He was the quintessential linebacker and easily the greatest of his era. I know, how can I rate Kirkland over Greene? Visit Our Patreon Page to Create Your Own All-Time Fantasy Teams and See Other Bonus Material . No. Johnson wasnt very flashy, but he was very solid all-around, which is why he sneaks onto the list. Here Are 8 Ways NBA Has Changed That Modern Fans Don't Realize. 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. Jackson had 40 forced fumbles, just one short of the NFL record. It seemed like he knew where the ball was going at all times. Thomas was one of the most instinctive linebackers of all-time. Brooking was the face of the Falcons defense for nearly a decade, and is a well-rounded player. Quinto was a regular at both inside and outside linebacker for head coach Ron Gladnick's Saints. Greene led the way in the pass rushing department. HELLO, PANDORA. Ware is not just an outstanding pass rusher though. He had over 1,000 tackles, over 70 sacks, and over 30 forced fumbles in his career. Kirkland had 10 tackles and a key sack of Dallas quarterback Troy Aikman. 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. Williams recorded 16 interceptions and 23 fumble recoveries (a franchise record). He finished his career with 1,106 tackles and 627 assisted tackles as well. Ray Lewis is another one of the three players on the list to win Defensive Player of the Year twice in his career. Patrick Willis has made the Pro Bowl and an All-Pro team every single year hes been in the NFL. 28a, Pat Swilling (Saints/Lions/Raiders) (1986-1998) *Five-time Pro Bowler *Two-time 1st Team All-Pro *Two-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Featuring some of the greatest NFL linebackers of all time, the best Bills LBs include Sam Rogers, Keith Ellison, Shane Conlan, and John Holecek. The 1970s had many great moments by individual players such as the NFL's first 2,000-yard season by O.J. Over his nine-year career, he had 2,049 tackles, although this number is solo and assisted because he played before solo tackles were an official stat. Leslie ONeal was a sack machine in his career. Some of you will say hes too low. and Jack Ham played as . 9. No. Romanowski might be overrated because of his name, but theres no doubt he was one of the most memorable and feared linebackers of the modern era. He racked up a staggering 1,181 tackles, and 1,131 of them in his first nine seasons. Mike Singletary had the whole package. 21. Many of you will say that Keith Bulluck is way too high. He was close to averaging a sack per game, which is an amazing number. Jack Ham might be the best coverage linebacker of all-time. NFL WAGS: 10 Hottest NFL Wives & Girlfriends 2023. Thats over 10 sacks per season, which is outstanding. It seemed like he knew where the ball was going at all times. Anthony Simmons (1995-'97) is the only two-time First-Team All-American in Clemson . Lofa Tatupu* (Seahawks) : Three-time Pro Bowler, one-time 1st Team All-Pro. 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. 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. Brooks is most known for his coverage ability in the Bucs cover-two scheme. He wasnt great at just one aspect he was equally great at everything he did. If you take away his last three seasons, where he was slowing down, he averaged 12.4 sacks per season, which is just remarkable. Collect, curate and comment on your files. Although still early in his career, Demarcus Ware deserves to be this high on the list. Carson did most of the dirty work in that linebacking core. Thomas was the best linebacker of the 1990s, and one of the best pass rushers of all-time. Young was a fierce hitter, and would always stick his nose in the middle of the play. 8. Ham is the only linebacker other than Tom Jackson to have seven INTs in a single season. Although he only played three full seasons, he made five Pro Bowls. He finished his career with 1,106 tackles and 627 assisted tackles as well. Wagers only accepted in CO. For full terms and conditions, click here. He would give it his all on every single down of every single play. Mike Singletary was the leader of the most dominating defense the NFL has ever seenthe 1985 Bears. He played in 10 playoff games and had two INTs and three fumble recoveries in them. 