He was 73. Suggs is a pass rushing monster with the Ravens. He also finished his career with 17 INTs. Brooks is most known for his coverage ability in the Bucs cover-two scheme. 28a, Pat Swilling (Saints/Lions/Raiders) (1986-1998) *Five-time Pro Bowler *Two-time 1st Team All-Pro *Two-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Armstead didnt particularly stand out at anywhere, but he wasnt a weak link anywhere either. Lamberts signature toothless snarl struck fear into the hearts of the opposition and lends credence to his legendary status as one of the toughest players all-time. That suggestion from the newly appointed House . He should still improve this season with Ndamukong Suh in front of him to help free him up. Mike Singletary. Singletary was a leader, not only vocally, but by example. 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 . 6, Jack Ham (Steelers) (1971-1982) *Eight-time Pro Bowler *Six-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. LT was the most intimidating player ever to put on an NFL uniform. No.
NFL's All-Decade Team of the 1970s - DEFENSE - pfhof This site is using Cloudflare and adheres to the Google Safe Browsing Program.
AP Sports SummaryBrief at 7:03 a.m. EST | National | wdrb.com The offense, meanwhile, scored 29 points a game. Wilber Marshall was one of the greatest pass coverage linebackers of the modern era.
2022 NFL Linebacker Rankings and Tiers | NFL News, Rankings and - PFF Hardy Nickerson makes it this high on the list mainly because of one ridiculous season he had. A true enforcer in every sense of the word, Lewis intensity was unmatched by any player of his era. He could do it all.
PFF Rankings: The NFL's top 25 linebackers ahead of the 2020 NFL season No. The player that gives Butkus the most competition in that category would be Mike Singletary. Theres not much Brooks doesnt have. 2. Taylor is one of only two defensive players (DT Alan Page, 1971) in the history of the NFL to be named NFL MVP. Controversial Nights: Pernell Whitaker vs Julio Cesar Chavez, Top 11 Big Ten Basketball Teams, since 1960, Top 12 Guards in Big Ten Basketball history, NBA Pacers vs Spurs: Odds, Tips and predictions 03/02/23, NCAA Basketball Purdue vs Wisconsin: Odds, Tips and Predictions 03/02/23, NCAA Basketball Xavier vs Providence: Odds, Tips and Predictions 03/01/23, Top 20 Big Ten Basketball players of all time, Framer Fran McCaffery takes his sideshow and crybaby antics to play Indiana, NCAA Basketball Arkansas vs Tennessee: Odds, Tips and Predictions 02/28/23, The Hypocrisy of Major League Baseball, Gambling, Steroids, and Why it's Time to Put Pete Rose in the Hall. Nickerson wasnt just a one hit wonder though. Jeremiah The Axeman Trotter has been a very recognizable name over the past decade. He was close to averaging a sack per game, which is an amazing number. From canvas high-tops to social media dominance, the NBA has come a long way. 3 hours ago. All while being tasked with avoiding blocks and keeping tabs on the opposing quarterback. Lambert is said by many to be the best inside linebacker of all-time. Banks was a player that any coach would want on their team. He was also a good pass rusher, and a good coverage man as well. He could play zone and man. Blair was also one of the greatest special teams players of all-time! No. 12 sacks and three picks. 43, Keith Brooking* (Falcons/Cowboys) (1998-Present) *Five-time Pro Bowler *Two-time 2nd Team All-Pro. He finished his career with 132.5 sacks. [3] Randy Gradishar Joins The Speer Wealth Team. Already in his career, Ware has forced 23 fumbles. Rickey Jackson could do it all. Thomas was the best linebacker of the 1990s, and one of the best pass rushers of all-time. Most known for his antics like spitting in other players faces, Romanowskis play sometimes gets overshadowed. The Steelers went 6-10 in his first season, but along with players like Hines Ward, Jerome Bettis, and Alan Faneca . He already has 57.5 sacks in his short career, along with 16 forced fumbles. He had over 1,000 tackles, over 70 sacks, and over 30 forced fumbles in his career. The . Junior Seau finished his career with 1,524 tackles, the highest total on this list. He was unstoppable in goal line situations especially. Robert "Dr. Doom" Brazile is another one of those underrated linebackers. Collect, curate and comment on your files. He also played a big role in one of the most dominant performances by a defense in Super Bowl history.
10 Best Linebackers in Steelers History (+Honorable Mentions) Ham had outstanding . That is just unheard of. He has been one of the most intimidating players in the NFL his entire career. He started his career out with the Packers, if they would have used him correctly he would have been higher on this list. 49, Vaughn Johnson (Saints/Eagles) (1986-1994) *Four-time Pro Bowler *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro.
