No. Wright, Seattle Seahawks. From canvas high-tops to social media dominance, the NBA has come a long way. He had over 1,000 tackles, over 70 sacks, and over 30 forced fumbles in his career. Boulware gets overlooked a lot playing because of playing with Ray Lewis, but he was a key component in that dominating Ravens defense of the early 2000s. L.T. 12 sacks and three picks. Regardless, he definitely deserves the respect for what he accomplished on the field. During the 2016 NFL Scouting Combine, Lee posted the fastest 40-yard dash time among . He always tried to better himself and did it effectively. No. Zachary Petrizzo. No. Voted to seven Pro Bowls, named First Team All-Pro five times. Swilling was the best pass rusher of the Dome Patrol, but he also forced 36 fumbles to go along with all the sacks. No. I’m only going to be looking at players drafted in 1970 or later. 10, Junior Seau (Chargers/Dolphins/Patriots) (1990-2009) *Twelve-time Pro Bowler *Six-time All-Pro 1st Team *Three-time All-Pro 2nd Team. Tippett finished his career with 100 sacks. He was very athletic, a great tackler, and he could cover. He was always good enough for Pro Bowls, but was never an All-Pro Player. Blair was outstanding in coverage, along with being a great tackler. Collect, curate and comment on your files. Top 10, however, is not only a sure thing but easy as it was very tough for me to keep Levy out of the top 5 over the guy that made it. Thomas did everything you asked out of a linebacker. Junior Seau finished his career with 1,524 tackles, the highest total on this list. Wilson recorded 560 tackles and 21.5 sacks as a member of the Broncos. Jack Lambert was the teammate of Jack Ham who took the inside linebacker duties. But before you come to a conclusion, let's take a look at the facts. Robert Brazile. His swinging the axe celebration sums up his style of play and tenacity on the field. He had 885 career solo tackles, which is impressive on a defense filled with swarming the ball, shown by his 1,488 career tackles. 25. Running back Larry Csonka of the Miami Dolphins is brought down by linebacker Henry Davis of . He wasnt great at just one aspect he was equally great at everything he did. Thomas' remarkable personality was also recognized by being awarded the Walter Peyton Man of the Year Award in 1993. A true enforcer in every sense of the word, Lewis intensity was unmatched by any player of his era. He was also the first player to have a TE or RB used for chip blocking on, and overall changed the way offensive lineman block. Pat Swilling. The entire enterprise of Notre Dame basketball, gone strange. The Pittsburgh Steelers are second with all-time players in four decades. Those would be accomplishments by themselves, let alone all together. Simpson in 1973 or Terry Bradshaw's two Super Bowl MVP performances. Mills was more of the tackler of the bunch, racking up 1,142 tackles in his career. The only reason Brooks isnt higher up on this list is because he had a fantastic surrounding cast which includes, most notably, Warren Sapp taking up blockers on the line. First-Team All-Pro, Pro Bowl w/Raiders (1991) NFL interceptions leader w/Raiders (1991) Ronnie Lott is best known for being arguably the best safety in football history. Tribute to Elvis Comic-Con Museum named best pop culture museum by USA Today. Any coach would be lucky to have a player like Karl Mecklenburg on their roster. You could stick him on any TE in the league, even some slot receivers, and he would take them out of the game. Urlacher was the leader of those great Bears defenses of the 2000s, including when they got to the Super Bowl only to lose to Peyton Manning and the Colts. Singletary was one of the key leaders of the famous 85 Bears defense, arguably the greatest defense in the history of the NFL. Suggs will only continue to climb this list the longer he plays, since hes in the middle of his prime right now. Gradishar was the silent assassin of the team. Banks was a player that any coach would want on their team. In today's NFL, few positions have become as difficult to play as off-ball linebacker. Merriman still has the potential to be a great player again. Derrick Thomas was on pace to absolutely shatter NFL records before his tragic death in 2000. No. He did it once in 1985 and again in 1988. He also played a big role in one of the most dominant performances by a defense in Super Bowl history. 5.) Nickerson wasnt just a one hit wonder though. No. No. Singletary was a leader, not only vocally, but by example. Derrick Thomas was on pace to absolutely shatter NFL records before his tragic death in 2000. We started off with a rough one the wide receivers. (Pro Football Weekly 1975 Defensive Player of the Year, 1970s All-Decade Team, 1994 75th anniversary team), and also the team success (4 Super Bowls). Matt Blair was a very intimidating linebacker, and helped the Vikings get to two Super Bowls in his career. Hes also had at least 83 tackles in every year other than his rookie season. He wasnt very vocal, but his play did all the talking for him. Hes going into his first healthy season again in three years. Bet with your head, not over it. Robertson was one of the NFLs most athletic linebackers. It may be a bit early to put Jon Beason on this list, but I think his play warrants the selection. 