Rodney Harrison not a hall of a famer? This is why they need to stop letting people who never played a down in the nfl dictate anyone’s career 💀

[@krackergrit]

Just like dale murphy should be in the mlb hof

[@mainsource8030]

why are you yelling at this video, call roger gooddell

[@Oso_99]

@@mainsource8030 my boy my comment is not in caps so I’m not yelling 💀

[@JAMESGANG-f5u]

Or we the people gotta stop caring about the HOF. Anything that requires votes is going to end up being rigged, fixed, scandalous, fraudulent etc

[@duwayneengram9483]

Great list!

[@redyullayulla1055]

Hooray for CTE HITS!

[@omarmuhammad1367]

Ryan Clark not being on here is crazy work!!!

[@renardcerise7883]

NFL and NFL Media loves to shit on the Steelers, nothing new here

[@dariusdafigga]

Bruh what, compared to the other safeties of this list bro might mot even be top 15

[@lososcotti926]

@@dariusdafiggawrong

[@Austin-316]

Brady the best QB of all time, once said he feared Ed Reed the most. That's gotta count for something....

[@chrisnivo]

This is a great list and I'm old enough to have watched every one on the list play. Ed Reed definitely the best safety ever but my personal pick for hardest hitter edging out Ronnie Lott has to be Bam Bam Kam. That dude was a heat seeking missle that was ferocious on another level.

[@dwaynegentry2112]

Rodney Harrison and Steve Atwater and Ronnie Lott

[@scottbilger9294]

Glad to see Lott finally get some respect.

[@cliffbeenofficial_4029]

@6:49 you can see the shockwave from that hit rip Sean Taylor!

[@mike_datzmag1c21]

That sound effect 💥 was perfect smh

[@Gonzo-ue5me]

I can’t believe Roy Williams in not on the list!

[@lda1970]

Exactly or Darren Woodson

[@jaymac1123]

Roy sits right outside this list, he was a banger but he was a cloud compared to Woodson.

[@jaymac1123]

@@lda1970 Woodson should be in the top 3.

[@GtheGreat1]

These Blitz videos are always on point. Ronnie Lott at #1 is the only right answer

[@jennyopels5910]

Putting Sean Taylor at six is crazy

[@rdyer8764]

I loved Bam Bam!

[@BarryFerguson-v9g]

The Chicago Bears during the 1970s did not receive as much national television coverage due to their records. So this player may not have been as well known as the others on your list, However, as a local Bears fan, I saw Doug Plank deliver many hits like this. Although I did not personally see the game, I was told by other fans / friends that Doug Plank knocked himself out once when hitting an opposing player - such was the abandon with which he played. Doug Plank - you are remembered.

[@multiyapples]

Troy Polumalu? Glad he’s on the list.

[@mikerodgers8643]

Ronnie Lott was an absolute next level monster!!

[@jonbaer8699]

Bob Sanders gotta be an honorable mention, DPOY for a reason

[@Aamirosheajones]

Let's go Ed Reed. Ray

[@darryldavis213]

Listening to the Troy Polamalu section at 4:02. I think Troy had beef with anyone named Steve or any variant of the name Steve.

[@jeremey1423]

Only Broncos fans remember Dennis Smith but a lot of players that played against him would put him on this list. Thurman Thomas said Smith was the hardest hitter in the NFL and this was during the Ronnie Lott era. Christian Okoye said he would rather get hit by Atwater than Smith. In a 1995 interview Steve Atwater said he was not on the level of Smith and Lott. Wade Phillips called Smith the most underrated player he ever coached. The scary thing was that Lott and Smith were friends who played in the same secondary at USC. Imagine being a receiver going against that team.

[@krackergrit]

One of the first things I said before watching if Atwater wasn't on hear it be criminal

[@jennyopels5910]

Do the hardest hitting corner backs

[@nancy4don]

Larry Wilson. Some of the hits he laid on Jim Brown back in the day were scary. He retired in 1972 so yeah I’m old

[@NikoBiko-fl3lc]

Hard but good hits 👍

[@einundsiebenziger5488]

And half of them illegal by now - helmet first, low hits against the knee and other unhealthy moves.

[@brettldouglas]

Doug Plank belongs on this list.

[@icetray2727]

Rodney Harrison should be in the hall of fame.

[@-sdot83]

As a Patriots fan I remember that Kam hit on Jules like yesterday. He hit him so hard he damn near passed out on the field as Jules was trying to to scramble for extra yardage

[@mtettle01]

Roy Williams should be on this list

[@jeffrichards1537]

Ronnie Lott is my favorite. He was a real man. Amputated hid finger not to miss a game.

[@sjmemz7285]

Kam chancellor was the 2010s Weapon X

[@W_Edits474]

gg i love ur vids

[@davidlee3254]

The nfl need to bring this back

[@kennydearjr8133]

My favorite of all time weapon X #20 B Dawkins was and still is my favorite player should be #2

[@michaelWHATLEY]

Ed Reed is my all time favorite player. The man was a true football player. John Lynch is my 2nd favorite. The

[@Will_the_thrill254]

Bro should have put Ryan Clark up there

[@joewood753]

Dawkins is my favorite as a lifelong eagles goon. But all these safeties were basically linebackers playing deep. Kept diva receivers in check.

[@notacat7127]

troy polamalu is so underrated

[@holdencaulfied7492]

How can a guy who is first round inductee into the HOF be underrated?

