Their greats span the decades of the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s. He wasnt very vocal, but his play did all the talking for him. Being a linebacker makes that feat that much more impressive. He was a hard worker, good tackler, and had great hands. Merriman still has the potential to be a great player again. . Jackson tallied up 128 sacks in his career, but even thats not his most impressive number. AP. He wasnt very vocal, but his play did all the talking for him. Blair was outstanding in coverage, along with being a great tackler. Those are remarkable numbers, especially when he is still going strong. He played in 10 playoff games and had two INTs and three fumble recoveries in them. 10. Jackson was not just a coverage linebacker, he was also a good pass rusher and a very hard worker off the field. He did anything the Bears asked of him, especially stuffing the run. Robertson is one of the most underrated players in NFL history. Chuck Drazenovich. It will be interesting to see how he can recover. Lawrence Taylor: one of the greatest defensive players ever, Taylor was a pass-rushing force who revolutionized the outside linebacker position . 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 . 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. 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. . 8, Demarcus Ware* (Cowboys) (2005-Present) *Four-time Pro Bowler *Three-time 1st team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Greene was one of the best pass rushers of all time, recording 160 sacks in his career. He ran a 4.6 40 yard dash, which is outstanding for a linebacker, especially at that time period. Anthony Simmons (1995-'97) is the only two-time First-Team All-American in Clemson . Mills was more of a complete player than Swilling, although the two are too close to separate one from the other. He racked up a staggering 1,181 tackles, and 1,131 of them in his first nine seasons. Although still early in his career, Demarcus Ware deserves to be this high on the list. Andre Tippett. He racked up a staggering 1,181 tackles, and 1,131 of them in his first nine seasons. Julian Peterson has had a very well-rounded NFL career to this point, and its still going on. 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. Hes been amazing. 19, Harry Carson (Giants) (1976-1988) *Nine-time Pro Bowler *Three-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Top 10 Best Linebackers In Cleveland Browns History. Those would be accomplishments by themselves, let alone all together. During his career Williams amassed 62.5 sacks, which is the second most in Bengals history. Any coach would be lucky to have a player like Karl Mecklenburg on their roster. 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. Wagers only accepted in CO. For full terms and conditions, click here. and 2000s. He was close to averaging a sack per game, which is an amazing number. I personally think football before 1970 and after 1970 can be seen as two completely different games, in terms of its evolution. His 32 career INTs lead the way for linebackers. Thomas never had less than seven sacks in a season in his entire career, and only had less than eight sacks in one season. T&Cs apply. Don Moorehead, Dennis Franklin, Jim Harbaugh, Elvis Grbac, Tom Brady, Forest Evashevski, Benny Friedman and John Navarre were all elected Captains by their teammates. An important part of the Las Vegas defense, the LB position includes middle or inside linebackers and outside (strong side or weakside) linebackers. 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. 1. I know, how can I rate Kirkland over Greene? 39, Peter Boulware (Ravens) (1997-2005) *Four-time Pro Bowler *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Johnson wasnt very flashy, but he was very solid all-around, which is why he sneaks onto the list. NFLs Merchants of Menace Andre Tippett. No. Hes also had at least 83 tackles in every year other than his rookie season. No. He had 885 career solo tackles, which is impressive on a defense filled with swarming the ball, shown by his 1,488 career tackles. Defensive MVP in 2002. Selected by the Baltimore Colts in the 2nd round . A true enforcer in every sense of the word, Lewis intensity was unmatched by any player of his era. Already in his career, Ware has forced 23 fumbles. Thomas was one of the most instinctive linebackers of all-time. He was 73. Randy Gradishar played along with Tom Jackson in the Denver Broncos Orange Crush defense. Spielman had seven straight 100 tackle seasons, and did it eight out of nine years. The 70s were a rough decade for the Browns, but the 1980s were getting off to a great start with the franchise returning to the playoffs, despite the tragedy of " Red Right 88 " in 1981. He had five INTs in a season twice in his career. Brooks is most known for his coverage ability in the Bucs cover-two scheme. In the first round, the team tabbed Fred McNeill of USC, who became a fixture at the outside linebacker spot for many . He had less than seven sacks in a season only once. Both . Junior Seau finished his career with 1,524 tackles, the highest total on this list. Not only did he change the way defenses are run, but he changed the way offensive schemes are run as well. In 1976, Jackson had seven INTs. He has played the role of pass rusher and coverage linebacker in his career, and has excelled at both. Please click on "Comments" and make sure to vote in the poll. Ranking Explanation . Thats over 10 sacks per season, which is outstanding. by Ben Watanabe. HELLO, PANDORA. Lance Briggs may be overshadowed by Brian Urlacher, but dont forget how great of a player Briggs has been for the Bears. 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. That is just unheard of. Jackson was the vocal leader of the orange crush defense. Top 25 SEC LBs of all-time: 10-6. Rickey Jackson doesnt always get the credit he deserves, but hes a top 10 linebacker of the modern era. Sacks and tackles werent recorded until late in his career, but he was a great pass rusher and all round linebacker. 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. Spielman was a great leader and intense player who always gave everything he had. Robert Brazile. 