7. With time to spare in the NFL offseason, Ill take a look at the top 50 linebackers in the NFL in the modern era. He also had at least 99 tackles in seven years of his 12-year career, which is outstanding. And here are the 25 greatest linebackers in NFL history: 25. No. Lewis, playing alongside Bryan Cox, led a very good Jets team to the closest theyve been to a Super Bowl since they won Super Bowl III. 3, Mike Singletary (Bears) (1981-1992) *Ten-time Pro Bowler *Seven-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. In the 2017-18 NFL season, the current Buffalo Bills starting LBs and backup LBs are Lorenzo Alexander, Deon Lacey, Matt Milano, and Tanner Vallejo. No. Not only did he change the way defenses are run, but he changed the way offensive schemes are run as well. Those are remarkable numbers, especially when he is still going strong. 4, Derrick Thomas (Chiefs) (1989-1999) *Nine-time Pro Bowler *Two-time 1st Team All-Pro *Three-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Jessie Armstead was one of the most consistent linebackers on this list. Joey Porter. This brings us to the first night of March and a not-quite-full Purcell . Hes also great against the run and is a turnover forcing monster. Thomas is also third all-time in safeties and fumble returns for touchdowns. In 1984 and 1985, Tippett put up two of the best back-to-back seasons recording 18.5 and 16.5 sacks in them. Ray Lewis came into the league and dominated right away. Known as quite possibly the most sound tackler in school history, Ham was an extremely fundamental linebacker who was the captain of the 1970 Penn State defense. No. Steve Kiner (1966-69): Tennessee fans didn't have to wait long after Emanuel left to find the next superstar linebacker. The line was the backbone of the Steelers dynasty, which won four Super Bowls (IX, X, XIII, and XIV) in six years.. Even now, you can tell what kind of person he is by his charity work with the REACH Foundation that he started. No. Williams was the heart and soul of two Super Bowl defenses. From his time at USC, Lott . He was close to averaging a sack per game, which is an amazing number. Punter Ray Guy was the leading vote-getter for the 1970s All-Decade Team, receiving 24 of a possible 25 votes. Ham is the only linebacker other than Tom Jackson to have seven INTs in a single season. 9, Derrick Brooks (Bucs) (1995-2008) *Eleven-time Pro Bowler *Five-time 1st Team All-Pro *Four-time 2nd Team All-Pro. He led some of the greatest defenses in NFL history in both performance and spirit. Its too bad Fredd Youngs career had to end prematurely due to injuries. These are the newest members of GHSF Daily's Georgia Power 100. Two years later, the Giants sunk to 1-12-1. In his time in the NFL, he intercepted 25 passes and returned six of them for touchdowns with three of those in 2002 alone. St. A tall order to say the least, and these 5 players did it better than anyone in the history of the NFL. Beason may be the most controversial player on this list. 46, Jon Beason* (Panthers) (2007-Present) *One-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Quinto was a regular at both inside and outside linebacker for head coach Ron Gladnick's Saints. No. Bergey became one of the NFL's best linebackers in Philly, where he made five consecutive All-Pro teams and was the foundation for the "Gang Green" defense that made the playoffs in each of his last three seasons, including a trip to the Super Bowl in 1980. . Carson did most of the dirty work in that linebacking core. Jackson was most notable for being a pass rusher, but he really did it all. He has speed, size, toughness, instincts, vision, patience, and football smarts. 33, Al Wilson (Broncos) (1999-2006) *Five-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Dennis Onkotz was a two time first team All American on the great Penn State teams of 1968 and 1969. FCK Prediction, Head-To-Head, Live Stream, Hamilton vs Arbroath Prediction, Head-To-Head, Live Stream, Paderborn vs FC St. Pauli Prediction, Head-To-Head, Live, Andorra vs Las Palmas Prediction, Head-To-Head, Live Stream, AGF vs Horsens Prediction, Head-To-Head, Live Stream Time,, Southend Utd vs Barnet Prediction, Head-To-Head, Live Stream, Kawasaki vs Shonan Bellmare Prediction, Head-To-Head, Live. LT finished his career with 142 sacks, averaging nearly 11 sacks per season. Since Donnie Shell finally cracked the Hall of Fame, I would say the . He also had 20 INTs, three of which he returned for touchdowns. Derrick Brooks may be the most accomplished linebacker on this list. [1][2] The squad consists of first- and second-team offensive, defensive, and special teams units, as well as a first- and second-team head coaches. There is a reason the award given to the best linebacker in high school, college and the NFL each year is named after Butkus. In that career he played both 4-3 OLB and 3-4 ILB. Porter will try to continue his success in Arizona and continue to climb up this list. Although still early in his career, Demarcus Ware deserves to be this high on the list. Kirkland had 10 tackles and a key sack of Dallas quarterback Troy Aikman. Ware has made four consecutive Pro Bowls and has had three consecutive All-Pro seasons. 