Was a Cowboy the 'Meanest' guy in the league?
by Jim Vance on Jun 13, 2009 8:00 AM CDT
in Dallas Cowboys History
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I had the opportunity to meet and spend several hours with Tom Rafferty at a sports equipment show in San Antonio. Rafferty is still a big man, albeit much slimmer than in his NFL offensive lineman days. He has since been stricken with an unexplained malady that has caused him to lose feeling in his legs, but at that show his athleticism was still very apparent.
Invariably the talk drifted to the Cowboys and his days on some of those championship teams. I asked him who was the meanest player in the league during those days. I was expecting him to say Conrad Dobler who had a reputation as a dirty player, or even the Raiders Jack Tatum, the Assassin.
I was surprised at his immediate response.
"Randy White, without a doubt, the meanest guy in the league." He said. I asked if Randy White was a dirty player, and he explained that White was not dirty, just mean. I asked him to define mean.
"Mean is a guy who comes after you with everything he has, on every play, the whole play, and he has a lot to bring. When you go up against him, you are just glad when the game is over because you feel like you have been fighting a buzz saw for the last hour. You just hope you can hold on. That was Randy and anyone who had to go against him will tell you that. He deserved the nickname, Manster, half man, half monster."
I saw a clip on television about Hollywood Henderson and he was laughing as he told the story about picking a fight with Randy White in the locker room. Drew Pearson added some commentary about that incident and Pearson too was laughing as he recalled Henderson getting in Randy White's face. Pearson's comment was something similar to, - ‘I knew Hollywood was crazy when he picked a fight with Randy White, probably the toughest guy in the league.' White threw the linebacker to the floor and pounced on him. In the same video, Henderson stated that he felt lucky Randy White didn't kill him.
The controversial but popular book, "Boys will be Boys" by Jeff Pearlman, relates a story about Charles Haley, a locker room bully, riding his Harley into Randy White's restaurant. White asked Haley to get the bike out of the restaurant, Haley swung and Randy White clocked the inebriated Haley, knocking him unconscious.
Is any current Cowboy as mean as the Manster?
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In a word, "no"
No Cowboys as mean as the Manster. Shoot, no Cowboys as mean as Lee Roy Jordan. Jordan and White would have taken all afternoon to settle something, with White’s size being the difference.
"We'll see." --Bill Parcells
by Uncle Angus on Jun 13, 2009 8:06 AM CDT reply actions 1 recs
No Cowboys as Mean as Michael Irvin
And I say that somewhat tongue in cheek. Irvin is very tough to the guys who think they’re going to get a shot at the Cowboys roster on 4th & Long. What a gawd-awful show.
by GhostofGaryHogeboom on Jun 13, 2009 2:49 PM CDT up reply actions
Just ask...
Everett McIver. Seriously, if any of you haven’t read, “Boys Will be Boys,” stop reading this right now, go out and get it. You won’t regret it.
We may not have a Manster on this team, but I will take a stab at our top 5 meanest dudes:
1. Ratliff – just a beast, always causing havoc and then does that cool ground-smashing thing.
2. Colombo – throw ’em off the pile, dude! then laugh in their face!
3. Bigg Davis – just looks mean.
4. MB3 – push ’em in the shoulder, sock ’em in the mouth, headbutt ’em, get the extra yard!
5. Scandrick – flies around looking to destroy, looking to cause a fumble.
I don’t know enough about some of the guys brought in through free agency, but once we see their play with our stars on, then we’ll see how mean they are. Igor, Sensei, and Brooking all have tough qualities to them and Kitna has had quite the mean mouth.
As for rookies, Jason Williams talks a mean game and DeAngelo Smith sounded mean to me in this interview. I expect Hodge to have bit of a mean streak too based on these highlights.
Hopefully, some of our new guys help build the intensity of the team.
"Grow where you are planted."
by Aaron Novinger on Jun 13, 2009 10:06 AM CDT reply actions
Randy White probably likes all these guys you mention, too.
I especially like your last line. Intensity level needs raising overall. Even 26 intense guys on Sunday isn’t enough.
"We'll see." --Bill Parcells
by Uncle Angus on Jun 13, 2009 10:28 AM CDT up reply actions
I'd never heard that story about Haley
I would have loved to have seen that, as Haley deserved to get clocked based on the stories I’ve heard about him, but it sounds apocryphal.