2. We adapted Google's Privacy Guidelines to keep your data safe at all times. No. Punter Ray Guy was the leading vote-getter for the 1970s All-Decade Team, receiving 24 of a possible 25 votes. Porter is mostly known as a sack master. He finished his career with 132.5 sacks. 1953-65, Detroit Lions. Paul Naumoff played for 12 seasons from 1967-1978. 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. 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 . Thomas did everything you asked out of a linebacker. In only 11 seasons, Thomas had 126.5 sacks, and an NFL record 41 forced fumbles. Thomas was one of the most instinctive linebackers of all-time. But it was his style of play that made his career so short. Tippett finished his career with 100 sacks. James Harrison. After a very bad injury in 2008, Shawne Merriman hasnt been the same. Behind the Purple People Eaters of the 70s was one of the best safeties the league has ever seen. 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. Paul Krause | S. The NFL's all-time leader in interceptions spent 12 of his 16 years in Minnesota. Tippett was a big reason to why so many teams value pass rushing OLBs in todays game. Isiah Robertson, nicknamed The Playmaker, was known for coming up with the big plays in the biggest games. 26, Cornelius Bennett (Bills/Falcons/Colts) (1987-2000) *Five-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro. He was also a good pass rusher, and a good coverage man as well. Williams recorded 16 interceptions and 23 fumble recoveries (a franchise record). 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. 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. NFLs Merchants of Menace Cornelius Bennett and Bruce Smith. 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. The former college basketball star is considered one of the best defensive linemen to ever play in the NFL. *Ty Anderson, Thomasville: Anderson (6-0, 210) has been an all-state player since he was a sophomore Region 1-2A defensive co . Lewis stats at this point of his career are 1,349 tackles, 36.5 sacks, and 28 INTs. He had 885 career solo tackles, which is impressive on a defense filled with swarming the ball, shown by his 1,488 career tackles. Joe Schmidt. 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. We started off with a rough one the wide receivers. He is still active, and is a starter, but he might be on his way out of San Diego. He could play zone and man. Ham is the only linebacker other than Tom Jackson to have seven INTs in a single season. The defense was ranked right up there along with the 1985 Bears, and Steelers teams of the 1970s. He was blue collar player who was a great leader on defense and could do everything well on a football field. Gary Reasons (1984-91) Gary Reasons, a fourth-round draft pick from Northwestern State, was a key . 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. He also took over Lloyds role in pass coverage as the only linebacker in the Steelers nickel defense. Over the course of his two-year Ohio State career, Lee accumulated 147 tackles. Floyd Reese, the general manager who assembled the roster for the Tennessee Titans' lone Super Bowl appearance, died Saturday. 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. Other Links > Football > Player Rankings by Position > Top Ranked Linebackers . The leader of the Dome Patrol comes in at No. Patrick Willis is everything you look for in a linebacker. Jul 07, 2014 at 11:02 PM. That is the reason you will not find Butkus, Huff, Nitschke etc in these rankings. The transition from college football to the NFL . Lloyd will always be remembered as the lightning quick pass rusher from the Blitzburgh days. Beason has only been in the league for three years now. Harry Carson was an outstanding linebacker who played alongside Lawrence Taylor. could hit like a freight train, but it was his finesse and high football IQ that helped him revolutionize the linebacker position. But he proved them wrong and was a key piece on the Broncos Super Bowl winning team. In 1984 and 1985, Tippett put up two of the best back-to-back seasons recording 18.5 and 16.5 sacks in them. 10. SRS: 6.97 (5th of 26), SOS: 1.40. He has been one of the most intimidating players in the NFL his entire career. 34, Julian Peterson* (49ers/Seahawks/Lions) (2000-Present) *Five-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Bulluck was an outstanding tackler, and was great at run support too. Earl Campbell called Williams the toughest linebacker he ever played against. Over his career, he totaled 1,271 tackles, 12 INTs, and 19 forced fumbles. Paup was a complete linebacker, who was especially great at rushing the passer. Neal Olkewicz. Nine All-Pros. No. Next: A dangerous combination. 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. 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. Trotter was a complete, all-around linebacker. Official list of the NFL's best players in the 1970s, National Football League 1970s All-Decade Team, National Football League 1960s All-Decade Team, https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2020/04/06/tom-brady-is-first-qb-to-make-two-all-decade-teams/, National Football League All-Decade Teams, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=National_Football_League_1970s_All-Decade_Team&oldid=1132426489, National Football League records and achievements, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 8 January 2023, at 20:52. And here are the 25 greatest linebackers in NFL history: 25. Brooks was the leader of that defense, but his surrounding cast was just too good to rank him higher. He did it once in 1985 and again in 1988. No. 14, Hardy Nickerson (Steelers/Bucs/Jaguars/Packers) (1987-2002) *Five-time Pro Bowler *Two-time 1st team All-Pro *Two-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Brown was a very versatile linebacker. These are the newest members of GHSF Daily's Georgia Power 100. No. Zach Thomas is exactly what you want in a player and a linebacker. The Top Ranked Linebackers of the 1960s He would always be found around the ball, and around