best linebackers of the 1970s

Depending on the day, you might view Ham as the best player on the Steel Curtain defense or the 4th best, and it's . 44, Jessie Armstead (Giants/Redskins) (1993-2003) *Five-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Controversial Nights: Pernell Whitaker vs Julio Cesar Chavez, Top 11 Big Ten Basketball Teams, since 1960, Top 12 Guards in Big Ten Basketball history, NBA Pacers vs Spurs: Odds, Tips and predictions 03/02/23, NCAA Basketball Purdue vs Wisconsin: Odds, Tips and Predictions 03/02/23, NCAA Basketball Xavier vs Providence: Odds, Tips and Predictions 03/01/23, Top 20 Big Ten Basketball players of all time, Framer Fran McCaffery takes his sideshow and crybaby antics to play Indiana, NCAA Basketball Arkansas vs Tennessee: Odds, Tips and Predictions 02/28/23, The Hypocrisy of Major League Baseball, Gambling, Steroids, and Why it's Time to Put Pete Rose in the Hall. In 1976, Jackson had seven INTs. Mike Singletary was the leader of the most dominating defense the NFL has ever seenthe 1985 Bears. Leslie ONeal was a sack machine in his career. (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). 1, Lawrence Taylor (Giants) (1981-1993) *Ten-time Pro Bowler *Eight-time 1st Team All-Pro *Two-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Lewis stats at this point of his career are 1,349 tackles, 36.5 sacks, and 28 INTs. [3] This team was widely regarded as having one of the best defenses of all-time. This team was widely regarded as having one of the best defenses of all time. 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. The Chicago Bears have the most all-time great linebackers. 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. No. Spielman had seven straight 100 tackle seasons, and did it eight out of nine years. 21. 9. Eleven Pro Bowls. 1970, slow dancing in Mark Wooldridge's basement with my first girlfriend, Karen Frey, who wore white high-top . 10. Lambert was a Pro Bowler in all but his rookie season and his final pro season, totaling nine selections. He had 1,301 tackles and 25 forced fumbles in his career. Tippett finished his career with 100 sacks. 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. Next up on the docket for my top Redskins players series are the linebackers. May 24, 2022. By 1995, he was recognized as one of the top inside linebackers in the league and had a stellar performance in Super Bowl XXX against the Dallas Cowboys at the end of the season. . Bill Romanowski (49ers, Eagles, Broncos, Raiders) : Two-time Pro Bowler. In that career he played both 4-3 OLB and 3-4 ILB. Swilling was the best pass rusher of the Dome Patrol, but he also forced 36 fumbles to go along with all the sacks. He came one tackle short from having five consecutive 100 tackle seasons in 2004, which is saying a lot, since he was the guy taking up blockers most of the time as well. 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. Tippett finished his career with 100 sacks. Some of you will say hes too low. He already has 57.5 sacks in his short career, along with 16 forced fumbles. 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. Mecklenburg was never a cocky player, but just a guy who would show up on Sundays. Rickey Jackson doesnt always get the credit he deserves, but hes a top 10 linebacker of the modern era. Thats right, seven. He wasnt very vocal, but his play did all the talking for him. The 2008 season was his best sack season with 17.5. 15, Zach Thomas (Dolphins/Cowboys) (1996-2008) *Seven-time Pro Bowler *Five-time 1st Team All-Pro *Two-time 2nd Team All-Pro. He also took over Lloyds role in pass coverage as the only linebacker in the Steelers nickel defense. I have combined outside and inside linebackers on the list and factored in the players ability to stop the run, drop into coverage and leadership. Paul Naumoff. Coverage was definitely Bullucks claim to fame, but he was also good at other things. 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. That suggestion from the newly appointed House . Mike Singletary is one of three players on this list to win Defensive Player of the Year twice in his career. 