There is no one remotely as tough or as mean as Randy White on the 2009 defense, and there hasn’t been since…1988. Correct me if I’m wrong, but even though there have been some solid-to-great Dallas defenses in the last 20 years, none of them had an individual player with the combination of toughness, meanness and intimidation that #54 had. Hell, not even Bob Lilly, by all accounts, was a SOB like White!
Clearly nobody with the Manster's ferocity on this current roster...
…but that’s not necessarily an indictment of this current team. We’re comparing them to one of the best defensive linemen of all time, after all.
Larry Allen benched 700 pounds. That is Leonard Davis times two.
The Haley story is fantastic, by the way
One of the best parts of that book
Larry Allen benched 700 pounds. That is Leonard Davis times two.
Haley may have been mean and intimidating
but based on his various injuries and public complaining and getting called out by coached, he wasn’t the toughest guy in the world.
Tough Man
A couple of years ago there was some sort of celebrity tough man boxing contest. Can’t remember the participants but I do remember Randy White was in it and he won. He beat up on those guys pretty good, he was tough and he hit hard. Very impressive for an older guy.
Randy White brings back great memories. That was my favorite era for the Cowboys, I don’t think they were as good as the 90’s Cowboys, but still my favorite. If I recall correctly, The Manster was a bit of a hybrid, drafted as a DE but played at LB for a couple of years, hence the #54. Then was moved to D line and the rest is history. Thanks for the memories of one great player and a great era.
Perhaps I'm wrong,
but I think he was drafted for an interior D-line position. All the more shocking he could move into LB.
by Eagles suck on Jun 13, 2009 12:40 PM CDT up reply actions
I think he played DL in college (Maryland!) but the Cowboys drafted him as an LB
where he didn’t do well, then moved to DL
by Realist Larry on Jun 13, 2009 5:16 PM CDT up reply actions
Randy White?
Never heard any such thing during the 80s. I suspect practically no mass media person nor ex-NFLer (save for a few ex-Cowboys) would pick Randy White in the top 20 meanest players in the league history. Until I read this article, I wouldn’t have put him in the Cowboys’ top 20.
I never heard of any of this...
..until after he retired. When he was playing he was never a vocal guy, I don’t remember him getting in fights on the field or jawing at anyone. But the Rafferty story I heard for myself, and the others are public. When I was a kid and saw a fight brewing in a gas station in Ohio, one guy was dancing around, making threats, the other guy just continued to lean against the wall quietly. We left,before anything happened, but I asked my old man who he thought would win the fight. He said, “It’s usually the quiet guys who are the meanest, the other guy is trying to convince himself with all that talk. I’m betting on the quiet guy.”
Maybe that’s Randy White, just doing his job and letting that stand for him.
"He has a peculiar felicity of expression." John Adams
I remember one fight.
It was a preseason game against the Bears. 1985 as a matter of record. I don’t remember which Chicago O-lineman it was, but something pissed Randy White off. He ripped the poor fool’s helmet off and started beating him over the head with it. The camera panned downfield and Jesse Penn was mauling Matt Suey. Randy White was tripled teamed on that play, and still won the battle and the war. The Chicago O-lineman left the game bloody and never returned.
Nobody in football should be called a genius. A genius is a guy like Norman Einstein.
Joe ThEEsman
Jimbo Covert
was the guy he was beating over the head.
Not quite accurate
Just saw this and had to comment. You guys have such selective memory of what happened and especially the aftermath. I was at that game and remember quite well what happened. It was a very hot night and had to be over 100 degrees on the field. Tempers were flaring from the start with several scuffles. A fight started between Randy White and Mark Bortz. White ripped off Bortz’s helmet (not Covert) and hit tackle Van Horne with it. A big brawl ensued with the Cowboys defensive line and Bears o-line. Several players got thrown out.
What happened later is what you guys failed to mention. The Bears came back down to Texas stadium later that year and gave the Cowboys the worst beating in franchise history 44-0 and their first shuout. Randy White and the defensive line were a non-factors getting destroyed by the Bears o-line. Maybe he should have started another fight.