1970 1979 America Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images LSU women's basketball makes it rain in rout of Georgia in SEC Ray Lewis came into the league and dominated right away. Jack Ham might be the best coverage linebacker of all time. To stoke the nostalgia, we talked to some of the key players from the team's winningest, most . No. NFL WAGS: 10 Hottest NFL Wives & Girlfriends 2023. Although still early in his career, Demarcus Ware deserves to be this high on the list. James Harrison. No.
20 greatest linebackers in NFL history - Franchise Sports 4, Derrick Thomas (Chiefs) (1989-1999) *Nine-time Pro Bowler *Two-time 1st Team All-Pro *Three-time 2nd Team All-Pro. No. Are you ready for some football history? Some of you will say hes too low. Although he only played three full seasons, he made five Pro Bowls. No. Seau is one of the Chargers' all-time great players, and will go to Canton five years after he retires like he should. He was very solid in coverage, good against the run, and had no real weaknesses. During the late 1970s and early 80s, he was the best linebacker the NFL had. No. His high sack number was 15 in 2001, a year that he didnt even get voted into the Pro Bowl. If you take away his last three seasons, where he was slowing down, he averaged 12.4 sacks per season, which is just remarkable. 25. Ray Lewis came into the league and dominated right away. In 2006, he had an amazing season and won defensive MVP, which is a very high honor that most players on this list never achieved. No. 47, Fredd Young (Seahawks/Colts) (1984-1990) *Four-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro. 9. Andre Tippett may have been outshined by Lawrence Taylor playing basically the same position at the same time frame, but theres no mistaking what Tippett did on the field. O. J. Simpson and Lynn Swann were next with 22 and 21 votes, respectively. He was the quintessential linebacker and easily the greatest of his era.
Top 50 Minnesota Vikings Players of All-Time - Sports Articles Merriman still has the potential to be a great player again. 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. When you ask who is the greatest MLB of all-time is, many people jump straight to Dick Butkus. Top 10 Draft Picks in Broncos History | No. He racked up a staggering 1,181 tackles, and 1,131 of them in his first nine seasons. LaVar Arrington. But, if you didnt know, Jackson was once an outstanding linebacker for the Denver Broncos Orange Crush defense. 7.
The 1970s Were the L.A. Rams' Most Dramatic Decade - Los Angeles Magazine 16, Robert Brazile (Oilers) (1975-1984) *Seven-time Pro Bowler *Two-time 1st Team All-Pro *Four-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Tippett finished his career with 100 sacks. 8. Linebacker U Penn State Tradition Jack Ham as a Steeler. Robertson is one of the most underrated players in NFL history. But he proved them wrong and was a key piece on the Broncos Super Bowl winning team. Top 9 Most Underrated Running Backs in NFL History, QB Derek Carr to visit Jets on Saturday after leaving Raiders, Top 9 Worst Draft Picks in Bengals History, Super Bowl XIX: Montana and Walsh establish dominance, The 5 Greatest Quarterbacks Who Never Won a Championship, Top 11 Single Game Performances in NCAA Football History, Top 10 College football's greatest true freshman seasons of all time, Top 10 Two Year Runs in College Football History, where do the Georgia Bulldogs rank, NCAA FB Championship TCU vs Georgia: Odds, Tips and Predictions 01/09/23, Georgia vs. TCU National Championship: Preview & Prediction, Michigan Coach Jim Harbaugh facing possible suspension from the NCAA, The night Cassius Clay shook up the world, Boxing Paul vs Fury: Odds, Tips and Predictions 02/26/23, Matias vs. Ponce: Cant Miss Scrap Brings Heat To Chilly Minneapolis. He had an outstanding attitude and would do anything to get his team a win. Opponents thought Kirkland would not be as adept in pass coverage as the fast Lloyd, but they quickly found out that Kirkland was just as fast and quick. In today's NFL, few positions have become as difficult to play as off-ball linebacker.
Detroit Lions History: Top 5 Linebackers - SideLion Report He came one tackle short from having five consecutive 100 tackle seasons in 2004, which is saying a lot, since he was the guy taking up blockers most of the time as well. During his career Williams amassed 62.5 sacks, which is the second most in Bengals history.
The Greatest Penn State Linebackers of All Time 5. Featuring some of the greatest NFL linebackers of all time, the best Bills LBs include Sam Rogers, Keith Ellison, Shane Conlan, and John Holecek. Mandatory Credit: Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports. He was a hard worker, good tackler, and had great hands.
