greatest middle linebackers of all time 15. maj 2023 They changed the way football is played on every level. Kendricks has also recorded 100 plus tackles in each of the past five seasons. Rank below to be added in the Power Rankings and to have a chance to win a gift card to LAZADA, Amazon, Top 10 NFL Quarterbacks of All Time Rankings, Top 10 NFL Running Backs of All Time Rankings, Top 10 NFL Wide Receivers of All Time Rankings, Top 10 NFL Tight Ends of All Time Rankings, Top 10 NFL Outside Linebackers of All Time Rankings, Top 10 NFL Defensive Ends of All Time Rankings, Top 10 NFL Strong Safeties of All Time Rankings. Te'o didn't come out of nowhere as a senior. Porter's 40% forced incompletion rate in 2022 led all Power Five cornerbacks. James Harrison Pittsburgh 2002, '04-12, '14-17; Cincinnati 2013; New England 2017 4-time All-Pro, 5-time Pro Bowler Super Bowl. Nitschke died of a massive heart attack in Florida in 1998, when he was 61 years old. Over his career, Bednarick helped guide the Eagles to two NFL Championships while being named to eight Pro Bowl teams and selected eight times as a First Team All-Pro.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'fanrankings_com-large-leaderboard-2','ezslot_7',127,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-fanrankings_com-large-leaderboard-2-0'); When considering great middle linebackers it is hard to look past another Chicago Bear All-Pro who racked up a pretty solid NFL career. The Ravens have always been known as a defensive minded team. 5-time first-team All-Pro 8-time Pro Bowler But in his eight seasons, Kuechly accomplished almost everything an NFL linebacker could, including being perhaps the best coverage linebacker in the history of the game. 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. It is hard to look past Jack Lambert as one of the Top 10 Middle Linebackers All-Time based on his career resume and his play on the football field. In Forester's final five seasons, he made all four of his Pro Bowls, all five of his All-Pro teams and helped lead Green Bay to its first two NFL titles under Lombardi. The six-year, $141 million extension he signed with the Bears in 2018 was the largest contract for a defensive player in NFL history. Take a look at how all 47 of his selections stack up. Fan Rankings is a registered trademark of Fan Rankings LLC. For starters, Lewis has the most combined tackles in NFL history (2,059). He only played on teams with winning records three times in his career and only made two playoff appearances. There is a reason why he was a first-ballot Hall of Famer in 2018. 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. Inducted into the Hall of Fame as recently as 2016, Greene's career was arguably underrated. While some of the linebackers on this list probably wouldn't even get a second look in today's NFL because of their size, Wilcox (who's the father of Cal head coach Justin Wilcox) is actually the opposite. He was a two-time Super Bowl winner with the New York Giants, who he played for during each of his 13 NFL seasons. 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. The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. Your login session has expired. High school: Washington County High School (Sandersville, Georgia), Teams: Cincinnati Bengals (1998-2002), Buffalo Bills (2003-06), Philadelphia Eagles (2007), San Francisco 49ers (2008-10), San Diego Chargers (2011-12), Career highlights: Two-time Pro Bowl (2003, 2004), NFL All-Pro (2004). How tough was the "City Champ"? Forester died in 2007 after a long illness. 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. 2007 Defensive Rookie of the Year 8 on the all-time list, Atlanta Falcons, 1966-1976 Voted to five Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro one time, Houston Oilers, 1975-1984 Elected to the Pro Football Hall Of Fame in 2018 Voted to seven Pro Bowls, named First Team All-Pro five times NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year (1975) NFL 1970s All-Decade Team member Finished career with 48 sacks, 1,281 tackles, and 13 interceptions, Kansas City Chiefs, 1967-1977 One-time Super Bowl champion Voted to eight Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro three times Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Carolina Panthers 2012-present Voted to Pro Bowl five times, four-time First Team All-Pro NFL Defensive Player of the Year (2013) NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year (2012) 818 career tackles, 10.5 sacks, 15 interceptions, Buffalo Bills, 1987-1995; Atlanta Falcons, 1996-1998; Indianapolis Colts, 1999-2000 Voted to five Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro once Recorded 71.5 career sacks Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, San Francisco 49ers, 1964-1974 