List of NFL nicknames

The following are nicknames throughout the history of the NFL.

Teams

Nicknames for entire times, or whole offensive or defensive units.

• Ain'ts— Nickname given to the New Orleans Saints after their 1980 season of 14 consecutive losses. The name persisted somewhat as they were the only team in the league to never win a playoff game, until their defeat of the defending-champion Rams in the Wild Card round of the 2000-01 playoffs.
• Air Coryell — Nickname given to the high powered passing offenses of the early 1980s San Diego Chargers, led by quarterback Dan Fouts and coached by Don Coryell.
• America's Team — Nickname given to the Dallas Cowboys due to having a large number of fans outside its immediate local area. (The term itself is derived from the title of the team's 1978 highlight film).
• Bay of Pigs — Nickname given to matchups of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Green Bay Packers by ESPN anchor Chris Berman from the mid-1980s through the early 1990s, when both teams hovered at the bottom of the NFC Central division. (The term is derived from the disastrous Bay of Pigs invasion of 1961.)
• Bickering Bills — Name given to the Buffalo Bills the year before their Super Bowl runs, 1989, due to their underachievement that year, which many attributed to locker room disagreements.
• Big Blue Wrecking Crew — Name of the New York Giants defensive team during their 1986 championship season.
• Blitz, Inc. — Name of the Philadelphia Eagles defensive team from 1999-2004 seasons.
• Blitzburgh — Name of the Pittsburgh Steelers defensive unit since the mid-1990s and their tendency to relentlessly attack opposing quarterbacks.
• Bungles — Name referring to the Cincinnati Bengals teams of the 1990's, whose string of losing seasons with records 8-8 or worse spanned consecutive 14 years. Name also used for any failing Cincinnati Bengals team thereafter.
• Cardiac Cardinals (Cards) — the St. Louis Cardinals NFC East championship teams of 1974 (10-4) and '75 (11-3). Noted for their come-from-behind wins under their head coach, Don Coryell. The name was resurrected for the 1998 team that upset Dallas in the wild card game.
• Cardiac Cats — the Carolina Panthers of the late 1990s and early 2000s, known for close games often decided in the final minutes or the final play, thus giving their fans heart attacks. The Jacksonville Jaguars also earned this nickname in the late 90's after pulling off last minute wins, especially during the 1996 season.
• Cardiac Jags — the Jacksonville Jaguars earned this nickname due to making several comeback wins and/or winning nail-biters.
• Da Bears — Slang nickname given to the Chicago Bears made popular by the Bill Swerski's Superfans sketches of the early 1990s on Saturday Night Live.
• Dirty Birds — The 1998 Atlanta Falcons (but is still used to this day to describe the Falcons). The name originates from an endzone dance started by Jamal Anderson that was adopted by all the players upon scoring.
• Doomsday Defense — The 1970s Dallas Cowboys defensive team. Doomsday I, the unit that led the Cowboys to victory in Super Bowl VI, was anchored by future Pro Football Hall of Fame members Herb Adderley, Bob Lilly, and Mel Renfro, while Doomsday II, which spearheaded the drive to the title in Super Bowl XII, featured Hall of Famer Randy White and fellow defensive linemen Harvey Martin and Too Tall Jones.
• Electric Company — The 1970s Buffalo Bills offensive line. They were given that name because they "turned on the 'Juice'" by paving the way for star halfback O.J. Simpson, who was nicknamed "Juice", because a common nickname for orange juice is also O.J.
• Evil Empire. — Name associating the New England Patriots dynasty of the 2000's. Coach Bill Bellichick deemed "evil" after the Spygate scandal.
• G Men — Nickname of the New York Giants frequently used by Chris Berman.
