2-time NFL Championship Game winner Super Bowl XX champion 52 whose off-the-charts football IQ, spiritual leadership and on-field accomplishments are unmatched. Born: Nov. 26, 1953 (Florence, South Carolina), High school: Wilson High School (Florence, South Carolina), Career highlights: Super Bowl champion (1986), nine-time Pro Bowl (1978, 1979, 1981-87), six-time All-Pro (1978, 1981, 1982, 1984-86), Pro Football Hall of Fame (2006). Tedy Bruschi, New England Patriots (1996-2008) 8-time Pro Bowler20. For an optimal experience please rotate your device to portrait mode, After being considered by most teams too small, the Boston Patriots selected Nick Buoniconti with the teams 13. round selection. That was the first of five consecutive seasons with at least 120 tackles. Porter's 40% forced incompletion rate in 2022 led all Power Five cornerbacks. 2000 Defensive Rookie of the Year For new posts and be up to date to win $50 to Fanatics or Amazon. That includes Super Bowl wins in 2000 and 2012, with the latter coming in Lewis' final game. Forester died in 2007 after a long illness. Taylor's dominance changed the way football is played on every level, from how offensive lines block to the way teams teach how to rush the quarterback. Super Bowl XXXV champion We asked 50 experts to vote for the NFL's all-time greatest edge rusher, cornerback and kicker. Huff became the first rookie middle linebacker to start an NFL championship game, leading the Giants to the title in 1956 and led them to four more NFL championship games, losing each time. ", Died: June 12, 2010 (age 79, Riverside, California), High school: Fresno High School (Fresno, California), Career highlights: Eight-time Pro Bowl (1954-61), seven-time All-Pro (1955-60), Pro Football Hall of Fame (2011). With Singletary, all it took was one look into his eyes to understand why. Super Bowl VII champion Karlos Dansby was tall for an NFL inside linebacker at 6-foot-4, and he made plays all over the field. Take a look at how all 47 of his selections stack up. Once drafted, Buoniconti became one of the teams best defensive players despite his lack of size. Super Bowl XL champion 1978 Defensive Player of the Year 55, Seau went on to become a legend in San Diego. Urlachers legacy was secure after leading Chicago to the NFC title in 200611. Gradishar also was a six-time All-Pro and seven-time Pro Bowler. Fans of the Dallas Cowboys feel the same way about him after he helped lead them to their first Super Bowl win in 1971, the same year he set a team record with 21 tackles. High school: Worthing High School (Houston), Career highlights: Super Bowl champion (1985), 10-time Pro Bowl (1983-82), nine-time All-Pro (1983-91), two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year (1985, 1988), three-time NFC Player of the Year (1984, 1985, 1988), NFL 1980s All-Decade Team, Pro Football Hall of Fame (1998). Fletcher carved out a 16-year NFL career, including a Super Bowl win with the Rams in his second season. High school: White Deer High School (Pampa, Texas), Teams: Miami Dolphins (1996-2007), Dallas Cowboys (2008), Career highlights: Seven-time All-Pro (1998-99, 2001-03, 2005, 2006), seven-time Pro Bowl (1999-2003, 2005, 2006), AFC Defensive Rookie of the Year (1996), NFL 2000s All-Decade Team. In four seasons, Willis has 594 total tackles, 15 sacks, made the Pro Bowl every year, and three times has been named a first-team All-Pro linebacker. Nickerson had his best years with the Steelers and with the Buccaneers right before those teams started to make deep, consistent playoff runs, but he was a feared player and at his best playing in a 4-3 scheme defense. Fortunato, who was named one of the Bears 100 Greatest Players, did accomplish one thing that Butkus never would. Playing defensive tackle/end for the first two seasons of his NFL career, Connor became a linebacker when Bears head coach George Halas wanted to try and find a way to neutralize Philadelphia running back Steve Van Buren, so he had Connor stand up outside of the tight end to check Van Buren. High school: East Coweta High School (Sharpsburg, Georgia), Teams: Atlanta Falcons (1998-2008), Dallas Cowboys (2009-11), Denver Broncos (2012), Career highlights: Five-time Pro Bowl (2001-05), two-time All-Pro (2002, 2004). Behind Lawrence Taylor, Andre Tippett was the most dominant NFL linebacker in the 1980s. Born: Sept. 20, 1943 (San Antonio, Texas), Died: Dec. 13, 2017 (age 74, Marietta, Georgia), High school: Thomas Jefferson High School (San Antonio, Texas), Career highlights: NFL Rookie of the Year (1966), five-time Pro Bowl (1966-68, 1970, 1972), two-time All-Pro (1967, 1968), NFL 1960s All-Decade Team. He joined the military for two years out of high school before going to play football for the University of North Carolina. If Lawrence Taylor is the Michael Jordan of NFL linebackers, Carson was his Scottie Pippen. Since debates about who