The Craziest Hairstyles in NFL History

Image via Complex Original

Back in 2010, the Saints cornerback picked off a pass thrown by Vikings quarterback Brett Favre in the NFC Championship Game to help lead New Orleans to the Super Bowl. But before he did that, he asked his barber to carve the ghosts from Pac-Man into his head. We don’t know exactly why he did it (maybe because he’s known for scaring opposing QBs by gobbling up their passes?) but it definitely caught everyone’s eye.

During his time with the Chargers, the defensive end got all kinds of crazy things etched into the side of his head. From a haircut that served as a tribute to the victims of 9/11 to a jack-o’-lantern, Garay’s barber deserves some kind of award for the things he was able to put into the pro’s hair. But this one was one of our personal favorites because it didn’t depict anything other than the fact that Garay enjoyed making a spectacle out of his hairstyles. His head was more or less a blank canvas filled with abstract art. How long do you think something like this actually took?

If you’re going to rock a mullet, you really have to be ready to embrace the look. And that’s exactly what Allen did during his time with the Vikings. Not only did he grow a mullet, but he also accentuated it by having his barber cut lines into the side of his head. So it was business in the front, party in the back, and an amazing transition in between. This was the mullet of all mullets.

When you have a nickname like the “Honey Badger,” you have to do whatever you can to live up to it. And the Cardinals safety has done just that by running with this hairstyle since his days at LSU. It features long yellowish golden locks on the top—almost like a stripe down the middle of the head—and a short, tight fade on the sides. Unfortunately, Mathieu’s teammates cut his hair off during rookie hazing last year. But since then, it has grown back and looks as glorious as ever.

The world is filled with many, many mysteries. For instance, “What is the meaning of life?” But the question that we want answered is “How does Tiquan Underwood fit his helmet on his head?” He’s been rocking the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air look for years now, and while it’s a fresh look, we just don’t get how his round helmet fits over the top of his boxy hairstyle.

Since joining the Eagles during this past offseason, Sanchez has cut his hair and kept his look a little bit, er, a lot cleaner. But during his final two seasons with the Jets, Sanchez let his hair grow…and grow…and grow. And before long, he needed a headband to keep his hair together. He also looked like he’d just gotten his hair permed every time he stepped out on the field.

DRC is not the first NFL player to grow a mohawk. There have been lots of NFL players over the years that have done it. But over the course of his career, the former Cardinals, Eagles, and Broncos cornerback has been known to paint the top of his head to match his uniform. In this photo, you can see the green stripe that he painted when he played for Philadelphia. It’s become a theme throughout his career, so do you think he’ll do it again this season with the Giants?

The Boz is, unfortunately, one of the biggest busts in NFL Draft history. After a promising college career, he fizzled out of the league after a very short stint with the Seahawks back in the late 1980s. But Boz’s hair was anything but a bust. You might not remember a single thing he did in the NFL, but you undoubtedly remember that blonde mullet that he routinely accessorized with a bandana. Pure perfection.

Throughout his historic career, the Redskins running back favored a number of different hairstyles. From a mohawk to a more traditional cut that made him look more like a fan than a football player, Riggins made the most of his naturally curly locks. But it never looked better than it did here. And that mustache only helped to enhance what Riggins had going on. He was so ’70s in this photo.

What in the world was going on here? The Eagles offensive lineman showed up to training camp last season rocking this look, and it was, well, interesting to say the least. He later explained that it was inspired by a show on the History Channel. “I got really into the History Channel, that show Vikings, and that’s where I got it from,” he said. “So I’ve just been going with it. My girlfriend does it.” Hmmm…maybe it would have made more sense if Herremans played for…the Vikings?

During his time with the Vikings, the future Hall of Fame wide receiver was known for letting it all hang out. And we’re not talking about his knack for doing anything to catch the football, either. Rather, we’re talking about Moss’ Afro, which he routinely stuffed inside of his helmet week in and week out. We don’t know how he managed to do it or how comfortable it was, but Moss wasn’t afraid to show off his hair after games as he walked off the field.

We feel a little bit bad about including Tebow on this list because he didn’t ask for this haircut. He obviously didn’t walk into a barbershop and said, “Hey, you know who I want to look like? Friar Tuck!” But the hairstyle that his teammates helped him achieve did scream “I’M A ROOKIE!” and will no doubt go down as the worst rookie hazing haircut in the history of rookie hazing haircuts. Seriously, this will never be topped.

NFL kickers are known for being a little bit quirky. They have all kinds of silly superstitions that they do before, during, and after games in order to keep themselves focused. But the haircut that this Steelers kicker used to have was just ridiculous. Pittsburgh is known for their black-and-yellow uniforms (what up, Wiz Khalifa), but this shade of yellow was blinding! Luckily, Reed moved away from this style later in his career and kept his hair short, which was a much better look for both him and the Steelers.

The former Bears wide receiver had several different things going on here. First, he had his hair braided like so many other NFL players. Then, he had his braids pulled back to form one big braid that extended down to his back. And finally, just to really solidify the look, Hester had his nickname “DA HESS” written into the side of his head. In his prime, he was the fastest player in the entire NFL. But growing this excellent hairstyle out looks like it took him lots of time.

Back in Namath’s day, there were a lot of NFL quarterbacks who, quite frankly, didn’t give a you-know-what about their haircuts. They were focused on playing football, not posing in advertisements, so they didn’t put too much thought into how they wore their hair. The Jets QB was focused on his image off the field, though, so he was one of the few QBs who looked like he had a stylist back then. That’s why old images of Broadway Joe still grace the pages of style magazines, and why he’s considered to be an NFL style icon.

Having long hair can be really detrimental for some NFL players. There have been guys who have had chunks of their hair ripped out in the middle of games, and guys who have had their hair get in the way when they’ve tried to make plays. But when you’ve got hair that looks as good as this Packers linebacker, you owe it to yourself and to the world to let it blow in the breeze. Matthews’ hair weirdly adds an intimidation factor to him, too, which has helped him scare the life out of a bunch of NFL running backs in the past.

We’ve seen some people out there compare the Bengals defensive tackle’s hair to a lion’s mane, and we would have to agree that that pretty much sums up what his hair looks like. But it looks like that both because he maintains his long, flowing locks and because his beard is just as impressive as his hair. His routine in the morning must be insane, though. Can you imagine trying to tame all that hair before heading off to practice?

In recent years, many people have started to call the Titans’ backup quarterback “Clipboard Jesus” because A) he rarely gets into games and is constantly seen holding a clipboard, and B) his hair and beard made him look just like Jesus. This guy has played for a handful of teams during his time in the NFL, but no matter which one he’s played for, he’s always had the best hair on the team. No doubt about it.

Rice is obviously an NFL legend—there’s no doubt about that. But towards the end of his career, Rice just couldn’t seem to comprehend the fact that he was losing his hair. So rather than shave it off, he decided to hold on to it just a bit too long by going with this half-bald, half-braided look. It didn’t last more than a season, but it was his last stand against baldness. Just like everything else in his life, he didn’t back down without a fight.

You can’t put together a list of the craziest NFL hairstyles of all time and not include the legendary Steelers safety’s epic mane. His hairstyle is so unique that he reportedly has his hair insured for $1 million. And can you blame him? Not everyone can grow hair like that and still do the amazing things that Polamalu has done on the football field every year. He’s great, but his hair is the real MVP.