11 Strongest NFL Players of All Time

The National Football League (NFL) is one of the grandest stages in sports history. Participating in the competition requires mental toughness as well as functional strength to square up against some of the strongest athletes in the world.

As such, professional NFL players often have tailored strength and conditioning programs to improve their efficiency on the field ^[1]. These specially designed workout programs help athletes improve their underlying power qualities for better performance ^[2].

Football, being one of the most brutal contact sports, has produced some of the most formidable players in the world.

In this article, we shall have a look at the strongest NFL players on the basis of their strength-based feats.

What Will I Learn?

11 Strongest NFL Players Ever

Strength and conditioning programs make up the bulk of an NFL player’s training regime ^[3]. As such, it’s no wonder that they are able to lift some heavy weights while training.

However, we cannot compare them with professional powerlifters or weightlifters who train specifically to improve their 1RM capabilities ^[4].

So, we will pit the strongest NFL players against each other to figure out who is the strongest football player of all time in the United States.

11. James Harrison

Height: 6’
Weight: 240 pounds
Year: 2002-2014

James Harrison had one of the most successful careers in the NFL, having won Super Bowls on two occasions while playing for the Steelers.

He also became the only undrafted player to be named Associated Press NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2008. In addition to his impactful tackles on the field, Harrison was a formidable presence in the gym.

Bench Press: 525 pounds
Hip Thrust: 675 pounds
Decline Press: 405 pounds
Sled Push: 1,800 pounds

The above-mentioned exercises, however powerful, cannot compare to the compound movements like deadlifts and squats.

As such, despite the humongous numbers, Harrison is placed 11^thon the list as one of the strongest NFL players of all time.

10. Saquon Barkley

Height: 6’
Weight: 232 pounds
Year: 2018-Present

Barkley is a quite recent name in the game. He has been a star footballer since his high school days. Based on his performance with heavy weights, he has a lot of potential in the strength domain as well.

Squat: 700 pounds
Bench Press: 29 reps of 225 pounds (estimated 1RM of 450 pounds)

The unofficial, unwitnessed weight performance could be more impressive. According to his teammates, Barkley would humiliate everyone else in the weight room.

Being a young footballer, he can rise to the ranks in the subsequent years and become one of the strongest NFL players ever.

9. Isaac Sopoaga

Height: 6’2’’
Weight: 330 pounds
Year: 2004-2013

Isaac Sopoaga was an avid bodybuilder and strength advocate in his early days. Growing up in Samoa, he did not have access to modern gym facilities. So, he worked out by hurling coconuts high up in the air.

He lasted in the NFL for ten years, spending nine of them with the 49ers. Vernon Davis, next up on the list, stated that Isaac was one of the strongest players that he had ever seen.

Squat: 700 pounds
Bench Press: 500 pounds
Bench Press: 42 repetitions of 225 pounds

Isaac was on the quest to set a new record at the NFL Combine, pushing in 42 reps with 225 pounds. However, he stopped as he thought he had already broken the existing record, which wasn’t the case.

Despite that, he still set a new record counting only players who played in the NFL, until it was later broken by Paea.

8. Vernon Davis

Height: 6’3’’
Weight: 254 pounds
Year: 2006-2019

Vernon Davis, standing at an imposing 6’3’’, had one of the best all-around strength in the game. His weightlifting feats are as follows:

Squat: 685 pounds
Bench Press 460 pounds
Power Clean: 3 repetitions of 355 pounds

Vernon Davis retired in 2019, being regarded as one of the greatest footballers ever. On top of his strength, his speed and athleticism were unparalleled in the modern game.

7. Stephen Paea

Height: 6’1’’
Weight: 300 pounds
Year: 2011-2017

Stephen Paea is the one person on this list who is not into weightlifting or powerlifting. In fact, there are no official records of his heaviest lifts in the squat and deadlift categories.

