With rule changes being what they have been, I decided to rank the linebackers that have played since 1970. In the words of Vikings' head coaching legend Bud Grant, "Paul personified the term free safety.". 41, Mo Lewis (Jets) (1991-2003) *Three-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro. Gildon was most known for his pass rushing ability, picking up 54 sacks in a 5 year span. Singletary was a leader, not only vocally, but by example. He was the notorious leader of one of the greatest defenses to ever make its way onto a football field Pittsburghs famed Steel Curtain.. Mike Singletary had the whole package. 28a, Pat Swilling (Saints/Lions/Raiders) (1986-1998) *Five-time Pro Bowler *Two-time 1st Team All-Pro *Two-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Paul Naumoff played for 12 seasons from 1967-1978. Please play responsibly. 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. In that career he played both 4-3 OLB and 3-4 ILB. Andy Russell 7x Pro Bowl, 4x All-Pro, 2x Super Bowl Champion Linebacker '63, 1966-1976 Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images. He was a dominating force in the NFL during that stretch of time. Briggs should only continue to move up this list, as he takes over as the star linebacker spot in Chicago. The National Football League 1970s All-Decade Team is a list of National Football League (NFL) players selected by voters of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Punter Ray Guy was the leading vote-getter for the 1970s All-Decade Team, receiving 24 of a possible 25 votes. Harry Carson was an outstanding linebacker who played alongside Lawrence Taylor. 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 . 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. And he's still going. Matt Blair was a very intimidating linebacker, and helped the Vikings get to two Super Bowls in his career. Answer: Two of the three were constants for all four Super Bowls and ended up in the Hall of Fame. 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. Top 30 Linebackers in the NFL since 1970! 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. Earl Campbell called Williams the toughest linebacker he ever played against. Lewis wasnt as vocal as Cox, but his play was a little better, and lasted for a longer period of time. Lambert wasnt just great on the inside, he was an outstanding coverage linebacker. Linebacker U Penn State Tradition Jack Ham as a Steeler. He totaled 28 INTs in his career while he also racked up 1,045 tackles. Jackson had 40 forced fumbles, just one short of the NFL record. He was never the most athletic player on the field, but he was always the hardest working. A two-time All-American and a three-year starter for the Vols, Kiner . 38, Chad Brown (Steelers/Seahawks/Patriots) (1993-2007) *Three-time Pro Bowler *Two-time 1st Team All-Pro. Cornerback Mel Blount was added in the . 2) Jeff Siemon: A key player as the middle linebacker on the team's top defenses in the mid-1970's, Siemon played in 156 games, starting 123, and was selected to four Pro Bowls during his eleven year career with the Vikings. 12. He also took over Lloyds role in pass coverage as the only linebacker in the Steelers nickel defense. Lambert and Ham also won four Super Bowls with the Steelers in the 1970s playing in the Steel Curtain. 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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. 5, Jack Lambert (Steelers) (1974-1984) *Nine-time Pro Bowlers *Seven-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. [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. A shot of Jameson for Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey. He was a tackle machine and a very big hitter. No. Linebacker is one of the most important and demanding positions in football. Top 10 Boxers of the 1990s: Was Roy Jones Jr. the best? No. Over his career, Brooking has racked up 962 tackles and 12 INTs. Ray Lewis came into the league and dominated right away. No. You might be thinking Top 10 already? But look at his numbers. 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. Of the five LBs chosen to the 1950s All-Decade Team the others were Bednarik, Fortunato, George, and Huff Schmidt made the most Pro Bowls (nine) and the most all-pro teams (seven first-team, nine altogether). But he proved them wrong and was a key piece on the Broncos Super Bowl winning team. Playoffs: Won Divisional Round 5-0 vs. Detroit Lions. When you think of Singletary, the first thing that comes to mind is intense focus. He did it once in 1985 and again in 1988. Are you ready for some football history? He played in 10 playoff games and had two INTs and three fumble recoveries in them. . Any coach would be lucky to have a player like Karl Mecklenburg on their roster. Don Moorehead, Dennis Franklin, Jim Harbaugh, Elvis Grbac, Tom Brady, Forest Evashevski, Benny Friedman and John Navarre were all elected Captains by their teammates. 9. Over the past 50 years, the Steelers have tallied 36 winning seasons . Singletary was one of the key leaders of the famous 85 Bears defense, arguably the greatest defense in the history of the NFL. Seau was the definition of consistency. Holdovers from the National Football League 1960s All-Decade Team were Bob Lilly, Dick Butkus, Merlin Olsen, Larry Wilson, and Jim Bakken, which made them the first players to make multiple All-Decade teams in NFL history. 