Voted to seven Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro twice Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Pittsburgh Steelers, 1974-1984 Four-time Super Bowl champion Voted to nine Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro six times Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Chicago Bears, 2000-2012 Voted to eight Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro four times Recorded 41.5 career sacks and 1,040 career tackles, New Orleans Saints, 1981-1993; San Francisco 49ers 1994-1995 One-time NFL champion Voted to six Pro Bowls Recorded 128 career sacks, which ranks No. Those bad teams likely cost him any shot at the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He posted nine straight seasons with at least 100 tackles and played in all 16 regular-season games for the last 12 seasons of his career. During that time Kendricks has broken up 40 passes as a linebacker which is tops in the NFL. Harry Carson is perhaps the most respected defensive player and teammate in the history of the NFL. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. High school: Vocational High School (Chicago), Career highlights: Eight-time Pro Bowl (1965-72), eight-time All-Pro (1965-72), two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year (1969, 1970), NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team, Pro Football Hall of Fame (1983). Great middle linebackers are the captains of the defense. Brian Urlacher, Chicago Bears (2000-12)2005 Defensive Player of the Year Zach Thomas brought a certain attitude to defenses as a middle linebacker, both in college at Texas Tech and in the NFL, that was evident from the moment he stepped on the field. I had the pleasure of meeting him when I was younger before he passed. The most famous member of the No Name Defense, Buoniconti is alleged to be the ringleader of the 1972 Dolphins annual champagne toast when the last undefeated team loses each season.10. In 1986, he had one of the most dominant NFL seasons ever. 2000 Defensive Rookie of the Year He might have been the most intimidating human being to ever step on a football field. Ham, with the size of a free safety, was as quick as any running back or wide receiver in the 10 yards from the line of scrimmage and recorded a gaudy 32 interceptions and 53 takeaways in his career while helping the Steelers win four Super Bowl. The 13-time. Williams was the seventh-best linebacker by Brugler and was not on his Top 100. 2-time first-team All-Pro Its hard to argue with No. The first Hall of Famer to go in as a player primarily for the Saints, Rickey Jackson was the leader of the famed "Doom Patrol" linebacker corps in New Orleans and is one of the toughest players in NFL history. Ray Lewis For starters, Lewis has the most combined tackles in NFL history (2,059). A two-way player who also played center on offense, Bednarik was in the middle of the action on both sides of the ball ask Frank Gifford.9. 2-time first-team All-Pro High school: Vigor High School (Pritchard, Alabama), Career highlights: Seven-time Pro Bowl (1976-82), six-time All-Pro (1976-81), NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year (1981), NFL 1970s All-Decade Team, Pro Football Hall of Fame (2018). "Dr. Doom" terrorized opposing offenses for 10 NFL seasons and was a six-time All-Pro and seven-time Pro Bowl selection. - http://www.nfl.com/photoessays/0ap3000000816217. With that said, here is our list of the Top 10 Tight Ends All-Time. Kuechly made seven Pro Bowls, seven All-Pro teams, and in 2012, he was the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. He's also the greatest defensive player of all time. The 2023 NFL Draft has arrived! The race for the best linebacker in NFL history can be narrowed down to five people: the aforementioned Butkus, Lewis, and Singletary, along with Jack Lambert and Willie Lanier. 12-time Pro Bowler Bill Bergey went from being a star at Arkansas State to a star with the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFL until owner Paul Brown leveraged him for a pair of first-round draft picks and a second-round pick from the Philadelphia Eagles. His 1,018 career tackles are No. Born: Dec. 29, 1936 (Elmwood Park, Illinois), Died: March 8, 1998 (age 61, Venice, Florida), High school: Proviso East High School (Mayfield, Illinois), Career highlights: Two-time Super Bowl champion (1966, 1967), three-time NFL champion (1961, 1962, 1965), Pro Bowl (1964), seven-time All-Pro (1962-67, 1969), NFL 1960s All-Decade Team, Pro Football Hall of Fame (1978). He's a rangy, sideline-to-sideline tackler, and though he lacks size and . Modern football fans might be seeing the name Hardy Nickerson for the first time, but the old heads know him as one of the more dominant linebackers of his era who had the misfortune of playing most of his career with mediocre teams. Super Bowl XL champion Despite a 101-year history, the Cardinals haven't produced a Hall of Famer at linebackerbut they've still had plenty of . 2020 Stats: 69 Solo, 0 Sacks, 0 FF, 3 INT. 5-time Pro Bowler15. Willis' career was cut short due to injuries but his legacy on the field is known. He only played six games in his final season before retiring because of a nagging toe injury. High school: Vale High School (Vale, Oregon), Career highlights: Four-time All-Pro (1967, 1971-73), seven-time Pro Bowl (1966, 1968-73), Pro Football Hall of Fame (2000). NFL Championship Game MVP (1962) Les Richter was an amazing football player and had size and speed that could have landed him on NFL rosters in any era. Welcome to draft season! Fletcher carved out a 16-year NFL career, including a Super Bowl win with the Rams in his second season. The former Miami Hurricane is a member of the NFL's 2000s All-Decade Team and a member of the NFL's 100th Anniversary Team. His production would not slow as he helped from the Steelers Steel Curtain defense and helped lead the Steelers to four Super Bowl Championships. How deep was Nitschke in pop culture during his career? He won an NFL championship for Chicago in 1963. 5 Patrick Willis Patrick L. Willis is a former American football inside linebacker who played his entire eight-year career with the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. High school: Matoaca High School (Chesterfield, Virginia), Teams:New York Jets (1997-2001), Pittsburgh Steelers (2002-11), Career highlights: Two-time Super Bowl champion (2005, 2008), two-time Pro Bowl (2004, 2008), two-time NFL All-Pro (2004, 2008). 6-time Pro Bowler12. Middle linebackers are the quarterbacks of the defense, the nerve center of a stop-unit. High school: Kathleen High School (Lakeland, Florida), Career highlights: Two-time Super Bowl champion (2000, 2012), Super Bowl Most Valuable Player (2000), 13-time Pro Bowl (1997-2001, 2003, 2004, 2006-11), 10-time All-Pro (1997-2001, 2003, 2004, 2008-10), two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year (2000, 2003), NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team, Pro Football Hall of Fame (2018). Sadly, Mecklenburg's post-football life has been defined by his battle with brain injuries sustained playing football, and he's part of several concussion-related lawsuits against the NFL. George racked up 18 career interceptions over his career while helping lead the Bears to the 1963 NFL Championship. This list explores these reasons by looking at the three greatest middle linebackers of all time. Nobis was the first overall pick in the 1966 NFL draft and the first player picked by the expansion Atlanta Falcons. Bennett was convicted of rape in 1997 and sentenced to 60 days in jail, but still allowed to play in the NFL for four more seasons. Who are the best linebackers in San Francisco 49ers history? His production continued in the NFL where he was a two time Pro Bowler and two time Super Bowl Champion with the Miami Dolphins while earning the Dolphins team MVP award in three different seasons.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'fanrankings_com-box-4','ezslot_5',125,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-fanrankings_com-box-4-0'); The Chicago Bears middle linebacker is just one of many great middle linebackers that have played in the NFL and for the team. High school: St. Xavier High School (Cincinnati, Ohio), Career highlights: NFL Defensive Player of the Year (2013), seven-time Pro Bowl (2013-19), seven-time All-Pro (2013-19), NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year (2012), NFL 2010s All-Decade Team. Today, all four men are enshrined in the Pro. They have the ability to rush the passer while also stepping back into coverage and shutting down passing lanes for opposing quarterbacks. He doesn't have overwhelming traits, but he has filled in capably as a . Spikes is one of just seven linebackers in NFL history to register over 200 career starts, and he never had less than 70 tackles in 15 NFL seasons. A notorious freelancer, Seau notched 56.5 sacks, 18 INTs returned for 238 yards, 11 forced fumbles, 18 fumble recoveries and one TD while winning two AFC titles with the 1994 Chargers and 2007 Patriots.8. 55, Seau went on to become a legend in San Diego. Marshall wasn't just a pass coverage linebacker though,. The Arizona Cardinals have declined to pick up linebacker Isaiah Simmons' fifth-year contract option, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. The Chicago Bears and Los Angeles Rams middle linebacker, Bill George is the one single man that is known for creating the middle linebacker position. 1978 Defensive Player of the Year "I'm Samurai Mike, I stop 'em cold," was the start of his "Super Bowl Shuffle" verse. Born: March 28, 1930 (Mingo Junction, Ohio), Died: Nov. 6, 2017 (age 87, Natchez, Mississippi), High school: Mingo High School (Mingo, Ohio), Career highlights: NFL champion (1963), six-time All-Pro (1958, 1963-66), five-time Pro Bowl (1958, 1962-65), NFL 1950s All-Decade Team, PFR 1960s All-Decade Team. Introduction Other than having one of the coolest names in NFL history, Takeo Spikes was also one of the most durable linebackers of all time. Chris Hanburger's path to NFL stardom as an outside linebacker was as unusual as any ever taken. 2-time NFL Championship Game winner George realized this allowed the quarterback to easily drop passes right over his head, so he began to try and read the play and react, dropping into coverage at times when he realized it was a pass play. George was known for his ability to play the defensive line as well as dropping back disrupting the passing lanes of opposing quarterbacks. Lee Roy Jordan, Dallas Cowboys (1963-76) Super Bowl XXXV champion The best high school, college and NFL linebackers are annually presented with the Butkus Award, named in honor of arguably the greatest linebacker possibly the best defensive player to ever put on a helmet. This list explores these reasons by looking at the three greatest middle linebackers of all time. Eight of those he made the All-Pro team and the Pro Bowl, with back-to-back NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards in 1969 and 1970. Something else inside of Lambert, best defined by the toothless, screaming pictures of him during games when he took out his dentures, made him the toughest. George died in a car accident in 1982, at 53 years old. Lambert averaged 146 tackles through his first 10 seasons, but only played a handful of games in his 11th season because of a toe injury that led to his retirement. He was in The Monkees' cult-favorite film "Head" and also in the original "The Longest Yard" starring Burt Reynolds. Born: April 18, 1962 (Titusville, Florida), High school: Astronaut High School (Titusville, Florida), Teams: Chicago Bears (1984-87), Washington Football Team (1988-92), Houston Oilers (1993), Arizona Cardinals (1994), New York Jets (1995), Career highlights: Two-time Super Bowl champion (1986, 1991), three-time Pro Bowl (1986, 1987, 1992), three-time All-Pro (1986, 1991, 1992), NFL Defensive Player of the Year (1992). Few stories rival that of former NFL star Patrick Willis. Standing 6-foot-4 and weighing 240 pounds, Robert Brazile dominated on the field and had one of the greatest nicknames ever. 1-time first-team All-Pro April 30, 2023 at 5:05 p.m. EDT. His NFL career was punctuated by big hits and big wins, including three consecutive Super Bowl wins with the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers in the early 1990s. Take a look at the best photos from the red carpet. The 37 sacks he collected in kelly green puts Joyner atop that list of Eagles' linebackers 1. Mike Singletary was the best of the bunch. If Willis can keep it going and avoid. Super Bowl XXVII champion 2 Time Super Bowl Champion (VII, VIII) American Football League All Time Team 9.) Robertson died in a car accident in 2018, at 69 years old. 12 on the NFL's all-time list. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. Two players of the four players with more tackles, Ray Lewis and Junior Seau, are in the Hall of Fame. For Fortunato, it was Dick Butkus, and for Gradishar, it was Karl Mecklenburg. He also finished his career with 25 interceptions and 24 sacks. In 11 dominant NFL seasons, Dave Wilcox only missed one game due to injury and confounded opposing offenses with his ability to elude blocks at the most basic level. Donnie Edwards was an undersized linebacker who made plays all over the field during a 13-year career in the NFL, first for the Kansas City Chiefs, then for his hometown San Diego Chargers. Here are my top 10 linebackers: 1. His talent has already made him a rich, rich man. Generations of linebackers have played in the NFL and defined the game. All Rights Reserved. The lineage of great Chicago Bears middle linebackers is clear, with 4 players making this list. After being selected during the 1967 NFL draft by the Kansas City Chiefs out of Morgan State, Willie Lanier helped solidify the Kansas City Chiefs defense in route to becoming one of the best middle linebackers to play the position. Fortunato, who was named one of the Bears 100 Greatest Players, did accomplish one thing that Butkus never would. Who are the 3 Greatest Middle Linebackers of All Time? The Arizona Cardinals have declined to pick up linebacker Isaiah Simmons' fifth-year contract option, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Gil Brandt's greatest NFL linebackers of all time Photos Home 100 Greatest Photos Game Galleries Gil Brandt's greatest NFL linebackers of all time NFL.com senior analyst and personnel. Born: Dec. 27, 1959 (Birmingham, Alabama), High school: Barringer High School (Newark, New Jersey), NFL career: 11 seasons (1982-88, 1990-93), Career highlights: NFL Defensive Player of the Year (1985), four-time All-Pro (1985-88), five-time Pro Bowl (1984-88), NFL 1980s All-Decade Team, Pro Football Hall of Fame (2008). In addition, Willis was the 2007 Defensive Rookie of the Year, led the NFL in tackles in two different seasons, was a seven time Pro Bowler and a five time First Team All-Pro. He spent the first five seasons of his career with the New York Jets, and it was long enough ago that the Jets were actually pretty good. Mar 23. The big-play machine from Waco, Texas, was one of the greatest linebackers in Longhorns program history. Richter, who died of a brain aneurysm in 2010, had a lengthy career in motorsports after his football career was over and is a member of both the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the Motorsports Hall of Fame. Sam Huff, New York Giants (1956-63), Washington Redskins (64-69) Not bad for a former third-round draft pick out of Arizona. All other NFL-related trademarks are trademarks of the National Football League. He's not someone who is up for Hall of Fame consideration but his contribution to the game kept defenses afloat on playoff teams for an extended period of time. Bulluck played mainly on special teams his first two seasons with the Titans before a breakout season in 2002. Mills, who died of cancer in 2005, is one of the most beloved players in the history of both the Saints and the Panthers. High school: Woodlawn High School (Birmingham, Alabama), Teams: Arizona Cardinals (2004-09, 2013, 2017), Miami Dolphins (2010-12), Cleveland Browns (2014-15), Cincinnati Bengals (2016). 15) are the only Lombardi players whose numbers were retired.6. The four-year starter for the University of Colorado became a star in the NFL as well, first for the Pittsburgh Steelers, then for the Seattle Seahawks. 5-time first-team All-Pro Lewis was the face of the franchise and the energizer of the defensive dominance. Brazile is often credited for being the first outside linebacker to define how the game was played in a 3-4 defense while rushing the passer, although sacks weren't an official NFL statistic until his last three seasons. Super Bowl XXI champion16. Born: Sept. 29, 1966 (Jacksonville, Illinois), High school: Westchester High School (Los Angeles), Teams: Dallas Cowboys (1988-93) San Francisco 49ers (1994-2000), Career highlights: Three-time Super Bowl champion (1992-94), three-time Pro Bowl (1993, 1995, 1997), two-time All-Pro (1993, 1995). Master Your Draft Strategy With Our Free and Easy-to-Use Mock Draft Simulator. 2009 NFL Butkus Award winner You may have never heard of Joe Schmidt, but he was the single most dominant NFL linebacker through the 1950s and the early part of the 1960s. 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. NFL.com senior analyst and personnel guru Gil Brandt ranks the greatest linebackers in NFL history. Arizona had until May 2 to make a final . Forester was a nondescript linebacker for his first six seasons with the Packers, until Lombardi was hired in 1959 and the SMU product's career took off. Edwards' name jumps off the page when you look at the NFL career leaders list for tackles, where he clocks in at No. Chad Brown was the type of player who could do almost anything on the defensive front. In addition to having the greatest linebacker of All-Time in Ray Lewis, 20 years of Ravens football has seen some incredible linebackers. In all, he was a two-time AFC Defensive Player of the Year and played in five Super Bowls, losing every time to set an NFL record. Many of the games greatest players have been the man in the middle who called the shots in the huddle before turning into tackling machines and splash-playmakers from sideline-to-sideline once the ball was snapped. Mike Singletary was the player at the heart of perhaps the greatest defense of all time the 1985 Chicago Bears, who went 15-1 in the regular season and blew out the New England Patriots, 46-10, in the Super Bowl. That was the first of five consecutive seasons with at least 120 tackles. Once drafted, Buoniconti became one of the teams best defensive players despite his lack of size. 66) and Bart Starr (No. We know this. Al Messerschmidt Archive/Associated Press. The 1990 Pro Football Hall of Famer was so elite throughout his career that he was a member of four of the most prestigious all-time teams in NFL history. East High School Basketball Coach, Tuscaloosa County Jail Inmate Account, Sherborne Cottage Salcombe, Apacs Approval Restricted, Masha Odessa Catacombs Picture, Articles G