Brooks wasnt just a pass coverage linebacker, but he also played the run well. 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 would always be found around the ball, and around the play. Jack Ham had the whole package as a linebacker. The leader of the Dome Patrol comes in at No. Are you ready for some football history? Named to NFL's All-Decade Team for 1970s and 1980s. The middle linebacker also recorded 52 tackles for loss, which is fourth all-time in Clemson history. His 32 career INTs lead the way for linebackers. The line was the backbone of the Steelers dynasty, which won four Super Bowls (IX, X, XIII, and XIV) in six years.. Mike Singletary is one of three players on this list to win Defensive Player of the Year twice in his career. Visit Our Patreon Page to Create Your Own All-Time Fantasy Teams and See Other Bonus Material . He may be one of the most hated players, but man can he play football. 5. Many of you will say that Keith Bulluck is way too high. The former college basketball star is considered one of the best defensive linemen to ever play in the NFL. Wilson recorded 560 tackles and 21.5 sacks as a member of the Broncos. Kevin Greene will always be known as one of the craziest and talented pass rushers in NFL history. Sam Huff. O. J. Simpson and Lynn Swann were next with 22 and 21 votes, respectively. Super Bowl winner. Thats nearly 13 sacks per season. No. 23, Isiah Robertson (Rams/Bills) (1971-1982) *Six-time Pro Bowler *Two-time 1st Team All-Pro *Three-time 2nd Team All-Pro. 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. Zach Thomas would be the perfect linebacker, no matter what style of defense you play. Baltimore, with 2,038 rushing yards through its first 10 games of the season, is the seventh team since 1970 and first since the 1978 New England Patriots (2,029 rushing yards) with at least 2,000 . With time to spare in the NFL offseason, Ill take a look at the top 50 linebackers in the NFL in the modern era. *Ty Anderson, Thomasville: Anderson (6-0, 210) has been an all-state player since he was a sophomore Region 1-2A defensive co . Simpson in 1973 or Terry Bradshaw's two Super Bowl MVP performances. Brazile was drafted out of Jackson State and revolutionized linebacker play in the NFL. Quinto was a regular at both inside and outside linebacker for head coach Ron Gladnick's Saints. He totaled 28 INTs in his career while he also racked up 1,045 tackles. Isiah Robertson, nicknamed The Playmaker, was known for coming up with the big plays in the biggest games. Thats amazing consistency. Outside linebacker Joey Porter came to Pittsburgh in 1999. He was also a good pass rusher, and a good coverage man as well. Next: A dangerous combination. 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. Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 1989. Butkus nasty disposition and ability to blow up anyone standing in his path, made him one of the most feared players in the history of the game. He has done it all for the Bears with his pass coverage, run support, and blitzing. If you take away his last three seasons, where he was slowing down, he averaged 12.4 sacks per season, which is just remarkable. Taylor changed the way football is played today. The two-time All-American helped the Cornhuskers win back-to-back national titles in 1970 and '71 . Defensive MVP in 2002. Other Links > Football > Player Rankings by Position > Top Ranked Linebackers . No. He was blue collar player who was a great leader on defense and could do everything well on a football field. Career highlights: Super Bowl champion (1969), three-time Pro Bowl (1970-72), two . Mills was more of a complete player than Swilling, although the two are too close to separate one from the other. No. Thats over 10 sacks per season, which is outstanding. 4, Derrick Thomas (Chiefs) (1989-1999) *Nine-time Pro Bowler *Two-time 1st Team All-Pro *Three-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Punter Ray Guy was the leading vote-getter for the 1970s All-Decade Team, receiving 24 of a possible 25 votes. 24, Leslie ONeal (Chargers/Rams/Chiefs) (1986-1999) *Six-time Pro Bowler *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. The Pittsburgh Steelers are second with all-time players in four decades. Discuss this article along with many other quality articles, discussions, and much more at: http://forums.sportsjabber.net/sjforums/showthread.php?t=54444. Randy Gradishar may be the single-most deserving player of a spot in Canton. Singletary was a leader, not only vocally, but by example. Boards are the best place to save images and video clips. 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. No. Rickey Jackson was one of the fastest linebackers in the game, but he was also one of the hardest hitters. Chris Spielman was a tackle machine during his 10 years in the NFL. In only 11 seasons, Thomas had 126.5 sacks, and an NFL record of 41 forced fumbles. He had 885 career solo tackles, which is impressive on a defense filled with swarming the ball, shown by his 1,488 career tackles. NFL WAGS: 10 Hottest NFL Wives & Girlfriends 2023. 2. Bet with your head, not over it. Being a linebacker makes that feat that much more impressive. Ray Lewis came into the league and dominated right away. 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. Pat Swilling. 9. He was Lawrence Taylor before Taylor was. No. The entire enterprise of Notre Dame basketball, gone strange. And he's still going. In his time in the NFL, he intercepted 25 passes and returned six of them for touchdowns with three of those in 2002 alone. 