best linebackers of the 1970s

Seau was the definition of consistency. 9, Derrick Brooks (Bucs) (1995-2008) *Eleven-time Pro Bowler *Five-time 1st Team All-Pro *Four-time 2nd Team All-Pro. 1986 Boston Celtics - Were they the greatest Team? Top 25 SEC LBs of all-time: 10-6. No. He was always around the ball. He also played a big role in one of the most dominant performances by a defense in Super Bowl history. Singletary was a leader, not only vocally, but by example. If not, you can open it also by clicking the following link: Top 10 Athletes past the age of 40: Where does Tom Brady rank? 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. Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter has returned to the NFL . He was also the fastest linebacker of the bunch and excelled in pass coverage. 26, Cornelius Bennett (Bills/Falcons/Colts) (1987-2000) *Five-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro. Lloyd had 54.5 sacks and 11 INTs in his career, but the most remarkable number was his 35 forced fumbles. Chad Brown played a very long NFL career, especially for a linebacker. Ham is the only linebacker other than Tom Jackson to have seven INTs in a single season. That truly shows what kind of person he was off the field. Brazile might not get the credit because of the team he played for, but he was an outstanding player. With time to spare in the NFL offseason, Ill take a look at the top 50 linebackers in the NFL in the modern era. 10. Lawrence Taylor: one of the greatest defensive players ever, Taylor was a pass-rushing force who revolutionized the outside linebacker position . During his career Williams amassed 62.5 sacks, which is the second most in Bengals history. Chicago 1981-92. 2022 - SportsUnfold. Gildon was most known for his pass rushing ability, picking up 54 sacks in a 5 year span. Since Donnie Shell finally cracked the Hall of Fame, I would say the . He was also a big hitter and very intimidating on the field of play. McAdams was a two-time All-American . Mecklenburg was never a cocky player, but just a guy who would show up on Sundays. He won Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1974 and Defensive Player of the Year two years later. No. He just goes out every week and hustles. Isiah Robertson, nicknamed The Playmaker, was known for coming up with the big plays in the biggest games. 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. During the late 1970s and early 80s, he was the best linebacker the NFL had. Wilson recorded 560 tackles and 21.5 sacks as a member of the Broncos. It was tied for the best of the day with linebacker Owen Pappoe, of Auburn, and was the second-fastest time from an . Lofa Tatupu didnt take any time breaking into the NFL, making the Pro Bowl in his first three seasons. The leader of the Dome Patrol comes in at No. No. He recently missed most of last season with surgery. No. Other Links > Football > Player Rankings by Position > Top Ranked Linebackers . Over his nine-year career, he had 2,049 tackles, although this number is solo and assisted because he played before solo tackles were an official stat. Top 13 Indiana High School Players of all Time, The 6 greatest Indiana Highschool pure Shooters, The 8 greatest IHSAA Championship Games in History. Junior Seau finished his career with 1,524 tackles, the highest total on this list. A five-time pro bowler, Wilson was one of the best linebackers in the league during the early 2000s. He had over 1,000 tackles, over 70 sacks, and over 30 forced fumbles in his career. Thats over 10 sacks per season, which is outstanding. Born April 20 . 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. Thats nearly 13 sacks per season. (Photo: David Boss, Getty) Historians will tell you that McAdams is one of the best linebackers to ever play at The University of Oklahoma. Merriman still has the potential to be a great player again. Although he only played three full seasons, he made five Pro Bowls. Ray Lewis came into the league and dominated right away. The line was the backbone of the Steelers dynasty, which won four Super Bowls (IX, X, XIII, and XIV) in six years.. Ham had outstanding speed. Don Moorehead, Dennis Franklin, Jim Harbaugh, Elvis Grbac, Tom Brady, Forest Evashevski, Benny Friedman and John Navarre were all elected Captains by their teammates. Banks was a player that any coach would want on their team. Porter will try to continue his success in Arizona and continue to climb up this list. LaVar Arrington. As also playing DE should tell you, he was very versatile and could play many different positions. 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. He was also the first player to have a TE or RB used for chip blocking on him, and overall changed the way offensive lineman block. Any coach would be lucky to have a player like Karl Mecklenburg on their roster. Thats an amazing number as well. Over his career, he totaled 1,271 tackles, 12 INTs, and 19 forced fumbles. 