1970, slow dancing in Mark Wooldridge's basement with my first girlfriend, Karen Frey, who wore white high-top . No. Thomas was one of the most instinctive linebackers of all-time. Here's a list of the Packers' top 10 all-time defensive players since 1950, when unlimited substitution was restored to the NFL, paving the way for two-platoon football. In the first round, the team tabbed Fred McNeill of USC, who became a fixture at the outside linebacker spot for many . Zach Thomas. Williams recorded 16 interceptions and 23 fumble recoveries (a franchise record). Butkus nasty disposition and ability to blow up anyone standing in his path, made him one of the most feared players in the history of the game. Let me start out by saying that yes, I know that he was only a linebacker for half his career and DE the other half. Their greats span the decades of the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s. He should still improve this season with Ndamukong Suh in front of him to help free him up. [3] He played in 10 playoff games and had two INTs and three fumble recoveries in them. He tried to get in your head before you even took a step on the field of play. Derrick Brooks may be the most accomplished linebacker on this list. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, and wants help, call or visit: (a) the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey at 1-800-Gambler or www.800gambler.org; or (b) Gamblers Anonymous at 855-2-CALL-GA or www.gamblersanonymous.org. Thats amazing consistency. There was a story of someone meeting Thomas at the Pro Bowl for no longer than 10 minutes. Ham had outstanding speed. Baltimore, with 2,038 rushing yards through its first 10 games of the season, is the seventh team since 1970 and first since the 1978 New England Patriots (2,029 rushing yards) with at least 2,000 . The 1970s had many great moments by individual players such as the NFL's first 2,000-yard season by O.J. Derrick Thomas still holds the NFL record for most sacks in a single NFL game with seven, against the Seattle Seahawks in 1990. Defensive MVP in 2002. He could do it all. The . Robertson is one of the most underrated players in NFL history. Career highlights: Super Bowl champion (1969), three-time Pro Bowl (1970-72), two . Atlanta Falcons outside linebacker Arnold Ebiketie #47 gets a hold of Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields #1 during the second half of a game against the Chicago Bears at Mercedes-Benz Stadium . Ranking Explanation . His high sack number was 15 in 2001, a year that he didnt even get voted into the Pro Bowl. He was never the most athletic player on the field, but he was always the hardest working. Mills, along with Swilling, was another member of that Dome Patrol defense. Johnson was most known for his days with the Saints. The 2008 season was his best sack season with 17.5. He won Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1974 and Defensive Player of the Year two years later. Marshall wasnt just a pass coverage linebacker though, he also racked up 1,020 tackles during his 11 year NFL career, along with 24 forced fumbles. But, theres no doubt that hes been one of the top linebackers in the NFL, and still is today. He could do it all. 2, Ray Lewis* (Ravens) (1996-Present) *Eleven-time Pro Bowler *Seven-time 1st Team All-Pro *Two-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Lamberts best season was in 1976, where he won the Defensive Player of the Year award. 2022 - SportsUnfold. Edmunds will have to clean up the missed tackles and improve in coverage to rise toward where most slot him currently a top-10 linebacker on this list next season. Mo Lewis was another very consistent and solid player. Paup was a complete linebacker, who was especially great at rushing the passer. He was also the fastest linebacker of the bunch and excelled in pass coverage. Baker recorded 19 . SRS: 6.97 (5th of 26), SOS: 1.40. No. Mills was more of a complete player than Swilling, although the two are too close to separate one from the other. 34, Julian Peterson* (49ers/Seahawks/Lions) (2000-Present) *Five-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. NFL Defensive Rookie of the . Ralph Baker - Years with Jets: 11 (1964-74) Baker played in 142 games with the Jets in his 11 seasons, which is tied with Marvin Jones for the 4 th most by a linebacker. He was selected late in the 12th Round, and nobody expected much out of him. If you take away his last three seasons, where he was slowing down, he averaged 12.4 sacks per season, which is just remarkable. . Overlooked because he played alongside Lawrence Taylor, Carson did most of the dirty work in that linebacking core. He had five INTs in a season twice in his career. He became a starter at inside linebacker for the Steelers in his second season, 1993, replacing Pro Bowler David Little. Most known for his antics like spitting in other players faces, Romanowskis play sometimes gets overshadowed. He had 1,301 tackles and 25 forced fumbles in his career. Jalen Carter, top NFL prospect, posts bond in fatal crash. 