• Gang Green — Name of the Philadelphia Eagles defensive team from 1987 to 1990, when the team was coached by Buddy Ryan. Now more likely to refer to the New York Jets.
• Greatest Show on Turf — The 1999-2001 St. Louis Rams offensive team. (Note: The first team referred to as "The Greatest Show on Turf" was the 1992 Houston Oilers, the title of their 1993 NFL Films highlight film. The Oilers employed the wide-open run-and-shoot offense.)
• Gritz Blitz — Nickname for the 1977 Atlanta Falcons defense.
• Homeland Defense - Nickname for the New England Patriots defense during their runs to Super Bowl XXXVIII and XXXIX.
• Kardiac Kids — The 1980 Cleveland Browns, who had a penchant for having games decided in the final moments.
• The Killer Bees — The 1982 Miami Dolphins defensive team; 6 of their 11 starters had last names that began with the letter "B". They allowed only 131 points in the strike-shortened, nine-game regular season.
• Monsters of the Midway — Originally applied to the Chicago Bears of the early 1940s, but revived for the 1980s Bears and subsequent successful Bears defensive teams.
• New York Sack Exchange — The New York Jets defense of the early 1980s, lead by defensive ends Mark Gastineau and Joe Klecko and defensive tackle Marty Lyons.
• No-Name Defense — The 1970s Miami Dolphins defensive team, especially that of its undefeated 1972 season, which performed excellently despite a lack of recognizable stars. They earned their nickname the previous year when Dallas coach Tom Landry said in an interview prior to Super Bowl VI that he could not remember the names of the Miami defensive players.
• Orange Crush — The 1970s Denver Broncos defensive team, led by defensive end Lyle Alzado and linebacker Randy Gradishar.
• Over-the-Hill Gang — The George Allen-coached Washington Redskins of the early 1970s, so named due to the large number of veteran players on the team. Many of those players also played for Allen when he coached the Los Angeles Rams from 1966-1970.
• Patsies — Poorly performing New England Patriots squads, a play off of the nickname "The Pats."
• Pewter Pirates — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, after changing team logo and colors in 1997.
• Purple People Eaters — The 1970s Minnesota Vikings defensive line, specifically the combination of Alan Page, Jim Marshall, Carl Eller, and Gary Larsen.
• San Diego Superchargers — Nickname given to the San Diego Chargers from a 1970's disco song. The song is often cited by Chris Berman and Tom Jackson.
• Steel Curtain — The 1970s Pittsburgh Steelers defensive team considered to be one of the most dominant defenses in the history of the NFL, primarily because in 1978 the league had to make rule changes for offenses to be able to combat the Steel Curtain. These rules included allowing Offensive Linemen to use their hands to block pass rushers like "Mean" Joe Greene, and restricting Defensive Backs like Mel Blount from being able to bump receivers more than 5 yards past the line of scrimmage (as DB's had been allowed to do before). In 1976 during a 9 game stretch, the Steel Curtain allowed only 28 points, including 5 shut-outs. The Steel Curtain of the 70's produced 4 Hall of Fame players (more than any of the vaunted defensive units of the time): Jack Lambert, Jack Ham, Joe Greene, and Mel Blount. LC Greenwood and Donnie Shell have both been Hall of Fame finalist several times.
• Seagulls - Name that is often uttered by various articles when referring to the Seahawks in a derogatory way. Also, fans sometimes might call the team this nickname when they do poorly during games.
• Yucks — (or "Yuccaneers") The Tampa Bay Buccaneers from the mid 1980s to the mid 1990s when the team commonly posted double-digit losses during the regular season. On November 17, 1996, The "Yuccaneers" term was used during the ESPN pregame show prior to a game at the Chargers. Tampa Bay erased a 0-14 deficit to win 25-17.