Countdown 119: Top 10 Linebackers in NFL History - Sports H2H 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. Running back Larry Csonka of the Miami Dolphins is brought down by linebacker Henry Davis of . But we would be remiss to not acknowledge some of the top performers from that earlier era. His 32 career INTs lead the way for linebackers. And here are the 25 greatest linebackers in NFL history: 25. Jan 25, 1981; New Orleans, LA, USA; FILE PHOTO; Oakland Raiders players Mickey Marvin (65), Willie Jones (90), Rod Martin (53), Ted Hendricks (83) and Raymond Chester (88) on the field against the Philadelphia Eagles during Super Bowl XV at the Superdome. He holds the NFL record for the most Pro Bowl selections by a middle linebacker (13). A tall order to say the least, and these 5 players did it better than anyone in the history of the NFL. 10. Robertson was one of the NFLs most athletic linebackers. No. In that game, the Steelers defense held the Cowboys to just 15 first downs and Emmitt Smith and the Cowboys powerful running attack to just 56 yards, despite losing 27-17 in large part due to two key interceptions thrown by Steelers quarterback Neil ODonnell. Ham is the only linebacker other than Tom Jackson to have seven INTs in a single season. Mike Singletary was the leader of the most dominating defense the NFL has ever seenthe 1985 Bears. Paul Naumoff played for 12 seasons from 1967-1978. Interview with Former Steeler Great levon kirkland. Linebacker is one of the most important and demanding positions in football. During the five year stretch from 1991-1995 where he made five consecutive Pro Bowls, Lloyd was one of, if not the, most dominating linebackers in the NFL. The next year, he followed it up with four more interceptions. He had over 1,000 tackles, over 70 sacks, and over 30 forced fumbles in his career. There is a reason the award given to the best linebacker in high school, college and the NFL each year is named after Butkus. Peppers' 159.5 career sacks rank fourth on the all-time list. The two-time All-American helped the Cornhuskers win back-to-back national titles in 1970 and '71 .
The Top Ranked Linebackers of the 1970s - AinsworthSports.com He had eight seasons with 10+ sacks. 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. Any coach would be lucky to have a player like Karl Mecklenburg on their roster. This season marked the end for Tittle and fellow Canton-bound star Frank Gifford.
Michigan Football Position Greats He was a dominating force in the NFL during that stretch of time. The defense was ranked right up there along with the 1985 Bears, and Steelers teams of the 1970s. . Mills racked up 1,142 tackles in his career. Kirkland had 10 tackles and a key sack of Dallas quarterback Troy Aikman. Urlacher was an all-around great linebacker who flew around the field with reckless abandon. Over his career, he totaled 1,271 tackles, 12 INTs, and 19 forced fumbles. And he's still going. James Farrior* (Jets/Steelers): Two-time Pro Bowler, one-time 1st Team All-Pro, one-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Lewis stats at this point of his career are 1,349 tackles, 36.5 sacks, and 28 INTs.
May 24, 2022. In 2008, Suggs even had two INTs, both of which he returned for touchdowns. (Photo: David Boss, Getty) Historians will tell you that McAdams is one of the best linebackers to ever play at The University of Oklahoma. Of the five LBs chosen to the 1950s All-Decade Team the others were Bednarik, Fortunato, George, and Huff Schmidt made the most Pro Bowls (nine) and the most all-pro teams (seven first-team, nine altogether). (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). 1970 Robert E. Lee Generals (13-0) Jim Chafin's team allowed just seven points a game and held 10 of its 13 opponents to 10 points or less. Thats right, seven. Trotter was a complete, all-around linebacker. Siemon was always a good player, but never a great player. Jack Lambert played middle linebacker. 1970 Defensive Player of the Year 5-time first-team All-Pro 8-time Pro Bowler The best high school, college and NFL linebackers are annually presented with the Butkus Award, named in honor of . 37, Wilber Marshall (Bears/Redskins/Oilers/Cardinals/Jets) (1984-1995) *Three-time Pro Bowler *Two-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Brazile was drafted out of Jackson State and revolutionized linebacker play in the NFL. Ham had arguably the most successful NFL career out of any of the names on this list as he was a star for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Jackson tallied up 128 sacks in his career, but even thats not his most impressive number. Bill Parcells considered Carson the best all-around linebacker he ever coached, which is very high praise from someone who has coached a ton of linebackers in his day. and Jack Ham played as . By 1995, he was recognized as one of the top inside linebackers in the league and had a stellar performance in Super Bowl XXX against the Dallas Cowboys at the end of the season. 38, Chad Brown (Steelers/Seahawks/Patriots) (1993-2007) *Three-time Pro Bowler *Two-time 1st Team All-Pro. 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. He is most known for the neck plate he wore behind his head, but dont let that distract you from his great play on the field. He was also the fastest linebacker of the bunch and excelled in pass coverage. Mike Singletary had the whole package. He was unstoppable in goal-line situations especially. He won Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1974 and Defensive Player of the Year two years later.