1970s A 1-13 record in 1969 gave the Steelers the first overall choice in the 1970 draft, with which Noll addressed the offense by selecting quarterback Terry Bradshaw, another Hall of Famer, after the Steelers won the first selection by winning a coin toss with the Chicago Bears. Still, its an amazing number. He finished his career with 132.5 sacks. He is the only linebacker to ever take the honor. Mecklenburg finished his career with 79 sacks, which is great for an ILB, and also ranks 2nd all-time in Broncos history. Next: A dangerous combination. . Zach Thomas would be the perfect linebacker, no matter what style of defense you play. Lewis wasnt as vocal as Cox, but his play was a little better, and lasted for a longer period of time. A shot of Jameson for Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey. Joey Porter may be the most vocal linebacker on this list. He already has 57.5 sacks in his short career, along with 16 forced fumbles. NFL WAGS: 10 Hottest NFL Wives & Girlfriends 2023. No. 5, Jack Lambert (Steelers) (1974-1984) *Nine-time Pro Bowlers *Seven-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Paul Naumoff played for 12 seasons from 1967-1978. Julian Peterson has had a very well-rounded NFL career to this point, and its still going on. Taylor changed the way football is played today. Kirkland had great speed and agility for a big man. Thats right, seven. Don Moorehead, Dennis Franklin, Jim Harbaugh, Elvis Grbac, Tom Brady, Forest Evashevski, Benny Friedman and John Navarre were all elected Captains by their teammates. Urlacher was an all-around great linebacker who flew around the field with reckless abandon. Playoffs: Won Divisional Round 5-0 vs. Detroit Lions. To stoke the nostalgia, we talked to some of the key players from the team's winningest, most . No. 2-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year (1985, '88) Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 1989. In 1976, Jackson had seven INTs. He was Lawrence Taylor before Taylor was. Jack Ham had the whole package as a linebacker. Mar 3, 2023 Updated 4 min ago. Next were Defensive end Jack Youngblood and Joe Greene who each had 18 votes. If you take away his last three seasons, where he was slowing down, he averaged 12.4 sacks per season, which is just remarkable. 1986 Boston Celtics - Were they the greatest Team? The NFL started in 1920 and commemorated its 100th season in 2019 with a season-long celebration of "NFL 100." The game has come a long way in 100 years. Over the past 50 years, the Steelers have tallied 36 winning seasons . Among linebackers, that would include two-way stars George Svendsen (1935-41), Bud Svendsen (1937, 1939) and Charley Brock (1939-47), along with Bill Forester (1953-63), Tom Bettis (1955-61) and Roger Zatkoff (1953-56). It seemed like he knew where the ball was going at all times. When Indiana travels to San Antonio, it will MLB Rule Changes | Can F1 Compete With NASCAR | Froggy Talkin Sports #MLB #indianahoosiers #nascar, Indiana Basketball Postgame W/Steve Risley: Indiana vs Iowa Recap and more, Must be 21+. In 1985, a trophy awarded to the best linebacker in college football was named in his honor. Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter has returned to the NFL . 9. 9-time All-Pro, 10-time Pro Bowler. The next year, he followed it up with four more interceptions. All while being tasked with avoiding blocks and keeping tabs on the opposing quarterback. . Dennis Onkotz 1967 - 1969. Thats fine, he played enough linebacker to be considered this high. Rickey Jackson could do it all. Paul Naumoff. LaVar Arrington. 8, Demarcus Ware* (Cowboys) (2005-Present) *Four-time Pro Bowler *Three-time 1st team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Sam Huff. 47, Fredd Young (Seahawks/Colts) (1984-1990) *Four-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro. Sacks and tackles werent recorded until late in his career, but he was a great pass rusher and all-around linebacker. In 2007, he racked up a remarkable 17 sacks in only 12 games. Robert "Dr. Doom" Brazile is another one of those underrated linebackers. . No. The middle linebacker also recorded 52 tackles for loss, which is fourth all-time in Clemson history. Isiah Robertson, nicknamed The Playmaker, was known for coming up with the big plays in the biggest games. Peterson is another versatile linebacker who has played both inside and outside linebacker. His 32 career INTs lead the way for linebackers. Spielman had seven straight 100 tackle seasons, and did it eight out of nine years. Cox was also a vocal leader of the teams he played for, directing his defenses to success. LT was the most intimidating player ever to put on an NFL uniform. Jack Ham might be the best coverage linebacker of all time. Despite the bad taste he left when leaving the team, James Harrison belongs on the upper half of the top ten linebackers in Steelers history. His sacks are the main reason hes this high, but he was also a great all-around player. Use Isiah Robertsons name in a talk of most underrated players of all time, and youll impress your fellow football fans. As also playing DE should tell you, he was very versatile and could play many different positions. 