best linebackers of the 1970s

Franchise Encyclopedia. O. J. Simpson and Lynn Swann were next with 22 and 21 votes, respectively. 5. SRS: 6.97 (5th of 26), SOS: 1.40. The next year, he followed it up with four more interceptions. Some of you will say hes too low. 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. Thomas' remarkable personality was also recognized by being awarded the Walter Peyton Man of the Year Award in 1993. Armstead didnt particularly stand out at anywhere, but he wasnt a weak link anywhere either. Thomas never had less than seven sacks in a season in his entire career, and only had less than eight sacks in one season. Top 25 SEC LBs of all-time: 10-6. The 2008 season was his best sack season with 17.5. 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. The line was the backbone of the Steelers dynasty, which won four Super Bowls (IX, X, XIII, and XIV) in six years.. 10. No. Taylor changed the way football is played today. Mecklenburg was never a cocky player, but just a guy who would show up on Sundays. . 21, Patrick Willis* (49ers) (2006-Present) *Three-time Pro Bowler *Two-time 1st team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Check out the 1970 Minnesota Vikings Roster, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees, Injury Reports and more on Pro-Football-Reference.com. Over his career, he totaled 1,271 tackles, 12 INTs, and 19 forced fumbles. Randy Gradishar played along with Tom Jackson in the Denver Broncos Orange Crush defense. 39, Peter Boulware (Ravens) (1997-2005) *Four-time Pro Bowler *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. 1970s All-decade team. The longtime backup led the NFL in completion percentage (69.8%), set the Seahawks' single-season passing yards record (4,282) and ranked in the top five in the entire league in both passing . His 32 career INTs lead the way for linebackers. 27. Lawrence Taylor of course, is regarded as the best 3-4 linebacker ever, . He may have actually been crazy. Since Donnie Shell finally cracked the Hall of Fame, I would say the . He was never the most athletic player on the field, but he was always the hardest working. Joe Schmidt. 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. He has played the role of pass rusher and coverage linebacker in his career, and has excelled at both. Johnson wasnt very flashy, but he was very solid all-around, which is why he sneaks onto the list. He should be in the Hall of Fame. Jack Ham, Linebacker. He could play zone and man. 15, Zach Thomas (Dolphins/Cowboys) (1996-2008) *Seven-time Pro Bowler *Five-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. 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 was a dominating force in the NFL during that stretch of time. and Jack Ham played as . Siemon was always a good player, but never a great player. Jeff Siemon (Vikings) : Four-time Pro Bowler. For most other franchises, a resume like this would make Jack Ham the greatest linebacker in thier history by a wide margin. 17, Brian Urlacher* (Bears) (2000-Present) *Six-time Pro Bowler *Four-time 1st Team All-Pro. He may be one of the most hated players, but man can he play football. He just goes out every week and hustles. credit : - yahoo. by Ben Watanabe. Offensive Coordinator: Jim Myers. 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. Top 13 Indiana High School Players of all Time, The 6 greatest Indiana Highschool pure Shooters, The 8 greatest IHSAA Championship Games in History. No. Ham had outstanding speed. Robert Brazile. In 1976, Jackson had seven INTs. 28a, Pat Swilling (Saints/Lions/Raiders) (1986-1998) *Five-time Pro Bowler *Two-time 1st Team All-Pro *Two-time 2nd Team All-Pro. 1986 Boston Celtics - Were they the greatest Team? McAdams was a two-time All-American . 10. The Chicago Bears have the most all-time great linebackers. Nine All-Pros. In today's NFL, few positions have become as difficult to play as off-ball linebacker. Derrick Brooks may be the most accomplished linebacker on this list. 44, Jessie Armstead (Giants/Redskins) (1993-2003) *Five-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Here's a list of the Packers' top 10 all-time defensive players since 1950, when unlimited substitution was restored to the NFL, paving the way for two-platoon football. He also had 1,173 tackles in his career. 9-time All-Pro, 10-time Pro Bowler. Junior Seau finished his career with 1,524 tackles, the highest total on this list. His swinging the axe celebration sums up his style of play and tenacity on the field. No. No. But we would be remiss to not acknowledge some of the top performers from that earlier era. Visit Our Patreon Page to Create Your Own All-Time Fantasy Teams and See Other Bonus Material . Thats an amazing number as well. There was a story of someone meeting Thomas at the Pro Bowl for no longer than 10 minutes. 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. No. Keith Brooking has been one of the most consistent linebackers of all-time. In 1993 as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers middle linebacker, Nickerson piled up an astounding 214 tackles. Cornelius Bennett was just a great all-around player. Urlacher was an all-around great linebacker who flew around the field with reckless abandon. As also playing DE should tell you, he was very versatile and could play many different positions. NFL 100 All-Time Team (2019). 