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. Thomas is also third all-time in safeties and fumble returns for touchdowns. Matt Blair was a very intimidating linebacker, and helped the Vikings get to two Super Bowls in his career. All while being tasked with avoiding blocks and keeping tabs on the opposing quarterback. Thats right, seven. No. How NFL Players Have Evolved. Lambert is said by many to be the best inside linebacker of all-time. Robert Brazile- Tums all time neutralizer. The Steelers went 6-10 in his first season, but along with players like Hines Ward, Jerome Bettis, and Alan Faneca . Any coach would be lucky to have a player like Karl Mecklenburg on their roster. 26, Cornelius Bennett (Bills/Falcons/Colts) (1987-2000) *Five-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro. Brooks is most known for his coverage ability in the Bucs cover-two scheme. Hes on pace to not only break, but shatter the NFL record of 41. Overlooked because he played alongside Lawrence Taylor, Carson did most of the dirty work in that linebacking core. Mike Singletary is one of three players on this list to win Defensive Player of the Year twice in his career. Lambert was a Pro Bowler in all but his rookie season and his final pro season, totaling nine selections. 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. Wilber Marshall had the whole package. Top 10 Boxers of the 1990s: Was Roy Jones Jr. the best? He also finished his career with 17 INTs. He also had at least 99 tackles in seven years of his 12-year career, which is outstanding. He should be in the Hall of Fame. A two-time All-American and a three-year starter for the Vols, Kiner . Brazile was drafted out of Jackson State and revolutionized linebacker play in the NFL. Lewis wasnt as vocal as Cox, but his play was a little better, and lasted for a longer period of time. 6 - Carl McAdams. Pat Swilling. No. I personally think football before 1970 and after 1970 can be seen as two completely different games, in terms of its evolution. For a four-year span with Seattle, Young was arguably the best Seahawks linebacker of all-time. Jul 07, 2014 at 11:02 PM. Bryce Paup was an outstanding pass rusher in the 1990s. The Minnesota Vikings did an outstanding job of drafting linebackers in 1974. So while there were outstanding linebackers in previous years, like Dick Butkus and Ray Nitschke, they will not be on this list. The entire enterprise of Notre Dame basketball, gone strange. In 1993 as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers middle linebacker, Nickerson piled up an astounding 214 tackles. Ranking Explanation . Sacks and tackles werent recorded until late in his career, but he was a great pass rusher and all-around linebacker. Chuck Drazenovich. Also note that an asterisk (*) by the players name means they are still active today. But before you come to a conclusion, let's take a look at the facts. Eleven Pro Bowls. He also played a big role in one of the most dominant performances by a defense in Super Bowl history. No. In his final two seasons with the Bengals, Williams was appointed to an open seat on the Cincinnati City Council in 1988 and was elected for a second term in 1989 on the Charter Party ticket. No. [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. Jack Lambert played middle linebacker. 39, Peter Boulware (Ravens) (1997-2005) *Four-time Pro Bowler *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. . . The line was the backbone of the Steelers dynasty, which won four Super Bowls (IX, X, XIII, and XIV) in six years.. But Mills did much more than that. 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 only five seasons, Wares already totaled up 64.5 sacks, including 20 in 2008. He was the only good player (other than Albert Haynesworth, but even he was only good for 2-3 years) on a generally bad defense and team. Derrick Thomas was on pace to absolutely shatter NFL records before his tragic death in 2000. In 1985, a trophy awarded to the best linebacker in college football was named in his honor. Blair was outstanding in coverage, along with being a great tackler. He was a tackling machine for the majority of his career. Andre Tippett. A true enforcer in every sense of the word, Lewis intensity was unmatched by any player of his era. Lewis was the leader of the 2000 Super Bowl-winning Ravens team. 2, Ray Lewis* (Ravens) (1996-Present) *Eleven-time Pro Bowler *Seven-time 1st Team All-Pro *Two-time 2nd Team All-Pro. When you see a list of greatest linebackers, Isiah Robertson very rarely even gets brought into the discussion. Pittsburgh 2002, '04-12, '14-17; Cincinnati 2013; New England 2017. Other Links > Football > Player Rankings by Position > Top Ranked Linebackers . NFLs Merchants of Menace Cornelius Bennett and Bruce Smith. No. No. 17, Brian Urlacher* (Bears) (2000-Present) *Six-time Pro Bowler *Four-time 1st Team All-Pro. Jeremiah The Axeman Trotter has been a very recognizable name over the past decade. Lewis stats at this point of his career are 1,349 tackles, 36.5 sacks, and 28 INTs. He could do it all. His 32 career INTs lead the way for linebackers. 