Ever see the footage
of White running down some Eagle WR from 1980 or so? Pretty good stuff. But still not as impressive as rookie Larry Allen chasing after a Saints LB for 50 yards in 1994.
unbelievable
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siv0EXw5IGI
starts at 2:27
the whole video of him is great
Had To Google
‘cause my memory not be so good. He was drafted as an All America DE out of Maryland, the 2nd player drafted in ’75. The first two years he was moved to MLB and was a backup, the third he was moved to DT where he became a star and was the co-MVP of Super Bowl XII, Cowboys beating Denver 27-10. And that started a streak of 9 straight All Pro selections, and amazingly missed a mere 1 game in 14 seasons. In ’78 he was named the NFL Defensive Player of the year. His regular season career totals were 1,104 tackles, 701 solo tackles and 111 sacks. He played in 3 Super Bowls (remember when we used to play in those fairly often?) and 6 NFC championship games. Players like that don’t come along very often.
For More Nostalgia
remember Randy White played in the famed “Flex Defense”, where 2 DL would move off the LOS a yard or so. Tom Landry was credited with creating the 4-3 defense, his contribution was adding the MLB – his first MLB was legendary Sam Huff. And of course he created the Flex Defense which worked well for him. Landry also was creative on offensive, using man in motion and the shotgun as well as other unusual (at the time) techniques. A great era for the Dallas Cowboys.
The Manster
One of history’s great nicknames. I wish I’d been old enough to see him in his prime.
by GhostofGaryHogeboom on Jun 13, 2009 2:51 PM CDT reply actions
I watched every game of his Cowboys career. I have no idea if he was
mean, but there is and was no one tougher.
Randy White took over a game in the 4th quarter
against the Saints on Monday Night Football. Bum Phillips was the Saint coach and Ken Stabler was the QB. If I remember correctly he forced Stabler into a couple of turnovers/fumbles in the closing minutes. The Cowboys converted them into touchdowns and a last minute win.
He was relentless.
Here is a youtube video link (Randy White Tribute). The quality is not great, but look at his eyes in the opening few seconds. He just looks absolutely focused. Also, he was punishing when he sacked the QB.
That makes me wish I was born a half-generation earlier.
"Grow where you are planted."
by Aaron Novinger on Jun 13, 2009 9:21 PM CDT up reply actions
My Manster Memory
I think the memory that has stuck with me over the years was a game against the Redskins during the last few years of White’s career. The Redskins had come from behind to beat the Cowboys. In his frustration, Randy White ripped the helmet off of one of the Redskins players and started beating him with it. The man was one bad a**. I sure am glad that he was on the side of my favorite team. :-)
Here's my 2 cents!!!
Randy White was simply the best D-Lineman i’ve seen play in Dallas since 1975, and quite possibly the best ever in a Dallas uniform, although I wasn’t around to see Bob Lilly, who I’d consider the best on information passed down to me. Randy White is the guy that got me involved in playing football, and I started my pee-wee career wearing #54 and played DT. I’m forever grateful for an opportunity to watch this man play. A man’s man, who feared nobody, and dominated his position like no other with power, technique, will, drive, determination, nastiness, and relentlessness.
Coach Landry said that Bob Lilly was the best football player that he ever coached,
but Randy could not have been far behind. With Randy and Harvey on the right side, it was a tough combination to stop.
If Randy White is
the “manster,” does that mean Tony Romo is the “womanster?”
ha!
Said with tongue in cheek hoping to cause Terry to lose vision and possibly spontaneously combust.
Tough as they come and mean. Randy White is my choice all time Cowobys wise. League wise, I may get plenty of
‘homer’ arguments but my guy would still be Randy White. By the way, Randy autographed my Mirage leather Cowboy Jacket in his restaurant many years ago. A prized possession. Great ribs too. Does he still operate the restaurant?
Family, Friends, Cowboys, Beer & BBQ. Life is good!
I don't know about mean
but he certainly was the most intense player we ever had, always giving 120% of his effort no matter what the situation, whether we were winning or losing in a blowout.
In Romo we Trust
Had lunch with Randy once.
Nicest guy in the world out of his Cowboys uniform, but I didn’t get very itchy to “F” with him either let alone ride a Harley into his restaurant.
When did I become a Cowboy fan? When my mom told me I was.
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