So, why is he on the list? For one major reason – he holds the current NFL combine record of bench pressing 225 pounds for 49 repetitions. That brings his estimated 1RM to around 600 pounds, one of the most impressive figures in the NFL.

Bench Press: 49 repetitions of 225 pounds

As Stephen has not shown any other feats in the world of strength, he is behind the likes of Bob Young and Andrew Billings, despite having a bigger estimated 1RM in bench press compared to them.

This is because measuring 1RM based on more than 25 reps of a specific weight is not the ideal test of upper body strength.

6. Chris Snee

Height: 6’3’’
Weight: 310 pounds
Year: 2004-2013

Chris Snee played in the NFL for ten years in the New York Giants, winning the Super Bowl on two occasions.

In May 2010, Snee was featured in the Powerlifting USA magazine, hailed as The NFL’s Strongest Man of the time, for good measure.

Squat: 3-5 repetitions of 600 pounds (estimated 1RM of 675 pounds)
Bench Press: 615 pounds

Snee had devised a special training and diet program to improve his weightlifting and powerlifting capabilities.

Apart from being a monster in the gym, his performances on the field were met with great praise and admiration from fans.

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5. Andrew Billings

Height: 6’1’’
Weight: 330 pounds
Year: 2016-Present

One of the more recent footballing prodigies, Billings stands as one of the strongest NFL players ever. Before he got drafted professionally, the athlete was an avid powerlifter, breaking Mark Henry’s high school record.

His official powerlifting records are as follows:

Squat: 805 pounds
Bench Press: 500 pounds
Deadlift: 705 pounds

Apart from this, Billings cleaned 350 pounds for five repetitions when he was just 18 years of age. He has been touted as one of the strongest men in the NFL over the years.

He is one of the most promising talents in the league. Given how close his weightlifting prowess is compared to others on the list, Billings could end his career as the strongest man in football.

4. Bob Young

Height: 6’1’’
Weight: 280 pounds
Year: 1966-1981

Young’s career spanned over 16 seasons, during which he transferred to 5 different NFL clubs. Apart from being a professional footballer, he was also an avid weightlifter, drawing inspiration from his powerlifting brother, Doug Young.

Some of his most impressive strength-based lifts include:

Squat: 800 pounds
Bench Press: 500 pounds
Deadlift: 800 pounds (unwitnessed)

Aside from professional NFL matches, Young also competed in several iterations of the World’s Strongest Man competition.

He finished in the 5^thspot in his first attempt in 1979. Despite his uninterrupted focus on health and fitness, the legendary footballer died of a heart attack in 1995, aged just 52.

3. Jon Kolb

Height: 6’2’’
Weight: 260 pounds
Year: 1969-1981

Kolb’s best years coincided with that of Bob Young’s. Both the footballers were rivals on and off the pitch. Kolb played in the league for 13 years, a loyal contributor to the Steelers’ success.

His best lifts are as follows:

Squat: 700 pounds (unwitnessed) and 600 pounds (official)
Bench Press: 500 pounds

Kolb’s deadlifting records are unknown, as he did not focus much on that movement. He participated in the World’s Strongest Man competition two times, standing at 4^thon both occasions.

Beating Bob Young, he was termed as the Strongest Man in Football at that time. That is why Kolb is higher on the list compared to Young, who reportedly has a more impressive weightlifting record.

The difference between their best performances lies in the technique and assisting equipment used while performing the lift. In professional competitions like the World’s Strongest Man, Kolb came out superior to Young in terms of raw, unassisted strength.

Moreover, Kolb’s pound-for-pound strength was better than that of Young’s.

2. Larry Allen

Height: 6’3’’
Weight: 325 pounds
Year: 1994-2007

Touted by many as the strongest player in the NFL, Larry Allen makes the second spot in our list based purely on his best weightlifting records. Standing at an imposing 6’3’’, he weighs 325 pounds, making him one of the biggest players ever.

