Nicknames have always been part of sports and the NFL has offered some of the best ones.

Some players are known as much by their moniker as by their actual name. Mention “Sweetness” to a fan who remembers the 1970s and 80s and they immediately think of Chicago's great running back, Walter Payton.

Same with “Broadway Joe”, a fitting description of the Jets' flamboyant quarterback, Joe Namath.

Some nicknames are lesser-known, but colorful nonetheless. Here are some from NFL days gone by.

Ice Cube — Cleveland's diminutive return man from the 1980s, Gerald McNeil was known for his ability to slip through and around tacklers. Ironically, the 5-foot-7, 145-pound specialist tallied two touchdowns on returns in his career and they came in back-to-back weeks in 1986.

In Week 4, he returned a punt 84 yards in a win over Detroit. The next week, he took a kickoff back 100 yards against Pittsburgh. It contributed to Cleveland's 27-24 win, the Browns' first-ever victory at Three Rivers Stadium in 17 tries.

The Tyler Rose — It referred to Oilers' running back Earl Campbell, who is well-known as a Hall-of-Famer, but the nickname is not as familiar to some fans.

Campbell's hometown of Tyler, Texas, gets a nod, but this tag does nothing to describe his bruising running style. He led the league in rushing in each of his first three years, but his body broke down and by the mid-80s, he was just another running back.

Manster — Dallas defensive lineman Randy White acquired this nickname that insinuated he was half-man, half-monster.

He was born in Pittsburgh, but grew up in Delaware before starring at the University of Maryland.

He shared MVP honors with teammate Harvey Martin following Super Bowl XII when the Cowboys dismantled Denver in January 1978, but White remained a dominant force well into the next decade. Elected to the Hall of Fame in 1994, he is credited with 52 sacks in his 14-year career, half of which was played before it became an official statistic. He averaged 12 sacks per campaign each season 1983-85.

White was chosen to the NFL's all-decade team in the 1980s and the recently-announced 100th Anniversary Team.

The Blade — It was a perfect description for a player who took advantage of the physicality allowed in the secondary in the 1970s and Pittsburgh safety Glen Edwards played the part with no apologies.

Edwards was a key member on the Steelers' first two Super Bowl seasons of 1974 and 1975 and was named to the Pro Bowl following the '75 and '76 seasons.

He was traded to San Diego during training camp in 1978 for a sixth-round draft pick, a move that was not indicative of his contributions in Pittsburgh.

Derek Pyda is a staff writer for the Butler Eagle