2013 MAC Hall of Fame Inductee: Western Michigans John Offerdahl. No. 1. He just goes out every week and hustles. Still, its an amazing number. If Bulluck played on a better team, I believe his stats would be much better and his accomplishments would be a lot more. In only 11 seasons, Thomas had 126.5 sacks, and an NFL record of 41 forced fumbles. 48, Terrell Suggs* (Ravens) (2003-Present) *Three-time Pro Bowler *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. He holds the NFL record for the most Pro Bowl selections by a middle linebacker (13). He was also a good pass rusher, and a good coverage man as well. 38, Chad Brown (Steelers/Seahawks/Patriots) (1993-2007) *Three-time Pro Bowler *Two-time 1st Team All-Pro. Lewis stats at this point of his career are 1,349 tackles, 36.5 sacks, and 28 INTs. McAdams was a two-time All-American . Answer: Two of the three were constants for all four Super Bowls and ended up in the Hall of Fame. Lambert wasnt just great on the inside, he was an outstanding coverage linebacker. His 32 career INTs lead the way for linebackers. Fredd Young went a little under the radar due to his short seven year career. He even made the Pro Bowl in a year that he only started eight games and also a year in which he only started nine games. 7. He finished his career with 1,106 tackles and 627 assisted tackles as well. The most obvious change from 1920 to today is the size of players, but there also have been many changes in the schemes . Pat Swilling was an outstanding pass rusher in his career, totaling up 107 sacks in his career and 101.5 sacks in a 10 year period throwing out his rookie year and last season of his career. Lambert wasnt just great on the inside, he was an outstanding coverage linebacker. Thats the type of player you want on your team, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Some of you will say hes too low. Lawrence Taylor of course, is regarded as the best 3-4 linebacker ever, . Although he only played three full seasons, he made five Pro Bowls. Undersized height wise, but an overabundance of heart made him more than a handful to deal with. Top 25 SEC LBs of all-time: 10-6. This list isnt based solely on performances from the 2020 NFL season. He also is the only linebacker to ever win a Super Bowl MVP and be named NFL Defensive Player of the Year in the same season (2000). He was also the fastest linebacker of the bunch and excelled in pass coverage. He led the team in tackles five of the 11 season he played for them. Lost Super Bowl 13-16 vs. Baltimore Colts. Suggs is a pass rushing monster with the Ravens. 20, Keith Bulluck* (Titans) (2000-Present) *One-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Check out the 1970 Minnesota Vikings Roster, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees, Injury Reports and more on Pro-Football-Reference.com. The Raiders defeated the Eagles 27-10. May 24, 2022. Chip Banks was another linebacker that was solid at everything, but not great at anything. Spielman had seven straight 100 tackle seasons, and did it eight out of nine years. 2011 Butkus Award winner for nation s best linebacker at Boston College. Still, he was a very solid MLB for many years. We adapted Google's Privacy Guidelines to keep your data safe at all times. He started his career out with the Packers, if they would have used him correctly he would have been higher on this list. His 1989 rookie season was one of the best the NFL has ever seen. Thats amazing consistency. Patrick Willis is everything you look for in a linebacker. Defensive MVP in 2002. Brooks was the leader of that defense, but his surrounding cast was just too good to rank him higher. Pat Swilling was an outstanding pass rusher in his career, totaling up 107 sacks in his career and 101.5 sacks in a 10 year period throwing out his rookie year and last season of his career. Lewis was the leader of the 2000 Super Bowl winning Ravens team. As part of the Steelers Blitzburgh defense in the 90s, Greg Lloyd was a speedy, undersized pass rusher.Sometimes, he would use his size to his advantage to disguise where he was coming from. Selected by the Baltimore Colts in the 2nd round . 29, Joey Porter* (Steelers/Dolphins/Cardinals) (1999-Present) *Four-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro *Three-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Robertson is one of the most underrated players in NFL history. 9. *Ty Anderson, Thomasville: Anderson (6-0, 210) has been an all-state player since he was a sophomore Region 1-2A defensive co . He would always be found around the ball, and around the play. The defense was ranked right up there along with the 1985 Bears, and Steelers teams of the 1970s.
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