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The "Fearsome Foursome" was a title first used in reporting American professional football, when referring to the dominating defensive lines of the New York Giants, Detroit Lions, San Diego Chargers of the American Football League in the early 1960s, and to the Los Angeles Rams of the 1960s and 1970s.

In the 1957 season the New York Daily News, a major New York city tabloid, ran an article and sketches of the New York Giant defensive line consisting of ends Andy Robustelli and Jim Katcavage, and tackles Rosey Grier and Dick Modzelewski and a headline that read "A Fearsome Foursome.

The nickname "Fearsome Foursome" was first used to describe the 1962 Detroit Lions line of Roger Brown, Alex Karras, Darris McCord, and Sam Williams.

The San Diego Chargers were one of the elements that helped make the American Football League the genesis of modern professional football. Their only coach for the ten year life of the AFL was Sid Gillman, a Hall of Famer who forced his competition to try to field as professional a product as the Chargers. With stars such as Lance Alworth, Paul Lowe, Keith Lincoln and John Hadl, the Chargers' offense struck fear into the hearts of AFL defenders. But under Gillman the Chargers also played top-notch defense, as indicated by their professional football record 49 pass interceptions in 1961. The term "Fearsome Foursome" was first applied to the Chargers' defensive front four of Ron Nery, Bill Hudson, Ernie Ladd, and Earl Faison. Alternate members of the group included Bob Petrich, George Gross, and Henry Schmidt. The Chargers franchise appeared in the first two American Football League Championship games and five altogether, winning the AFL title in 1963 with a 51 - 10 thumping of the Boston Patriots.

The original LA Rams Fearsome Foursome

Rosey Grier was acquired from the New York Giants in 1963 to join Lamar Lundy, Merlin Olsen and Deacon Jones as the Los Angeles Rams starting defensive line. They became known as the Fearsome Foursome, a line that Dick Butkus called "the most dominant line in football history." Roger Brown replaced Grier from 1967 until 1969, when Coy Bacon and Diron Talbert became the next starters. From 1973 to 1976 the defensive line was nicknamedThe New Fearsome Foursome when Jack Youngblood, Fred Dryer, and Larry Brooks joined Olsen and continued the tradition of terrorizing opposing offenses.