Allen never got into powerlifting. But he did achieve some impressive weightlifting feats during his strength training routines:

Squat: 905 pounds (no official proof)
Bench Press: 705 pounds (assisted)
Bench Press: 41 reps of 225 pounds

There is no official record of Allen’s deadlift performance. His 705-pounder was assisted, with the spotter having his arms on the barbell during the last few repetitions.

Despite that, his 41 repetitions of 225 pounds indicate that his estimated bench press 1RM is around 532.5 pounds, making him one of the strongest athletes ever.

1. Terry Long

Height: 5’1’’
Weight: 275 pounds
Year: 1984-1991

Terry Long is a mythical figure in the world of the NFL. He started out as a powerlifter and could have potentially become the greatest in that field if he weren’t drafted in the NFL. He played for the Steelers for around eight years before his career ended prematurely.

He took his own life at just 45 years old; his legacy was cemented in the sport’s Hall of Fame. Long’s weightlifting numbers were pretty impressive:

Squat: 7 pounds
Bench Press: 5 pounds
Deadlift: 3 pounds

These are the official lifts that he recorded, making him the strongest man in the NFL by a difference of leagues.

It’s also rumored that he managed to squat more than 900 pounds, but there is no official record of that happening.

Who is the Strongest NFL Player Ever?

Terry Long, arguably, is the strongest NFL player of all time. His official weightlifting records are humongous, even for the standards set by a professional powerlifter.

To give you some perspective, his powerlifting total (if we add up his best lifts) comes to around 2,204.5 pounds, an impressive feat. In comparison, Ronnie Coleman, the greatest bodybuilder to ever live, recorded an estimated powerlifting total of 2,250 pounds.

As you can see, there is not a lot of difference. And Long is not even a professional weightlifter or a bodybuilder. He is an athlete who performed strength-based training workouts to improve his performance on the pitch.

Based on that, Terry Long is rightly hailed as the strongest man in NFL, ever.

Who Has The Highest Bench Press in the NFL?

Currently, Stephen Paea has the highest-recorded bench press in the NFL Combine. He performed a whopping 49 repetitions of 225 pounds, creating history.

Justin Ernest is the only football to have ever topped him. Unfortunately, he was never drafted. So, Paea remains the current holder of the record.

Who Has The Highest Squat in the NFL?

Larry Allen claims to have squatted over 900 pounds behind the scenes. However, there are no official witnesses or records of the same.

As such, the title of the heaviest squatter in the NFL goes to Terry Long. He squatted 837.7 pounds while training as a professional footballer.

Who Has The Highest Deadlift in the NFL?

Terry Long has the heaviest-recorded deadlift in the NFL. He deadlifted around 865.3 pounds officially during his peak as a football player.

The only one who comes close to this figure is Bob Young, who claims to have deadlifted around 800 pounds. However, there is no official documentation of that.

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Final Words

The NFL has birthed some of the strongest men in the history of sports. While strength training is not the focal point of their respective careers, it forms a large part of their daily routine.

As such, the likes of Terry Long and Larry Allen have created history by setting amazing weightlifting records.

References

Mamon, M. A., Olthof, S., Burns, G. T., Lepley, A. S., Kozloff, K. M., & Zernicke, R. F. (2021). Position-Specific physical workload intensities in American collegiate football training. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 36(2), 420–426. https://doi.org/10.1519/jsc.0000000000004174
McGuigan, M. R., Wright, G., & Fleck, S. J. (2012). Strength training for athletes: Does it really help sports performance? International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 7(1), 2–5. https://doi.org/10.1123/ijspp.7.1.2
Fitzgerald, C. F., & Jensen, R. L. (2020). Fitzgerald – NFL strength training 98 to 18 – Miami 2019. ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/344693165_Fitzgerald_-_NFL_strength_training_98_to_18_-_Miami_2019
Relationships between anthropometry and maximal strength in male classic powerlifters. (2020, December 1). PubMed. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33414873/

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11 Strongest NFL Players of All Time