Las Vegas Raiders: 15 best defensive backs of all-time - Just Blog Baby Ray Lewis is the highest-ranked active player on this list, and the top middle linebacker on it.
Top 10 Linebackers in New York Giants History Jackson was most notable for being a pass rusher, but he really did it all. No. Jack Ham might be the best coverage linebacker of all time. Lofa Tatupu didnt take any time breaking into the NFL, making the Pro Bowl in his first three seasons. Greene was one of the best pass rushers of all time, recording 160 sacks in his career. Williams was the heart and soul of two Super Bowl defenses. With rule changes being what they have been, The number one pick was obvious. That is the reason you will not find Butkus, Huff, Nitschke etc in these rankings. Lambert won four Super Bowls with the Steelers in the 1970s playing in the Steel Curtain. St. Wilson recorded 560 tackles and 21.5 sacks as a member of the Broncos. Kevin Greene will always be known as one of the craziest and talented pass rushers in NFL history. A five-time pro bowler, Wilson was one of the best linebackers in the league during the early 2000s. He also had at least 99 tackles in seven years of his 12 year career, which is outstanding. Spielman was a great leader and intense player who always gave everything he had. Tippett finished his career with 100 sacks. No. No. But Mills did much more than that. 2011 Butkus Award winner for nation s best linebacker at Boston College. 25, Karl Mecklenburg (Broncos) (1983-1994) *Six-time Pro Bowler *Three-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro Karl "The Albino Rhino" Mecklenburg was the definition of a blue collar player. Over the past 50 years, the Steelers have tallied 36 winning seasons . Well have to see how he does, but he could either climb up or fall off this list based on his performance in 2010. Ill take into account Pro Bowls, All-Pros (1st and 2nd team), stats, team success, players success, intimidation factor, and reputation, along with many other factors to make this list. Taylor changed the way football is played today. Johnson wasnt very flashy, but he was very solid all-around, which is why he sneaks onto the list. Gambling Problem? He was one of a kind and will always be remembered as one of the best linebackers of all time. Beason may be the most controversial player on this list. Randy Gradishar may be the single-most deserving player of a spot in Canton. He was also the first player to have a TE or RB used for chip blocking on him, and overall changed the way offensive lineman block. Wilber Marshall was one of the greatest pass coverage linebackers of the modern era. Next up, we look at a much better-rated unit in the linebackers. Ray Lewis is another one of the three players on the list to win Defensive Player of the Year twice in his career. McAdams was a two-time All-American . He became a starter at inside linebacker for the Steelers in his second season, 1993, replacing Pro Bowler David Little. Robert Brazile- Tums all time neutralizer. He was also the fastest linebacker of the bunch and excelled in pass coverage. In his time in the NFL, he intercepted 25 passes and returned six of them for touchdowns with three of those in 2002 alone. 1986 Boston Celtics - Were they the greatest Team? LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) At New Mexico State, the once-treasured men's basketball program has been suspended for the season due to a fatal shooting and a gruesome allegation of locker-room . I have combined outside and inside linebackers on the list and factored in the players ability to stop the run, drop into coverage and leadership. 19, Harry Carson (Giants) (1976-1988) *Nine-time Pro Bowler *Three-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Seau was the definition of consistency. 1986 Boston Celtics - Were they the greatest Team? The 2008 season was his best sack season with 17.5. They had traded stalwart linebacker Sam Huff in the offseason. I think hell climb up this list further in the near future.
Top ten linebackers in Steelers history: Version two - Steelers Sanctuary 2, Ray Lewis* (Ravens) (1996-Present) *Eleven-time Pro Bowler *Seven-time 1st Team All-Pro *Two-time 2nd Team All-Pro. He did it in 2000 and again in 2003. [3] The only thing that could match his signature stare was the stellar play of Samurai Mike on the field. Jackson was not just a coverage linebacker, he was also a good pass rusher and a very hard worker off the field. Those would be accomplishments by themselves, let alone all together. 100th NFL Anniversary team. 9. Randy Gradishar played along with Tom Jackson in the Denver Broncos Orange Crush defense. Born April 20 . No. The middle linebacker also recorded 52 tackles for loss, which is fourth all-time in Clemson history. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNzd9Xd0who, No. Houston Oilers, 1975-1984. Here is my ranking of the top 10 Giants linebackers, along with some honorable mentions. Both . The next year at the Pro Bowl, Thomas remembered him by name. Overlooked because he played alongside Lawrence Taylor, Carson did most of the dirty work in that linebacking core. Porter will try to continue his success in Arizona and continue to climb up this list. No. He was a very solid 3-4 ILB playing on one of the best LB Cores of all-time, the Dome Patrol. Over his career, Brooking has racked up 962 tackles and 12 INTs.