Players

Nicknames for individual players, or small groups of individual players.

• Bus Nickname for Jerome Bettis.
• Comeback Kid — Nickname given to any player, particularly quarterbacks such as John Elway and Joe Montana, for leading teams in comebacks.
• Crunch Bunch — The 1980's New York Giants linebacking corps composed of Brad Van Pelt, Brian Kelley, Harry Carson & Lawrence Taylor. Noted for their hard-hitting play and for generating many quarterback sacks, Taylor in particular. In the early 80's, Mario Sestito of Troy, New York is credited with coining the name after A NY Giants newsletter at the time called 'Inside Football' held a contest to name this offensive line. *Diesel, The - Nickname of FB John Riggins (NY Jets, Washington Redskins), especially during his days in Washington.
• Dome Patrol — The 1980's Saints linebacking corps, rated as #1 by NFL Network. This all star group included Rickey Jackson, Sam Mills, Pat Swilling, and Vaughn Johnson. The linebacker corps made NFL history as having all four elected to the same pro bowl.
• Fearsome Foursome — The 1960s Los Angeles Rams defensive line.
• Fun Bunch — Early 1980s Washington Redskins wide receivers and tight ends. Their choreographed touchdown celebrations lead to a league ban of "excessive celebration" in 1984.
• Iron Man of the NFL — Nickname given to Brett Favre (currently at 253 consecutive starts under center), for his legendary toughness and ability to come back from and play through many injuries.
• Hogs — The 1980s Washington Redskins offensive line. Name first used by offensive line coach Joe Bugel during the team's 1982 training camp prior to winning Super Bowl XVII.
• Marks Brothers The prolific Miami Dolphins wide receiver duo of Mark Clayton and Mark Duper who played with quarterback Dan Marino in the 1980's.
• Posse — The trio of wide receivers on the Washington Redskins of the late 1980s and early 1990s: Art Monk, Gary Clark, and Ricky Sanders
• Prime Time— Nickname given to cornerback Deion Sanders. Also nicknamed Neon Deion.
• Refrigerator or Fridge for short — Nickname given to defensive lineman William Perry (American football) because of his large size in comparison to other defensive linemen.
• Sixty minute man Any player who played every minute of a game.
• Smurfs — The 1980s Washington Redskins receiving corps of Gary Clark, Alvin Garrett, and Charlie Brown. The three were given the nickname because of their diminutive size (Garrett was 5'7”, Clark was 5'9”, and Brown the tallest at 5'10”), comparing them to the tiny blue comic and cartoon characters.
• Sweetness. Nickname for Walter Payton.
• Three Amigos — The trio of wide receivers on the Denver Broncos of the late 1980s and early 1990s: Mark Jackson, Vance Johnson, and Ricky Nattiel.
• Triplets - Offensive stars of the 1990's Dallas Cowboys 3-time Super Bowl winning teams . Includes QB Troy Aikman, WR Michael Irvin, and RB Emmitt Smith. Aikman and Irvin were inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006 and 2007, respectively. Smith will be eligible in 2010.
• Windy City-flyer - Nickname given to Chicago Bears' return man Devin Hester by WBBM 780 radio-announcer Jeff Joniak.

Places

• Big Sombrero — Nickname given to Tampa Stadium, first home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, so named because of its curved outline that resembled the brim of a sombrero. Raymond James Stadium, the Bucs' home since 1998, has been christened The New Sombrero by ESPN anchor Chris Berman.
• Black Hole — Name of the section behind the south end zone at McAfee Coliseum, home of the Oakland Raiders, known for having some of the most rabid fans in the NFL.
• Dawg Pound — Name of the bleacher section behind the east end zone in Cleveland Browns Stadium, also known for having one of the most loyal fans in the NFL. The name was originally applied to the bleacher section in the same end zone at Cleveland Municipal Stadium, which formerly stood on the site.
• Frozen Tundra (of Lambeau Field) — Nickname given to the home field of the Green Bay Packers. The phrase was allegedly first uttered by NFL Films narrator John Facenda as he described the 1967 NFL Championship Game, or "Ice Bowl", during which Lambeau's undersoil heating system failed and the field froze. However, Steve Sabol of NFL Films denies that Facenda used the phrase; it is thought that an impersonation of Facenda by Chris Berman popularized the phrase. Without a heating system, the severe winter climate of Green Bay, Wisconsin would frequently cause the field to freeze. (The name itself is redundant, since, by definition, all tundra is frozen.)
• House of Pain — House of Pain was used to describe the Houston Astrodome during NFL games played by the Houston Oilers. This was during the days that Warren Moon was the quarterback, and the Oilers defense was a force to be reckoned with.
• Peanut Heaven — The orange-colored seats in the upper decks of Pittsburgh's Three Rivers Stadium.
• Ralph — Ralph Wilson Stadium, home of the Buffalo Bills.
• Razor — New England Patriots stadium Gillette Stadium
• Rockpile — The seating section underneath the scoreboard at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Considered one of the most raucous environments in the NFL, this section was named after War Memorial Stadium (the home of the Bills prior to Rich Stadium) which was referred to locally as "The Rockpile".
• 700 Level — The notorious upper levels of the former Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia between 1971 and 2002. This section was infamous for brawls between Philadelphia Eagles fans and those of visiting teams, especially Cowboys fans.
• Titletown — referring to both the city of Green Bay, Wisconsin and the twelve-time NFL champion Packer teams, including those of legendary coaches Vince Lombardi and Curly Lambeau.

