best linebackers of the 1970s

He finished his career with 1,106 tackles and 627 assisted tackles as well. Edmunds will have to clean up the missed tackles and improve in coverage to rise toward where most slot him currently a top-10 linebacker on this list next season. He had five INTs in a season twice in his career. Jack Ham might be the best coverage linebacker of all time. . 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. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, and wants help, call or visit: (a) the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey at 1-800-Gambler or www.800gambler.org; or (b) Gamblers Anonymous at 855-2-CALL-GA or www.gamblersanonymous.org. John Offerdahl may have had the shortest NFL career on this list, but he made the most of it. Top 25 SEC LBs of all-time: 10-6. Joey Porter. Rickey Jackson was one of the fastest linebackers in the game, but he was also one of the hardest hitters. 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. (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). 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. No. 12 sacks and three picks. 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. In 1984 and 1985, Tippett put up two of the best back to back seasons recording 18.5 and 16.5 sacks in them. He also played two different positions, playing ILB and OLB for the Vikings in his career. Ranking the 10 best linebackers in Raiders history He led some of the greatest defenses in NFL history in both performance and spirit. In 1976, Jackson had seven INTs. The former college basketball star is considered one of the best defensive linemen to ever play in the NFL. During the late 1970s and early 80s, he was the best linebacker the NFL had. He produced 32 sacks over the 3 seasons. Hardy Nickerson may not have the name recognition as many of the other linebackers on this list, but he deserves to be this high. 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). Lewis was the leader of the 2000 Super Bowl-winning Ravens team. Ill take into account Pro Bowls, All-Pros (1st and 2nd team), stats, team success, players success, intimidation factor, and reputation, along with many other factors to make this list. He was 73. 1970s All-decade team. Over his career, he totaled 1,271 tackles, 12 INTs, and 19 forced fumbles. 2022 - SportsUnfold. Tippett finished his career with 100 sacks. That truly shows what kind of person he was off the field. 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. 5, Jack Lambert (Steelers) (1974-1984) *Nine-time Pro Bowlers *Seven-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. LT finished his career with 142 sacks, averaging nearly 11 sacks per season. He totaled 28 INTs in his career while he also racked up 1,045 tackles. Johnson was most known for his days with the Saints. Playoffs: Won Divisional Round 5-0 vs. Detroit Lions. Not only did he change the way defenses are run, but he changed the way offensive schemes are run as well. In today's NFL, few positions have become as difficult to play as off-ball linebacker. Mike Kolen 1970-77. He was always around the ball. James Farrior* (Jets/Steelers): Two-time Pro Bowler, one-time 1st Team All-Pro, one-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Mar 3, 2023 Updated 4 min ago. Official list of the NFL's best players in the 1970s, National Football League 1970s All-Decade Team, National Football League 1960s All-Decade Team, https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2020/04/06/tom-brady-is-first-qb-to-make-two-all-decade-teams/, National Football League All-Decade Teams, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=National_Football_League_1970s_All-Decade_Team&oldid=1132426489, National Football League records and achievements, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 8 January 2023, at 20:52. L.T. All Rights Reserved. Players must be 21 years of age or older or reach the minimum age for gambling in their respective state and located in jurisdictions where online gambling is legal. Patrick Willis has made the Pro Bowl and an All-Pro team every single year hes been in the NFL. Visit Our Patreon Page to Create Your Own All-Time Fantasy Teams and See Other Bonus Material . 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. by Ben Watanabe. 3, Mike Singletary (Bears) (1981-1992) *Ten-time Pro Bowler *Seven-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Jack Ham had the whole package as a linebacker. No. HELLO, PANDORA. 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. 37, Wilber Marshall (Bears/Redskins/Oilers/Cardinals/Jets) (1984-1995) *Three-time Pro Bowler *Two-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. If you havnt guessed it by now, Lawrence LT Taylor is my top linebacker of the modern era. Next up on the docket for my top Redskins players series are the linebackers. In 1985, a trophy awarded to the best linebacker in college football was named in his honor. Thats amazing consistency. T&Cs apply. Jeff Siemon (Vikings) : Four-time Pro Bowler. 2022 NFL Linebacker Rankings and Tiers | NFL News, Rankings and - PFF This brings us to the first night of March and a not-quite-full Purcell . Carson did most of the dirty work in that linebacking core. Undersized height wise, but an overabundance of heart made him more than a handful to deal with. He would always be found around the ball, and around the play. Jackson was not just a coverage linebacker, he was also a good pass rusher and a very hard worker off the field. Briggs has made five straight Pro Bowls for the Bears, and that streak still continues. He wasnt great at just one aspect he was equally great at everything he did. 