Roy Williams
Standing at just six feet, Roy Williams was pretty undersized compared to other NFL safeties, and he had to use all the advantages available to him. He was known for several techniques, one of them being the horse-collar tackle, which involved yanking the back of another player’s collar to make their legs sweep out from under them. The move became extremely problematic since the victim did not have any control over how he got taken to the ground, and in just one season, four players suffered injuries from Williams alone. After that year, the move was subsequently banned by the NFL during the off-season in 2005. The “Roy Williams Rule,” as it is commonly known, has been expanded, and now the yanking of the jersey from the back and the shoulder pads of the opposing player are also banned.
Roy Williams
Lester Hayes
Another NFL defender who caused a rules to change, Lester Hayes had a special technique of “getting extremely sticky” and it was the reason for the change. Up to that point, players could use the adhesive Stickum on their hands to allow them to catch balls easier on offense and defense, but he took the usage of the product to a different level. He would smother his hands and himself with it, and he was able to set a record because of this – the most interceptions in one season. If he didn’t nab a catch for himself, he got stuck to wide receivers since the stuff was all over him. The NFL decided enough was enough, so they banned the use of the product with what is now known as “the Lester Hayes Rule.”
Lester Hayes