[@notacat7127]

@@holdencaulfied7492 just doesn’t get enough credit for being the goat

[@holdencaulfied7492]

@@notacat7127 He was great but not the GOAT. No one can be the GOAT wearing yellow pants.

[@notacat7127]

@@holdencaulfied7492 now I know you lying

[@CasperX22]

Underrated...ok 😂

[@samoliver9132]

Dang why does Polamalu hate Steve’s so much😂

[@specialK2411]

Can’t lie bam bam kam 💥 the most intimidating of all

[@calebellis7173]

1 Jack Tatum 2 Ronnie Lott 3 Steve Atwater 4 Sean Taylor 5 Brian Dawkins 6 John Lynch 7 Ed Reed 8 Rodney Harrison 9 Troy Polamalu 10 Kam Chancellor Honorable mentions Adrian Wilson Roy Williams Bob Sanders

[@QuietMoney-v2f]

Solid 🎯

[@randallross420]

Tatum was an assassin

[@AQUA_KY3rl]

Kam at 6

[@AQUA_KY3rl]

this is about hard, clean hits and he has one of the hardest, cleanest hits out there

[@playmaker7331]

No mention of Laron Landry??

[@sonnywilliams684]

Man, i wish we had more players like the Hitman...

[@Theonlycw13]

Good day mate

[@markpage9886]

Ed Reed was smarter than everyone else on the field with a casual disregard for his own health. He's a sentient bomb with a desire to explode.

[@Matt-uy7xd]

This sounds like an hbo documentary 🔥

[@chitilagrimr3561]

Justice for Ryan Clark

[@QuietMoney-v2f]

No coverage skills Just a crash out

[@dariusdafigga]

Bro barely top 15

[@imanihorsford9641]

Ryan Clark should be a honorable mention

[@nickmataele9011]

Man Rodney Harrison in this era ?!?! He’d be painted worse than vontaze burfict

[@michaelancona1120]

Kenny Easley needed to be on this list!

[@mjjohnson5904]

This was crazy.........

[@mmacaine]

Hoping that Bob Sanders is on here.

[@17thN.O]

He was the first name I thought of and of course Ronnie Lott and Sean Taylor.

[@dan-ws2sf]

Sanders was a decent hitter and very good player, but not a heavy hitter like Atwater or Blades or Browner, or Lott or Fulcher

[@mmacaine]

@@dan-ws2sf you're calling the Eraser a decent hitter?!

[@dan-ws2sf]

@@mmacaine yes I am, he would be a top 10 hitter perhaps in his decade but an all-time great hitter? It’s silly to try to say that with all the dozens of hard hitters over the game’s history. Not everyone could be a top 10 hitter, it’s 10 not 50. There are only 3 or 4 undersized guys who can be considered for top 10 or even 20, and he ain’t one of them, that’s guys like Tatum and Shell and perhaps Dawkins. Marvin Powell the great Jets Tackle once said, Donnie Shell could stop a train. I don’t think Shell was over 190 lbs. I doubt anyone said that about Sanders. Underrated in my opinion but not a heavy hitter. All safeties by default, have to hit reasonably hard, however, he wasn’t the first name or 2 that comes to mind.

[@JuanMartinez-xf3uz]

Sanders got credit for Indy's run defense turnaround in the playoffs, but if you look at how many yards they surrendered in the regular season when he played vs games he missed, it's about the same.

[@201LiLE201]

How in the fuck do you not have Ryan Clark on here? Dude was the ultimate “I don’t even give a fuck about my OWN body”

[@street1111]

Jack Tatum was my favorite

[@jeremylucas8143]

I’m early? What an honer

[@IMAMERICANOWGIVEMEYOUROIL]

Can you do hardest hitting defensive linemen next

[@territhostenson5455]

I was waiting for Kenny Easley aka “The Enforcer” to be mentioned

[@s.tavares3257]

Sean Taylor let Reggie Wayne slide yet laid out the poor punter lol.

[@marshallhayes7965]

This list is Bogus yall forgot about Doug Plank & Gary Fencik!

[@Ravenxback8]

Bernard Pollard should be at 1 or 2. he was such a hard hitter he cost the patriots 3 SBs off of injuries. he literally sat Gronk down while injuring him. Bernard was such an insane beast. that man could quite literally hit harder than a 10 ton semi-truck going 120 MPH. nobody ever got past him if it came down to a 1 on 1 tackling situation.

[@ynotefil]

As Young Kid Growing Up In The Bay Area I've Only Seen 1 Safety Hit Like A Bulldozer & That's #42 Ronnie Lott. And Those Are Just Facts. Jack Tatum Would Be My #1 But I Picked The Player I Saw Play Growing Up.

[@THURSDAY22]

R.I.P. SEAN TAYLOR 🕊️🕊️

[@victorherrero4790]

Dennis Smith should be in this list...the guy was a hard hitter and a sure tackler.

[@tobechukwuokonkwo5957]

Not Troy polamalu highlights being of him trucking 3 guys named Steve 🤣🤣

[@Commonsense1458]

Ronnie Lott had the end of his finger chopped off during a game. He told them to wrap it up and kept playing. THAT'S a football player!

[@edwardwong654]

That was hard to watch.

[@ksteaksauce4824]

Ive thought bam bam and dawkins were line backers

[@Greenlightfamily]

Sean Taylor let Reggie Wayne make it 😂😂😂😂 “you better be glad I love you” RIP🪦💯