We normally think of athletes as huge and imposing figures, but in the modern day, speed and skill can sometimes take over and athletes come in all shapes and sizes. While that may be the case, there are definitely still some frightening looking athletes out there now and definitely have been some in the past. Here are five of the scariest in history.
1. Sebastien Chabal
(source: independent.ie)
While most in North America likely wouldn’t know this guy, he is among the scariest rugby players on earth. Though he is retired now, the thought of playing against this guy in a sport with no padding is awfully scary. The man was 6’3 and 250 lbs and looks just like a henchman straight out of a James Bond movie. Not only does he look scary, he plays scary as his ferocious tackling is enough to strike fear into anyone who lines up against him.
2. Mike Tyson
(source: 3rd-strike.com)
While Tyson stood at only 5’10 and was nowhere near the biggest heavyweight, his persona, legend and punching power were larger than life. During his career, he would basically win fights before they started by psyching out his opponents with his trash talk or by staggering daggers into his opponents. His unpredictability inside and outside the ring also made him a frightening wild card for everyone.
3. Jack Lambert
(source: muthead.com)
Not only was this guy one of the absolute best linebackers of his era, but he also looked the part. This 9 time Pro Bowler and 4 time Super Bowl champion put fear into every offensive player who played against him. If it wasn’t his hard hitting and grit that would scare opposing players, it was his ability to intimate them with his toothless death stare. Truly one of the scariest players to ever play in the NFL.
4. Dennis Rodman
(source: exnba.com)
When you would see this guy on the court, you just never quite knew what you were in for. The guy was a wild card in every sense of the word and his play, intimidating size and wacky hairstyles were sure to either confuse or scare opposing players. He would repeatedly get in clashes with other players and officials and his antics were legendary. He is definitely one of the scariest and most unpredictable players in league history.
5. Alexander Karelin
(source: historylocker.com)
Now if I had to select only one athlete to name the scariest of all time, it would definitely be this man. Karelin is considered by most people to be the greatest Greco-roman wrestler of all time with a record of 887-2 and won three straight Olympic Gold Medals. Karelin stood 6’3 and weighed nearly 300 of pure muscle and used his amazing size and strength to throw around all of his opponents around, while looking absolutely menacing in the process.