23, Isiah Robertson (Rams/Bills) (1971-1982) *Six-time Pro Bowler *Two-time 1st Team All-Pro *Three-time 2nd Team All-Pro. His 1989 rookie season was one of the best the NFL has ever seen. The nine-time Pro Bowl player, two-time All-Pro, and Hall of Fame is one of the all-time sacks leaders with 126.5, and he also forced 41 fumbles during his 11-year career. His best season was his first year with the Bills where he had 17.5 sacks, 70 tackles, two INTs, and three forced fumbles. No. You might be thinking Top 10 already? But look at his numbers. He took them to the AFC Championship game in 1998, where they fell victim to John Elways Super Bowl winning Broncos. The Steelers began their 1976 season 1-4 and lost their quarterback, Terry Bradshaw.For the nine games remaining in the season, the Steelers . Lofa Tatupu* (Seahawks) : Three-time Pro Bowler, one-time 1st Team All-Pro. Find 1970 1979 America stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. Playing 20 seasons in the NFL is amazing at any position. Schmidt stood out in an era of great middle linebackers. The Top Ranked Linebackers of the 1970s The defense was ranked right up there along with the 1985 Bears, and Steelers teams of the 1970s. 1970s A 1-13 record in 1969 gave the Steelers the first overall choice in the 1970 draft, with which Noll addressed the offense by selecting quarterback Terry Bradshaw, another Hall of Famer, after the Steelers won the first selection by winning a coin toss with the Chicago Bears. If you take away his last three seasons, where he was slowing down, he averaged 12.4 sacks per season, which is just remarkable. It was tied for the best of the day with linebacker Owen Pappoe, of Auburn, and was the second-fastest time from an . The Steelers went 6-10 in his first season, but along with players like Hines Ward, Jerome Bettis, and Alan Faneca . Hardy Nickerson may not have the name recognition as many of the other linebackers on this list, but he deserves to be this high. During the 2016 NFL Scouting Combine, Lee posted the fastest 40-yard dash time among . 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 . Ray Lewis is another one of the three players on the list to win Defensive Player of the Year twice in his career. Thats nearly 13 sacks per season. If you take away his last three seasons, where he was slowing down, he averaged 12.4 sacks per season, which is just remarkable. He was a tackle machine and a very big hitter. Ralph Baker - Years with Jets: 11 (1964-74) Baker played in 142 games with the Jets in his 11 seasons, which is tied with Marvin Jones for the 4 th most by a linebacker. Spielman was a great leader and intense player who always gave everything he had. Demarcus Ware has only played five seasons in the NFL, but already hes one of the best of this era. That game and his outstanding 1996 season earned Kirkland his first trip to the Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors after the 1996 season. 17, Brian Urlacher* (Bears) (2000-Present) *Six-time Pro Bowler *Four-time 1st Team All-Pro. Armstead didnt particularly stand out at anywhere, but he wasnt a weak link anywhere either. Lambert and Ham also won four Super Bowls with the Steelers in the 1970s playing in the Steel Curtain. Thats the type of player you want on your team, especially on the defensive side of the ball. K.J. Chad Brown played a very long NFL career, especially for a linebacker. Ham had arguably the most successful NFL career out of any of the names on this list as he was a star for the Pittsburgh Steelers. As an outside linebacker, he put a lot of pressure on opponents' quarterbacks. He did it in 2000 and again in 2003. Joey Porter may be the most vocal linebacker on this list. Ware is not just an outstanding pass rusher though. He always tried to better himself and did it effectively. A true enforcer in every sense of the word, Lewis intensity was unmatched by any player of his era. 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. Jackson was not just a coverage linebacker, he was also a good pass rusher and a very hard worker off the field. Visit Our Patreon Page to Create Your Own All-Time Fantasy Teams and See Other Bonus Material . He may have actually been crazy. Ray Lewis came into the league and dominated right away. Tribute to Elvis Lambert wasnt just great on the inside, he was an outstanding coverage linebacker. In his three years at Clemson (1995-'97) Simmons recorded 486 tackles, only 29 off the school record Bubba Brown recorded in four years from 1976-'79. Atlante vs Raya2 Prediction, Head-To-Head, Live Stream Time, Date, Team News, lineup news, Odds, Stats, Betting Tips Trends, Where To Watch Live Score Mexican Liga de Expansin MX 2023 Telecast Today Match Details March 3, Club Tijuana vs Atlas Prediction, Head-To-Head, Live Stream, Wydad AC vs Vita Club Prediction, Head-To-Head, Live Stream, U Cluj vs Farul Prediction, Head-To-Head, Live Stream Time,, Top 10 Best Football Agents In The World | 2023 Updates, Top 10 Most Successful Retired Soccer Players 2023, FC Magdeburg vs 1. Overlooked because he played alongside Lawrence Taylor, Carson did most of the dirty work in that linebacking core. Don Moorehead, Dennis Franklin, Jim Harbaugh, Elvis Grbac, Tom Brady, Forest Evashevski, Benny Friedman and John Navarre were all elected Captains by their teammates. Thomas is also third all-time in safeties and fumble returns for touchdowns. When you ask who is the greatest MLB of all-time is, many people jump straight to Dick Butkus. I think thats largely due to the NFL not keeping sacks and tackles numbers during his career. Tippett was a big reason to why so many teams value pass rushing OLBs in todays game. Wright, Seattle Seahawks. Taylor changed the way football is played today. 