Lloyd had 54.5 sacks and 11 INTs in his career, but the most remarkable number was his 35 forced fumbles. Earl Campbell called Williams the toughest linebacker he ever played against. No. He was Terrell Suggs before Suggs got to Baltimore. He totaled 28 INTs in his career while he also racked up 1,045 tackles. Most known for his antics like spitting in other players faces, Romanowskis play sometimes gets overshadowed. Ranking Explanation . 9. Hardy Nickerson makes it this high on the list mainly because of one ridiculous season he had. Most people know Tom Jackson as the commentator working with Chris Berman. [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. Jackson tallied up 128 sacks in his career, but even thats not his most impressive number. Quinto was a regular at both inside and outside linebacker for head coach Ron Gladnick's Saints. Urlacher was an all-around great linebacker who flew around the field with reckless abandon. No. Chip Banks was another linebacker that was solid at everything, but not great at anything. No. Over the course of his two-year Ohio State career, Lee accumulated 147 tackles. 6 - Carl McAdams. Ralph Baker - Years with Jets: 11 (1964-74) Baker played in 142 games with the Jets in his 11 seasons, which is tied with Marvin Jones for the 4 th most by a linebacker. He was a good pass rusher, having at least 5.5 sacks in 10 straight years, but he was also good against the run and in coverage. 1986 Boston Celtics - Were they the greatest Team? Seau is one of the Chargers' all-time great players, and will go to Canton five years after he retires like he should. (Pro Football Weekly 1975 Defensive Player of the Year, 1970s All-Decade Team, 1994 75th anniversary team), and also the team success (4 Super Bowls). The defense was ranked right up there along with the 1985 Bears, and Steelers teams of the 1970s. Al Wilson was an outstanding MLB for the Broncos. In 1993 as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers middle linebacker, Nickerson piled up an astounding 214 tackles. Over his career, he totaled 1,271 tackles, 12 INTs, and 19 forced fumbles. Johnson wasnt very flashy, but he was very solid all-around, which is why he sneaks onto the list. He could play zone and man. 100th NFL Anniversary team. That suggestion from the newly appointed House . If you take away his last three seasons, where he was slowing down, he averaged 12.4 sacks per season, which is just remarkable. 42, Chip Banks (Browns/Chargers/Colts) (1982-1992) *Four-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st team All-Pro. 2-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year (1985, '88) Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 1989. Spielman was a great leader and intense player who always gave everything he had. Top 30 Linebackers in the NFL since 1970! Check out the 1970 Minnesota Vikings Roster, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees, Injury Reports and more on Pro-Football-Reference.com. Andy Russell 7x Pro Bowl, 4x All-Pro, 2x Super Bowl Champion Linebacker '63, 1966-1976 Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images. Paul Naumoff played for 12 seasons from 1967-1978. This brings us to the first night of March and a not-quite-full Purcell . He is still active, and is a starter, but he might be on his way out of San Diego. Less of a nod goes to pass rushers, linebackers and safeties. This team was widely regarded as having one of the best defenses of all time. O. J. Simpson and Lynn Swann were next with 22 and 21 votes, respectively. Jack Lambert was the teammate of Jack Ham who took the inside linebacker duties. 2022 - SportsUnfold. by Ben Watanabe. He was very solid in coverage, good against the run, and had no real weaknesses. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Lance Briggs may be overshadowed by Brian Urlacher, but dont forget how great of a player Briggs has been for the Bears. 40, Bryce Paup (Packers/Bills/Jaguars/Vikings) (1990-2000) *Four-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro. Wilber Marshall was one of the greatest pass coverage linebackers of the modern era. 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 also had 20 INTs, three 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. 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. He was Lawrence Taylor before Taylor was. 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. Brooks is most known for his coverage ability in the Bucs cover-two scheme. No. In that career he played both 4-3 OLB and 3-4 ILB. He was very athletic, a great tackler, and he could cover. He should still improve this season with Ndamukong Suh in front of him to help free him up. Lofa Tatupu* (Seahawks) : Three-time Pro Bowler, one-time 1st Team All-Pro. 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. Top 10 Draft Picks in Broncos History | No. 46, Jon Beason* (Panthers) (2007-Present) *One-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Kolen was drafted by the Dolphins in the 12 th round . Ham had outstanding speed. He may have actually been crazy. Mecklenburg finished his career with 79 sacks, which is great for an ILB, and also ranks 2nd all-time in Broncos history. Isiah Robertson, nicknamed The Playmaker, was known for coming up with the big plays in the biggest games. 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. 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. That truly shows what kind of person he was off the field. He was one of the most feared players in the game. Armstead didnt particularly stand out at anywhere, but he wasnt a weak link anywhere either. Top 13 Cincinnati Reds Starting Pitchers of all time. He was always good enough for Pro Bowls, but was never an All-Pro Player. LaVar Arrington. Jan 25, 1981; New Orleans, LA, USA; FILE PHOTO; Oakland Raiders players Mickey Marvin (65), Willie Jones (90), Rod Martin (53), Ted Hendricks (83) and Raymond Chester (88) on the field against the Philadelphia Eagles during Super Bowl XV at the Superdome. Ham is the only linebacker other than Tom Jackson to have seven INTs in a single season. Brooks was the leader of that defense, but his surrounding cast was just too good to rank him higher. Hardy Nickerson may not have the name recognition as many of the other linebackers on this list, but he deserves to be this high. Lawrence Taylor: one of the greatest defensive players ever, Taylor was a pass-rushing force who revolutionized the outside linebacker position . This list isnt based solely on performances from the 2020 NFL season. 8. Ray Lewis is another one of the three players on the list to win Defensive Player of the Year twice in his career. A shot of Jameson for Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey. He had 885 career solo tackles, which is impressive on a defense filled with swarming the ball, shown by his 1,488 career tackles. No. 32, John Offerdahl (Dolphins) (1986-1993) *Five-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. The next year at the Pro Bowl, Thomas remembered him by name. After a very bad injury in 2008, Shawne Merriman hasnt been the same. Greene led the way in the pass rushing department. Floyd Reese, the general manager who assembled the roster for the Tennessee Titans' lone Super Bowl appearance, died Saturday. 