1. No. Thomas did everything you asked out of a linebacker. 23, Isiah Robertson (Rams/Bills) (1971-1982) *Six-time Pro Bowler *Two-time 1st Team All-Pro *Three-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Nickerson wasnt just a one hit wonder though. But Mills did much more than that. But before you come to a conclusion, let's take a look at the facts. He has played the role of pass rusher and coverage linebacker in his career, and has excelled at both. Those would be accomplishments by themselves, let alone all together. Find 1970 1979 America stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. [3] No. Pat Swilling was an outstanding pass rusher in his career, totaling up 107 sacks in his career and 101.5 sacks in a 10 year period throwing out his rookie year and last season of his career. Ware is not just an outstanding pass rusher though. He knew how to make big plays. He had 885 career solo tackles, which is impressive on a defense filled with swarming the ball, shown by his 1,488 career tackles. 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. In this Article . 49, Vaughn Johnson (Saints/Eagles) (1986-1994) *Four-time Pro Bowler *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. The 2008 season was his best sack season with 17.5. 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. The NFL is back in L.A. for the first time since 1995, as the Rams return to the Coliseum. Thomas is also third all-time in safeties and fumble returns for touchdowns. Let me start out by saying that yes, I know that he was only a linebacker for half his career and DE the other half. Mike Singletary had the whole package. Kolen was drafted by the Dolphins in the 12 th round . The leader of the Dome Patrol comes in at No. Keith Brooking has been one of the most consistent linebackers of all-time. In his final two seasons with the Bengals, Williams was appointed to an open seat on the Cincinnati City Council in 1988 and was elected for a second term in 1989 on the Charter Party ticket. Top 25 SEC LBs of all-time: 10-6. Outside linebacker Joey Porter came to Pittsburgh in 1999. He racked up a staggering 1,181 tackles, and 1,131 of them in his first nine seasons. He was just a great all-around player who could do it all. and Jack Ham played as . Greene led the way in the pass rushing department. Trotter was a complete, all-around linebacker. 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. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. . He had five INTs in a season twice in his career. Although he only played three full seasons, he made five Pro Bowls. Paup was a complete linebacker, who was especially great at rushing the passer. LT was the most intimidating player ever to put on an NFL uniform. 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. 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Mills, along with Swilling, was another member of that Dome Patrol defense. 5. . 3 hours ago. 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 . His best season was his first year with the Bills where he had 17.5 sacks, 70 tackles, two INTs, and three forced fumbles. 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. 7. Thomas never had less than seven sacks in a season in his entire career, and only had less than eight sacks in one season. Jul 07, 2014 at 11:02 PM. He finished his career with 1,106 tackles and 627 assisted tackles as well. 1986 Boston Celtics - Were they the greatest Team? Featuring 2018-2019 Raiders and some of the greatest NFL linebackers of all time, the best Raiders LBs include Ted Hendricks, Khalil Mack, Rod Martin, Sam Wiliams, and Greg Biekert. In 1984 and 1985, Tippett put up two of the best back to back seasons recording 18.5 and 16.5 sacks in them. No. Dick Butkus: one of the fiercest and best linebackers the NFL has ever seen, Butkus was a Pro Bowler every year except his final season while also garnering five All-Pro selections for the Bears. I personally think football before 1970 and after 1970 can be seen as two completely different games, in terms of its evolution. No. No. Bet with your head, not over it. He was Lawrence Taylor before Taylor was. Jack Ham, Linebacker. Depending on the day, you might view Ham as the best player on the Steel Curtain defense or the 4th best, and it's . 20, Keith Bulluck* (Titans) (2000-Present) *One-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Mills was more of the tackler of the bunch, racking up 1,142 tackles in his career. Lewis stats at this point of his career are 1,349 tackles, 36.5 sacks, and 28 INTs. So while there were outstanding linebackers in previous years, like Dick Butkus and Ray Nitschke, they will not be on this list. The best LB in the NFL today comes in at No. He took them to the AFC Championship game in 1998, where they fell victim to John Elways Super Bowl winning Broncos. 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 . Anything you asked him to do, he would do. The 'Skins historically have had some solid inside linebackers capable of both stopping the run and being reliable in coverage. 