best linebackers of the 1970s

His best season was his first year with the Bills where he had 17.5 sacks, 70 tackles, two INTs, and three forced fumbles. Randy Gradishar Joins The Speer Wealth Team. Thats over 10 sacks per season, which is outstanding. Junior Seau finished his career with 1,524 tackles, the highest total on this list. Eleven Pro Bowls. Those are remarkable numbers, especially when he is still going strong. Patrick Willis is everything you look for in a linebacker. L.T. He started his career out with the Packers, if they would have used him correctly he would have been higher on this list. 6, Jack Ham (Steelers) (1971-1982) *Eight-time Pro Bowler *Six-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Franchise Encyclopedia. Briggs has made five straight Pro Bowls for the Bears, and that streak still continues. James Farrior* (Jets/Steelers): Two-time Pro Bowler, one-time 1st Team All-Pro, one-time 2nd Team All-Pro. 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. Cornelius Bennett was just a great all-around player. 2022 - SportsUnfold. He had five INTs in a season twice in his career. It was tied for the best of the day with linebacker Owen Pappoe, of Auburn, and was the second-fastest time from an . No. He also had 20 INTs, three of which he returned for touchdowns. Williams recorded 16 interceptions and 23 fumble recoveries (a franchise record). Thomas did everything you asked out of a linebacker. You might be thinking Top 10 already? But look at his numbers. This list isnt based solely on performances from the 2020 NFL season. Ray Lewis is another one of the three players on the list to win Defensive Player of the Year twice in his career. Hardy Nickerson makes it this high on the list mainly because of one ridiculous season he had. He led the Eagles in tackles in his time with the team. No. Jackson was the vocal leader of the orange crush defense. Bryan Cox was an all-around package at linebacker. Please click on "Comments" and make sure to vote in the poll. No. Jeremiah The Axeman Trotter has been a very recognizable name over the past decade. 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. Mills racked up 1,142 tackles in his career. He won Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1974 and Defensive Player of the Year two years later. There was a story of someone meeting Thomas at the Pro Bowl for no longer than 10 minutes. No. He was also the first player to have a TE or RB used for chip blocking on, and overall changed the way offensive lineman block. 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. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. No. So while there were outstanding linebackers in previous years, like Dick Butkus and Ray Nitschke, they will not be on this list. 1986 Boston Celtics - Were they the greatest Team? All Rights Reserved. 28a, Pat Swilling (Saints/Lions/Raiders) (1986-1998) *Five-time Pro Bowler *Two-time 1st Team All-Pro *Two-time 2nd Team All-Pro. He would always be found around the ball, and around the play. He took up blockers and threw his body around a lot. Jack Ham might be the best coverage linebacker of all time. That is just unheard of. Love him or hate him, Lewis has earned the title of greatest middle linebacker of all time. Anything you asked him to do, he would do. He could do it all. 10. 1. Punter Ray Guy was the leading vote-getter for the 1970s All-Decade Team, receiving 24 of a possible 25 votes. The leader of the Dome Patrol comes in at No. 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. The Minnesota Vikings did an outstanding job of drafting linebackers in 1974. No. 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. Mills was more of the tackler of the bunch, racking up 1,142 tackles in his career. K.J. Visit Our Patreon Page to Create Your Own All-Time Fantasy Teams and See Other Bonus Material . Bryce Paup was an outstanding pass rusher in the 1990s. Jack Ham might be the best coverage linebacker of all time. Thats nearly 13 sacks per season. He did anything the Bears asked of him, especially stuffing the run. Other Links > Football > Player Rankings by Position > Top Ranked Linebackers . He was a tackle machine and a very big hitter. Call it foreshadowing, but you will see some of his teammates higher up on this list. He also had 1,173 tackles in his career. Hes on pace to not only break, but shatter the NFL record of 41. 29, Joey Porter* (Steelers/Dolphins/Cardinals) (1999-Present) *Four-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro *Three-time 2nd Team All-Pro. No. . Please play responsibly. He is ninth in team history with 14 forced fumbles; he recovered 11, had 6 QB sacks, and 11 interceptions. He may have been undersized, but he made up for it with his mind and his hustle. He is the only linebacker to ever take the honor. Although he only played three full seasons, he made five Pro Bowls. He also had at least 99 tackles in seven years of his 12-year career, which is outstanding. 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). Chad Brown played a very long NFL career, especially for a linebacker. 25. It seemed like he knew where the ball was going at all times. Ray Lewis is another one of the three players on the list to win Defensive Player of the Year twice in his career. LT finished his career with 142 sacks, averaging nearly 11 sacks per season. Chip Banks was another linebacker that was solid at everything, but not great at anything. . 48, Terrell Suggs* (Ravens) (2003-Present) *Three-time Pro Bowler *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Trotter was a complete, all-around linebacker. Lamberts best season was in 1976, where he won the Defensive Player of the Year award. Although still early in his career, Demarcus Ware deserves to be this high on the list. The 2008 season was his best sack season with 17.5. Brian Urlacher is one of the greatest linebackers of this decade. Ware is not just an outstanding pass rusher though. Carson did most of the dirty work in that linebacking core. Running back Larry Csonka of the Miami Dolphins is brought down by linebacker Henry Davis of . 17, Brian Urlacher* (Bears) (2000-Present) *Six-time Pro Bowler *Four-time 1st Team All-Pro. I personally think football before 1970 and after 1970 can be seen as two completely different games, in terms of its evolution. Steve Kiner (1966-69): Tennessee fans didn't have to wait long after Emanuel left to find the next superstar linebacker. Tribute to Elvis Those would be accomplishments by themselves, let alone all together. Jul 07, 2014 at 11:02 PM. Lawrence Taylor of course, is regarded as the best 3-4 linebacker ever, . Robertson is one of the most underrated players in NFL history. 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 . Pat Swilling. 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. Armstead didnt particularly stand out at anywhere, but he wasnt a weak link anywhere either. Born April 20 . 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. 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. An important part of the Las Vegas defense, the LB position includes middle or inside linebackers and outside (strong side or weakside) linebackers. Thomas' remarkable personality was also recognized by being awarded the Walter Peyton Man of the Year Award in 1993. He took up blockers and threw his body around a lot. Over the course of his two-year Ohio State career, Lee accumulated 147 tackles. He was one of a kind and will always be remembered as one of the best linebackers of all time. 20, Keith Bulluck* (Titans) (2000-Present) *One-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. A tall order to say the least, and these 5 players did it better than anyone in the history of the NFL. 10. Kolen was drafted by the Dolphins in the 12 th round . Selected by the Baltimore Colts in the 2nd round . Woodrow Lowe, Alabama (1972-75) Respected as college football's top linebacker in the early 1970s, Lowe was the first . Visit Our Patreon Page to Create Your Own All-Time Fantasy Teams and See Other Bonus Material . Wright, Seattle Seahawks. No. These were the players who were great players, but not quite good enough to be placed inside the top 50. 47, Fredd Young (Seahawks/Colts) (1984-1990) *Four-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro. The Chicago Bears have the most all-time great linebackers. 6 - Carl McAdams. 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). 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. No. When you ask who is the greatest MLB of all-time is, many people jump straight to Dick Butkus. Linebacker Jack Ham and Tight end Dave Casper each received 20 votes. No. NFLs Merchants of Menace Andre Tippett. Ham had outstanding speed. 12, Randy Gradishar (Broncos) (1974-1984) *Seven-time Pro Bowler *Two-time 1st Team All-Pro *Three-time 2nd Team All-Pro. A five-time pro bowler, Wilson was one of the best linebackers in the league during the early 2000s. 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 . But in those three years, hes racked up 328 tackles and seven INTs, all while starting every game of his career. He already has 57.5 sacks in his short career, along with 16 forced fumbles. Boulware had at least seven sacks every year he played other than his last season in the NFL. More Team Info. For most other franchises, a resume like this would make Jack Ham the greatest linebacker in thier history by a wide margin. Not only did he change the way defenses are run, but he changed the way offensive schemes are run as well. You could stick him on any TE in the league, even some slot receivers, and he would take them out of the game. 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 also had at least 99 tackles in seven years of his 12 year career, which is outstanding. Lofa Tatupu* (Seahawks) : Three-time Pro Bowler, one-time 1st Team All-Pro. That is the reason you will not find Butkus, Huff, Nitschke etc in these rankings. Brooks is most known for his coverage ability in the Bucs cover-two scheme. Blair was outstanding in coverage, along with being a great tackler. He was 73. In that career he played both 4-3 OLB and 3-4 ILB. The second member of the Dome Patrol comes off the board at No. No. Chris Spielman was a tackle machine during his 10 years in the NFL. 4, Derrick Thomas (Chiefs) (1989-1999) *Nine-time Pro Bowler *Two-time 1st Team All-Pro *Three-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Here is my ranking of the top 10 Giants linebackers, along with some honorable mentions. No. The middle linebacker also recorded 52 tackles for loss, which is fourth all-time in Clemson history. Mike Kolen 1970-77. 1970s All-decade team. Cox was also a vocal leader of the teams he played for, directing his defenses to success. In his three years at Clemson (1995-'97) Simmons recorded 486 tackles, only 29 off the school record Bubba Brown recorded in four years from 1976-'79. He started all but one game in his last eight seasons, which is very impressive for a linebacker. Since Donnie Shell finally cracked the Hall of Fame, I would say the . Already in his career, Ware has forced 23 fumbles. Select from premium 1970 1979 America of the highest quality. In this Article . Harry Carson was an outstanding linebacker who played alongside Lawrence Taylor. 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). No. Super Bowl XX champion. 10. Keith Bulluck WAS the Titans defense, and has been every year hes been there. 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. . 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. His 1989 rookie season was one of the best the NFL has ever seen. Zach Thomas would be the perfect linebacker, no matter what style of defense you play. Matt Blair was a very intimidating linebacker, and helped the Vikings get to two Super Bowls in his career. Top 10, however, is not only a sure thing but easy as it was very tough for me to keep Levy out of the top 5 over the guy that made it. 1, Lawrence Taylor (Giants) (1981-1993) *Ten-time Pro Bowler *Eight-time 1st Team All-Pro *Two-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Taylor changed the way football is played today. 3, Mike Singletary (Bears) (1981-1992) *Ten-time Pro Bowler *Seven-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Next up, we look at a much better-rated unit in the linebackers. But Mills did much more than that. 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. Jalen Carter, top NFL prospect, posts bond in fatal crash. He wasnt very vocal, but his play did all the talking for him. 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). Brazile might not get the credit because of the team he played for, but he was an outstanding player. Anthony Simmons (1995-'97) is the only two-time First-Team All-American in Clemson . Lewis stats at this point of his career are 1,349 tackles, 36.5 sacks, and 28 INTs. Won Conference Championship 17-10 vs. San Francisco 49ers. He was Terrell Suggs before Suggs got to Baltimore. He should be in the Hall of Fame. Lewis was the leader of the 2000 Super Bowl-winning Ravens team. He totaled 28 INTs in his career while he also racked up 1,045 tackles. Nine All-Pros. Sacks and tackles werent recorded until late in his career, but he was a great pass rusher and all-around linebacker. Any coach would be lucky to have a player like Karl Mecklenburg on their roster. A late 12th round pick Mecklenburg finished his career with 79 sacks, which is great for an ILB, and also ranks 2nd all-time in Broncos history. 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. 1. Derrick Brooks may be the most accomplished linebacker on this list. He had an outstanding attitude and would do anything to get his team a win. Theres not much Brooks doesnt have. LT finished his career with 142 sacks, averaging nearly 11 sacks per season. He played in 10 playoff games and had two INTs and three fumble recoveries in them. Joey Porter may be the most vocal linebacker on this list. Outside linebacker Joey Porter came to Pittsburgh in 1999. 5.) No. 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. 100th NFL Anniversary team. Mike Singletary. 50, Bryan Cox (Dolphins/Bears/Jets/Patriots/Saints) (1991-2003). Defensive MVP in 2002. Brazile was drafted out of Jackson State and revolutionized linebacker play in the NFL.

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