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, 19 undeniable Lies in Disney's Remember the Titans. James Harrison. Mills was more of a complete player than Swilling, although the two are too close to separate one from the other. Defensive MVP in 2002. Next: A dangerous combination. The exhibit features the Fleet's classic collection set in five themed galleries representing the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s and 2010s. He had 885 career solo tackles, which is impressive on a defense filled with swarming the ball, shown by his 1,488 career tackles. Paul Naumoff played for 12 seasons from 1967-1978. He was the notorious leader of one of the greatest defenses to ever make its way onto a football field Pittsburghs famed Steel Curtain.. Joey Porter. 5. 38, Chad Brown (Steelers/Seahawks/Patriots) (1993-2007) *Three-time Pro Bowler *Two-time 1st Team All-Pro. He is ninth in team history with 14 forced fumbles; he recovered 11, had 6 QB sacks, and 11 interceptions. He left everything he had on the field of play, and even though he was a tenacious player on the field, he was one of the most genuine and nice guys off the field. They surrendered only 20 points in that game, and seven of them were off a blocked punt. Select from premium 1970 1979 America of the highest quality. Isiah Robertson, nicknamed The Playmaker, was known for coming up with the big plays in the biggest games. Next up, we look at a much better-rated unit in the linebackers. 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. He was blue collar player who was a great leader on defense and could do everything well on a football field. Top 13 Cincinnati Reds Starting Pitchers of all time. I think hell climb up this list further in the near future. Elected to the Pro Football Hall Of Fame in 2018. Jack Ham might be the best coverage linebacker of all time. He started all but one game in his last eight seasons, which is very impressive for a linebacker. A shot of Jameson for Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey. But he proved them wrong and was a key piece on the Broncos Super Bowl winning team. The transition from college football to the NFL . No. He was also a big hitter and very intimidating on the field of play. 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. 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(Photo: David Boss, Getty) Historians will tell you that McAdams is one of the best linebackers to ever play at The University of Oklahoma. He has already had three 100 tackle seasons in his first three years, and also has already forced 10 turnovers (four INTs, six forced fumbles). 16, Robert Brazile (Oilers) (1975-1984) *Seven-time Pro Bowler *Two-time 1st Team All-Pro *Four-time 2nd Team All-Pro. He had an outstanding attitude and would do anything to get his team a win. Beason may be the most controversial player on this list. From his time at USC, Lott . Gary Reasons (1984-91) Gary Reasons, a fourth-round draft pick from Northwestern State, was a key . Thats the type of player you want on your team, especially on the defensive side of the ball. You could stick him on any TE in the league, even some slot receivers, and he would take them out of the game. Floyd Reese, the general manager who assembled the roster for the Tennessee Titans' lone Super Bowl appearance, died Saturday. Rickey Jackson was one of the fastest linebackers in the game, but he was also one of the hardest hitters. Seau is one of the Chargers' all-time great players, and will go to Canton five years after he retires like he should. Jeff Siemon (Vikings) : Four-time Pro Bowler. In 1984 and 1985, Tippett put up two of the best back to back seasons recording 18.5 and 16.5 sacks in them. Wilson doesnt have the career numbers because his career was so short, but theres no doubt when he was playing he was the most feared player on the field. . Nine All-Pros. If you dont believe me, watch the film, as they say, the film doesnt lie! Randy Gradishar Joins The Speer Wealth Team. Robert Brazile. Mecklenburg finished his career with 79 sacks, which is great for an ILB, and also ranks 2nd all-time in Broncos history. He ran a 4.6 40 yard dash, which is outstanding for a linebacker, especially at that time period. Paup was a complete linebacker, who was especially great at rushing the passer. Kolen was drafted by the Dolphins in the 12 th round . Peter Boulware was the pass rusher alongside Ray Lewis. A tall order to say the least, and these 5 players did it better than anyone in the history of the NFL. Kevin Greene was a mad man in a football uniform. He took up blockers and threw his body around a lot. Players must be 21 years of age or older or reach the minimum age for gambling in their respective state and located in jurisdictions where online gambling is legal. Offensive Coordinator: Jim Myers. He was also a good pass rusher, and a good coverage man as well. 33, Al Wilson (Broncos) (1999-2006) *Five-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. 