Johnson wasnt very flashy, but he was very solid all-around, which is why he sneaks onto the list. 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+. But Mills did much more than that. T&Cs apply. He is still active, and is a starter, but he might be on his way out of San Diego. Over the past 50 years, the Steelers have tallied 36 winning seasons . 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. St. Seau is one of the Chargers' all-time great players, and will go to Canton five years after he retires like he should. 12. AP Sports SummaryBrief at 7:03 a.m. EST. Cornelius Bennett was just a great all-around player. Jessie Armstead was one of the most consistent linebackers on this list. Lamberts best season was in 1976, where he won the Defensive Player of the Year award. 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). 34, Julian Peterson* (49ers/Seahawks/Lions) (2000-Present) *Five-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Atlante vs Raya2 Prediction, Head-To-Head, Live Stream Time, Date, Team News, lineup news, Odds, Stats, Betting Tips Trends, Where To Watch Live Score Mexican Liga de Expansin MX 2023 Telecast Today Match Details March 3, Club Tijuana vs Atlas Prediction, Head-To-Head, Live Stream, Wydad AC vs Vita Club Prediction, Head-To-Head, Live Stream, U Cluj vs Farul Prediction, Head-To-Head, Live Stream Time,, Top 10 Best Football Agents In The World | 2023 Updates, Top 10 Most Successful Retired Soccer Players 2023, FC Magdeburg vs 1. Kirkland had 10 tackles and a key sack of Dallas quarterback Troy Aikman. It may be a bit early to put Jon Beason on this list, but I think his play warrants the selection. Franchise Encyclopedia. When you ask who is the greatest MLB of all-time is, many people jump straight to Dick Butkus. As an outside linebacker, he put a lot of pressure on opponents' quarterbacks. He may have actually been crazy. Thomas did everything you asked out of a linebacker. Singletary was a leader, not only vocally, but by example. He recently missed most of last season with surgery. 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. Gradishar was the silent assassin of the team. 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. The middle linebacker also recorded 52 tackles for loss, which is fourth all-time in Clemson history. Lofa Tatupu* (Seahawks) : Three-time Pro Bowler, one-time 1st Team All-Pro. The transition from college football to the NFL . He had five INTs in a season twice in his career. Although he only played three full seasons, he made five Pro Bowls. Lewis stats at this point of his career are 1,349 tackles, 36.5 sacks, and 28 INTs. Chris Spielman was a tackle machine during his 10 years in the NFL. Over the course of his two-year Ohio State career, Lee accumulated 147 tackles. 2013 MAC Hall of Fame Inductee: Western Michigans John Offerdahl. No. No. Thomas is also third all-time in safeties and fumble returns for touchdowns. 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. He totaled 28 INTs in his career while he also racked up 1,045 tackles. 10. 24, Leslie ONeal (Chargers/Rams/Chiefs) (1986-1999) *Six-time Pro Bowler *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. 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We started off with a rough one the wide receivers. 25. Briggs does a lot of pass coverage with the Bears, and has had 53 passes deflected already in his career. 9. James Farrior* (Jets/Steelers): Two-time Pro Bowler, one-time 1st Team All-Pro, one-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Rickey Jackson doesnt always get the credit he deserves, but hes a top 10 linebacker of the modern era. 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. No. Thomas never had less than seven sacks in a season in his entire career, and only had less than eight sacks in one season. You might be thinking Top 10 already? But look at his numbers. Elected to the Pro Football Hall Of Fame in 2018. 6, Jack Ham (Steelers) (1971-1982) *Eight-time Pro Bowler *Six-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. He played in 10 playoff games and had two INTs and three fumble recoveries in them. Jackson had 40 forced fumbles, just one short of the NFL record. Theres not much Brooks doesnt have. 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. Spielman had seven straight 100 tackle seasons, and did it eight out of nine years. Running back Larry Csonka of the Miami Dolphins is brought down by linebacker Henry Davis of . Derrick Thomas was on pace to absolutely shatter NFL records before his tragic death in 2000. Ray Lewis is the highest-ranked active player on this list, and the top middle linebacker on it. If you dont believe me, watch the film, as they say, the film doesnt lie! 47, Fredd Young (Seahawks/Colts) (1984-1990) *Four-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro. He was also the fastest linebacker of the bunch and excelled in pass coverage. The leader of the Dome Patrol comes in at No. He had over 1,000 tackles, over 70 sacks, and over 30 forced fumbles in his career. He was close to averaging a sack per game, which is an amazing number. 