No. Hes also had at least 83 tackles in every year other than his rookie season. In the words of Vikings' head coaching legend Bud Grant, "Paul personified the term free safety.". His 32 career INTs lead the way for linebackers. Randy Gradishar Joins The Speer Wealth Team. He had five INTs in a season twice in his career. This list isnt based solely on performances from the 2020 NFL season. 1953-65, Detroit Lions. Gradishar was the silent assassin of the team. No. He led the team in tackles five of the 11 season he played for them. 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. 3, Mike Singletary (Bears) (1981-1992) *Ten-time Pro Bowler *Seven-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. He was never the most athletic player on the field, but he was always the hardest working. and Jack Ham played as . 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 . Selected by the Baltimore Colts in the 2nd round . Harry Carson was an outstanding linebacker who played alongside Lawrence Taylor. Bulluck was an outstanding tackler, and was great at run support too. Linebacker Jack Ham and Tight end Dave Casper each received 20 votes. Nickerson wasnt just a one hit wonder though. Floyd Reese, the general manager who assembled the roster for the Tennessee Titans' lone Super Bowl appearance, died Saturday. Ray Lewis is another one of the three players on the list to win Defensive Player of the Year twice in his career. In 2007, he racked up a remarkable 17 sacks in only 12 games. Over his career, he totaled 1,271 tackles, 12 INTs, and 19 forced fumbles. . No. Other Links > Football > Player Rankings by Position > Top Ranked Linebackers . Mecklenburg finished his career with 79 sacks, which is great for an ILB, and also ranks 2nd all-time in Broncos history. But it was his style of play that made his career so short. Most people know Tom Jackson as the commentator working with Chris Berman. Rickey Jackson doesnt always get the credit he deserves, but hes a top 10 linebacker of the modern era. Neal Olkewicz. Thats right, seven. Chip Banks was another linebacker that was solid at everything, but not great at anything. [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. With time to spare in the NFL offseason, Ill take a look at the top 50 linebackers in the NFL in the modern era. Wright has been one of the most reliable linebackers in the NFL since entering the league as a fourth-round pick out of Mississippi State . Offerdahl was a blue collar type of player who was an even better person off the field. Peter Boulware was the pass rusher alongside Ray Lewis. Urlacher was an all-around great linebacker who flew around the field with reckless abandon. 9-time All-Pro, 10-time Pro Bowler. Kirkland had great speed and agility for a big man. We started off with a rough one the wide receivers. Junior Seau finished his career with 1,524 tackles, the highest total on this list. Already in his career, Ware has forced 23 fumbles. No. The Steel Curtain was the defensive line of the 1970s American football team Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). *Ty Anderson, Thomasville: Anderson (6-0, 210) has been an all-state player since he was a sophomore Region 1-2A defensive co . Greene was one of the best pass rushers of all time, recording 160 sacks in his career. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNzd9Xd0who, No. He was a tackle machine and a very big hitter. The National Football League 1970s All-Decade Team is a list of National Football League (NFL) players selected by voters of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Thats amazing consistency. 7, Rickey Jackson (Saints/49ers) (1981-1995) *Six-time Pro Bowler *Five-time 2nd Team All-Pro. credit : - yahoo. He always tried to better himself and did it effectively. Willis could potentially end up in the top 10, or even top five of this list by the time his career is over. 40, Bryce Paup (Packers/Bills/Jaguars/Vikings) (1990-2000) *Four-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro. The Raiders defeated the Eagles 27-10. Please click on "Comments" and make sure to vote in the poll. 20, Keith Bulluck* (Titans) (2000-Present) *One-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. These were the players who were great players, but not quite good enough to be placed inside the top 50. 44, Jessie Armstead (Giants/Redskins) (1993-2003) *Five-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. He won Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1974 and Defensive Player of the Year two years later. He already has 57.5 sacks in his short career, along with 16 forced fumbles. by Ben Watanabe. 49, Vaughn Johnson (Saints/Eagles) (1986-1994) *Four-time Pro Bowler *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. He has played the role of pass rusher and coverage linebacker in his career, and has excelled at both. 10, Junior Seau (Chargers/Dolphins/Patriots) (1990-2009) *Twelve-time Pro Bowler *Six-time All-Pro 1st Team *Three-time All-Pro 2nd Team. Boards are the best place to save images and video clips. No. This season marked the end for Tittle and fellow Canton-bound star Frank Gifford. He could play zone and man. And here are the 25 greatest linebackers in NFL history: 25. But Mills did much more than that. Briggs does a lot of pass coverage with the Bears, and has had 53 passes deflected already in his career. Bill Romanowski (49ers, Eagles, Broncos, Raiders) : Two-time Pro Bowler. 