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Harry Carson was an outstanding linebacker who played alongside Lawrence Taylor. This list isnt based solely on performances from the 2020 NFL season. L.T. Bill Romanowski (49ers, Eagles, Broncos, Raiders) : Two-time Pro Bowler. Houston Oilers, 1975-1984. Chris Spielman was a tackle machine during his 10 years in the NFL. Any coach would be lucky to have a player like Karl Mecklenburg on their roster. . 10 Tom Jackson. Kevin Greene was a mad man in a football uniform. 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 . Regardless, he definitely deserves the respect for what he accomplished on the field. Jackson had 40 forced fumbles, just one short of the NFL record. Still, he was a very solid MLB for many years. Paup was a complete linebacker, who was especially great at rushing the passer. He was always around the ball. In this Article . Schmidt stood out in an era of great middle linebackers. The exhibit features the Fleet's classic collection set in five themed galleries representing the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s and 2010s. He would always be found around the ball, and around the play. Interview with Former Steeler Great levon kirkland. 48, Terrell Suggs* (Ravens) (2003-Present) *Three-time Pro Bowler *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Here Are 8 Ways NBA Has Changed That Modern Fans Don't Realize. Thomas was one of the most instinctive linebackers of all-time. 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 totaled 28 INTs in his career while he also racked up 1,045 tackles. The Chicago Bears have the most all-time great linebackers. In 1976, Jackson had seven INTs. James Farrior* (Jets/Steelers): Two-time Pro Bowler, one-time 1st Team All-Pro, one-time 2nd Team All-Pro. NFLs Merchants of Menace Andre Tippett. Cornelius Bennett was just a great all-around player. 34, Julian Peterson* (49ers/Seahawks/Lions) (2000-Present) *Five-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. His sacks are the main reason hes this high, but he was also a great all-around player. Among linebackers, that would include two-way stars George Svendsen (1935-41), Bud Svendsen (1937, 1939) and Charley Brock (1939-47), along with Bill Forester (1953-63), Tom Bettis (1955-61) and Roger Zatkoff (1953-56). Lost Super Bowl 13-16 vs. Baltimore Colts. Despite the bad taste he left when leaving the team, James Harrison belongs on the upper half of the top ten linebackers in Steelers history. T&Cs apply. During the late 1970s and early 80s, he was the best linebacker the NFL had. Even now, you can tell what kind of person he is by his charity work with the REACH Foundation that he started. Lewis stats at this point of his career are 1,349 tackles, 36.5 sacks, and 28 INTs. In 1984 and 1985, Tippett put up two of the best back-to-back seasons recording 18.5 and 16.5 sacks in them. Chicago 1981-92. 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. Earl Campbell called Williams the toughest linebacker he ever played against. Cornerback Mel Blount was added in the . Over the course of his two-year Ohio State career, Lee accumulated 147 tackles. I think thats largely due to the NFL not keeping sacks and tackles numbers during his career. He played in 10 playoff games and had two INTs and three fumble recoveries in them. Bryce Paup was an outstanding pass rusher in the 1990s. 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. That is the reason you will not find Butkus, Huff, Nitschke etc in these rankings. No. Hes on pace to not only break, but shatter the NFL record of 41. From his time at USC, Lott . In 2007, he racked up a remarkable 17 sacks in only 12 games. He took them to the AFC Championship game in 1998, where they fell victim to John Elways Super Bowl winning Broncos. Ham is the only linebacker other than Tom Jackson to have seven INTs in a single season. 100th NFL Anniversary team. Ham had outstanding . 6, Jack Ham (Steelers) (1971-1982) *Eight-time Pro Bowler *Six-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. The 'Skins historically have had some solid inside linebackers capable of both stopping the run and being reliable in coverage. Jackson tallied up 128 sacks in his career, but even thats not his most impressive number. He also had 1,173 tackles in his career. Johnson wasnt very flashy, but he was very solid all-around, which is why he sneaks onto the list. 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. All Rights Reserved. Defensive MVP in 2002. Ranking Explanation . Those would be accomplishments by themselves, let alone all together. Patrick Willis has made the Pro Bowl and an All-Pro team every single year hes been in the NFL. Peppers' 159.5 career sacks rank fourth on the all-time list. He has played the role of pass rusher and coverage linebacker in his career, and has excelled at both. Keith Bulluck WAS the Titans defense, and has been every year hes been there. Robertson is one of the most underrated players in NFL history. Ray Lewis is another one of the three players on the list to win Defensive Player of the Year twice in his career. Lamberts best season was in 1976, where he won the Defensive Player of the Year award. Mandatory Credit: Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports. When you think of Singletary, the first thing that comes to mind is intense focus. His high sack number was 15 in 2001, a year that he didnt even get voted into the Pro Bowl. 