is the best linebacker in Bears history are fun, frequent and never-ending, we . He played for the Baltimore Ravens for 17 seasons and recorded 2,061 tackles and 41.5 sacks in his. Les Richter was an amazing football player and had size and speed that could have landed him on NFL rosters in any era. Lavonte David's football career took him across the United States after growing up in Miami, Florida. In the NFL, he was a model of consistency for 14 seasons and earned postseason honors in 10 of 11 seasons and started 135 consecutive games at one point. The two Bears greats played together for Fortunato's final two seasons, which meant Butkus broke all of Fortunato's records just years after he set them. With the third-most sacks in NFL history, there's no question Kevin Greene belongs among the best linebackers of all-time. With this responsibility and how important the game has evolved, the MLB position has produced many great players over the years. Not many linebackers can boast the athleticism of Urlacher, who set the single-season Bears record with 153 tackles in 2002 and owns the team's career tackles record with 1,361. Harry Carson's career stats don't jump off the page 11 interceptions, 14 fumbles recovered, eight sacks but he's still one of the greatest NFL linebackers. 6-time Pro Bowler12. Born: May 1, 1925 (Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Died: March 21, 2015 (age 89, Richland, Pennsylvania), High school: Liberty High School (Bethlehem, Pennsylvania), Career highlights: Two-time NFL champion (1949, 1960), eight-time Pro Bowl (1950-54, 1956, 1957, 1960), 10-time All-Pro (1950-57, 1960, 1961), NFL 100th Anniversary Team, Pro Football Hall of Fame (1967). ranked by. 8-time first-team All-Pro pic.twitter.com/wy2S8g98pb. For the Tar Heels, Hanburger played both ways and earned most of his accolades at center, not on defense. The big-play machine from Waco, Texas, was one of the greatest linebackers in Longhorns program history. Inducted into the Hall of Fame as recently as 2016, Greene's career was arguably underrated. Here are my top 10 linebackers: 1. Ranking the top linebackers to ever suit up in the National Football League is far from easy. 4 with 1,501, despite making just one Pro Bowl in his career. Being the son of a former heavyweight boxing champion might be a burden for some, but Ken Norton Jr. embraced it. On the football field Chuck Bednarik was one of the toughest players to play the game and possibly the best tackler to set forth on a football field. All other NFL-related trademarks are trademarks of the National Football League. Jack Lambert played 11 seasons all for the Steelers and won four Super Bowls as the starting linebacker and heart of the "Steel Curtain" defense with fellow Hall of Famers Mean Joe Greene, Mel Blount, Jack Ham and Donnie Shell. Few stories rival that of former NFL star Patrick Willis. It's actually confounding why more of a Hall of Fame case hasn't been made for Thomas. The former North Carolina Tar Heel is both a member of the NFL's 75th Anniversary Team and the 100th Anniversary Team. After the 2023 NFL Draft, the Houston Texans have four Alabama linebackers - Will Anderson Jr., Christian Harris, DeMeco Ryans and Henry To'oTo'o - except Ryans is the head coach and . Hall of Fame, Class of 1982 An all-time great Packer/NFL player. Brooks, like so many players on this list, played his entire career with just one team. Along with his overflowing trophy case, Lewis posted 41.5 sacks, 31 INTs returned for 503 yards and three TDs, 19 forced fumbles, 20 fumble recoveries and one safety in the regular season; and six forced fumbles, two INTs returned for 54 yards and one TD, and two sacks in the playoffs. The 1976 Defensive Player of the Year helped the Steelers win four Super Bowls (IX, X, XIII, XIV). New Orleans Saints, 1986-1994; Carolina Panthers, 1995-1997 Voted to five Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro once Recorded 1,142 career tackles, New Orleans Saints, 1986-1992; Detroit Lions, 1993-1994; Oakland Raiders, 1995-1998 Voted to five Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro twice Recorded 107.5 career sacks, New York Giants, 1984-1992; Washington Redskins, 1993; Cleveland Browns, 1994-1995 Two-time Super Bowl champion Voted to one Pro Bowl, First Team All-Pro once Recorded 39.5 career sacks and 826 career tackles, Detroit Lions, 1988-1995; Buffalo Bills, 1996-1997 Voted to four Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro once Recorded 1,181 career tackles, Miami Dolphins, 1996-2007; Dallas Cowboys, 2008 Voted to seven Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro five times Recorded 1,100 career tackles, Los Angeles Rams, 1954-1962 Voted to eight Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro once Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Boston Patriots, 1962-1968; Miami Dolphins, 1969-1976 Two-time Super Bowl champion Voted to eight Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro five times Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Cincinnati Bengals, 1969-1973; Philadelphia Eagles, 1974-1980 Voted to five Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro twice, Chicago Bears, 1955-1966 One-time NFL champion Voted to five Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro three times, St. Louis Rams, 1998-2001; Buffalo Bills, 2002-2006; Washington Redskins, 2007-2013 One-time Super Bowl champion Voted to four Pro Bowls Recorded 1,380 career tackles, Washington Redskins, 1965-1978 Voted to nine Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro four times Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, New York Giants, 1976-1988 One-time Super Bowl champion Voted to nine Pro Bowls Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, New York Giants, 1956-1963; Washington Redskins 1964-1969 One-time NFL champion Voted to five Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro twice Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Pittsburgh Steelers 2002-2012, 2014-2017; Cincinnati Bengals 2013; New England Patriots 2017 Two-time Super Bowl champion Voted to five Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro twice Recorded 84.5 career sacks, 793 tackles, Denver Broncos, 1974-1983 Voted to seven Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro twice, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1981-1985; Miami Dolphins, 1985-1991 Voted to two Pro Bowls, Dallas Cowboys, 1963-1976 One-time Super Bowl champion Voted to five Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro once, San Francisco 49ers, 2007-2014 Voted to seven Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro five times Recorded 732 tackles in eight career NFL seasons, New England Patriots, 1982-1993 Voted to five Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro twice Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Chicago Bears, 1948-1955 Voted to four Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro four times Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Dallas Cowboys, 2005-2013; Denver Broncos, 2014-2016 One-time Super Bowl champion Voted to nine Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro four times Recorded 138.5 career sacks, which ranks No. The lineage of great Chicago Bears middle linebackers is clear, with 4 players making this list. Ken Norton Jr., Dallas Cowboys (1988-93), San Francisco 49ers (1994-2000) How would you rank the greatest Middle Linebackers in history? All Rights Reserved. Norton's famous nod to his famous father was hitting the goal post pads like a punching bag, similar to how he treated opponents as the star linebacker for two of the best franchises in football for over a decade. He's a rangy, sideline-to-sideline tackler, and though he lacks size and . The Packers were an unstoppable force on both sides of the ball with the defensive playing a key role in the teams success. A little-known fact about Talley: He's the cousin of Baseball Hall of Famer and Miami Marlins owner Derek Jeter. Lanier was one of two Hall of Famers in the Kansas City linebacker corps during his era, alongside Bobby Bell, but it was Lanier who led the defense from his middle linebacker spot. The No. Be the first one to comment on this story. High school: East Cleveland Shaw High School (Cleveland, Ohio), Teams: Buffalo Bills (1983-94), Atlanta Falcons (1995), Minnesota Vikings (1996), Career highlights: Four-time AFC champion (1990-93), two-time Pro Bowl (1990, 1991), two-time All-Pro (1990, 1993). Lewis was the face of the franchise and the energizer of the defensive dominance. He led the league in combined tackles in 2016 and 2019, and in solo tackles in 2017. The duo even led the team to the Super Bowl in 2006, where they lost to the Indianapolis Colts. 29) Bryce Paup. Jack Ham was one of the smartest players to ever take a snap in the NFL, on offense or defense, and had a reputation for never being out of position, never being fooled by offensive trickery and making huge plays. That is the highest among all linebackers. This article explores the franchise's top 10 linebackers of all time. Samurai Mike had crazy eyes that struck fear into an opposing offense even before he laid the smack down. 1-time first-team All-Pro He led the University of Minnesota to a national title in 1960, then won two AFL championships and a Super Bowl with the Kansas City Chiefs. 16 on the all-time list Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, New York Giants, 1981-1993 Two-time Super Bowl champion Voted to 10 Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro eight times Recorded 132.5 career sacks, which ranks No. If you want to know where the modern concept of an outside linebacker came from, start with George Connor.
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