STILL ACCEPTING YOUR LOCAL TALLIES BELOW IN THE INTERNATIONAL POLL: CALLING YOUR TOP 20!
THROUGH MONDAY, AUGUST 11, 2008.
The news this week has been all Brett Favre (ok, and the Olympics, Bush in China, Paris Hilton’s run for president, yada yada…). With that hot mess finally coming to resolution, what better way to welcome our new Jet, than to focus on the names of some memorable players of the game?
I have to admit, I’m not the best fan- I’ll go with The Jets or The Giants depending on which way the wind blows. Last year it was pretty breezy around The Giants. And ever since Super Bowl XLII, I’ve been kind of in love with the name Plaxico. Sure, he saved the game and carried the Giants to victory over the much favored Patriots. But that NAME! At home we looked at each other and said “that’s it.” We’ve found the perfect name for our future son. 
And what a name. So today I focus on Plaxico and his adventurously named cohorts in the NFL.
There are some appellations we thought were retired 100 years ago, such as Algernon and Ebenezer, which would certainly be daring (if a bit cruel), for the modern parent. We’re seeing early adopters of the apostrophe in D’Brickashaw, La’Roi, and Na’il, though Nu’u Tafisi is Samoan so perhaps that is traditional. There are also many notably big names from history, folklore, and mythology, with Aeneas, Marquice, Mercurey, Merlin, Napoleon, and Orpheus for your little lord of the field. As distinct as these are, nothing is as clear cut as “Peerless.”
I wonder if these names helped them get noticed in tryouts? Perhaps they made them tougher? More driven? Any you think could become chart toppers?
Alge Crumpler- Born Algernon Darius Crumpler- Tennessee Titans.
Aeneas Williams- Formerly of the St. Louis Rams, one of my favorites here and eminently usable.
Aubrayo Franklin- San Francisco 49ers.
Dick Butkus- Formerly of the Chicago Bears, linebacker.
D’Brickashaw Ferguson- New York Jets.
Ebenezer Ekuban (Jr.)- Denver Broncos.
Eldra Buckley- San Diego Chargers, running back.
Flozell Adams- Dallas Cowboys, offensive tackle.
Gosder Cherlius- Detroit Lions, offensive tackle.
Keyunta Dawson- Indianapolis Colts.
Kimo von Oelhoffen- Philadelphia Eagles, defensive tackle.
Ladainian Tomlinson- San Diego Chargers, running back.
La’Roi Glover- St. Louis Rams, defensive tackle.
Laveranues Coles- New York Jets, wide receiver.
Marquice Cole- Tennesse Titans, cornerback.
Melila Purcell- Cleveland Browns.
Mercurey Morris- Miami Dolphins.
Merlin Olsen- Formerly of the Los Angeles Rams, defensive tackle.
Na’il Diggs- Carolina Panthers, linebacker.
Napoleon Harris- Kansas City Chiefs, linebacker.
Nu’u Tafisi- Seattle Seahawks, defensive end.
Orpheus Roye- Formerly of the Pittsburgh Steelers, defensive lineman.
Peerless Price- Formerly of the Buffalo Bills, wide receiver.
Plaxico Burress- New York Giants, wide receiver.
Proverb Jacobs- Formerly of the Philadelphia Eagles and the New York Giants, offensive and defensive end.
Qadry Ismail- Formerly of the the Minnesota Vikings, Green Bay Packers, Miami Dolphins, New Orleans Saints, Baltimore Ravens, Indianapolis Colts.
Reno Mahe- Philadelphia Eagles, running back.
Sinorice Moss- New York Giants, wide receiver.
Yancey Thigpen- Formerly of the San Diego Chargers, Pittsburgh Steelers, Tennesse Titans, wide receiver.
Zeron Flemister- Free agent, tight end.
Did I miss any of your favorites, football or otherwise? Do tell.
A special thanks to my significant other, who finally took an interest in my name obsession.
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
Cadillac Williams- Tampa Bay
how do you pronounce ‘sinorice’? does it rhyme with ‘licorice’?
i love ‘aeneas’, although ‘proverb jacobs’ is pretty amazing! very 19th century.
i’m still waiting for someone to name their child ‘cotton.’
I met a baby Cotton in Target last year! He was very handsome, and his mother seemed like she might be from an old New England family, so I bet they are descended from a previous Cotton. Mather might make a nice first name, too.
I’ll have to double check on Sinorice, but I think it’s see-nor-EESE. I agree that Proverb shines.
I tried mostly to stay away from nicknames, as there were so many colorful given names to work with. Cadillac’s given name is Carnell Lamar Williams.
“We’re seeing early adopters of the hyphen….”
Do you mean the apostrophe (‘ not -)? I’m not a big fan of it in names.
Oh, did I say hyphen? Silly me, yes, apostrophe… der. Them thingies, you know!
For some reason, I’m kind of crushing on Laverneus. Not for real use, but I really, really like saying it.
One of my favorite things about watching football with my family is the names of the players. They really run the gamete from the common to the ridiculous to the so-out-there-it’s-cool.
Got to throw in a few Redskins . . . they’re not going to win anything this season, so they might as well get some love on YCCII:
Matthias Askew
Ladell Betts
Nehemiah Broughton
Demetric Evans
Alfred Fincher
London Fletcher
Horace Grant
Cornelius Griffin
Santana Moss (my favorite name, I think)
Babatunde Oshinowo (very fun to say out loud)
Byron Westbrook
Ooh, good ones !!!DH!!! Lovin’ Babatunde!
If I saw the names Alfred, Horace, Cornelius, and Nehemiah anywhere else together I would think they were about 129 years old. Surely those names made them tough so as NOT to get beat up on the playground.
I just have to say that when Plaxico was still here (at Michigan State University) I loved hearing the sports casters whenever he was involved in a play – it just seems to roll off the tongue so nicely
Ah yes… good choice for your future son 
my favorite is tamarick vanover pronounced:
ta mar’ ick van’ o ver