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. If you havnt guessed it by now, Lawrence LT Taylor is my top linebacker of the modern era. He had less than seven sacks in a season only once. Greene was one of the best pass rushers of all time, recording 160 sacks in his career. He had an outstanding attitude and would do anything to get his team a win. He did it in 2000 and again in 2003. 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. Williams was the heart and soul of two Super Bowl defenses. Top 10 Boxers of the 1990s: Was Roy Jones Jr. the best? Eddie Johnson. He was just a great all-around player who could do it all. Thomas did everything you asked out of a linebacker. Romanowski might be overrated because of his name, but theres no doubt he was one of the most memorable and feared linebackers of the modern era. Still, its an amazing number. That truly shows what kind of person he was off the field. Jackson was not just a coverage linebacker, he was also a good pass rusher and a very hard worker off the field. Jack Ham might be the best coverage linebacker of all time. 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. Tippett finished his career with 100 sacks. NFLs Merchants of Menace Cornelius Bennett and Bruce Smith. There was a story of someone meeting Thomas at the Pro Bowl for no longer than 10 minutes. Andy Russell 7x Pro Bowl, 4x All-Pro, 2x Super Bowl Champion Linebacker '63, 1966-1976 Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images. In 2008, Suggs even had two INTs, both of which he returned for touchdowns. Jessie Armstead was one of the most consistent linebackers on this list. Playoffs: Won Divisional Round 5-0 vs. Detroit Lions. No. Zach Thomas is exactly what you want in a player and a linebacker. He already has 57.5 sacks in his short career, along with 16 forced fumbles. Sacks and tackles werent recorded until late in his career, but he was a great pass rusher and all round linebacker. 17, Brian Urlacher* (Bears) (2000-Present) *Six-time Pro Bowler *Four-time 1st Team All-Pro. Ham is the only linebacker other than Tom Jackson to have seven INTs in a single season. Lawrence Taylor of course, is regarded as the best 3-4 linebacker ever, . Ray Lewis came into the league and dominated right away. With time to spare in the NFL offseason, I’ll take a look at the top 50 linebackers in the NFL in the modern era. Hardy Nickerson may not have the name recognition as many of the other linebackers on this list, but he deserves to be this high. No. Derrick Thomas still holds the NFL record for most sacks in a single NFL game with seven, against the Seattle Seahawks in 1990. Randy Gradishar played along with Tom Jackson in the Denver Broncos Orange Crush defense. He had over 1,000 tackles, over 70 sacks, and over 30 forced fumbles 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 . 3 hours ago. It seemed like he knew where the ball was going at all times. The Steel Curtain was the defensive line of the 1970s American football team Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). From canvas high-tops to social media dominance, the NBA has come a long way. Singletary was a leader, not only vocally, but by example. He played in 10 playoff games and had two INTs and three fumble recoveries in them. 1953-65, Detroit Lions. 26, Cornelius Bennett (Bills/Falcons/Colts) (1987-2000) *Five-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro. Hes also had at least 83 tackles in every year other than his rookie season. I think thats largely due to the NFL not keeping sacks and tackles numbers during his career. 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. 1. Jason Gildon (Steelers/Jaguars): - Three-time Pro Bowler, one-time 1st Team All-Pro. Jackson tallied up 128 sacks in his career, but even thats not his most impressive number. Those are remarkable numbers, especially when he is still going strong. Visit Our Patreon Page to Create Your Own All-Time Fantasy Teams and See Other Bonus Material . Derrick Thomas was on pace to absolutely shatter NFL records before his tragic death in 2000. He always tried to better himself and did it effectively. Lofa Tatupu* (Seahawks) : Three-time Pro Bowler, one-time 1st Team All-Pro. . . 47, Fredd Young (Seahawks/Colts) (1984-1990) *Four-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro. Already in his career, Ware has forced 23 fumbles. He had 1,301 tackles and 25 forced fumbles in his career. Derrick Brooks may be the most accomplished linebacker on this list. . 43, Keith Brooking* (Falcons/Cowboys) (1998-Present) *Five-time Pro Bowler *Two-time 2nd Team All-Pro. He had ten seasons with 10+ sacks. During the five year stretch from 1991-1995 where he made five consecutive Pro Bowls, Lloyd was one of, if not the, most dominating linebackers in the NFL. But Mills did much more than that. . Brooks is most known for his coverage ability in the Bucs cover-two scheme. 9-time All-Pro, 10-time Pro Bowler. No. He had five INTs in a season twice in his career. No. 13, Greg Lloyd (Steelers/Panthers) (1988-1998) *Five-time Pro Bowler *Two-time 1st Team All-Pro. He also finished his career with 17 INTs. Love him or hate him, Lewis has earned the title of greatest middle linebacker of all time. 2022 - SportsUnfold. 10. He was selected late in the 12th Round, and nobody expected much out of him. Jackson had 40 forced fumbles, just one short of the NFL record. The Minnesota Vikings did an outstanding job of drafting linebackers in 1974. The only reason Brooks isnt higher up on this list is because he had a fantastic surrounding cast which includes, most notably, Warren Sapp taking up blockers on the line.