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. LT was the most intimidating player ever to put on an NFL uniform. Randy Gradishar may be the single-most deserving player of a spot in Canton. Ham is the only linebacker other than Tom Jackson to have seven INTs in a single season. 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. Even now, you can tell what kind of person he is by his charity work with the REACH Foundation that he started. Ham is the only linebacker other than Tom Jackson to have seven INTs in a single season. Thats fine, he played enough linebacker to be considered this high. Gary Reasons (1984-91) Gary Reasons, a fourth-round draft pick from Northwestern State, was a key . Lost Super Bowl 13-16 vs. Baltimore Colts. He had 885 career solo tackles, which is impressive on a defense filled with swarming the ball, shown by his 1,488 career tackles. Mike Singletary had the whole package. Harry Carson was an outstanding linebacker who played alongside Lawrence Taylor. Matt Blair was a very intimidating linebacker, and helped the Vikings get to two Super Bowls in his career. The Raiders defeated the Eagles 27-10. But, theres no doubt that hes been one of the top linebackers in the NFL, and still is today. 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. Lloyd will always be remembered as the lightning quick pass rusher from the Blitzburgh days. Beason may be the most controversial player on this list. Jackson was the vocal leader of the orange crush defense. Top 10 Best Linebackers In Cleveland Browns History. Depending on the day, you might view Ham as the best player on the Steel Curtain defense or the 4th best, and it's . Thats an amazing number as well. The line was the backbone of the Steelers dynasty, which won four Super Bowls (IX, X, XIII, and XIV) in six years.. Thomas was the best linebacker of the 1990s, and one of the best pass rushers of all-time. He took them to the AFC Championship game in 1998, where they fell victim to John Elways Super Bowl winning Broncos. Call 1-800-522-4700. [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. Mo Lewis was another very consistent and solid player. 4, Derrick Thomas (Chiefs) (1989-1999) *Nine-time Pro Bowler *Two-time 1st Team All-Pro *Three-time 2nd Team All-Pro. 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. Top 13 Cincinnati Reds Starting Pitchers of all time. (Photo: David Boss, Getty) Historians will tell you that McAdams is one of the best linebackers to ever play at The University of Oklahoma. . 7, Rickey Jackson (Saints/49ers) (1981-1995) *Six-time Pro Bowler *Five-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Love him or hate him, Lewis has earned the title of greatest middle linebacker of all time. I think hell climb up this list further in the near future. Jackson was the vocal leader of that defense. Still, its an amazing number. He played for a bad team with not much of a surrounding cast, but still excelled. Its too bad Fredd Youngs career had to end prematurely due to injuries. Chad Brown played a very long NFL career, especially for a linebacker. 2, Ray Lewis* (Ravens) (1996-Present) *Eleven-time Pro Bowler *Seven-time 1st Team All-Pro *Two-time 2nd Team All-Pro. He was effective as a pass rushing OLB, tallying up 14 sacks in one season with the Dolphins, and as an inside run stopping linebacker with the Jets. No. He always tried to better himself and did it effectively. With time to spare in the NFL offseason, I’ll take a look at the top 50 linebackers in the NFL in the modern era. Demarcus Ware has only played five seasons in the NFL, but already hes one of the best of this era. Paul Naumoff. 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. Sam Huff. Brian Urlacher is one of the greatest linebackers of this decade. He finished his career with 1,106 tackles and 627 assisted tackles as well. No. John Offerdahl may have had the shortest NFL career on this list, but he made the most of it. Suggs is a pass rushing monster with the Ravens. Mecklenburg was never a cocky player, but just a guy who would show up on Sundays. He was Terrell Suggs before Suggs got to Baltimore. 26, Cornelius Bennett (Bills/Falcons/Colts) (1987-2000) *Five-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro. He was said to have the fastest 10-yard burst of any player on the team, and that included receivers John Stallworth and Lynn Swann, and running back Franco Harris. 