The Scariest Athletes on Planet Earth

In your opinion, who is the scariest athlete?

“Kam Chancellor. Though injuries led him to retire early, he was the soul of that Seattle Seahawks Legion of Boom. Though he is not the biggest general athlete in the likes of current stars like Derrick Henry and DK Metcalf, each of his hits was a contribution to NFL concussion research. From Rob Gronkowski to Vernon Davis, Chancellor has beaten fear into the league’s toughest players. If it weren’t for injuries, we would still see him on Sundays, punishing receivers for their sins.” —Efe Kilic, junior

“Though he retired long ago, I would have to say Mike Tyson. He was a killer in the ring. He made the most feared fighters on the planet look like chumps. Out of all the athletes who have ever lived, he is the only one that I would be afraid to take a picture with.” —Nakib Abedin, junior

“Luis Suárez. No one expects to be bitten while playing soccer, yet it has happened. Three times. Suárez is known for his biting as much as his play and has bitten opposition on several separate occasions. The Uruguayan may have finally learned his lesson, having gone five years without biting an opposing player on the field, but he still instills terror.” —Krish Gupta, senior

“The world of sports has many scary figures: heavyweight champions, shredded defensive ends, and actual criminals. However, it is hard for me to name anyone here other than Simone Biles. What her competitors must feel when they enter the gym, knowing full well that they are not only going to lose, but also be humiliated, that feeling, the one you feel when you have to go toe-to-toe with a woman who has all the hardest tricks named after her, is the scariest one in sports.” —Max Schneider, junior

“Stephen Curry, with a 6’ 3”, 190 pound frame and a nice smile, does not look particularly intimidating or dangerous. His skill on the court, however, is absolutely deadly. Curry is the embodiment of ‘limitless range,’ and once he gets a streak going, it’s over for the opposing team. His ability to make shots from anywhere on the court truly makes him one of the scariest in the league.” —Taee Chi, junior

“Arnold Schwarzenegger is as physically scary as any athlete in the world. The Terminator, at 235 pounds of pure muscle, was able to capture Mr. Universe and Mr. Olympia before moving on to entertainment and political endeavors. He will continue to be an icon of scariness through many generations. Hasta la vista, baby.” —Ethan Kirschner, senior

“Cristiano Ronaldo. Widely considered one of the best soccer players of all time, Ronaldo was the leader of the Real Madrid team that won three Champions Leagues in a row from 2016-2018. The best teams from Europe participate in the Champions League, and Real Madrid has had their backs against the wall many times. Madrid lost the first leg in Germany 2-0 against VFL Wolfsburg in 2016. But Ronaldo rallied back and scored a hat trick, winning the tie 3-2. With countless more moments like this, Ronaldo is surely the scariest footballer on the planet.” —Johan Wielaard, junior

“Michael Jordan. His competitive fire and desire to win were unrivaled in his time, to the point where he’d even make up stories in his own head about things other players said, just so he’d have a reason for going after them on the court (talk about psychotic! Search his ‘altercation’ with LaBradford Smith if you’re interested to learn more). Paired with his 6’ 6” athletic build and 48-inch vertical, he may as well have been the boogeyman. Just hope you don’t hear his iconic phrase, ‘It became personal,’ in your nightmares.” —Jeffrey Tan, junior