Fans

• 49ers Faithful — Nickname given to the fans of the San Francisco 49ers.
• Bills Backers — Buffalo Bills fans. Due to the massive population displacement of Western New Yorkers, "Bills Backers Bars" can be found in almost every major city throughout the United States.
• Cheeseheads — A name given to people of Wisconsin (mainly Packer fans) by Chicago Bears fans after the Bears won the Super Bowl. The name mocks Wisconsin's love of cheese. The name eventually gained acceptance. "Cheeseheads" can refer to the "Packer Nation", being synonymous to Green Bay's massive diaspora of fans nationwide.
• Fireman Ed — Fan at NY Jets home games who wears a green fireman helmet with a Jets logo on the front. Known for leading the "J-E-T-S" chants.
• Franco's Italian Army — Fans of Pittsburgh Steelers running back Franco Harris.
• Gerela's Gorillas — Fans of Pittsburgh Steelers placekicker Roy Gerela.
• Hogettes — A group of about twelve Washington Redskins fans who dress in drag and wear pig-noses.
• Packer Backer - Fan of the Green Bay Packers. Sometimes used derisively by Bears fans.
• Raider Nation — Oakland Raiders fans.
• Steeler Nation — Pittsburgh Steelers fans.
• SuperSkin — Die-hard fan of the Washington Redskins, who attends each home game dressed in a burgundy and gold superhero costume and motivates other fans to cheer loudly.
• Who Dat Nation - New Orleans Saints fans.

Other

• Ickey Shuffle — Dance done by Cincinnati Bengals running back Ickey Woods whenever he scored a touchdown. Woods was forced to move the dance to the sidelines behind the Bengals' bench after officials starting penalizing him for unsportsmanlike conduct.
• K-Gun — Nickname referring to the no-huddle offense used by the Buffalo Bills with quarterback Jim Kelly during the late 1980s and early-to-mid 1990s.
• Lambeau Leap — During home games at Lambeau Field, some players from the Green Bay Packers would leap into the stands after scoring a touchdown. Originally created by LeRoy Butler, it was made popular by Robert Brooks. Players in other stadiums imitate the leap.
• Mile High Salute — Mid-to-late 1990s Denver Broncos running back Terrell Davis would salute his soldier father after scoring touchdowns.
• Sack Dance - New York Jets defensive end Mark Gastineau was nationally famous for doing his signature "Sack Dance" after sacking an opposing quarterback. However, he had to stop when the NFL declared it "unsportsman like taunting" in March 1984 and began fining players for it. The ban on the Sack Dance stemmed from a 1983 game against the Los Angeles Rams, when Gastineau and Rams Pro Football Hall of Fame offensive tackle Jackie Slater got into a fight following a Gastineau sack of Rams quarterback Vince Ferragamo.
• Terrible Towel — a banner concieved by Myron Cope (long time Steeler commentator) used by fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers to cheer for their team, consisting of a yellow towel with the words "Terrible Towel" in black, to be waved in the air. The Miami Dolphins began a spin-off of the terrible towels, known as "Horrible Hankies".