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. He led the team in tackles five of the 11 season he played for them. Lloyd had 54.5 sacks and 11 INTs in his career, but the most remarkable number was his 35 forced fumbles. *Three-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro. From his time at USC, Lott . Woodrow Lowe, Alabama (1972-75) Respected as college football's top linebacker in the early 1970s, Lowe was the first . Eleven Pro Bowls. This team was widely regarded as having one of the best defenses of all-time. His best season was his first year with the Bills where he had 17.5 sacks, 70 tackles, two INTs, and three forced fumbles. Swilling was the best pass rusher of the Dome Patrol, but he also forced 36 fumbles to go along with all the sacks. No. Ham is the only linebacker other than Tom Jackson to have seven INTs in a single season. Jeff Siemon (Vikings) : Four-time Pro Bowler. Please play responsibly. He did it in 2000 and again in 2003. 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 truly shows what kind of person he was off the field. In this Article . If Bulluck played on a better team, I believe his stats would be much better and his accomplishments would be a lot more. Singletary was a leader, not only vocally, but by example. Hardy Nickerson may not have the name recognition as many of the other linebackers on this list, but he deserves to be this high. Linebacker Jack Ham and Tight end Dave Casper each received 20 votes. Don Moorehead, Dennis Franklin, Jim Harbaugh, Elvis Grbac, Tom Brady, Forest Evashevski, Benny Friedman and John Navarre were all elected Captains by their teammates. Visit Our Patreon Page to Create Your Own All-Time Fantasy Teams and See Other Bonus Material . He was also a good pass rusher, and a good coverage man as well. 1. His best days were with the Bears and Redskins, but he had an impact everywhere he went. Keith Brooking has been one of the most consistent linebackers of all-time. No. 39, Peter Boulware (Ravens) (1997-2005) *Four-time Pro Bowler *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. I’m only going to be looking at players drafted in 1970 or later. He was the type of player that you would want your kids to look up to. Bet with your head, not over it. He was unstoppable in goal-line situations especially. This brings us to the first night of March and a not-quite-full Purcell . And he's still going. He was the quintessential linebacker and easily the greatest of his era. There was a story of someone meeting Thomas at the Pro Bowl for no longer than 10 minutes. Lewis was the leader of the 2000 Super Bowl winning Ravens team. Lawrence Taylor: one of the greatest defensive players ever, Taylor was a pass-rushing force who revolutionized the outside linebacker position . He was a tackling machine for the majority of his career. 30, Matt Blair (Vikings) (1974-1985) *Six-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro. 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. In 1993 as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers middle linebacker, Nickerson piled up an astounding 214 tackles. Schmidt stood out in an era of great middle linebackers. He did anything the Bears asked of him, especially stuffing the run. Most known for his antics like spitting in other players faces, Romanowskis play sometimes gets overshadowed. Mandatory Credit: Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports. Carson did most of the dirty work in that linebacking core. 10. All while being tasked with avoiding blocks and keeping tabs on the opposing quarterback. 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. 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. 2011 Butkus Award winner for nation s best linebacker at Boston College. I personally think football before 1970 and after 1970 can be seen as two completely different games, in terms of its evolution. If you take away his last three seasons, where he was slowing down, he averaged 12.4 sacks per season, which is just remarkable. His 32 career INTs lead the way for linebackers. How NFL Players Have Evolved. 15, Zach Thomas (Dolphins/Cowboys) (1996-2008) *Seven-time Pro Bowler *Five-time 1st Team All-Pro *Two-time 2nd Team All-Pro. And here are the 25 greatest linebackers in NFL history: 25. No. Thomas is also third all-time in safeties and fumble returns for touchdowns. No. He has speed, size, toughness, instincts, vision, patience, and football smarts. Lewis was the leader of the 2000 Super Bowl-winning Ravens team. No. It will be interesting to see how he can recover. Lawrence Taylor. Next up on the docket for my top Redskins players series are the linebackers. 36, Jeremiah Trotter (Eagles/Redskins/Bucs) (1999-2007 & 2009) *Four-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. He did anything the Bears asked of him, especially stuffing the run. Lambert and Ham also won four Super Bowls with the Steelers in the 1970s playing in the Steel Curtain. Mar 3, 2023 Updated 4 min ago. Rickey Jackson was one of the fastest linebackers in the game, but he was also one of the hardest hitters. Blair was outstanding in coverage, along with being a great tackler. 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.
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