Eddie Johnson. No. He may have actually been crazy. 47, Fredd Young (Seahawks/Colts) (1984-1990) *Four-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro. 2022 - SportsUnfold. He was one of a kind and will always be remembered as one of the best linebackers of all time. 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 1976, Jackson had seven INTs. Lambert is said by many to be the best inside linebacker of all-time. Lambert and Ham also won four Super Bowls with the Steelers in the 1970s playing in the Steel Curtain. He was always good enough for Pro Bowls, but was never an All-Pro Player. Mike Kolen 1970-77. He took up blockers and threw his body around a lot. Top 25 SEC LBs of all-time: 10-6. Lloyd had 54.5 sacks and 11 INTs in his career, but the most remarkable number was his 35 forced fumbles. Eleven Pro Bowls. He played in 10 playoff games and had two INTs and three fumble recoveries in them. Discuss this article along with many other quality articles, discussions, and much more at: http://forums.sportsjabber.net/sjforums/showthread.php?t=54444. 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. Zachary Petrizzo. 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. Two years later, the Giants sunk to 1-12-1. A shot of Jameson for Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey. When you ask who is the greatest MLB of all-time is, many people jump straight to Dick Butkus. Ham is the only linebacker other than Tom Jackson to have seven INTs in a single season. After being labeled a bust by many after his first four seasons with the Jets, Farrior broke out with the Steelers and became one of the most consistent players in the league. You could stick him on any TE in the league, even some slot receivers, and he would take them out of the game. He is not only the greatest linebacker in NFL history, hes one of the games greatest players period. He could do it all. Over his career, he totaled 1,271 tackles, 12 INTs, and 19 forced fumbles. He always tried to better himself and did it effectively. Randy Gradishar played along with Tom Jackson in the Denver Broncos Orange Crush defense. 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. Featuring 2018-2019 Raiders and some of the greatest NFL linebackers of all time, the best Raiders LBs include Ted Hendricks, Khalil Mack, Rod Martin, Sam Wiliams, and Greg Biekert. Blair was outstanding in coverage, along with being a great tackler. 7, Rickey Jackson (Saints/49ers) (1981-1995) *Six-time Pro Bowler *Five-time 2nd Team All-Pro. In his time in the NFL, he intercepted 25 passes and returned six of them for touchdowns with three of those in 2002 alone. If not, you can open it also by clicking the following link: Top 10 Athletes past the age of 40: Where does Tom Brady rank? The Raiders defeated the Eagles 27-10. 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. 24, Leslie ONeal (Chargers/Rams/Chiefs) (1986-1999) *Six-time Pro Bowler *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Randy Gradishar may be the single-most deserving player of a spot in Canton. Tribute to Elvis His 32 career INTs lead the way for linebackers. Mecklenburg was never a cocky player, but just a guy who would show up on Sundays. He did it in 2000 and again in 2003. Spielman had seven straight 100 tackle seasons, and did it eight out of nine years. Thomas is also third all-time in safeties and fumble returns for touchdowns. Call 1-800-522-4700. Rickey Jackson could do it all. Andre Tippett. Keith Brooking has been one of the most consistent linebackers of all-time. Jackson was most notable for being a pass rusher, but he really did it all. The best LB in the NFL today comes in at No. Being a linebacker makes that feat that much more impressive. Trotter was a complete, all-around linebacker. 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. He could play zone and man. 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. 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. 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. The next year, he followed it up with four more interceptions. He had ten seasons with 10+ sacks. This team was widely regarded as having one of the best defenses of all-time. Featuring some of the greatest NFL linebackers of all time, the best Bills LBs include Sam Rogers, Keith Ellison, Shane Conlan, and John Holecek. L.T. 6, Jack Ham (Steelers) (1971-1982) *Eight-time Pro Bowler *Six-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Lewis wasnt as vocal as Cox, but his play was a little better, and lasted for a longer period of time. Mike Singletary is one of three players on this list to win Defensive Player of the Year twice in his career. But he proved them wrong and was a key piece on the Broncos Super Bowl winning team. He was Lawrence Taylor before Taylor was. Isiah Robertson, nicknamed The Playmaker, was known for coming up with the big plays in the biggest games. He was unstoppable in goal line situations especially. Rickey Jackson doesnt always get the credit he deserves, but hes a top 10 linebacker of the modern era. No. A two-time All-American and a three-year starter for the Vols, Kiner . Other Links > Football > Player Rankings by Position > Top Ranked Linebackers . Jack Ham might be the best coverage linebacker of all time. 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. We started off with a rough one the wide receivers. 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. In that career he played both 4-3 OLB and 3-4 ILB. 