The Best Linebackers of All-Time - Sports Central Top 10 LB's in OU history - 247sports.com He would always be found around the ball, and around the play.
The art of the interview: Terry Fontenot provides a look inside the Visit Our Patreon Page to Create Your Own All-Time Fantasy Teams and See Other Bonus Material . 13, Greg Lloyd (Steelers/Panthers) (1988-1998) *Five-time Pro Bowler *Two-time 1st Team All-Pro. Brian Urlacher is one of the greatest linebackers of this decade. 17 Reasons why Jordan is greater than Lebron, 16 Reasons why Lebron is greater than Jordan, The 18 greates Coaches in College Football History, The Top 21 Offensive Linemen in NFL History, The Top 10 Seattle Mariners of all Time, 19 undeniable Lies in Disney's Remember the Titans, If you enjoy hearing from the legends of pro sports, then be sure to tune into The Grueling Truth sports shows, Where the legends speak. In 2007, he racked up a remarkable 17 sacks in only 12 games. He was a tackle machine and a very big hitter. Hes also had at least 83 tackles in every year other than his rookie season. Randy Gradishar played along with Tom Jackson in the Denver Broncos Orange Crush defense. He could do it all. In the words of Vikings' head coaching legend Bud Grant, "Paul personified the term free safety.". He would always be found around the ball, and around the play. The next year, he followed it up with four more interceptions. He just goes out every week and hustles. Republican Rep. James Comer suggested during a right-wing podcast earlier this week that President Joe Biden's deceased son Beau Biden should have been investigated in connection with a long-settled case on "campaign donations" from a backer who was eventually indicted. 31, Tom Jackson (Broncos) (1973-1986) *Three-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Joey Porter. Singletary was a leader, not only vocally, but by example. In his three years at Clemson (1995-'97) Simmons recorded 486 tackles, only 29 off the school record Bubba Brown recorded in four years from 1976-'79. Ranking Explanation . The longtime backup led the NFL in completion percentage (69.8%), set the Seahawks' single-season passing yards record (4,282) and ranked in the top five in the entire league in both passing . Lofa Tatupu* (Seahawks) : Three-time Pro Bowler, one-time 1st Team All-Pro. I’m only going to be looking at players drafted in 1970 or later. Over the course of his two-year Ohio State career, Lee accumulated 147 tackles. T&Cs apply. Thats an outstanding number. 24, Leslie ONeal (Chargers/Rams/Chiefs) (1986-1999) *Six-time Pro Bowler *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. . He knew how to make big plays. 10.
Who were the linebackers for the Steel Curtain defense? - Quora He was just a great all-around player who could do it all. Those would be accomplishments by themselves, let alone all together. Thomas never had less than seven sacks in a season in his entire career, and only had less than eight sacks in one season. Holdovers from the National Football League 1960s All-Decade Team were Bob Lilly, Dick Butkus, Merlin Olsen, Larry Wilson, and Jim Bakken, which made them the first players to make multiple All-Decade teams in NFL history. Bill Romanowski (49ers, Eagles, Broncos, Raiders) : Two-time Pro Bowler.
Penn State football all-time defense | Who are the greatest defensive As a pass rusher, Greene would be top 5 at least, his ability to be an every-down linebacker hurts him overall, he was not great against the run. Jackson was not just a coverage linebacker, he was also a good pass rusher and a very hard worker off the field. He is still active, and is a starter, but he might be on his way out of San Diego. In that career he played both 4-3 OLB and 3-4 ILB. Over the course of his career he racked up over 1,000 tackles, 52.5 sacks, and 14 INTs, all of which are very good numbers. No. . 29, Joey Porter* (Steelers/Dolphins/Cardinals) (1999-Present) *Four-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro *Three-time 2nd Team All-Pro. He was the notorious leader of one of the greatest defenses to ever make its way onto a football field Pittsburghs famed Steel Curtain.. If you dont believe me, watch the film, as they say, the film doesnt lie!
National Football League 1970s All-Decade Team - Wikipedia