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. Chad Brown played a very long NFL career, especially for a linebacker. Defensive MVP in 2002. Wright, Seattle Seahawks. 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 runningback Franco Harris. 35, Lance Briggs* (Bears) (2003-Present) *Five-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. You could stick him on any TE in the league, even some slot receivers, and he would take them out of the game. May 24, 2022. He totaled 28 INTs in his career while he also racked up 1,045 tackles. Even now, you can tell what kind of person he is by his charity work with the REACH Foundation that he started. For most other franchises, a resume like this would make Jack Ham the greatest linebacker in thier history by a wide margin. He has been one of the most intimidating players in the NFL his entire career. 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. Tribute to Elvis 5. He also finished his career with 17 INTs. Dick Butkus: one of the fiercest and best linebackers the NFL has ever seen, Butkus was a Pro Bowler every year except his final season while also garnering five All-Pro selections for the Bears. Most known for his antics like spitting in other players faces, Romanowskis play sometimes gets overshadowed. He racked up a staggering 1,181 tackles, and 1,131 of them in his first nine seasons. Rickey Jackson was one of the fastest linebackers in the game, but he was also one of the hardest hitters. Williams has received numerous honors, including selection to the NFL All-Rookie Team (1976), the Byron Whizzer White Award for Humanitarian Service (1985), the NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year Award (1986), and Sports Illustrateds Co-Sportsman of the Year (1987). Ware has made four consecutive Pro Bowls and has had three consecutive All-Pro seasons. Top 10 Draft Picks in Broncos History | No. Top 10 Boxers of the 1990s: Was Roy Jones Jr. the best? Their greats span the decades of the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s. Chuck Drazenovich. Johnson wasnt very flashy, but he was very solid all-around, which is why he sneaks onto the list. O. J. Simpson and Lynn Swann were next with 22 and 21 votes, respectively. 26, Cornelius Bennett (Bills/Falcons/Colts) (1987-2000) *Five-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro. Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 1989. Mo Lewis was another very consistent and solid player. 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. 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. Williams was the heart and soul of two Super Bowl defenses. LaVar Arrington. Kevin Greene will always be known as one of the craziest and talented pass rushers in NFL history. Jeff Siemon (Vikings) : Four-time Pro Bowler. Baker recorded 19 . 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 Brooks may be the most accomplished linebacker on this list. The Pittsburgh Steelers are second with all-time players in four decades. Seau was the definition of consistency. Discuss this article along with many other quality articles, discussions, and much more at: http://forums.sportsjabber.net/sjforums/showthread.php?t=54444. He was also a good pass rusher, and a good coverage man as well. The 'Skins historically have had some solid inside linebackers capable of both stopping the run and being reliable in coverage. We adapted Google's Privacy Guidelines to keep your data safe at all times. That is the reason you will not find Butkus, Huff, Nitschke etc in these rankings. He is not only the greatest linebacker in NFL history, hes one of the games greatest players period. Playoffs: Won Divisional Round 5-0 vs. Detroit Lions. I know, how can I rate Kirkland over Greene? Ranking Explanation . 8. 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. He finished his career with 132.5 sacks. 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. Cornelius Bennett was just a great all-around player. Greene was one of the best pass rushers of all-time, recording 160 sacks in his career. Jackson was not just a coverage linebacker, he was also a good pass rusher and a very hard worker off the field. Mills racked up 1,142 tackles in his career. Thats fine, he played enough linebacker to be considered this high. Derrick Thomas still holds the NFL record for most sacks in a single NFL game with seven, against the Seattle Seahawks in 1990. 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 . If you havnt guessed it by now, Lawrence LT Taylor is my top linebacker of the modern era. Brazile might not get the credit because of the team he played for, but he was an outstanding player. Sacks and tackles werent recorded until late in his career, but he was a great pass rusher and all-around linebacker. The Steelers went 6-10 in his first season, but along with players like Hines Ward, Jerome Bettis, and Alan Faneca . 