greatest middle linebackers of all time

Super Bowl VI champion17. 10. 3-time Pro Bowler The four-year starter for the University of Colorado became a star in the NFL as well, first for the Pittsburgh Steelers, then for the Seattle Seahawks. They play fast from sideline to sideline. Born: April 18, 1962 (Titusville, Florida), High school: Astronaut High School (Titusville, Florida), Teams: Chicago Bears (1984-87), Washington Football Team (1988-92), Houston Oilers (1993), Arizona Cardinals (1994), New York Jets (1995), Career highlights: Two-time Super Bowl champion (1986, 1991), three-time Pro Bowl (1986, 1987, 1992), three-time All-Pro (1986, 1991, 1992), NFL Defensive Player of the Year (1992). With the third-most sacks in NFL history, there's no question Kevin Greene belongs among the best linebackers of all-time. 7-time Pro Bowler18. He doesn't have overwhelming traits, but he has filled in capably as a . 2-time NFL Championship Game winner13. Harry Carson, New York Giants (1976-88) The Chicago Bears great was as good of a run stopper as defender against the pass and one player that could play sideline to sideline. 1976 Defensive Player of the Year London Fletcher represents one of the great underdog stories in NFL history. If Willis can keep it going and avoid. On paper, Gradishar's resume was much better than Mecklenburg's career accolades. High school: Worthing High School (Houston), Career highlights: Super Bowl champion (1985), 10-time Pro Bowl (1983-82), nine-time All-Pro (1983-91), two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year (1985, 1988), three-time NFC Player of the Year (1984, 1985, 1988), NFL 1980s All-Decade Team, Pro Football Hall of Fame (1998). If you want to know where the modern concept of an outside linebacker came from, start with George Connor. Lambert's size and speed and ability to control a game from the middle linebacker position made him one of the greatest players of all time. Kuechly made seven Pro Bowls, seven All-Pro teams, and in 2012, he was the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. Willie Lanier: For eight seasons, Bell played alongside Billy Lanier in one of the NFL's most legendary linebacking corps. Singletary also was named NFC Player of the Year three times during his career. 5-time first-team All-Pro He spent the first five seasons of his career with the New York Jets, and it was long enough ago that the Jets were actually pretty good. Posted 8 Days Ago 1. On offense, he played center, and on defense, he was a linebacker, where he earned a reputation as one of the most devastating tacklers of all time. 66) and Bart Starr (No. 2007 Defensive Rookie of the Year 2005 Comeback Player of the Year Super Bowl XLIII champion23. Those bad teams likely cost him any shot at the Pro Football Hall of Fame. His 53 takeaways are still the most in NFL history by a non-defensive back. Brooks, like so many players on this list, played his entire career with just one team. High school: Stephens County High School (Toccoa, Georgia), Teams: New Orleans Saints (1986-92), Detroit Lions (1993-94), Oakland Raiders (1995-96, 1998), Career highlights: Five-time Pro Bowl (1989-93), four-time All-Pro (1989-92), NFL Defensive Player of the Year (1991). Over the last few years, the Bears have featured names like Lance Briggs and Khalil Mack. Mar 23. 2003 Defensive Player of the Year In 1986, he had one of the most dominant NFL seasons ever. New York native and former Syracuse star Keith Bulluck helped define the early years of the Tennessee Titans as part of the team that came within one yard of winning a Super Bowl. He was one of the most feared players in the sport in his prime. This list explores these reasons by looking at the three greatest middle linebackers of all time. Before becoming a pop culture reference in Brians Song and an actor in The Longest Yard and Head, Nitschke was one of the most feared men in football. Kevin Greene. Arizona had until May 2 to make a final . Born: July 12, 1970 (Pasadena, California), High school: John Muir High School (Pasadena, California), Teams:Pittsburgh Steelers (1993-96, 2006), Seattle Seahawks (1997-2004), New England Patriots (2005, 2007), Career highlights: Three-time Pro Bowl (1996, 1998, 1999), two-time NFL All-Pro (1996, 1998), Seattle Seahawks 35th Anniversary Team. The 1976 Defensive Player of the Year helped the Steelers win four Super Bowls (IX, X, XIII, XIV). They changed the way football is played on every level. The Chicago Bears and Los Angeles Rams middle linebacker, Bill George is the one single man that is known for creating the middle linebacker position. And he is the only middle linebacker to win multiple Super Bowls and multiple Defensive Player . High school: Champion High School (Champion Township, Ohio), Career highlights: Seven-time Pro Bowl (1975, 1977-79, 1981-83), six-time All-Pro (1977-81, 1983), seven-time All-AFC (1976-79, 1981-83), NFL Defensive Player of the Year (1978). But what sets the great ones apart from the rest of the pack? They often are the quarterbacks of the defense, and many of them possess physical talents few have ever seen on a football field. Check out some of the best photos from the 2023 NFL Draft! He played 13 seasons for his hometown San Diego Chargers and became perhaps the greatest sports icon in the history of San Diego alongside Padres Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn. Wilber Marshall was one of the greatest pass coverage linebackers of the modern era. By Eddie Brown. George realized this allowed the quarterback to easily drop passes right over his head, so he began to try and read the play and react, dropping into coverage at times when he realized it was a pass play. Seth Joyner's career was a story in resilience. No, Sensei Tippett! Talley was on all four of Buffalos AFC title teams that lost in the Super Bowl and finished his career with 1,252 tackles, 38.5 sacks and 29 takeaways. Chuck Bednarik, Philadelphia Eagles (1949-62)Hall of Fame, Class of 1967 Hall of Fame, Class of 2006 His best season was in 2008, when he had over 100 tackles and helped lead the Arizona Cardinals to an NFC championship and into the Super Bowl. Here's a crazy thing about James Farrior. Fans of the Dallas Cowboys feel the same way about him after he helped lead them to their first Super Bowl win in 1971, the same year he set a team record with 21 tackles. 6-time Pro Bowler12. 3-time first-team All-Pro Bulluck played mainly on special teams his first two seasons with the Titans before a breakout season in 2002. His 0-6 record in the postseason is an NFL record for most playoff games without a win. Briggs made seven consecutive Pro Bowls while playing for the Chicago Bears alongside another great linebacker, Brian Urlacher. Super Bowl XXXVIII champion Klein was signed as the insurance policy. Bell was as much of a winner as anyone who ever played the sport. Robertson died in a car accident in 2018, at 69 years old. The Arizona Cardinals have declined to pick up linebacker Isaiah Simmons' fifth-year contract option, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. 1988 Defensive Player of the Year 2005, 2006, 2010), eight-time Pro Bowl (2000-03, 2005, 2006, 2010, 20110, NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year (2000), NFL 2000s All-Decade Team, Pro Football Hall of Fame (2018). How deep was Nitschke in pop culture during his career? Introduction Standing 6-foot-4 and weighing 240 pounds, Robert Brazile dominated on the field and had one of the greatest nicknames ever. Lee Roy Jordan was undersized, at 6-foot-1 and 220 pounds, but made up for it in talent and drive. Paup was a complete linebacker, who was especially great at rushing the passer. The six-year, $141 million extension he signed with the Bears in 2018 was the largest contract for a defensive player in NFL history. For new posts and be up to date to win $50 to Fanatics or Amazon. 2 overall pick in 1981 out of North Carolina led the Giants to two Super Bowl wins, was a three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year and the NFL Most Valuable Player in 1986 the last defensive player to win that award. Born: Sept. 1, 1965 (Compton, California), High school: Verbum Dei High School (Los Angeles), Teams: Pittsburgh Steelers (1987-92), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1993-99), Jacksonville Jaguars (2000-01), Green Bay Packers (2002), Career highlights: Five-time Pro Bowl (1993, 1996-99), four-time All-Pro (1993, 1996, 1997, 1999), NFL 1990s All-Decade Team. During his AFL career, Buoniconti earned six AFL All-Star honors and five First Team All-AFL. 13 on the all-time list Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The big-play machine from Waco, Texas, was one of the greatest linebackers in Longhorns program history. His play on the field was filled with passion and talent that helped him become one of the best to play the game. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. Here are my top 10 linebackers: 1. Lanier was one of two Hall of Famers in the Kansas City linebacker corps during his era, alongside Bobby Bell, but it was Lanier who led the defense from his middle linebacker spot. Off the field, Lewis' career was almost over before it started. Mike Singletary was the player at the heart of perhaps the greatest defense of all time the 1985 Chicago Bears, who went 15-1 in the regular season and blew out the New England Patriots, 46-10, in the Super Bowl. Eight of those he made the All-Pro team and the Pro Bowl, with back-to-back NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards in 1969 and 1970. Analysis: Nothing against this group of . This list explores these reasons by looking at the three greatest middle linebackers of all time. Featuring 2018-2019 SF 49ers and some of the greatest NFL linebackers of all time, the best 49ers LBs include Mike Walter, Dave Wilcox, Keena Turner, Willie Harper, and Julian Peterson. Born: June 3, 1959 (Neptune City, New Jersey), Died: April 18, 2005 (age 45, Charlotte, North Carolina), High school: Long Branch High School (Long Branch, New Jersey), Teams: New Orleans Saints (1986-94), Carolina Panthers (1995-97), Career highlights: Five-time Pro Bowl (1987, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1996), three-time All-Pro (1991, 1992, 1996). Buoniconti would go on to register 32 interceptions over his career between the AFL and NFL. All other NFL-related trademarks are trademarks of the National Football League. 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. Few defensive players in New Orleans Saints history are as beloved as Jonathan Vilma, who led the team to its only Super Bowl win following the 2009 season. Porter's 40% forced incompletion rate in 2022 led all Power Five cornerbacks. Nick Buoniconti was just 5-foot-11 and 220 pounds but destroyed opponents with sheer will and ferocity, helping lead the Dolphins to two Super Bowl wins and the only undefeated season in NFL history in 1972. Born: March 28, 1930 (Mingo Junction, Ohio), Died: Nov. 6, 2017 (age 87, Natchez, Mississippi), High school: Mingo High School (Mingo, Ohio), Career highlights: NFL champion (1963), six-time All-Pro (1958, 1963-66), five-time Pro Bowl (1958, 1962-65), NFL 1950s All-Decade Team, PFR 1960s All-Decade Team. The Greatest Steelers Linebackers of All Time The Steelers are known for hard-hitting, relentless defense. His production would not slow as he helped from the Steelers Steel Curtain defense and helped lead the Steelers to four Super Bowl Championships. Fear does not exist in this dojo, does it? Check out Gil's list here! Edwards' name jumps off the page when you look at the NFL career leaders list for tackles, where he clocks in at No. Briggs ended up making approximately $52.2 million in career earnings. His production continued in the NFL where he was a two time Pro Bowler and two time Super Bowl Champion with the Miami Dolphins while earning the Dolphins team MVP award in three different seasons.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'fanrankings_com-box-4','ezslot_5',125,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-fanrankings_com-box-4-0'); The Chicago Bears middle linebacker is just one of many great middle linebackers that have played in the NFL and for the team. While quarterbacks have their hands on every play on offense to lead their teams to victory, it's much tougher for players to control the game by sheer force of will. Playing defensive tackle/end for the first two seasons of his NFL career, Connor became a linebacker when Bears head coach George Halas wanted to try and find a way to neutralize Philadelphia running back Steve Van Buren, so he had Connor stand up outside of the tight end to check Van Buren. Dick Butkus No. 10. Super Bowl XXXV MVP One of our representatives will be in touch shortly. High school: Vale High School (Vale, Oregon), Career highlights: Four-time All-Pro (1967, 1971-73), seven-time Pro Bowl (1966, 1968-73), Pro Football Hall of Fame (2000). But it was his leadership in four Super Bowl wins that moves Lambert ahead of Dick Butkus as sacrilegious as that may seem.3. This is the eighth of 11 positional breakdowns leading up to the NFL Draft (April 27-29). After the 2023 NFL Draft, the Houston Texans have four Alabama linebackers - Will Anderson Jr., Christian Harris, DeMeco Ryans and Henry To'oTo'o - except Ryans is the head coach and . Super Bowl VII champion Knowing what we know now about concussions, which forced Kuechly's retirement, should players who accomplish what he did and have their careers shortened be in the Hall of Fame? Lambert is a member of the NFL's 1970s All-Decade Team, the 1980s All-Decade Team, the NFL's 75th Anniversary Team, and the league's 100th Anniversary Team. These all-time greats have electrified crowds with their energy and leadership and delivered on the field as some of the NFL's best defensive players ever. Keith Brooking was an understated, dominant player for two teams, the Atlanta Falcons and Dallas Cowboys. The No. Much like Chicago Bears linebacker Joe Fortunato, Randy Gradishar doesn't have the legacy he should be because of the player he directly preceded. For Fortunato, it was Dick Butkus, and for Gradishar, it was Karl Mecklenburg. He only played on teams with winning records three times in his career and only made two playoff appearances. Richter didn't miss a game in nine seasons with the Los Angeles Rams and made seven All-Pro teams. Super Bowl XXXV champion The quarterback position is long known to be the field general on the offensive side of the ball and the one position that handles the play calling duties. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. That's what linebackers do. He joined the military for two years out of high school before going to play football for the University of North Carolina. 13-time Pro Bowler One other cool thing about Robinson was what he said about Green Bay Packers coach Dan Devine when he left the team after the 1972 season to play for Washington: "Lombardi was the best coach I ever had. After leaving Chicago, Marshall proved he was elite by winning a Super Bowl and NFL Defensive Player of the Year with the Washington Football Team (then known as the Redskins). Levis has supreme arm talent and an ultra . If Dolphins fans felt like they were having flashbacks when Zach Thomas came along to play middle linebacker in the mid-1990s, it's because it wasn't the first time they'd seen an undersized, dominant player leading their defense. Born: April 16, 1982 (Coral Gables, Florida), High school: Coral Gables Senior High School (Coral Gables, Florida), Teams: New York Jets (2004-07), New Orleans Saints (2008-13), Career highlights: Super Bowl champion (2009), three-time Pro Bowl (2005, 2009, 2010), NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year (2004). The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. And, yeah, he really did. 12 on the NFL's all-time list. Lee Roy Jordan, Dallas Cowboys (1963-76) He's fifth on the NFL career list with 1,734 tackles to go with 17 interceptions and 17 fumble recoveries. 29) Bryce Paup. An important part of the Buffalo defense, the LB position includes middle or inside linebackers and outside (strong side or weakside) linebackers. By the time Tommy Nobis left the University of Texas, he was as famous as any player in the NFL, having already appeared on the cover of Life, Sports Illustrated and Time magazines for his accomplishments. George was known for his ability to play the defensive line as well as dropping back disrupting the passing lanes of opposing quarterbacks. That year was the first of two NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards for Singletary, who won again in 1988. Ray Lewis For starters, Lewis has the most combined tackles in NFL history (2,059). He had five INT's in a season twice in his career. Born: Dec. 29, 1936 (Elmwood Park, Illinois), Died: March 8, 1998 (age 61, Venice, Florida), High school: Proviso East High School (Mayfield, Illinois), Career highlights: Two-time Super Bowl champion (1966, 1967), three-time NFL champion (1961, 1962, 1965), Pro Bowl (1964), seven-time All-Pro (1962-67, 1969), NFL 1960s All-Decade Team, Pro Football Hall of Fame (1978). Born: April 18, 1973 (Pensacola, Florida), High school: Booker T. Washington High School (Pensacola, Florida), Career highlights: Super Bowl champion (2002), nine-time All-Pro (1997-2005), 11-time Pro Bowl (1997-2006, 2008), NFL Defensive Player of the Year (2002), NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team, Pro Football Hall of Fame (2014). Jack Ham was one of the smartest players to ever take a snap in the NFL, on offense or defense, and had a reputation for never being out of position, never being fooled by offensive trickery and making huge plays. Howley fixed that one minor blip in his resume when he helped lead the Cowboys to a Super Bowl victory in 1970. Chicago Bears linebacker Dick Butkus is one of those. 4-time first-team All-Pro Bill Forester is one of the greatest examples of Vince Lombardi's genius as a coach. Buoniconti, who was also a practicing attorney, died in 2019 at 78 years old. In addition, Seau was named First Team All-Pro in six different seasons including three straight from 1992 to 1994. Born: Aug. 25, 1965 (Birmingham, Alabama), High school: Ensley High School (Birmingham, Alabama), Teams: Buffalo Bills (1987-95), Atlanta Falcons (1996-98), Indianapolis Colts (1999-2000), Career highlights: Two-time AFC Defensive Player of the Year (1988, 1991), five-time Pro Bowl (1988, 1990-93), three-time All-Pro (1988, 1991, 1992), AFC Defensive Team of the Decade (2000s). He might have been the most intimidating human being to ever step on a football field. Fortunato also is the only player on the NFL's All-Decade Team for the 1950s that was not inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. All Rights Reserved. Born: Feb. 9, 1945 (South Dayton, New York), High school: South Dayton High School (South Dayton, New York), Teams:Cincinnati Bengals (1969-73), Philadelphia Eagles (1974-80), Career highlights:Five-time Pro Bowl (1969, 1974, 1976-78), five-time All-Pro (1974-78). Over his career, Bednarick helped guide the Eagles to two NFL Championships while being named to eight Pro Bowl teams and selected eight times as a First Team All-Pro. A two-way player who also played center on offense, Bednarik was in the middle of the action on both sides of the ball ask Frank Gifford.9. 