10, Junior Seau (Chargers/Dolphins/Patriots) (1990-2009) *Twelve-time Pro Bowler *Six-time All-Pro 1st Team *Three-time All-Pro 2nd Team. During his career Williams amassed 62.5 sacks, which is the second most in Bengals history. Atlanta Falcons outside linebacker Arnold Ebiketie #47 gets a hold of Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields #1 during the second half of a game against the Chicago Bears at Mercedes-Benz Stadium . Wagers only accepted in CO. For full terms and conditions, click here. He led some of the greatest defenses in NFL history in both performance and spirit. Nine All-Pros. Lewis was the leader of the 2000 Super Bowl winning Ravens team. 10. No. His sacks are the main reason hes this high, but he was also a great all-around player. 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. In 2006, he had an amazing season and won defensive MVP, which is a very high honor that most players on this list never achieved. During the 2016 NFL Scouting Combine, Lee posted the fastest 40-yard dash time among . Not only did he change the way defenses are run, but he changed the way offensive schemes are run as well. Jeremiah The Axeman Trotter has been a very recognizable name over the past decade. L.T. His swinging the axe celebration sums up his style of play and tenacity on the field. Fredd Young went a little under the radar due to his short seven year career. Bill Romanowski (49ers, Eagles, Broncos, Raiders) : Two-time Pro Bowler. Boards are the best place to save images and video clips. Zach Thomas would be the perfect linebacker, no matter what style of defense you play. Some of you will say hes too low. Over his career, he totaled 1,271 tackles, 12 INTs, and 19 forced fumbles. Comic-Con Museum named best pop culture museum by USA Today. That is just unheard of. NFL WAGS: 10 Hottest NFL Wives & Girlfriends 2023. Woodrow Lowe, Alabama (1972-75) Respected as college football's top linebacker in the early 1970s, Lowe was the first . He would give it his all on every single down of every single play. Love him or hate him, Lewis has earned the title of greatest middle linebacker of all time. Here is my ranking of the top 10 Giants linebackers, along with some honorable mentions. Ham is the only linebacker other than Tom Jackson to have seven INTs in a single season. Lloyd had 54.5 sacks and 11 INTs in his career, but the most remarkable number was his 35 forced fumbles. Zach Thomas. In today's NFL, few positions have become as difficult to play as off-ball linebacker. Visit Our Patreon Page to Create Your Own All-Time Fantasy Teams and See Other Bonus Material . He is not only the greatest linebacker in NFL history, hes one of the games greatest players period. Sacks and tackles werent recorded until late in his career, but he was a great pass rusher and all round linebacker. 31, Tom Jackson (Broncos) (1973-1986) *Three-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. 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. Jack Ham had the whole package as a linebacker. 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Armstead didnt particularly stand out at anywhere, but he wasnt a weak link anywhere either. Lambert was a Pro Bowler in all but his rookie season and his final pro season, totaling nine selections. and 2000s. Thats an amazing number as well. No. He was also a good pass rusher, and a good coverage man as well. The second member of the Dome Patrol comes off the board at No. He was a dominating force in the NFL during that stretch of time. 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. Beason has only been in the league for three years now. Paup was a complete linebacker, who was especially great at rushing the passer. Next up on the docket for my top Redskins players series are the linebackers. 9, Derrick Brooks (Bucs) (1995-2008) *Eleven-time Pro Bowler *Five-time 1st Team All-Pro *Four-time 2nd Team All-Pro. 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). He also played two different positions, playing ILB and OLB for the Vikings in his career. Porter will try to continue his success in Arizona and continue to climb up this list. Carson did most of the dirty work in that linebacking core. Joey Porter may be the most vocal linebacker on this list. Greene was one of the best pass rushers of all-time, recording 160 sacks in his career. He already has 57.5 sacks in his short career, along with 16 forced fumbles. No. He was never the most athletic player on the field, but he was always the hardest working. Boulware had at least seven sacks every year he played other than his last season in the NFL. Thomas was one of the most instinctive linebackers of all-time. He was the quintessential linebacker and easily the greatest of his era. In the 2017-18 NFL season, the current Buffalo Bills starting LBs and backup LBs are Lorenzo Alexander, Deon Lacey, Matt Milano, and Tanner Vallejo. 