best linebackers of the 1970s

He was a very solid 3-4 ILB playing on one of the best LB Cores of all-time, the Dome Patrol. Johnson wasnt very flashy, but he was very solid all-around, which is why he sneaks onto the list. Lloyd had 54.5 sacks and 11 INTs in his career, but the most remarkable number was his 35 forced fumbles. Brazile was drafted out of Jackson State and revolutionized linebacker play in the NFL. 21. Thomas was the best linebacker of the 1990s, and one of the best pass rushers of all-time. 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. 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. Punter Ray Guy was the leading vote-getter for the 1970s All-Decade Team, receiving 24 of a possible 25 votes. Mecklenburg finished his career with 79 sacks, which is great for an ILB, and also ranks 2nd all-time in Broncos history. Pat Swilling. He was close to averaging a sack per game, which is an amazing number. Porter will try to continue his success in Arizona and continue to climb up this list. The best LB in the NFL today comes in at No. NFL Strength Of Schedule Rankings 2022-2023, NFL 2022 season finisher picture, standings: Chargers can secure billet on Monday, Packers stay alive for trump card, Cardinals versus Marauders score, focal points: Tom Brady directs late rebound as Tampa Sound moves beyond Arizona in OT, NFL would need to pay a robust $12MILLION to switch all its counterfeit fields over completely to grass as association faces developing commotion from players to switch all arenas to normal surfaces, NFL takes action against utilization of electronic gadgets during games, Packers versus Lions score: Detroit plays spoiler, closes Green Straights offered for postseason compartment, Top 10 Hottest NFL Wives In 2023 | NFL WAGs, The Best Quarterbacks In The NFL Right Now, The Coolest Players in the NFL Right Now, Ranked, 2-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year (1985, 88), 2-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year (1967, 83). McAdams was a two-time All-American . The Raiders defeated the Eagles 27-10. He was blue collar player who was a great leader on defense and could do everything well on a football field. During the late 1970s and early 80s, he was the best linebacker the NFL had. Singletary was a leader, not only vocally, but by example. . For most other franchises, a resume like this would make Jack Ham the greatest linebacker in thier history by a wide margin. Ham had outstanding speed. LaVar Arrington. 5.) 49, Vaughn Johnson (Saints/Eagles) (1986-1994) *Four-time Pro Bowler *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. 26, Cornelius Bennett (Bills/Falcons/Colts) (1987-2000) *Five-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro. Sam Huff. Beason has only been in the league for three years now. Mills was more of the tackler of the bunch, racking up 1,142 tackles in his career. Mandatory Credit: Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports. Next: A dangerous combination. Bulluck was one of the best pass coverage linebackers in NFL history. He led the team in tackles five of the 11 season he played for them. Although he only played three full seasons, he made five Pro Bowls. Boulware gets overlooked a lot playing because of playing with Ray Lewis, but he was a key component in that dominating Ravens defense of the early 2000s. Floyd Reese, the general manager who assembled the roster for the Tennessee Titans' lone Super Bowl appearance, died Saturday. In only five seasons, Wares already totaled up 64.5 sacks, including 20 in 2008. Jack Ham might be the best coverage linebacker of all time. No NFL team has enjoyed the consistent level of success the Pittsburgh Steelers have enjoyed since the AFL-NFL merger of 1970. Ham is the only linebacker other than Tom Jackson to have seven INTs in a single season. Taylor is one of only two defensive players (DT Alan Page, 1971) in the history of the NFL to be named NFL MVP. He wasnt very vocal, but his play did all the talking for him. The Steel Curtain was the defensive line of the 1970s American football team Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). Houston Oilers, 1975-1984. He started all but one game in his last eight seasons, which is very impressive for a linebacker. Theres not much Brooks doesnt have. That Steelers linebacking core could easily be the best of all-time, and it was led by Jack Lambert and Jack Ham. He had 1,301 tackles and 25 forced fumbles in his career. He had ten seasons with 10+ sacks. Tribute to Elvis This list isnt based solely on performances from the 2020 NFL season. Ray Lewis is the highest-ranked active player on this list, and the top middle linebacker on it. No. No. He was also the fastest linebacker of the bunch and excelled in pass coverage. But he proved them wrong and was a key piece on the Broncos Super Bowl winning team. 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 . No. Gary Reasons (1984-91) Gary Reasons, a fourth-round draft pick from Northwestern State, was a key . The . He played in 10 playoff games and had two INTs and three fumble recoveries in them. 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. Peter Boulware was the pass rusher alongside Ray Lewis. Seau was the definition of consistency. Im only going to be looking at players drafted in 1970 or later. Mike Singletary was the leader of the most dominating defense the NFL has ever seenthe 1985 Bears. Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 1989. Thats amazing consistency. He had 1,301 tackles and 25 forced fumbles in his career. Republican Rep. James Comer suggested during a right-wing podcast earlier this week that President Joe Biden's deceased son Beau Biden should have been investigated in connection with a long-settled case on "campaign donations" from a backer who was eventually indicted. Mo Lewis was another very consistent and solid player. Lawrence Taylor: one of the greatest defensive players ever, Taylor was a pass-rushing force who revolutionized the outside linebacker position . He did anything the Bears asked of him, especially stuffing the run. Rickey Jackson was one of the fastest linebackers in the game, but he was also one of the hardest hitters. Patrick Willis has made the Pro Bowl and an All-Pro team every single year hes been in the NFL. More Team Info. Mike Singletary had the whole package. Born April 20 . No. 