The 50 Most Brutal Hits in NFL History

Get hyped for today's games with these vicious blows from the pros.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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After a seven-month break from games that actually matter (sorry, preseason) the NFL is back like cooked crack. The defending champion New York Giants are opening the 2012 NFL season tonight against the Dallas Cowboys (8:30 p.m., NBC).

So while you kill time before kick-off, take a look at these vicious, agonizing, and gruesome hits—everything from classic DE blindsides to LB spine-twisters to even punters getting brolic with it. Check out this list for a tour of those game-ending (or season-ending, or even—word to Joe Theismann—career-ending) NFL hits that you crave. Here are the 50 Most Brutal Hits in NFL History.

50. Primetime Gets Stopped By the Punter

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49. Peyton Manning's Career Is Threatened

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48. Pretty Boys Could Get It, Too. Ayo!

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47. Is That Legal? Yes, Yes It Was.

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46. The Wheels on the Bus Roll Over Urlacher

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45. It's the Preseason But The Pain Is Still The Same

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44. A Denver Bronco vs. a Buffalo Bill

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43. Are You Sure He's a Punter?

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42. "Straight Cash, Homie!"

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41. Up, Up, and Away!

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40. No One Hit Like Butkus!

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39. Head Game Crazy

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38. "Oh You Thought You Had a TD? Nope!"

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37. An Illegal Hit From James Harrison? Ya Don't Say!

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36. The Hit That Changed Kevin Everett's Life

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35. Wrong Guy, Bro

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34. B-Dawk Goes Into Beast Mode

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33. Two For One Special

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32. Ickey, Who?

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31. Hit 'Em High, Hit 'Em Low

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30. Everybody Hurts...

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29. The Beginning of the Patriots Dynasty

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28. Big Ben Goes Down For the Count

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27. Yes, He's a Wide Receiver

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26. Buffalo Takes Another L

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25. Bo Knows

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24. A Linebacker vs. a Kicker = Bad News

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23. The Beef Is Real

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22. Lights Out!

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21. This Is What Happens When You Collide with Ray Lewis

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20. Excuse Me! Thank You!

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19. Adding Injury to Insult

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18. Chris Henry Gets Lynch'd

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17. PETA Would Be Proud

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16. Everything (Including the Hits) Are Bigger In Texas

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15. Going Nowhere Fast

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14. The Block That Stole the Show

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13. The Play That Caused a Player to (Almost) Lose a Limb

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12. Isiah Robertson Gets Rammed

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11. The Greatest Block in NFL History

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10. Even The Great Ones Are Vulnerable

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9. The Backbreaker. Ayo!

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8. So Much Pain

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7. Keep Your Head Up, Chad. No Really.

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6. Laid Out

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5. The Play That Ended Joe Theismann's Career

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4. One of the Originators Shows 'Em How It's Done

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3. That's Why He's a Pro Bowler

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2. Crawl It Off, Son

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1. Who's Down For Some Fencing?

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