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. During the late 1970s and early 80s, he was the best linebacker the NFL had. In 1993 as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers middle linebacker, Nickerson piled up an astounding 214 tackles. 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. 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. No. 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. Ham is the only linebacker other than Tom Jackson to have seven INTs in a single season. Love him or hate him, Lewis has earned the title of greatest middle linebacker of all time. He took up blockers and threw his body around a lot. He had over 1,000 tackles, over 70 sacks, and over 30 forced fumbles in his career. No. He was never the most athletic player on the field, but he was always the hardest working. Offerdahl was a blue collar type of player who was an even better person off the field. He may have actually been crazy. [3] Lewis wasnt as vocal as Cox, but his play was a little better, and lasted for a longer period of time. In 1976, Jackson had seven INTs. 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. Patrick Willis is everything you look for in a linebacker. It was tied for the best of the day with linebacker Owen Pappoe, of Auburn, and was the second-fastest time from an . Less of a nod goes to pass rushers, linebackers and safeties. He did everything. No. Brooks is most known for his coverage ability in the Bucs cover-two scheme. The offense, meanwhile, scored 29 points a game. No. James Farrior* (Jets/Steelers): Two-time Pro Bowler, one-time 1st Team All-Pro, one-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Brooks was the leader of that defense, but his surrounding cast was just too good to rank him higher. NFLs Merchants of Menace Andre Tippett. Isiah Robertson, nicknamed The Playmaker, was known for coming up with the big plays in the biggest games. He could do it all. Undersized height wise, but an overabundance of heart made him more than a handful to deal with. We adapted Google's Privacy Guidelines to keep your data safe at all times. Discuss this article along with many other quality articles, discussions, and much more at: http://forums.sportsjabber.net/sjforums/showthread.php?t=54444. Cornelius Bennett was just a great all-around player. 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. No. McAdams was a two-time All-American . 24, Leslie ONeal (Chargers/Rams/Chiefs) (1986-1999) *Six-time Pro Bowler *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. He finished his career with 1,106 tackles and 627 assisted tackles as well. Blair was outstanding in coverage, along with being a great tackler. He also ranks third all . Andre Tippett. Those are remarkable numbers, especially when he is still going strong. Mandatory Credit: Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports. 23, Isiah Robertson (Rams/Bills) (1971-1982) *Six-time Pro Bowler *Two-time 1st Team All-Pro *Three-time 2nd Team All-Pro. As an outside linebacker, he put a lot of pressure on opponents' quarterbacks. There was a story of someone meeting Thomas at the Pro Bowl for no longer than 10 minutes. Chip Banks was another linebacker that was solid at everything, but not great at anything. Lance Briggs may be overshadowed by Brian Urlacher, but dont forget how great of a player Briggs has been for the Bears. 31, Tom Jackson (Broncos) (1973-1986) *Three-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. 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. Super Bowl XX champion. Demarcus Ware has only played five seasons in the NFL, but already hes one of the best of this era. Brazile might not get the credit because of the team he played for, but he was an outstanding player. No. 100th NFL Anniversary team. Siemon was always a good player, but never a great player. 7. The Steelers went 6-10 in his first season, but along with players like Hines Ward, Jerome Bettis, and Alan Faneca . The only thing that could match his signature stare was the stellar play of Samurai Mike on the field. That is the reason you will not find Butkus, Huff, Nitschke etc in these rankings. Blair was also one of the greatest special teams players of all-time! 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. Playing 20 seasons in the NFL is amazing at any position. It will be interesting to see how he can recover. Keith Bulluck WAS the Titans defense, and has been every year hes been there. 9-time All-Pro, 10-time Pro Bowler. Ray Lewis is the highest-ranked active player on this list, and the top middle linebacker on it. He produced 32 sacks over the 3 seasons. 5. Lambert wasnt just great on the inside, he was an outstanding coverage linebacker. Spielman was a great leader and intense player who always gave everything he had. He had 1,301 tackles and 25 forced fumbles in his career. 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. Sacks and tackles werent recorded until late in his career, but he was a great pass rusher and all-around linebacker. Woodrow Lowe, Alabama (1972-75) Respected as college football's top linebacker in the early 1970s, Lowe was the first . He was the quintessential linebacker and easily the greatest of his era. Use Isiah Robertsons name in a talk of most underrated players of all time, and youll impress your fellow football fans. Thomas did everything you asked out of a linebacker. SRS: 6.97 (5th of 26), SOS: 1.40. He was a hard worker, good tackler, and had great hands. In 2007, he racked up a remarkable 17 sacks in only 12 games. He also played a big role in one of the most dominant performances by a defense in Super Bowl history. Behind the Purple People Eaters of the 70s was one of the best safeties the league has ever seen. 1986 Boston Celtics - Were they the greatest Team? He also had 1,173 tackles in his career. No. He could do it all. No NFL team has enjoyed the consistent level of success the Pittsburgh Steelers have enjoyed since the AFL-NFL merger of 1970. 7. Jeremiah The Axeman Trotter has been a very recognizable name over the past decade. He had 885 career solo tackles, which is impressive on a defense filled with swarming the ball, shown by his 1,488 career tackles. 