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. 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. The Chicago Bears have the most all-time great linebackers. Lambert is said by many to be the best inside linebacker of all-time. That suggestion from the newly appointed House . More from Green Bay Packers. Williams was the heart and soul of two Super Bowl defenses. Zach Thomas. 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. Harry Carson was an outstanding linebacker who played alongside Lawrence Taylor. Collect, curate and comment on your files. Ranking Explanation . LT was the most intimidating player ever to put on an NFL uniform. Still, its an amazing number. That Steelers linebacking core could easily be the best of all-time, and it was led by Jack Lambert and Jack Ham. As also playing DE should tell you, he was very versatile and could play many different positions. Nine All-Pros. Brazile might not get the credit because of the team he played for, but he was an outstanding player. Bryce Paup was an outstanding pass rusher in the 1990s. Thats right, seven. He had over 1,000 tackles, over 70 sacks, and over 30 forced fumbles in his career. 20 greatest linebackers in NFL history - Franchise Sports LT finished his career with 142 sacks, averaging nearly 11 sacks per season. Kirkland had 10 tackles and a key sack of Dallas quarterback Troy Aikman. 18, Andre Tippett (Patriots) (1982-1993) *Five-time Pro Bowler *Two-time 1st Team All-Pro *Two-time 2nd Team All-Pro. The offense, meanwhile, scored 29 points a game. With time to spare in the NFL offseason, Ill take a look at the top 50 linebackers in the NFL in the modern era. The 1970s had many great moments by individual players such as the NFL's first 2,000-yard season by O.J. No. He also ranks third all . Discuss this article along with many other quality articles, discussions, and much more at: http://forums.sportsjabber.net/sjforums/showthread.php?t=54444. His 32 career INTs lead the way for linebackers. Are you ready for some football history? And he's still going. No. He wasnt very vocal, but his play did all the talking for him. Lost Super Bowl 13-16 vs. Baltimore Colts. His sacks are the main reason hes this high, but he was also a great all-around player. AP Sports SummaryBrief at 12:30 a.m. EST 1970 NFC Champion. He also had 20 INTs, three of which he returned for touchdowns. No. He did it in 2000 and again in 2003. Singletary was a leader, not only vocally, but by example. Cornelius Bennett was just a great all-around player. He was also the fastest linebacker of the bunch and excelled in pass coverage. The Raiders defeated the Eagles 27-10. Being a linebacker makes that feat that much more impressive. The 15 Greatest NFL Linebackers of All Time - Sportscasting Taylor changed the way football is played today. Notre Dame, Mike Brey and the awkward goodbye - The Athletic 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 . 5. He also had at least 99 tackles in seven years of his 12 year career, which is outstanding. Dennis Onkotz 1967 - 1969. His high sack number was 15 in 2001, a year that he didnt even get voted into the Pro Bowl. No. 2011 Butkus Award winner for nation s best linebacker at Boston College. 23. Next were Defensive end Jack Youngblood and Joe Greene who each had 18 votes. An important part of the Las Vegas defense, the LB position includes middle or inside linebackers and outside (strong side or weakside) linebackers. Still, its an amazing number. 46, Jon Beason* (Panthers) (2007-Present) *One-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNzd9Xd0who, No. Top 5 Tennessee linebackers of all-time - Saturday Down South Next were Defensive end Jack Youngblood and Joe Greene who each had 18 votes. Briggs should only continue to move up this list, as he takes over as the star linebacker spot in Chicago. 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 . Check out the 1970 Minnesota Vikings Roster, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees, Injury Reports and more on Pro-Football-Reference.com. NFLs Merchants of Menace Andre Tippett. He had less than seven sacks in a season only once. After a very bad injury in 2008, Shawne Merriman hasnt been the same. Lewis was the leader of the 2000 Super Bowl winning Ravens team. He was Lawrence Taylor before Taylor was. He played for a bad team with not much of a surrounding cast, but still excelled. No. A tall order to say the least, and these 5 players did it better than anyone in the history of the NFL. You might be thinking Top 10 already? But look at his numbers. He was the type of player that you would want your kids to look up to. He started his career out with the Packers, if they would have used him correctly he would have been higher on this list. He was blue collar player who was a great leader on defense and could do everything well on a football field. Siemon was always a good player, but never a great player. Jack Ham, Linebacker. Houston Oilers, 1975-1984. 1970 Dallas Cowboys Roster & Players - Pro-Football-Reference.com . 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.

David Dimbleby Height, Taka Terrace House Reika, Student Actions Lackland Afb, Pravus International Haiti 2004, Articles B

best linebackers of the 1970s