7. Singletary was a leader, not only vocally, but by example. Brooks wasnt just a pass coverage linebacker, but he also played the run well. No. Wilber Marshall had the whole package. But Mills did much more than that. Eddie Johnson. could hit like a freight train, but it was his finesse and high football IQ that helped him revolutionize the linebacker position. *Three-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro. Dennis Onkotz was a two time first team All American on the great Penn State teams of 1968 and 1969. Ranking Explanation . Any coach would be lucky to have a player like Karl Mecklenburg on their roster. Top 13 Indiana High School Players of all Time, The 6 greatest Indiana Highschool pure Shooters, The 8 greatest IHSAA Championship Games in History. Ham is the only linebacker other than Tom Jackson to have seven INTs in a single season. 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. 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 . He started his career out with the Packers, if they would have used him correctly he would have been higher on this list. Woodrow Lowe, Alabama (1972-75) Respected as college football's top linebacker in the early 1970s, Lowe was the first . No. O. J. Simpson and Lynn Swann were next with 22 and 21 votes, respectively. Paup was a complete linebacker, who was especially great at rushing the passer. Lewis, playing alongside Bryan Cox, led a very good Jets team to the closest theyve been to a Super Bowl since they won Super Bowl III. Bulluck was one of the best pass coverage linebackers in NFL history. 21, Patrick Willis* (49ers) (2006-Present) *Three-time Pro Bowler *Two-time 1st team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Jack Ham might be the best coverage linebacker of all-time. 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. Willis could potentially end up in the top 10, or even top five of this list by the time his career is over. LSU ENDS REGULAR SEASON 27-1LSU women's basketball ties program-best season . No. The leader of the Dome Patrol comes in at No. Theres not much Brooks doesnt have. Super Bowl winner. He was one of a kind and will always be remembered as one of the best linebackers of all time. Singletary was one of the key leaders of the famous 85 Bears defense, arguably the greatest defense in the history of the NFL. Those would be accomplishments by themselves, let alone all together. Neal Olkewicz. 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 . NFLs Merchants of Menace Andre Tippett. Patrick Willis is everything you look for in a linebacker. St. Blair was also one of the greatest special teams players of all-time! You could stick him on any TE in the league, even some slot receivers, and he would take them out of the game. 24, Leslie ONeal (Chargers/Rams/Chiefs) (1986-1999) *Six-time Pro Bowler *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. He led the Eagles in tackles in his time with the team. He had ten seasons with 10+ sacks. Comic-Con Museum named best pop culture museum by USA Today. He was a very solid 3-4 ILB playing on one of the best LB Cores of all-time, the Dome Patrol. Greene and Greg Lloyd made one of the best pass rushing duos in NFL history with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He totaled 28 INTs in his career while he also racked up 1,045 tackles. Selected by the Baltimore Colts in the 2nd round . Born April 20 . Suggs is a pass rushing monster with the Ravens. Top 25 SEC LBs of all-time: 10-6. 10 Tom Jackson. Blair was outstanding in coverage, along with being a great tackler. Jack Lambert played middle linebacker. He finished his career with 1,106 tackles and 627 assisted tackles as well. Jack Lambert was the teammate of Jack Ham who took the inside linebacker duties. Playoffs: Won Divisional Round 5-0 vs. Detroit Lions. Jackson was most notable for being a pass rusher, but he really did it all. 43, Keith Brooking* (Falcons/Cowboys) (1998-Present) *Five-time Pro Bowler *Two-time 2nd Team All-Pro. No. When you see a list of greatest linebackers, Isiah Robertson very rarely even gets brought into the discussion. Lofa Tatupu didnt take any time breaking into the NFL, making the Pro Bowl in his first three seasons. Running back Larry Csonka of the Miami Dolphins is brought down by linebacker Henry Davis of . 