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 was always around the ball. He did anything the Bears asked of him, especially stuffing the run. He was close to averaging a sack per game, which is an amazing number. Lewis was the leader of the 2000 Super Bowl winning Ravens team. Boards are the best place to save images and video clips. Answer: Two of the three were constants for all four Super Bowls and ended up in the Hall of Fame. Simpson in 1973 or Terry Bradshaw's two Super Bowl MVP performances. Defensive MVP in 2002. No. Cox was also a vocal leader of the teams he played for, directing his defenses to success. 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 ranks third all . He was also a big hitter and very intimidating on the field of play. Mike Singletary had the whole package. Thomas was one of the most instinctive linebackers of all-time. Robertson is one of the most underrated players in NFL history. Carson did most of the dirty work in that linebacking core. He was a tackling machine for the majority of his career. 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. Selected by the Baltimore Colts in the 2nd round . In 1993 as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers middle linebacker, Nickerson piled up an astounding 214 tackles. He had an outstanding attitude and would do anything to get his team a win. Kevin Greene was a mad man in a football uniform. The Best of Tommy Brady at Michigan . Jalen Carter, top NFL prospect, posts bond in fatal crash. No. 34, Julian Peterson* (49ers/Seahawks/Lions) (2000-Present) *Five-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Swilling was the best pass rusher of the Dome Patrol, but he also forced 36 fumbles to go along with all the sacks. Schmidt stood out in an era of great middle linebackers. 47, Fredd Young (Seahawks/Colts) (1984-1990) *Four-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro. Over his career, Brooking has racked up 962 tackles and 12 INTs. Kirkland had 10 tackles and a key sack of Dallas quarterback Troy Aikman. He also had at least 99 tackles in seven years of his 12 year career, which is outstanding. Lambert was a Pro Bowler in all but his rookie season and his final pro season, totaling nine selections. Nine All-Pros. 2. Merriman still has the potential to be a great player again. 21. Thomas was one of the most instinctive linebackers of all-time. No. Lawrence Taylor. Hes also great against the run and is a turnover forcing monster. Discuss this article along with many other quality articles, discussions, and much more at: http://forums.sportsjabber.net/sjforums/showthread.php?t=54444. Republican Rep. James Comer suggested during a right-wing podcast earlier this week that President Joe Biden's deceased son Beau Biden should have been investigated in connection with a long-settled case on "campaign donations" from a backer who was eventually indicted. No. Derrick Thomas was on pace to absolutely shatter NFL records before his tragic death in 2000. Offerdahl was a blue collar type of player who was an even better person off the field. He knew how to make big plays. 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 . Hes also had at least 83 tackles in every year other than his rookie season. He totaled 28 INTs in his career while he also racked up 1,045 tackles. He had ten seasons with 10+ sacks. He did it in 2000 and again in 2003. Anything you asked him to do, he would do. In his time in the NFL, he intercepted 25 passes and returned six of them for touchdowns with three of those in 2002 alone. The second member of the Dome Patrol comes off the board at No. No. Wilber Marshall had the whole package. Williams was the heart and soul of two Super Bowl defenses. Briggs should only continue to move up this list, as he takes over as the star linebacker spot in Chicago. Randy Gradishar played along with Tom Jackson in the Denver Broncos Orange Crush defense. I personally think football before 1970 and after 1970 can be seen as two completely different games, in terms of its evolution. 2011 Butkus Award winner for nation s best linebacker at Boston College. Ray Lewis is another one of the three players on the list to win Defensive Player of the Year twice in his career. Willis could potentially end up in the top 10, or even top five of this list by the time his career is over. Greene was one of the best pass rushers of all-time, recording 160 sacks in his career. 12, Randy Gradishar (Broncos) (1974-1984) *Seven-time Pro Bowler *Two-time 1st Team All-Pro *Three-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Many of you will say that Keith Bulluck is way too high. He may be one of the most hated players, but man can he play football. He finished his career with 1,106 tackles and 627 assisted tackles as well. Julian Peterson has had a very well-rounded NFL career to this point, and its still going on. Elected to the Pro Football Hall Of Fame in 2018. Kirkland had great speed and agility for a big man. Peterson is another versatile linebacker who has played both inside and outside linebacker. The Pittsburgh Steelers are second with all-time players in four decades. NFL Defensive Rookie of the . Keith Brooking has been one of the most consistent linebackers of all-time. He is not only the greatest linebacker in NFL history, hes one of the games greatest players period. I think thats largely due to the NFL not keeping sacks and tackles numbers during his career. But in those three years, hes racked up 328 tackles and seven INTs, all while starting every game of his career. Nickerson wasnt just a one hit wonder though. Brazile was drafted out of Jackson State and revolutionized linebacker play in the NFL. Those are remarkable numbers, especially when he is still going strong. 1. Thats right, seven. 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. Also note that an asterisk (*) by the players name means they are still active today. He was never the most athletic player on the field, but he was always the hardest working. He may have been undersized, but he made up for it with his mind and his hustle. Born April 20 . . 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 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. Still, he was a very solid MLB for many years. Paup was a complete linebacker, who was especially great at rushing the passer. First-Team All-Pro, Pro Bowl w/Raiders (1991) NFL interceptions leader w/Raiders (1991) Ronnie Lott is best known for being arguably the best safety in football history. AP. *Three-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro. 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