best linebackers of the 1970s

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. Im only going to be looking at players drafted in 1970 or later. 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. The Minnesota Vikings did an outstanding job of drafting linebackers in 1974. Although still early in his career, Demarcus Ware deserves to be this high on the list. Jackson had 40 forced fumbles, just one short of the NFL record. No. Featuring some of the greatest NFL linebackers of all time, the best Bills LBs include Sam Rogers, Keith Ellison, Shane Conlan, and John Holecek. Lamberts best season was in 1976, where he won the Defensive Player of the Year award. Lamberts best season was in 1976, where he won the Defensive Player of the Year award. 2, Ray Lewis* (Ravens) (1996-Present) *Eleven-time Pro Bowler *Seven-time 1st Team All-Pro *Two-time 2nd Team All-Pro. The Best of Tommy Brady at Michigan . He had ten seasons with 10+ sacks. His 32 career INTs lead the way for linebackers. Who knows how many he wouldve had if he played in the entire 16? He was unstoppable in goal line situations especially. He played in 10 playoff games and had two INTs and three fumble recoveries in them. 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. Baltimore Ravens ground game rules in NFL Week 11 and more 7. They surrendered only 20 points in that game, and seven of them were off a blocked punt. Beason has only been in the league for three years now. He also finished his career with 17 INTs. In 1985, a trophy awarded to the best linebacker in college football was named in his honor. In that career he played both 4-3 OLB and 3-4 ILB. 9, Derrick Brooks (Bucs) (1995-2008) *Eleven-time Pro Bowler *Five-time 1st Team All-Pro *Four-time 2nd Team All-Pro. He had 885 career solo tackles, which is impressive on a defense filled with swarming the ball, shown by his 1,488 career tackles. He took them to the AFC Championship game in 1998, where they fell victim to John Elways Super Bowl winning Broncos. He could do it all. Michigan Football Position Greats Mills was more of a complete player than Swilling, although the two are too close to separate one from the other. He would give it his all on every single down of every single play. Opponents thought Kirkland would not be as adept in pass coverage as the fast Lloyd, but they quickly found out that Kirkland was just as fast and quick. No. 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. Brooks is most known for his coverage ability in the Bucs cover-two scheme. Joe Schmidt. Derrick Thomas was on pace to absolutely shatter NFL records before his tragic death in 2000. Other Links > Football > Player Rankings by Position > Top Ranked Linebackers . Reese, GM of Titans' Super Bowl team, dies at 73 Keith Bulluck WAS the Titans defense, and has been every year hes been there. 45, Shawne Merriman* (Chargers) (2005-Present) *Three-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Career highlights: Super Bowl champion (1969), three-time Pro Bowl (1970-72), two . 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. Lofa Tatupu* (Seahawks) : Three-time Pro Bowler, one-time 1st Team All-Pro. Holdovers from the National Football League 1960s All-Decade Team were Bob Lilly, Dick Butkus, Merlin Olsen, Larry Wilson, and Jim Bakken, which made them the first players to make multiple All-Decade teams in NFL history. 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. The defense was ranked right up there along with the 1985 Bears, and Steelers teams of the 1970s. The middle linebacker also recorded 52 tackles for loss, which is fourth all-time in Clemson history. Jason Gildon (Steelers/Jaguars): - Three-time Pro Bowler, one-time 1st Team All-Pro. #NFL100 - Top 6 Outside Linebackers [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. Peter Boulware was the pass rusher alongside Ray Lewis. . How NFL Players Have Evolved. Ham had outstanding . Kolen was drafted by the Dolphins in the 12 th round . Wilber Marshall had the whole package. Brooks is most known for his coverage ability in the Bucs cover-two scheme. He recently missed most of last season with surgery. Even now, you can tell what kind of person he is by his charity work with the REACH Foundation that he started. 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, The Top 10 Seattle Mariners of all Time, 19 undeniable Lies in Disney's Remember the Titans, If you enjoy hearing from the legends of pro sports, then be sure to tune into The Grueling Truth sports shows, Where the legends speak. 2022 - SportsUnfold. He finished his career with 1,106 tackles and 627 assisted tackles as well. Swilling was the best pass rusher of the Dome Patrol, but he also forced 36 fumbles to go along with all the sacks. Neal Olkewicz. He was 73. Mike Singletary is one of three players on this list to win Defensive Player of the Year twice in his career. Top 10 LB's in OU history - 247sports.com As an outside linebacker, he put a lot of pressure on opponents' quarterbacks. Mike Singletary had the whole package. Cornerback Mel Blount was added in the . 1970s All-decade team. 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. No. Steel Curtain - Wikipedia 12, Randy Gradishar (Broncos) (1974-1984) *Seven-time Pro Bowler *Two-time 1st Team All-Pro *Three-time 2nd Team All-Pro. He had over 1,000 tackles, over 70 sacks, and over 30 forced fumbles in his career. Ray Lewis is another one of the three players on the list to win Defensive Player of the Year twice in his career. 