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. 45, Shawne Merriman* (Chargers) (2005-Present) *Three-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. The exhibit features the Fleet's classic collection set in five themed galleries representing the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s and 2010s. Gradishar was the silent assassin of the team. Peppers' 159.5 career sacks rank fourth on the all-time list. Call 1-800-522-4700. Among linebackers, that would include two-way stars George Svendsen (1935-41), Bud Svendsen (1937, 1939) and Charley Brock (1939-47), along with Bill Forester (1953-63), Tom Bettis (1955-61) and Roger Zatkoff (1953-56). Jackson was most notable for being a pass rusher, but he really did it all. Beason may be the most controversial player on this list. Visit Our Patreon Page to Create Your Own All-Time Fantasy Teams and See Other Bonus Material . Wright, Seattle Seahawks. Brooks wasnt just a pass coverage linebacker, but he also played the run well. 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). Ware is not just an outstanding pass rusher though. That is just unheard of. 2013 MAC Hall of Fame Inductee: Western Michigans John Offerdahl. Ham had outstanding speed. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNzd9Xd0who, No. He also had at least 99 tackles in seven years of his 12 year career, which is outstanding. 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. No. . Zach Thomas would be the perfect linebacker, no matter what style of defense you play. [a][4]. Robertson is one of the most underrated players in NFL history. 9-time All-Pro, 10-time Pro Bowler. Randy Gradishar may be the single-most deserving player of a spot in Canton. 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. Jul 07, 2014 at 11:02 PM. Rickey Jackson doesnt always get the credit he deserves, but hes a top 10 linebacker of the modern era. Thats right, seven. Paul Krause | S. The NFL's all-time leader in interceptions spent 12 of his 16 years in Minnesota. 10, Junior Seau (Chargers/Dolphins/Patriots) (1990-2009) *Twelve-time Pro Bowler *Six-time All-Pro 1st Team *Three-time All-Pro 2nd Team. But it was his style of play that made his career so short. No. Thomas is also third all-time in safeties and fumble returns for touchdowns. The defense was ranked right up there along with the 1985 Bears, and Steelers teams of the 1970s. He also had 1,173 tackles in his career. No. 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. . 2011 Butkus Award winner for nation s best linebacker at Boston College. Ray Lewis is another one of the three players on the list to win Defensive Player of the Year twice in his career. If you take away his last three seasons, where he was slowing down, he averaged 12.4 sacks per season, which is just remarkable. 9. No. No. Carson did most of the dirty work in that linebacking core. He took them to the AFC Championship game in 1998, where they fell victim to John Elways Super Bowl winning Broncos. Greene was one of the best pass rushers of all time, recording 160 sacks in his career. Over the course of his two-year Ohio State career, Lee accumulated 147 tackles. . Spielman was a great leader and intense player who always gave everything he had. Rickey Jackson was one of the fastest linebackers in the game, but he was also one of the hardest hitters. Leslie ONeal was a sack machine in his career. A tall order to say the least, and these 5 players did it better than anyone in the history of the NFL. Brooking was the face of the Falcons defense for nearly a decade, and is a well-rounded player. Mike Singletary is one of three players on this list to win Defensive Player of the Year twice in his career. Visit Our Patreon Page to Create Your Own All-Time Fantasy Teams and See Other Bonus Material . 47, Fredd Young (Seahawks/Colts) (1984-1990) *Four-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro. The 1970s had many great moments by individual players such as the NFL's first 2,000-yard season by O.J. We adapted Google's Privacy Guidelines to keep your data safe at all times. A five-time pro bowler, Wilson was one of the best linebackers in the league during the early 2000s. Bryce Paup was an outstanding pass rusher in the 1990s. 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. Schmidt stood out in an era of great middle linebackers. Offerdahl was a blue collar type of player who was an even better person off the field. In 2007, he racked up a remarkable 17 sacks in only 12 games. Patrick Willis is everything you look for in a linebacker. Shawne Lights Out Merriman was the face of NFL linebackers for a three year stretch. He also played two different positions, playing ILB and OLB for the Vikings in his 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. Junior Seau finished his career with 1,524 tackles, the highest total on this 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 running back Franco Harris. Please play responsibly. 10. 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. Wilson recorded 560 tackles and 21.5 sacks as a member of the Broncos. He tried to get in your head before you even took a step on the field of play. Harry Carson was an outstanding linebacker who played alongside Lawrence Taylor. Dennis Onkotz was a two time first team All American on the great Penn State teams of 1968 and 1969. Urlacher was an all-around great linebacker who flew around the field with reckless abandon.

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