28b, Sam Mills (Saints/Panthers) (1986-1997) *Five-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro *Two-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Siemon was always a good player, but never a great player. 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Robertson is one of the most underrated players in NFL history. 10. Interview with Former Steeler Great levon kirkland. 39, Peter Boulware (Ravens) (1997-2005) *Four-time Pro Bowler *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. We adapted Google's Privacy Guidelines to keep your data safe at all times. Houston Oilers, 1975-1984. The Top Ranked Linebackers of the 1970s He was a dominating force in the NFL during that stretch of time. The Raiders defeated the Eagles 27-10. Jack Ham might be the best coverage linebacker of all-time. Linebacker Jack Ham and Tight end Dave Casper each received 20 votes. No. Robert "Dr. Doom" Brazile is another one of those underrated linebackers. Thomas did everything you asked out of a linebacker. Coverage was definitely Bullucks claim to fame, but he was also good at other things. . He would always be found around the ball, and around the play. A tall order to say the least, and these 5 players did it better than anyone in the history of the NFL. Ware is not just an outstanding pass rusher though. 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. Although he only played three full seasons, he made five Pro Bowls. No. They surrendered only 20 points in that game, and seven of them were off a blocked punt. Blair was also one of the greatest special teams players of all-time! Pittsburgh 2002, '04-12, '14-17; Cincinnati 2013; New England 2017. That game and his outstanding 1996 season earned Kirkland his first trip to the Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors after the 1996 season. Here is my ranking of the top 10 Giants linebackers, along with some honorable mentions. 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+. Over his career, he totaled 1,271 tackles, 12 INTs, and 19 forced fumbles. Call it foreshadowing, but you will see some of his teammates higher up on this list. Kirkland was an all-around better linebacker, he was a 300lb linebacker whose coverage skills were vastly underrated. No. Of course, prior to 1970, there was only one captain chosen; since 1970, we've had as many as four chosen in a single season. (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). He also is the only linebacker to ever win a Super Bowl MVP and be named NFL Defensive Player of the Year in the same season (2000). Nine All-Pros. Baker recorded 19 . As an outside linebacker, he put a lot of pressure on opponents' quarterbacks. He was also the fastest linebacker of the bunch and excelled in pass coverage. LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) At New Mexico State, the once-treasured men's basketball program has been suspended for the season due to a fatal shooting and a gruesome allegation of locker-room . Isiah Robertson, nicknamed The Playmaker, was known for coming up with the big plays in the biggest games. 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. He was always around the ball. 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. Taylor is one of only two defensive players (DT Alan Page, 1971) in the history of the NFL to be named NFL MVP. No. . He was a dominating force in the NFL during that stretch of time. He always tried to better himself and did it effectively. Jalen Carter, top NFL prospect, posts bond in fatal crash. He did it in 2000 and again in 2003. Wilber Marshall had the whole package. Cox was also a vocal leader of the teams he played for, directing his defenses to success. He is not only the greatest linebacker in NFL history, hes one of the games greatest players period. Love him or hate him, Lewis has earned the title of greatest middle linebacker of all time. Linebacker Jack Ham and Tight end Dave Casper each received 20 votes. After being labeled a bust by many after his first four seasons with the Jets, Farrior broke out with the Steelers and became one of the most consistent players in the league. Mike Singletary is one of three players on this list to win Defensive Player of the Year twice in his career. 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. If you take away his last three seasons, where he was slowing down, he averaged 12.4 sacks per season, which is just remarkable. But it was his style of play that made his career so short. 2, Ray Lewis* (Ravens) (1996-Present) *Eleven-time Pro Bowler *Seven-time 1st Team All-Pro *Two-time 2nd Team All-Pro.