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. Nickerson wasnt just a one hit wonder though. Although he only played three full seasons, he made five Pro Bowls. Schmidt stood out in an era of great middle linebackers. The Best of Tommy Brady at Michigan . Chris Spielman was a tackle machine during his 10 years in the NFL. He has been one of the most intimidating players in the NFL his entire career. No. 2-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year (1985, '88) Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 1989. Willis could potentially end up in the top 10, or even top five of this list by the time his career is over. 10 Tom Jackson. He totaled 28 INTs in his career while he also racked up 1,045 tackles. He led the Eagles in tackles in his time with the team. Use Isiah Robertsons name in a talk of most underrated players of all time, and youll impress your fellow football fans. During the 2016 NFL Scouting Combine, Lee posted the fastest 40-yard dash time among . Next were Defensive end Jack Youngblood and Joe Greene who each had 18 votes. He wasnt great at one aspect but was equally as good at everything he did. He had over 1,000 tackles, over 70 sacks, and over 30 forced fumbles in his career. The Steelers had lost their emotional leader, outside linebacker Greg Lloyd, at the start of the season to a knee injury, but Kirkland took over the mantle of leadership. Randy Gradishar Joins The Speer Wealth Team. Not only did he change the way defenses are run, but he changed the way offensive schemes are run as well. 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). St. . Boards are the best place to save images and video clips. Seau was the definition of consistency. Punter Ray Guy was the leading vote-getter for the 1970s All-Decade Team, receiving 24 of a possible 25 votes. 12 sacks and three picks. No. Williams was the heart and soul of two Super Bowl defenses. 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. Most people know Tom Jackson as the commentator working with Chris Berman. He also played two different positions, playing ILB and OLB for the Vikings in his career. Lewis was the leader of the 2000 Super Bowl winning Ravens team. Please click on "Comments" and make sure to vote in the poll. In 2008, Suggs even had two INTs, both of which he returned for touchdowns. 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 . *Three-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro. Overlooked because he played alongside Lawrence Taylor, Carson did most of the dirty work in that linebacking core. Thomas did everything you asked out of a linebacker. Thats right, seven. 49, Vaughn Johnson (Saints/Eagles) (1986-1994) *Four-time Pro Bowler *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Jeff Siemon (Vikings) : Four-time Pro Bowler. Derrick Thomas was on pace to absolutely shatter NFL records before his tragic death in 2000. When you think of Singletary, the first thing that comes to mind is intense focus. No. Thomas was one of the most instinctive linebackers of all-time. 7. He knew how to make big plays. Ham had outstanding speed. No. The two-time All-American helped the Cornhuskers win back-to-back national titles in 1970 and '71 . The most obvious change from 1920 to today is the size of players, but there also have been many changes in the schemes . No. Im only going to be looking at players drafted in 1970 or later. Chris Spielman was a tackle machine during his 10 years in the NFL. That is the reason you will not find Butkus, Huff, Nitschke etc in these rankings. 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. Find out what the legends have to say about sports this week. thegruelingtruth.com is available in the following countries: The bonus offer of was already opened in an additional window. Thomas never had less than seven sacks in a season in his entire career, and only had less than eight sacks in one season. Any coach would be lucky to have a player like Karl Mecklenburg on their roster. 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. He also had at least 99 tackles in seven years of his 12-year career, which is outstanding. The leader of the Dome Patrol comes in at No. No. NFLs Merchants of Menace Cornelius Bennett and Bruce Smith. 8. No. and 2000s. Although he only played three full seasons, he made five Pro Bowls. He had five INTs in a season twice in his career. He also had 1,173 tackles in his career. Seau is one of the Chargers' all-time great players, and will go to Canton five years after he retires like he should. 8, Demarcus Ware* (Cowboys) (2005-Present) *Four-time Pro Bowler *Three-time 1st team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. The offense, meanwhile, scored 29 points a game. 46, Jon Beason* (Panthers) (2007-Present) *One-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. As also playing DE should tell you, he was very versatile and could play many different positions. During the late 1970s and early 80s, he was the best linebacker the NFL had. Mike Singletary is one of three players on this list to win Defensive Player of the Year twice in his career. No. [3] The 'Skins historically have had some solid inside linebackers capable of both stopping the run and being reliable in coverage. Visit Our Patreon Page to Create Your Own All-Time Fantasy Teams and See Other Bonus Material . NFL Strength Of Schedule Rankings 2022-2023, NFL 2022 season finisher picture, standings: Chargers can secure billet on Monday, Packers stay alive for trump card, Cardinals versus Marauders score, focal points: Tom Brady directs late rebound as Tampa Sound moves beyond Arizona in OT, NFL would need to pay a robust $12MILLION to switch all its counterfeit fields over completely to grass as association faces developing commotion from players to switch all arenas to normal surfaces, NFL takes action against utilization of electronic gadgets during games, Packers versus Lions score: Detroit plays spoiler, closes Green Straights offered for postseason compartment, Top 10 Hottest NFL Wives In 2023 | NFL WAGs, The Best Quarterbacks In The NFL Right Now, The Coolest Players in the NFL Right Now, Ranked, 2-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year (1985, 88), 2-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year (1967, 83).
Elite Dangerous Conflict Zone Finder,
Best Places To Build A Cabin In Utah,
Art Blakey Jr,
Articles B