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. But Mills did much more than that. Briggs should only continue to move up this list, as he takes over as the star linebacker spot in Chicago. The Raiders defeated the Eagles 27-10. Kevin Greene will always be known as one of the craziest and talented pass rushers in NFL history. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNzd9Xd0who, No. Hes going into his first healthy season again in three years. It may be a bit early to put Jon Beason on this list, but I think his play warrants the selection. I know, how can I rate Kirkland over Greene? 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. 34, Julian Peterson* (49ers/Seahawks/Lions) (2000-Present) *Five-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Top 30 Linebackers in the NFL since 1970! Andy Russell 7x Pro Bowl, 4x All-Pro, 2x Super Bowl Champion Linebacker '63, 1966-1976 Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images. He started all but one game in his last eight seasons, which is very impressive for a linebacker. Thomas did everything you asked out of a linebacker. Two years later, the Giants sunk to 1-12-1. He was close to averaging a sack per game, which is an amazing number. . Lewis stats at this point of his career are 1,349 tackles, 36.5 sacks, and 28 INTs. Chris Spielman was a tackle machine during his 10 years in the NFL. He took up blockers and threw his body around a lot. Ham had outstanding speed. Mike Singletary had the whole package. 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. 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. He was the notorious leader of one of the greatest defenses to ever make its way onto a football field Pittsburghs famed Steel Curtain.. The next year, he followed it up with four more interceptions. Defensive MVP in 2002. Over the past 50 years, the Steelers have tallied 36 winning seasons . 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. 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. He could do it all. Rickey Jackson was one of the fastest linebackers in the game, but he was also one of the hardest hitters. L.T. He produced 32 sacks over the 3 seasons. Jackson had 40 forced fumbles, just one short of the NFL record. 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No NFL team has enjoyed the consistent level of success the Pittsburgh Steelers have enjoyed since the AFL-NFL merger of 1970. Mecklenburg was never a cocky player, but just a guy who would show up on Sundays. The Top Ranked Linebackers of the 1960s Kirkland was an all-around better linebacker, he was a 300lb linebacker whose coverage skills were vastly underrated. 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. . Nickerson wasnt just a one hit wonder though. Ham is the only linebacker other than Tom Jackson to have seven INTs in a single season. 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. Named to NFL's All-Decade Team for 1970s and 1980s. I personally think football before 1970 and after 1970 can be seen as two completely different games, in terms of its evolution. He also ranks third all . He finished his career with 132.5 sacks. This brings us to the first night of March and a not-quite-full Purcell . Lambert is said by many to be the best inside linebacker of all-time. Select from premium 1970 1979 America of the highest quality. 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. He played in 10 playoff games and had two INTs and three fumble recoveries in them. Derrick Thomas still holds the NFL record for most sacks in a single NFL game with seven, against the Seattle Seahawks in 1990. 47, Fredd Young (Seahawks/Colts) (1984-1990) *Four-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro. He was never the most athletic player on the field, but he was always the hardest working. In the words of Vikings' head coaching legend Bud Grant, "Paul personified the term free safety.". No. Lambert wasnt just great on the inside, he was an outstanding coverage linebacker. He was effective as a pass rushing OLB, tallying up 14 sacks in one season with the Dolphins, and as an inside run stopping linebacker with the Jets. . Keith Brooking has been one of the most consistent linebackers of all-time. 9-time All-Pro, 10-time Pro Bowler. He holds the NFL record for the most Pro Bowl selections by a middle linebacker (13). 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.

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