1 Ray Lewis Lewis is widely considered one of the greatest middle linebackers of all time. George racked up 18 career interceptions over his career while helping lead the Bears to the 1963 NFL Championship. Isiah Robertson was one of the stars on the Los Angeles Rams' defenses that won six consecutive NFC West titles. #NBCSports #NFL #ProFootballTalk Subscribe to NBC Sports: https://www.youtube.c. Gil Brandt's greatest NFL linebackers of all time Photos Home 100 Greatest Photos Game Galleries Gil Brandt's greatest NFL linebackers of all time NFL.com senior analyst and personnel. When it comes to which linebacker should be at the top of the Top 10 Middle Linebackers All-Time, Mike Singletary is well worth consideration for the slot. Chuck Howley thought his career was over due to a devastating knee injury just three games into the 1959 season with the Chicago Bears. Despite a 101-year history, the Cardinals haven't produced a Hall of Famer at linebackerbut they've still had plenty of . Bednarik is most famous for his 1960 tackle of Giants running back Frank Gifford, who was knocked unconscious on the play and out of football for almost two years. Featuring some of the greatest NFL linebackers of all time, the best Bills LBs include Sam Rogers, Keith Ellison, Shane Conlan, and John Holecek. Born: Feb. 22, 1991 (Fort Pierce, Florida), High school: Westwood High School (Fort Pierce, Florida), Teams: Oakland Raiders (2014-17), Chicago Bears (2018-present), Career highlights: NFL Defensive Player of the Year (2016), three-time All-Pro (2015, 2016, 2018), five-time Pro Bowl (2014-19), NFL 2010s All-Decade Team. Bernard is physically similar to Williams at 6-foot-1, 228 pounds and played outside linebacker in 4-3 looks and was off-the-ball when he subbed in for Matt Milano at times last season. Only a handful of players can say they truly defined their positions in NFL history. Jordan had one of the signature moments in Cowboys history when he picked off Cincinnati quarterback Ken Anderson three times in one quarter, all within five minutes, and returned one of those 31 yards for a touchdown. He beat a double-murder charge before the 2000 season following the stabbing deaths of two men in a fight after a Super Bowl party in Atlanta. Zach Thomas brought a certain attitude to defenses as a middle linebacker, both in college at Texas Tech and in the NFL, that was evident from the moment he stepped on the field. Born: Nov. 18, 1964 (Spring Valley, New York), High school: Spring Valley High School (Spring Valley, New York), Teams: Philadelphia Eagles (1986-93), Arizona Cardinals (1994-96), Green Bay Packers (1997), Denver Broncos (1998), Career highlights: Super Bowl champion (1998), three-time Pro Bowl (1991, 1993, 1994), three-time All-Pro (1991-93). Tedy Bruschi, New England Patriots (1996-2008) Robertson's size, speed and athleticism often made the difference in games for the Rams. The former North Carolina Tar Heel is both a member of the NFL's 75th Anniversary Team and the 100th Anniversary Team. And here are the 25 greatest linebackers in NFL history: 25. Jack Lambert, Pittsburgh Steelers (1974-84)Hall of Fame, Class of 1990 Before the turn of the century, two of the best middle linebackers of all time were Lawrence Taylor andJack Lambert. . Nobis played in relative anonymity for his entire NFL career but still put up monster numbers on some really bad teams. Nick Buoniconti, Boston Patriots (1962-68), Miami Dolphins (69-76)Hall of Fame, Class of 2001 5-time first-team All-Pro Bobby Bell could do it all. Born: Sept. 29, 1966 (Jacksonville, Illinois), High school: Westchester High School (Los Angeles), Teams: Dallas Cowboys (1988-93) San Francisco 49ers (1994-2000), Career highlights: Three-time Super Bowl champion (1992-94), three-time Pro Bowl (1993, 1995, 1997), two-time All-Pro (1993, 1995). 8-time first-team All-Pro The on-field brains behind Mike Ditka and Buddy Ryans famed 1985 Bears defense, Singletary is undeniably one of the greatest to ever play the position.5. NFL.com senior analyst and personnel guru Gil Brandt ranks the greatest linebackers in NFL history.

Why Is My Package In Barrigada, Gu Distribution Center, Things That Are 70 Years Old In 2022, Scottsboro Funeral Home Obits, Kingsley Napley Partner Salary, Articles G