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. No. He recently missed most of last season with surgery. He did it once in 1985 and again in 1988. The 1970s had many great moments by individual players such as the NFL's first 2,000-yard season by O.J. Singletary was one of the key leaders of the famous 85 Bears defense, arguably the greatest defense in the history of the NFL. Brooking was the face of the Falcons defense for nearly a decade, and is a well-rounded player. That is just unheard of. 25. 2022 - SportsUnfold. With rule changes being what they have been, The number one pick was obvious. Spielman had seven straight 100 tackle seasons, and did it eight out of nine years. Still, its an amazing number. Bryan Cox was an all-around package at linebacker. His 1989 rookie season was one of the best the NFL has ever seen. . To stoke the nostalgia, we talked to some of the key players from the team's winningest, most . He also took over Lloyds role in pass coverage as the only linebacker in the Steelers nickel defense. 13, Greg Lloyd (Steelers/Panthers) (1988-1998) *Five-time Pro Bowler *Two-time 1st Team All-Pro. Voted to seven Pro Bowls, named First Team All-Pro five times. It seemed like he knew where the ball was going at all times. . 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. 18, Andre Tippett (Patriots) (1982-1993) *Five-time Pro Bowler *Two-time 1st Team All-Pro *Two-time 2nd Team All-Pro. He also finished his career with 17 INTs. I’m only going to be looking at players drafted in 1970 or later. If you havnt guessed it by now, Lawrence LT Taylor is my top linebacker of the modern era. These were the players who were great players, but not quite good enough to be placed inside the top 50. 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+. He was close to averaging a sack per game, which is an amazing number. K.J. No. The Minnesota Vikings did an outstanding job of drafting linebackers in 1974. Thats fine, he played enough linebacker to be considered this high. Gradishar was the silent assassin of the team. Linebacker Jack Ham and Tight end Dave Casper each received 20 votes. Ham is the only linebacker other than Tom Jackson to have seven INTs in a single season. 27. He had ten seasons with 10+ sacks. Lamberts best season was in 1976, where he won the Defensive Player of the Year award. The entire enterprise of Notre Dame basketball, gone strange. 5, Jack Lambert (Steelers) (1974-1984) *Nine-time Pro Bowlers *Seven-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. That is just unheard of. . They had traded stalwart linebacker Sam Huff in the offseason. 9, Derrick Brooks (Bucs) (1995-2008) *Eleven-time Pro Bowler *Five-time 1st Team All-Pro *Four-time 2nd Team All-Pro. His 32 career INTs lead the way for linebackers. His best season was his first year with the Bills where he had 17.5 sacks, 70 tackles, two INTs, and three forced fumbles. 8, Demarcus Ware* (Cowboys) (2005-Present) *Four-time Pro Bowler *Three-time 1st team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Patrick Willis has made the Pro Bowl and an All-Pro team every single year hes been in the NFL. He became a starter at inside linebacker for the Steelers in his second season, 1993, replacing Pro Bowler David Little. Jackson had 40 forced fumbles, just one short of the NFL record. 19, Harry Carson (Giants) (1976-1988) *Nine-time Pro Bowler *Three-time 2nd Team All-Pro. 21, Patrick Willis* (49ers) (2006-Present) *Three-time Pro Bowler *Two-time 1st team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. He totaled 28 INTs in his career while he also racked up 1,045 tackles. Lambert wasnt just great on the inside, he was an outstanding coverage linebacker. 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 . He was a tackling machine for the majority of his career. He was always around the ball. Lawrence Taylor of course, is regarded as the best 3-4 linebacker ever, . 35, Lance Briggs* (Bears) (2003-Present) *Five-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. In that game, the Steelers defense held the Cowboys to just 15 first downs and Emmitt Smith and the Cowboys powerful running attack to just 56 yards, despite losing 27-17 in large part due to two key interceptions thrown by Steelers quarterback Neil ODonnell. Two years later, the Giants sunk to 1-12-1. Named to NFL's All-Decade Team for 1970s and 1980s. 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. Known as quite possibly the most sound tackler in school history, Ham was an extremely fundamental linebacker who was the captain of the 1970 Penn State defense. Derrick Thomas was on pace to absolutely shatter NFL records before his tragic death in 2000. 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. No. 43, Keith Brooking* (Falcons/Cowboys) (1998-Present) *Five-time Pro Bowler *Two-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Tribute to Elvis http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNzd9Xd0who, No. He has been one of the most intimidating players in the NFL his entire career. Mike Singletary had the whole package. But Mills did much more than that. No. Are you ready for some football history? I personally think football before 1970 and after 1970 can be seen as two completely different games, in terms of its evolution. He was never the most athletic player on the field, but he was always the hardest working. Schmidt stood out in an era of great middle linebackers. In his time in the NFL, he intercepted 25 passes and returned six of them for touchdowns with three of those in 2002 alone. Kevin Greene was a mad man in a football uniform. With time to spare in the NFL offseason, Ill take a look at the top 50 linebackers in the NFL in the modern era. Selected by the Baltimore Colts in the 2nd round . He just goes out every week and hustles. He was also the fastest linebacker of the bunch and excelled in pass coverage. Anything you asked him to do, he would do. could hit like a freight train, but it was his finesse and high football IQ that helped him revolutionize the linebacker position.