the play. Ware is not just an outstanding pass rusher though. Randy Gradishar played along with Tom Jackson in the Denver Broncos Orange Crush defense. Sacks and tackles werent recorded until late in his career, but he was a great pass rusher and all-around linebacker. Thats right, seven. In 1985, a trophy awarded to the best linebacker in college football was named in his honor. Dennis Onkotz 1967 - 1969. No. Mike Singletary was the leader of the most dominating defense the NFL has ever seenthe 1985 Bears. No. Franchise Encyclopedia. He was never the most athletic player on the field, but he was always the hardest working. Interview with Former Steeler Great levon kirkland. The middle linebacker also recorded 52 tackles for loss, which is fourth all-time in Clemson history. No NFL team has enjoyed the consistent level of success the Pittsburgh Steelers have enjoyed since the AFL-NFL merger of 1970. He also had at least 99 tackles in seven years of his 12 year career, which is outstanding. The . Find 1970 1979 America stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. 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. From his time at USC, Lott . A tall order to say the least, and these 5 players did it better than anyone in the history of the NFL. Undersized height wise, but an overabundance of heart made him more than a handful to deal with. Kirkland had 10 tackles and a key sack of Dallas quarterback Troy Aikman. Al Wilson was an outstanding MLB for the Broncos. 20, Keith Bulluck* (Titans) (2000-Present) *One-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. 9-time All-Pro, 10-time Pro Bowler. 100th NFL Anniversary team. The most obvious change from 1920 to today is the size of players, but there also have been many changes in the schemes . Singletary was a leader, not only vocally, but by example. From canvas high-tops to social media dominance, the NBA has come a long way. Thomas is also third all-time in safeties and fumble returns for touchdowns. Simpson in 1973 or Terry Bradshaw's two Super Bowl MVP performances. Brian Urlacher is one of the greatest linebackers of this decade. 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. No. Ham had outstanding speed. 24, Leslie ONeal (Chargers/Rams/Chiefs) (1986-1999) *Six-time Pro Bowler *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. His 1989 rookie season was one of the best the NFL has ever seen. . LaVar Arrington. But perhaps more than the star players, the decade was dominated by dynasty teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers, Minnesota Vikings, Miami Dolphins, Oakland Raiders, and . Lamberts best season was in 1976, where he won the Defensive Player of the Year award. 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. He also ranks third all . No. The nine-time Pro Bowl player, two-time All-Pro, and Hall of Fame is one of the all-time sacks leaders with 126.5, and he also forced 41 fumbles during his 11-year career. *Three-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro. Mike Singletary is one of three players on this list to win Defensive Player of the Year twice in his career. Gradishar was the silent assassin of the team. 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. Two years later, the Giants sunk to 1-12-1. They had traded stalwart linebacker Sam Huff in the offseason. 15, Zach Thomas (Dolphins/Cowboys) (1996-2008) *Seven-time Pro Bowler *Five-time 1st Team All-Pro *Two-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Carson did most of the dirty work in that linebacking core. Eleven Pro Bowls. 7, Rickey Jackson (Saints/49ers) (1981-1995) *Six-time Pro Bowler *Five-time 2nd Team All-Pro. He led the team in tackles five of the 11 season he played for them. Peter Boulware was the pass rusher alongside Ray Lewis. He knew how to make big plays. Wilber Marshall had the whole package. 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. 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His sacks are the main reason hes this high, but he was also a great all-around player. Randy Gradishar may be the single-most deserving player of a spot in Canton. That truly shows what kind of person he was off the field. 43, Keith Brooking* (Falcons/Cowboys) (1998-Present) *Five-time Pro Bowler *Two-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Depending on the day, you might view Ham as the best player on the Steel Curtain defense or the 4th best, and it's . He is ninth in team history with 14 forced fumbles; he recovered 11, had 6 QB sacks, and 11 interceptions. 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This team was widely regarded as having one of the best defenses of all time. No. Who knows how many he wouldve had if he played in the entire 16? He finished his career with 1,106 tackles and 627 assisted tackles as well. That is just unheard of. He is the only linebacker to ever take the honor. That game and his outstanding 1996 season earned Kirkland his first trip to the Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors after the 1996 season. His 32 career INTs lead the way for linebackers. But we would be remiss to not acknowledge some of the top performers from that earlier era. As also playing DE should tell you, he was very versatile and could play many different positions. Thats nearly 13 sacks per season. Brooks is most known for his coverage ability in the Bucs cover-two scheme. He may have actually been crazy. Lewis most notable accomplishment may be starting the Tom Brady era by knocking out Drew Bledsoe on a roll out, giving Tom Brady his first ever NFL action. Those would be accomplishments by themselves, let alone all together. Brooks wasnt just a pass coverage linebacker, but he also played the run well. How NFL Players Have Evolved. He was also a good pass rusher, and a good coverage man as well. Boulware had at least seven sacks every year he played other than his last season in the NFL. Woodrow Lowe, Alabama (1972-75) Respected as college football's top linebacker in the early 1970s, Lowe was the first . All Rights Reserved. But in those three years, hes racked up 328 tackles and seven INTs, all while starting every game of his career.