15. James Harrison
Linebacker James Harrison is one scary dude. Not only he is completely chiseled, but also he has the look of someone that would have no problem snapping a person’s neck without thinking twice about it.
Linebacker James Harrison is one scary dude. Not only he is completely chiseled, but also he has the look of someone that would have no problem snapping a person’s neck without thinking twice about it.
Ilya Ilyin may not look like a very big person (he’s 5’9”, 207 pounds) but he could punish some of the men on this countdown. Ilyin is the world and Olympic record holder in the clean and jerk with a weight of 233 kg, as well as, the overall total lift of 418 kg. Needless to say, the two-time Olympic gold medalist is incredibly strong.
Like many of the athletes on this list, Brian Orakpo is a workout warrior. He lives to ensure that his body is in the best shape possible, while also putting on plenty of mass. That’s probably why he was able to bench press 515 pounds, squat 600 pounds and power clean 380 pounds at the 2009 NFL Combine.
Clay Matthews is one of the most feared pass rushers in the NFL, and for good reason. He has only gotten bigger since arriving at the professional level. Not to mention, his biceps alone are enough to make offensive lineman nervous. Matthews uses mixed martial arts, among other things, in the offseason to train.
Steven Jackson is a very strong running back who was able to consistently put up solid numbers despite being on one of the worst teams in the league for a majority of his career. Jackson topped out at a 355-pound bench press, 520-pound squat, 314-pound power clean and 298-pound push press.
Patrick Willis has one of the most legendary set of “guns” in football. His biceps are his calling card, but they’re not just for show. Willis is a ferocious middle linebacker who strikes fear in running backs and wide receivers who run across the middle of the field.
Like Matthews, Michael Johnson is a feared pass rusher who uses his brute strength and agility to get past offensive lineman. He may not look like it because of the pads but Johnson is one of the more ripped players in the NFL. His 28 reps of a 225-pound bench press can attest to his unbelievable strength.
Ernie Sims is an intimidating presence on and off the field. Teammates refuse to mess with him and opponents do whatever it takes to not get tackled by him. His 5’11”, 231-pound frame is certainly nothing to get worked up about. However, it’s the force that he hits with that scares people. There is a story in which Sims made such a ferocious tackle in his high school football practice that he fractured his teammate’s vertebrae, which lowered the player’s height by three inches.
James Ihedigbo is jacked from head to toe. The safety is one of the examples in which he has put on a lot more muscle mass since arriving at the professional level. His intense workout with medicine balls and resistance bands is just one of many reasons why he has a chiseled body.
I hate putting Brock Lesnar on this list only because he’s back to being a WWE wrestler, which I don’t count as a professional athlete. With that being said, Lesnar has spent several years in the NFL, MMA and UFC. For that reason, he more than meets the qualifications for this countdown. Lesnar has the look of someone that nobody wants to mess with. His massive frame is enough to strike fear in anyone who finds themselves in the ring with him.
It was no secret that Vernon Davis is one of the more ripped players in the NFL. That became even clearer when posed in ESPN The Magazine’s Body Issue. His jacked muscles aren’t all for sure either as he can be seen powering his way into the end zone on any given Sunday. Not to mention, he benched 225 pounds 33 times at the NFL Combine.
Michael Ray Garvin is a wide receiver who bounced around the NFL before he ended up in the Indoor Football League. He has never suited up in either professional football league as he has spent time on the practice squad with four different teams. To be perfectly honest, I don’t Garvin cares as much about getting into a game as he does about his body. There is no question he has one of the more ripped bodies anyone will see.
Mariusz Pudzianowski is one massive guy who is one of the strongest men on this list. The MMA and strongman competitor can bench 640 pounds, squat 837 pounds and deadlift an impressive 914 pounds. It’s no wonder he has taken first place in a majority of the strongman competitions he has appeared in over the years. His diet to keep up body mass is plenty of eggs, lots of candy, meat, sauerkraut, potatoes, protein shakes and over $1,000 per month worth of supplements.
Harry Aikines-Aryeetey is one of the more jacked sprinters you will see. Unfortunately, none of that muscle has helped while he has tried to battle injuries in recent years. Nonetheless, Aikines-Aryeetey has to be proud with his accomplishments regarding his ripped body.
LaRon Landry is another NFL player who entered the league with respectable muscle size and has blown up since then. His biceps are as big as his head, which is why it’s no wonder he’s one of the harder hitting safeties in the league. He works out six days a week during the season and only takes off the seventh because it’s game day. While his physique is an inspiration to his teammates, it’s an intimidation tool for his opponents.
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