As soon as the news broke that the Miami Dolphins will be on HBO’s Hard Knocks this season, it was evident who would assume the staring role.

Reggie Bush
Ryan Tannehill

Lauren Tannehill

We’ve seen this before. Back in 2008, when the young, upstart Kansas City Chiefs went to training camp with Hard Knocks, the HBO crew decided to focus on the QB battle between Brodie Croyle and Damon Huard.

And the viewing audience decided to focus on Croyle’s wife and her, um, ample contributions to the show.

The star of Hard Knocks 2008, Kelli Croyle. Also pictured: Brodie Croyle's useless arm.

Fans couldn’t really be blamed for latching on to Mrs. Croyle. After all, she was the most interesting person on the show. Who else did they have to invest in?

Brodie?

Huard?

Herm, who is featured on the show making a glittery sign that says, “Welcome to training camp?”

Carl Peterson, who, in a famous outtake from the show, is seen sitting at his desk ripping ass?

The Chiefs went on to go 2-14 in 2008, some guy named Tyler Thigpen ended up being the starting QB, Brodie Croyle never won an NFL game and Herm is now making signs for ESPN and Carl is busy ripping ass in the private sector. If not for Kelli Croyle, the 2008 season might had been a total waste for Chiefs fans.

The same might be said for fans of the Miami Dolphins. Though the team is expected to be improved in 2012, Tannehill comes with major question marks. Still, Miami took Tannehill in the first round of the NFL draft and since the Dolphins expect him to be their starter. That means he will be featured prominently on Hard Knocks.

And so will Mrs. Tannehill.

Lauren has already gotten started publicizing herself. She is doing a spread in Maxim which is likely only to increase her allure to slobbering NFL fans around the globe.

To her credit, Kelli Croyle stayed mostly out of the public spotlight, save a few appearances on the show. Even still, this website still gets a ton of hits from folks searching Google for her image.

Tannehill on the other hand, seems quite interested in getting herself noticed.

Methinks we haven’t see the last of her.

As we lose Brodie Croyle today, I thought it was important that we also say goodby to his wife.

Kelli Croyle.

Ever since appearing on HBO’s Hard Knocks in a low-cut top, Chiefs fans have been head over heels in love with Brodie Croyle’s wife. In fact, some theorize that Croyle has only held onto a roster spot this long because of his wife.

It is a sad state of affairs when the fans of your football team are more sad to see your wife go than they are you, but, hey, this is the world we live in. Unfortunately for Chiefs fans, they now live in a world without Kelli Croyle.

So long Kelli Croyle. I think I speak for us all when I say, we’d trade ten Kelly Gregg’s for one Kelli Croyle.

Move over, Kelli Croyle. Move over, um…skeleton. We not only got a new quarterback in Matt Cassell, we got a new quarterback’s wife as well. Meet Lauren Cassel, formerly Lauren Killian.

(I can’t help but think of Ah-nold and The Running Man when I hear that name. “Killian! I’ll be back!“)

She’s a 6-foot-1 glamazon beauty and former USC volleyball player. In fact, she led the Women of Troy to a National Championship in 2002. She was Cassel’s long-time girlfriend before the two got married about a year ago. Carson Palmer was actually the best man.

Maybe I just think tall girls are smokin’ because I’m tall, but I think the Chiefs just added yet another hot wife to their already impressive collection. Keep him happy, Lauren. He’s now our man, too.

More photos after the jump…

(more…)

VS.

Which former Hard Knocks hotty is hotter: Kelli Croyle or October Gonzalez?

(we also found the girl behind The Show, too…)

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