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. Thats right, seven. He finished his career with 1,106 tackles and 627 assisted tackles as well. Love him or hate him, Lewis has earned the title of greatest middle linebacker of all time. He had an outstanding attitude and would do anything to get his team a win. Pat Swilling. . Offerdahl was a blue collar type of player who was an even better person off the field. Their greats span the decades of the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s. Hes also great against the run and is a turnover forcing monster. 32, John Offerdahl (Dolphins) (1986-1993) *Five-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Defensive MVP in 2002. 1. Pittsburgh 2002, '04-12, '14-17; Cincinnati 2013; New England 2017. Chuck Drazenovich. His 32 career INTs lead the way for linebackers. 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. [3] Nickerson wasnt just a one hit wonder though. In 1976, Jackson had seven INTs. No. LaVar Arrington. Jackson was not just a coverage linebacker, he was also a good pass rusher and a very hard worker off the field. Gradishar was the silent assassin of the team. Ray Lewis came into the league and dominated right away. Lambert wasnt just great on the inside, he was an outstanding coverage linebacker. He has been one of the most intimidating players in the NFL his entire career. Robertson was one of the NFLs most athletic linebackers. 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. 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. Thats amazing consistency. [3] He has already had three 100 tackle seasons in his first three years, and also has already forced 10 turnovers (four INTs, six forced fumbles). He has speed, size, toughness, instincts, vision, patience, and football smarts. Find out what the legends have to say about sports this week. thegruelingtruth.com is available in the following countries: The bonus offer of was already opened in an additional window. Jackson was not just a coverage linebacker, he was also a good pass rusher and a very hard worker off the field. No. Spielman had seven straight 100 tackle seasons, and did it eight out of nine years. No. He wasnt very vocal, but his play did all the talking for him. Visit Our Patreon Page to Create Your Own All-Time Fantasy Teams and See Other Bonus Material . Suggs is a pass rushing monster with the Ravens. 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 . . Swilling was the best pass rusher of the Dome Patrol, but he also forced 36 fumbles to go along with all the sacks. 9. He had 1,301 tackles and 25 forced fumbles in his career. 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. NFLs Merchants of Menace Cornelius Bennett and Bruce Smith. He was also a good pass rusher, and a good coverage man as well. He totaled 28 INTs in his career while he also racked up 1,045 tackles. 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. NFLs Merchants of Menace Andre Tippett. Greene was one of the best pass rushers of all time, recording 160 sacks in his career. His high sack number was 15 in 2001, a year that he didnt even get voted into the Pro Bowl. 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. Joey Porter. No. Wilber Marshall had the whole package. Top 10 Best Linebackers In Cleveland Browns History. He was a hard worker, good tackler, and had great hands. Mike Kolen 1970-77. He is not only the greatest linebacker in NFL history, hes one of the games greatest players period. Bryce Paup was an outstanding pass rusher in the 1990s. Bulluck was one of the best pass coverage linebackers in NFL history. [a][4]. But, theres no doubt that hes been one of the top linebackers in the NFL, and still is today. 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 . Eleven Pro Bowls. Singletary was one of the key leaders of the famous 85 Bears defense, arguably the greatest defense in the history of the NFL. Paup was a complete linebacker, who was especially great at rushing the passer. Other Links > Football > Player Rankings by Position > Top Ranked Linebackers . Jan 25, 1981; New Orleans, LA, USA; FILE PHOTO; Oakland Raiders players Mickey Marvin (65), Willie Jones (90), Rod Martin (53), Ted Hendricks (83) and Raymond Chester (88) on the field against the Philadelphia Eagles during Super Bowl XV at the Superdome. Eddie Johnson. No. Less of a nod goes to pass rushers, linebackers and safeties. Mills was more of a complete player than Swilling, although the two are too close to separate one from the other. 16, Robert Brazile (Oilers) (1975-1984) *Seven-time Pro Bowler *Two-time 1st Team All-Pro *Four-time 2nd Team All-Pro. He was unstoppable in goal-line situations especially. The best LB in the NFL today comes in at No. Ray Lewis is another one of the three players on the list to win Defensive Player of the Year twice in his career. *Three-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro. He holds the NFL record for the most Pro Bowl selections by a middle linebacker (13). Hes been amazing. All Rights Reserved. After a very bad injury in 2008, Shawne Merriman hasnt been the same. No. Use Isiah Robertsons name in a talk of most underrated players of all time, and youll impress your fellow football fans. We started off with a rough one the wide receivers. St. Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 1989. He took up blockers and threw his body around a lot. Although still early in his career, Demarcus Ware deserves to be this high on the list. He was a dominating force in the NFL during that stretch of time. During the 2016 NFL Scouting Combine, Lee posted the fastest 40-yard dash time among .

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