Top 25 hardest hitters in NFL history

Detroit Lions player Barry Sanders (L) is tackled by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defender John Lynch (R) after a short pass reception in the first quarter of their game 07 September at the Silverdome in Pontiac, MI. AFP PHOTO/Matt CAMPBELL (Photo by MATT CAMPBELL / AFP) (Photo by MATT CAMPBELL/AFP via Getty Images) /

4 of 25

RB Reggie Bush (25) of the New Orleans Saints is tackled by free safety Sean Taylor (21) during a game against the Washington Redskins at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, LA on December 17, 2006. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /

22. Sean Taylor

Sean Taylor had an incredibly bright career in front of him. For obvious and unfortunate circumstances, Washington fans, and fans of Taylor, were left wondering what could have been.

Taylor was Washington’s first round pick out of Miami in 2004, and immediately made his presence known in the defensive backfield. Taylor had the advantage of playing in an era just before the league cracked down on hits on defenseless receivers and where big hits were more encouraged than they are today.

He hit Jerome Bettis in a preseason game in 2005 that kept the Hall of Fame running back out of action for the first few weeks of the season. Taylor made a name for himself as one of the hardest hitters in the NFL, and that hit on Bettis was one that everyone points to as one of his first “I’m here” moments in the NFL.

Taylor has one of the most infamous hits in NFL history. In the 2007 Pro Bowl, he hit Bills punter Brian Moorman on a fake punt that looked extremely violent. Moorman hopped right back up, but Taylor’s hit became one of the most iconic plays in the history of the Pro Bowl.

Taylor unfortunately lost his life in 2007 after a break-in resulted in him getting shot. He was on his way to an incredible career, and it was unjustly cut short.

Home/NFL