2. K.J. He did anything the Bears asked of him, especially stuffing the run. No. But Mills did much more than that. Singletary was a leader, not only vocally, but by example. Suggs is a pass rushing monster with the Ravens. Taylor is one of only two defensive players (DT Alan Page, 1971) in the history of the NFL to be named NFL MVP. . Seau was the definition of consistency. 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 had an outstanding attitude and would do anything to get his team a win. He did it once in 1985 and again in 1988. Anything you asked him to do, he would do. 3 hours ago. Elected to the Pro Football Hall Of Fame in 2018. Ray Lewis came into the league and dominated right away. In 1993 as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers middle linebacker, Nickerson piled up an astounding 214 tackles. I think thats largely due to the NFL not keeping sacks and tackles numbers during his career. Joe Schmidt. Joey Porter. [a][4]. No. Thats right, seven. He became a starter at inside linebacker for the Steelers in his second season, 1993, replacing Pro Bowler David Little. No. Tippett was a big reason to why so many teams value pass rushing OLBs in todays game. Jason Gildon (Steelers/Jaguars): - Three-time Pro Bowler, one-time 1st Team All-Pro. 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. Spielman was a great leader and intense player who always gave everything he had. He had over 1,000 tackles, over 70 sacks, and over 30 forced fumbles in his career. He had four interceptions that season, a high number for an inside linebacker, to go along with four sacks and 114 tackles. The defense was ranked right up there along with the 1985 Bears, and Steelers teams of the 1970s. Im only going to be looking at players drafted in 1970 or later. During the late 1970s and early 80s, he was the best linebacker the NFL had. 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Lance Briggs may be overshadowed by Brian Urlacher, but dont forget how great of a player Briggs has been for the Bears. No. He was a very solid 3-4 ILB playing on one of the best LB Cores of all-time, the Dome Patrol. Cornerback Mel Blount was added in the . Eddie Johnson arrived in Cleveland at exactly the right time. Next up on the docket for my top Redskins players series are the linebackers. Armstead didnt particularly stand out at anywhere, but he wasnt a weak link anywhere either. 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. He recently missed most of last season with surgery. 2011 Butkus Award winner for nation s best linebacker at Boston College. 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. Sam Huff. Chris Spielman was a tackle machine during his 10 years in the NFL. 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. Over the course of his two-year Ohio State career, Lee accumulated 147 tackles. No. 10. When you see a list of greatest linebackers, Isiah Robertson very rarely even gets brought into the discussion. Demarcus Ware has only played five seasons in the NFL, but already hes one of the best of this era. No. To stoke the nostalgia, we talked to some of the key players from the team's winningest, most . Merriman still has the potential to be a great player again. A tall order to say the least, and these 5 players did it better than anyone in the history of the NFL. 1. Wilson recorded 560 tackles and 21.5 sacks as a member of the Broncos. 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No. 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. could hit like a freight train, but it was his finesse and high football IQ that helped him revolutionize the linebacker position. 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. He had an outstanding attitude and would do anything to get his team a win. That truly shows what kind of person he was off the field. In his time in the NFL, he intercepted 25 passes and returned six of them for touchdowns with three of those in 2002 alone. Wilber Marshall was one of the greatest pass coverage linebackers of the modern era. In 1984 and 1985, Tippett put up two of the best back-to-back seasons recording 18.5 and 16.5 sacks in them. His sacks are the main reason hes this high, but he was also a great all-around player. 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. Next were Defensive end Jack Youngblood and Joe Greene who each had 18 votes. The line was the backbone of the Steelers dynasty, which won four Super Bowls (IX, X, XIII, and XIV) in six years.. He led some of the greatest defenses in NFL history in both performance and spirit. Top 25 SEC LBs of all-time: 15-11. Paup was a complete linebacker, who was especially great at rushing the passer. Lofa Tatupu didnt take any time breaking into the NFL, making the Pro Bowl in his first three seasons. A true enforcer in every sense of the word, Lewis intensity was unmatched by any player of his era. 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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