23. Lamberts best season was in 1976, where he won the Defensive Player of the Year award. No. Hardy Nickerson may not have the name recognition as many of the other linebackers on this list, but he deserves to be this high. Brooks was the leader of that defense, but his surrounding cast was just too good to rank him higher. Bill Parcells considered Carson the best all-around linebacker he ever coached, which is very high praise from someone who has coached a ton of linebackers in his day. He racked up a staggering 1,181 tackles, and 1,131 of them in his first nine seasons. Brazile might not get the credit because of the team he played for, but he was an outstanding player. He had 1,301 tackles and 25 forced fumbles in his career. But we would be remiss to not acknowledge some of the top performers from that earlier era. 4, Derrick Thomas (Chiefs) (1989-1999) *Nine-time Pro Bowler *Two-time 1st Team All-Pro *Three-time 2nd Team All-Pro. He finished his career with 1,106 tackles and 627 assisted tackles as well. 30, Matt Blair (Vikings) (1974-1985) *Six-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro. Gradishar was the silent assassin of the team. Jalen Carter, top NFL prospect, posts bond in fatal crash. All Rights Reserved. He was also a good pass rusher, and a good coverage man as well. Randy Gradishar played along with Tom Jackson in the Denver Broncos Orange Crush defense. If you havnt guessed it by now, Lawrence LT Taylor is my top linebacker of the modern era. Ray Lewis is the top MLB of the modern era and is easily the linebacker of the 2000s. He always tried to better himself and did it effectively. Teamwork and Leadership from Karl Mecklenburg NFL Motivational Keynote Speaker. Demarcus Ware has only played five seasons in the NFL, but already hes one of the best of this era. He also finished his career with 17 INTs. He was also the fastest linebacker of the bunch and excelled in pass coverage. Greene and Greg Lloyd made one of the best pass rushing duos in NFL history with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Wright, Seattle Seahawks. Over his career, he totaled 1,271 tackles, 12 INTs, and 19 forced fumbles. 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. 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. Offerdahl was a blue collar type of player who was an even better person off the field. 10. 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 . If you take away his last three seasons, where he was slowing down, he averaged 12.4 sacks per season, which is just remarkable. Brooks is most known for his coverage ability in the Bucs cover-two scheme. He was said to have the fastest 10-yard burst of any player on the team, and that included receivers John Stallworth and Lynn Swann, and running back Franco Harris. 39, Peter Boulware (Ravens) (1997-2005) *Four-time Pro Bowler *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Lofa Tatupu didnt take any time breaking into the NFL, making the Pro Bowl in his first three seasons. 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. Willis could potentially end up in the top 10, or even top five of this list by the time his career is over. Jack Ham might be the best coverage linebacker of all time. Still, its an amazing number. Beason may be the most controversial player on this list. As an outside linebacker, he put a lot of pressure on opponents' quarterbacks. He has been one of the most intimidating players in the NFL his entire career. Briggs does a lot of pass coverage with the Bears, and has had 53 passes deflected already in his career. Being a linebacker makes that feat that much more impressive. Simpson in 1973 or Terry Bradshaw's two Super Bowl MVP performances. Even now, you can tell what kind of person he is by his charity work with the REACH Foundation that he started. Randy Gradishar Joins The Speer Wealth Team. He tried to get in your head before you even took a step on the field of play. He was a tackling machine for the majority of his career. Next: A dangerous combination. He was blue collar player who was a great leader on defense and could do everything well on a football field. Patrick Willis is everything you look for in a linebacker. No. He had an outstanding attitude and would do anything to get his team a win. No. 12, Randy Gradishar (Broncos) (1974-1984) *Seven-time Pro Bowler *Two-time 1st Team All-Pro *Three-time 2nd Team All-Pro. 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. Nickerson wasnt just a one hit wonder though. A tall order to say the least, and these 5 players did it better than anyone in the history of the NFL. 28b, Sam Mills (Saints/Panthers) (1986-1997) *Five-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro *Two-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Jack Ham might be the best coverage linebacker of all-time. Jackson was not just a coverage linebacker, he was also a good pass rusher and a very hard worker off the field. 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. No. Check out the 1970 Minnesota Vikings Roster, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees, Injury Reports and more on Pro-Football-Reference.com. He led the Eagles in tackles in his time with the team. Peppers' 159.5 career sacks rank fourth on the all-time list. He was said to have the fastest 10 yard burst of any player on the team, and that included receivers John Stallworth and Lynn Swann, and runningback Franco Harris. credit : - yahoo. No. Super Bowl winner. Briggs has made five straight Pro Bowls for the Bears, and that streak still continues. The Top Ranked Linebackers of the 1970s It seemed like he knew where the ball was going at all times.