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. The NFL's Top 50 Linebackers of the Modern Era - Bleacher Report Harry Carson was an outstanding linebacker who played alongside Lawrence Taylor. Less of a nod goes to pass rushers, linebackers and safeties. Top 10 Best Linebackers In Cleveland Browns History (Updated) Dennis Onkotz was a two time first team All American on the great Penn State teams of 1968 and 1969. No. The art of the interview: Terry Fontenot provides a look inside the He started all but one game in his last eight seasons, which is very impressive for a linebacker. Paul Naumoff played for 12 seasons from 1967-1978. Chicago 1981-92. He also ranks third all . This team was widely regarded as having one of the best defenses of all-time. Top 13 Cincinnati Reds Starting Pitchers of all time. Randy Gradishar played along with Tom Jackson in the Denver Broncos Orange Crush defense. There was a story of someone meeting Thomas at the Pro Bowl for no longer than 10 minutes. Paul Krause | S. The NFL's all-time leader in interceptions spent 12 of his 16 years in Minnesota. Johnson wasnt very flashy, but he was very solid all-around, which is why he sneaks onto the list. He would always be found around the ball, and around the play. To stoke the nostalgia, we talked to some of the key players from the team's winningest, most . 10. Although he only played three full seasons, he made five Pro Bowls. He could do it all. 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. Top 25 SEC LBs of all-time: 10-6. He was a tackle machine and a very big hitter. Most people know Tom Jackson as the commentator working with Chris Berman. Cornelius Bennett was just a great all-around player. Most known for his antics like spitting in other players faces, Romanowskis play sometimes gets overshadowed. A truly great linebacker must be able to read the offense, set the defensive scheme, play the run with cat-like instincts and defend the pass with the utmost precision. Blair was also one of the greatest special teams players of all-time! Isiah Robertson, nicknamed The Playmaker, was known for coming up with the big plays in the biggest games. He was close to averaging a sack per game, which is an amazing number. No. But in those three years, hes racked up 328 tackles and seven INTs, all while starting every game of his career. Doc's TML: Lock out the MLB owners, players. No TV, radio, fans The . 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. Paul Naumoff. Chad Brown played a very long NFL career, especially for a linebacker. Shawne Lights Out Merriman was the face of NFL linebackers for a three year stretch. Thomas did everything you asked out of a linebacker. He was Lawrence Taylor before Taylor was. This season marked the end for Tittle and fellow Canton-bound star Frank Gifford. He had 1,301 tackles and 25 forced fumbles in his career. Derrick Thomas still holds the NFL record for most sacks in a single NFL game with seven, against the Seattle Seahawks in 1990. He just goes out every week and hustles. He did anything the Bears asked of him, especially stuffing the run. He was very athletic, a great tackler, and he could cover. Linebacker U Penn State Tradition Jack Ham as a Steeler. and 2000s. I think thats largely due to the NFL not keeping sacks and tackles numbers during his career. NFLs Merchants of Menace Cornelius Bennett and Bruce Smith. 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. . Mills was more of the tackler of the bunch, racking up 1,142 tackles in his career. Over the past decade, virtually every stage of the offensive evolution has increased stress on linebackers, putting them in a bind and asking them to account for multiple things on the same play. No. Are you ready for some football history? In 1993 as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers middle linebacker, Nickerson piled up an astounding 214 tackles. If Bulluck played on a better team, I believe his stats would be much better and his accomplishments would be a lot more. 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. Andy Russell 7x Pro Bowl, 4x All-Pro, 2x Super Bowl Champion Linebacker '63, 1966-1976 Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images. Ray Lewis is another one of the three players on the list to win Defensive Player of the Year twice in his career. Greene was one of the best pass rushers of all time, recording 160 sacks in his career. 10 Best Linebackers in Steelers History (+Honorable Mentions) Chris Spielman was a tackle machine during his 10 years in the NFL. He was blue collar player who was a great leader on defense and could do everything well on a football field. Armstead didnt particularly stand out at anywhere, but he wasnt a weak link anywhere either. Brooks was the leader of that defense, but his surrounding cast was just too good to rank him higher. He may be one of the most hated players, but man can he play football. His best season was his first year with the Bills where he had 17.5 sacks, 70 tackles, two INTs, and three forced fumbles. 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. Blair was outstanding in coverage, along with being a great tackler. He was selected late in the 12th Round, and nobody expected much out of him. 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 . 6 - Carl McAdams. Robertson was one of the NFLs most athletic linebackers. Merriman still has the potential to be a great player again. 19, Harry Carson (Giants) (1976-1988) *Nine-time Pro Bowler *Three-time 2nd Team All-Pro. 21. 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. Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 1989. Find 1970 1979 America stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. It seemed like he knew where the ball was going at all times. LT finished his career with 142 sacks, averaging nearly 11 sacks per season. Top 10 Best Linebackers In Cleveland Browns History. He was just a great all-around player who could do it all. Lawrence Taylor of course, is regarded as the best 3-4 linebacker ever, . Although he only played three full seasons, he made five Pro Bowls.

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