48, Terrell Suggs* (Ravens) (2003-Present) *Three-time Pro Bowler *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. NFL Defensive Rookie of the . Patrick Willis is everything you look for in a linebacker. 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. No. Named to NFL's All-Decade Team for 1970s and 1980s. 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). Rickey Jackson doesnt always get the credit he deserves, but hes a top 10 linebacker of the modern era. He did it in 2000 and again in 2003. Mike Singletary is one of three players on this list to win Defensive Player of the Year twice in his career. 32, John Offerdahl (Dolphins) (1986-1993) *Five-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. LT finished his career with 142 sacks, averaging nearly 11 sacks per season. In only 11 seasons, Thomas had 126.5 sacks, and an NFL record of 41 forced fumbles. No NFL team has enjoyed the consistent level of success the Pittsburgh Steelers have enjoyed since the AFL-NFL merger of 1970. 41, Mo Lewis (Jets) (1991-2003) *Three-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro. 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. Don Moorehead, Dennis Franklin, Jim Harbaugh, Elvis Grbac, Tom Brady, Forest Evashevski, Benny Friedman and John Navarre were all elected Captains by their teammates. 34, Julian Peterson* (49ers/Seahawks/Lions) (2000-Present) *Five-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Those would be accomplishments by themselves, let alone all together. 12. Interview with Former Steeler Great levon kirkland. He has speed, size, toughness, instincts, vision, patience, and football smarts. No. Thats over 10 sacks per season, which is outstanding. 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). (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). Gambling Problem? McAdams was a two-time All-American . 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 . 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. During the late 1970s and early 80s, he was the best linebacker the NFL had. Trotter was a complete, all-around linebacker. Top 25 SEC LBs of all-time: 15-11. Ham had outstanding . He just goes out every week and hustles. Please click on "Comments" and make sure to vote in the poll. Being a linebacker makes that feat that much more impressive. Jackson was the vocal leader of that defense. Zach Thomas would be the perfect linebacker, no matter what style of defense you play. He was very solid in coverage, good against the run, and had no real weaknesses. St. The Top Ranked Linebackers of the 1960s Next were Defensive end Jack Youngblood and Joe Greene who each had 18 votes. He had ten seasons with 10+ sacks. 100th NFL Anniversary team. The Steel Curtain was the defensive line of the 1970s American football team Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). Suggs will only continue to climb this list the longer he plays, since hes in the middle of his prime right now. He also ranks third all . Thats amazing consistency. Not only did he change the way defenses are run, but he changed the way offensive schemes are run as well. He was a hard worker, good tackler, and had great hands. Already in his career, Ware has forced 23 fumbles. Banks was a player that any coach would want on their team. Bulluck was an outstanding tackler, and was great at run support too. Cox was also a vocal leader of the teams he played for, directing his defenses to success. Linebacker is one of the most important and demanding positions in football. Offerdahl was a blue collar type of player who was an even better person off the field. That game and his outstanding 1996 season earned Kirkland his first trip to the Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors after the 1996 season. He had 1,301 tackles and 25 forced fumbles in his career. No. Houston Oilers, 1975-1984. 11, Kevin Greene (Rams/Steelers/Panthers/49ers), (1985-1999) *Five-time Pro Bowler *Two-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro.