Thats amazing consistency. Wagers only accepted in CO. For full terms and conditions, click here. [a][4]. Playing 20 seasons in the NFL is amazing at any position. Taylor changed the way football is played today. In 2008, Suggs even had two INTs, both of which he returned for touchdowns. He has played the role of pass rusher and coverage linebacker in his career, and has excelled at both. No. As part of the Steelers Blitzburgh defense in the 90s, Greg Lloyd was a speedy, undersized pass rusher.Sometimes, he would use his size to his advantage to disguise where he was coming from. He has been one of the most intimidating players in the NFL his entire career. Dennis Onkotz 1967 - 1969. Top 13 Indiana High School Players of all Time, The 6 greatest Indiana Highschool pure Shooters, The 8 greatest IHSAA Championship Games in History. No. There is a reason the award given to the best linebacker in high school, college and the NFL each year is named after Butkus. Carson did most of the dirty work in that linebacking core. No. He was also a good pass rusher, and a good coverage man as well. But we would be remiss to not acknowledge some of the top performers from that earlier era. He knew how to make big plays. Boards are the best place to save images and video clips. 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. Top 25 SEC LBs of all-time: 10-6. Mills racked up 1,142 tackles in his career. The defense was ranked right up there along with the 1985 Bears, and Steelers teams of the 1970s. Isiah Robertson, nicknamed The Playmaker, was known for coming up with the big plays in the biggest games. Next were Defensive end Jack Youngblood and Joe Greene who each had 18 votes. He had four interceptions that season, a high number for an inside linebacker, to go along with four sacks and 114 tackles. He may be one of the most hated players, but man can he play football. But, if you didnt know, Jackson was once an outstanding linebacker for the Denver Broncos Orange Crush defense. Running back Larry Csonka of the Miami Dolphins is brought down by linebacker Henry Davis of . Paul Naumoff played for 12 seasons from 1967-1978. 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. *Three-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro. 8. Ham is the only linebacker other than Tom Jackson to have seven INTs in a single season. He should still improve this season with Ndamukong Suh in front of him to help free him up. Leslie ONeal was a sack machine in his career. The second member of the Dome Patrol comes off the board at No. HELLO, PANDORA. 1970s All-decade team. Tippett finished his career with 100 sacks. A shot of Jameson for Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey. 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. An important part of the Las Vegas defense, the LB position includes middle or inside linebackers and outside (strong side or weakside) linebackers. He did everything. He was Terrell Suggs before Suggs got to Baltimore. With time to spare in the NFL offseason, Ill take a look at the top 50 linebackers in the NFL in the modern era. 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. Jackson was the vocal leader of the orange crush defense. The versatile middle linebacker played a significant role in helping the Steelers win four Super Bowls in a span of six years in the 1970s. 7. All Rights Reserved. Jack Ham might be the best coverage linebacker of all time. Career highlights: Super Bowl champion (1969), three-time Pro Bowl (1970-72), two . He should be in the Hall of Fame. Less of a nod goes to pass rushers, linebackers and safeties. The 2008 season was his best sack season with 17.5. 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. LT finished his career with 142 sacks, averaging nearly 11 sacks per season. In 1976, Jackson had seven INTs. 12 sacks and three picks. His best season was his first year with the Bills where he had 17.5 sacks, 70 tackles, two INTs, and three forced fumbles. Joey Porter. Kirkland was an all-around better linebacker, he was a 300lb linebacker whose coverage skills were vastly underrated. 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 always tried to better himself and did it effectively. Call it foreshadowing, but you will see some of his teammates higher up on this list. Overlooked because he played alongside Lawrence Taylor, Carson did most of the dirty work in that linebacking core. He led the Eagles in tackles in his time with the team. 22, Chris Spielman (Lions/Bills) (1988-1997) *Four-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro *Two-time 2nd Team All-Pro. 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. 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. Suggs is a pass rushing monster with the Ravens. He is still active, and is a starter, but he might be on his way out of San Diego. Keith Bulluck WAS the Titans defense, and has been every year hes been there. 15, Zach Thomas (Dolphins/Cowboys) (1996-2008) *Seven-time Pro Bowler *Five-time 1st Team All-Pro *Two-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Playoffs: Won Divisional Round 5-0 vs. Detroit Lions. He was also the fastest linebacker of the bunch and excelled in pass coverage. 8, Demarcus Ware* (Cowboys) (2005-Present) *Four-time Pro Bowler *Three-time 1st team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. 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. He finished his career with 132.5 sacks. Regardless, he definitely deserves the respect for what he accomplished on the field. 7. Briggs should only continue to move up this list, as he takes over as the star linebacker spot in Chicago. I think thats largely due to the NFL not keeping sacks and tackles numbers during his career. He could do it all. No. He was close to averaging a sack per game, which is an amazing number. Mike Kolen 1970-77. The Steel Curtain was the defensive line of the 1970s American football team Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). 100th NFL Anniversary team. A tall order to say the least, and these 5 players did it better than anyone in the history of the NFL. Jeremiah The Axeman Trotter has been a very recognizable name over the past decade. Lofa Tatupu* (Seahawks) : Three-time Pro Bowler, one-time 1st Team All-Pro. When Indiana travels to San Antonio, it will MLB Rule Changes | Can F1 Compete With NASCAR | Froggy Talkin Sports #MLB #indianahoosiers #nascar, Indiana Basketball Postgame W/Steve Risley: Indiana vs Iowa Recap and more, Must be 21+. Jackson was the vocal leader of that defense. AP. Over the course of his career he racked up over 1,000 tackles, 52.5 sacks, and 14 INTs, all of which are very good numbers. LSU ENDS REGULAR SEASON 27-1LSU women's basketball ties program-best season . 10. 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. No. Woodrow Lowe, Alabama (1972-75) Respected as college football's top linebacker in the early 1970s, Lowe was the first . Ray Lewis is the highest-ranked active player on this list, and the top middle linebacker on it. 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. could hit like a freight train, but it was his finesse and high football IQ that helped him revolutionize the linebacker position. Ware has made four consecutive Pro Bowls and has had three consecutive All-Pro seasons. He had ten seasons with 10+ sacks. He also finished his career with 17 INTs. Super Bowl winner. 47, Fredd Young (Seahawks/Colts) (1984-1990) *Four-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro. No NFL team has enjoyed the consistent level of success the Pittsburgh Steelers have enjoyed since the AFL-NFL merger of 1970. The next year, he followed it up with four more interceptions. Some of you will say hes too low. 28a, Pat Swilling (Saints/Lions/Raiders) (1986-1998) *Five-time Pro Bowler *Two-time 1st Team All-Pro *Two-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Top 10 Boxers of the 1990s: Was Roy Jones Jr. the best? Atlante vs Raya2 Prediction, Head-To-Head, Live Stream Time, Date, Team News, lineup news, Odds, Stats, Betting Tips Trends, Where To Watch Live Score Mexican Liga de Expansin MX 2023 Telecast Today Match Details March 3, Club Tijuana vs Atlas Prediction, Head-To-Head, Live Stream, Wydad AC vs Vita Club Prediction, Head-To-Head, Live Stream, U Cluj vs Farul Prediction, Head-To-Head, Live Stream Time,, Top 10 Best Football Agents In The World | 2023 Updates, Top 10 Most Successful Retired Soccer Players 2023, FC Magdeburg vs 1. Robert "Dr. Doom" Brazile is another one of those underrated linebackers. Jack Ham had the whole package as a linebacker. He was a tackling machine for the majority of his career. Also note that an asterisk (*) by the players name means they are still active today. If you havnt guessed it by now, Lawrence LT Taylor is my top linebacker of the modern era. Randy Gradishar may be the single-most deserving player of a spot in Canton. No. 44, Jessie Armstead (Giants/Redskins) (1993-2003) *Five-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Selected by the Baltimore Colts in the 2nd round . He could do it all. . Ham had outstanding speed. 10, Junior Seau (Chargers/Dolphins/Patriots) (1990-2009) *Twelve-time Pro Bowler *Six-time All-Pro 1st Team *Three-time All-Pro 2nd Team. He did anything the Bears asked of him, especially stuffing the run. He had over 1,000 tackles, over 70 sacks, and over 30 forced fumbles in his career. He finished his career with 1,106 tackles and 627 assisted tackles as well. Lewis stats at this point of his career are 1,349 tackles, 36.5 sacks, and 28 INTs. But Mills did much more than that. Brooks was the leader of that defense, but his surrounding cast was just too good to rank him higher. Although he only played three full seasons, he made five Pro Bowls. 10. In 1984 and 1985, Tippett put up two of the best back to back seasons recording 18.5 and 16.5 sacks in them. He has been one of the most intimidating players in the NFL his entire career. No. Lambert is said by many to be the best inside linebacker of all-time. Hes also great against the run and is a turnover forcing monster. Randy Gradishar played along with Tom Jackson in the Denver Broncos Orange Crush defense. Nine All-Pros. 1970, slow dancing in Mark Wooldridge's basement with my first girlfriend, Karen Frey, who wore white high-top . No. Merriman still has the potential to be a great player again. Even now, you can tell what kind of person he is by his charity work with the REACH Foundation that he started. No. 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 was blue collar player who was a great leader on defense and could do everything well on a football field. This list isnt based solely on performances from the 2020 NFL season. He would always be found around the ball, and around the play. 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. He wasnt very vocal, but his play did all the talking for him. No. Next up, we look at a much better-rated unit in the linebackers. Mecklenburg was never a cocky player, but just a guy who would show up on Sundays. He had over 1,000 tackles, over 70 sacks, and over 30 forced fumbles in his career. Houston Oilers, 1975-1984. 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. Jack Lambert was the teammate of Jack Ham who took the inside linebacker duties. 30, Matt Blair (Vikings) (1974-1985) *Six-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro. No. 6 - Carl McAdams. He was one of a kind and will always be remembered as one of the best linebackers of all time. [3] 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. All while being tasked with avoiding blocks and keeping tabs on the opposing quarterback. 3, Mike Singletary (Bears) (1981-1992) *Ten-time Pro Bowler *Seven-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. James Harrison. Outside linebacker Joey Porter came to Pittsburgh in 1999. Kirkland had 10 tackles and a key sack of Dallas quarterback Troy Aikman. Hardy Nickerson makes it this high on the list mainly because of one ridiculous season he had. 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.