He wasnt very vocal, but his play did all the talking for him. It may be a bit early to put Jon Beason on this list, but I think his play warrants the selection. He did anything the Bears asked of him, especially stuffing the run. Top 13 Indiana High School Players of all Time, The 6 greatest Indiana Highschool pure Shooters, The 8 greatest IHSAA Championship Games in History. The next year, he followed it up with four more interceptions. Robert Brazile. 1. 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. Ham had outstanding . No. That Steelers linebacking core could easily be the best of all-time, and it was led by Jack Lambert and Jack Ham. He already has 57.5 sacks in his short career, along with 16 forced fumbles. Bulluck was an outstanding tackler, and was great at run support too. Patrick Willis is everything you look for in a linebacker. In 1976, Jackson had seven INTs. He was 73. He was a hard worker, good tackler, and had great hands. NFLs Merchants of Menace Cornelius Bennett and Bruce Smith. Linebacker U Penn State Tradition Jack Ham as a Steeler. 21, Patrick Willis* (49ers) (2006-Present) *Three-time Pro Bowler *Two-time 1st team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Regardless, he definitely deserves the respect for what he accomplished on the field. A five-time pro bowler, Wilson was one of the best linebackers in the league during the early 2000s. In that game, the Steelers defense held the Cowboys to just 15 first downs and Emmitt Smith and the Cowboys powerful running attack to just 56 yards, despite losing 27-17 in large part due to two key interceptions thrown by Steelers quarterback Neil ODonnell. Thomas was the best linebacker of the 1990s, and one of the best pass rushers of all-time. Still, its an amazing number. 10 Tom Jackson. 43, Keith Brooking* (Falcons/Cowboys) (1998-Present) *Five-time Pro Bowler *Two-time 2nd Team All-Pro. The 'Skins historically have had some solid inside linebackers capable of both stopping the run and being reliable in coverage. Jackson had 40 forced fumbles, just one short of the NFL record. He was a dominating force in the NFL during that stretch of time. Cornelius Bennett was just a great all-around player. No. He was very solid in coverage, good against the run, and had no real weaknesses. No. Known as quite possibly the most sound tackler in school history, Ham was an extremely fundamental linebacker who was the captain of the 1970 Penn State defense. NFL Defensive Rookie of the . Even now, you can tell what kind of person he is by his charity work with the REACH Foundation that he started. Bryan Cox was an all-around package at linebacker. 10. credit : - yahoo. Selected by the Baltimore Colts in the 2nd round . I have combined outside and inside linebackers on the list and factored in the players ability to stop the run, drop into coverage and leadership. Undersized height wise, but an overabundance of heart made him more than a handful to deal with. Briggs has made five straight Pro Bowls for the Bears, and that streak still continues. Keith Bulluck WAS the Titans defense, and has been every year hes been there. He could play zone and man. Hes also great against the run and is a turnover forcing monster. A shot of Jameson for Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey. When you see a list of greatest linebackers, Isiah Robertson very rarely even gets brought into the discussion. Randy Gradishar played along with Tom Jackson in the Denver Broncos Orange Crush defense. 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 even made the Pro Bowl in a year that he only started eight games and also a year in which he only started nine games. A two-time All-American and a three-year starter for the Vols, Kiner . L.T. He could do it all. He had five INTs in a season twice in his career. 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. Jackson was not just a coverage linebacker, he was also a good pass rusher and a very hard worker off the field. He was selected late in the 12th Round, and nobody expected much out of him. Lance Briggs may be overshadowed by Brian Urlacher, but dont forget how great of a player Briggs has been for the Bears. Keith Brooking has been one of the most consistent linebackers of all-time. 25. Thomas is also third all-time in safeties and fumble returns for touchdowns. No. Lofa Tatupu* (Seahawks) : Three-time Pro Bowler, one-time 1st Team All-Pro. 28b, Sam Mills (Saints/Panthers) (1986-1997) *Five-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro *Two-time 2nd Team All-Pro. . Eleven Pro Bowls. He had over 1,000 tackles, over 70 sacks, and over 30 forced fumbles in his career. Tribute to Elvis Career highlights: Super Bowl champion (1969), three-time Pro Bowl (1970-72), two . And here are the 25 greatest linebackers in NFL history: 25. No. Super Bowl winner. Thats over 10 sacks per season, which is outstanding. Rickey Jackson could do it all. Paup was a complete linebacker, who was especially great at rushing the passer. 13, Greg Lloyd (Steelers/Panthers) (1988-1998) *Five-time Pro Bowler *Two-time 1st Team All-Pro. Lambert wasnt just great on the inside, he was an outstanding coverage linebacker. Ware is not just an outstanding pass rusher though. In only five seasons, Wares already totaled up 64.5 sacks, including 20 in 2008. Over his career, he totaled 1,271 tackles, 12 INTs, and 19 forced fumbles. 21. If you havnt guessed it by now, Lawrence LT Taylor is my top linebacker of the modern era. 10. 1970s A 1-13 record in 1969 gave the Steelers the first overall choice in the 1970 draft, with which Noll addressed the offense by selecting quarterback Terry Bradshaw, another Hall of Famer, after the Steelers won the first selection by winning a coin toss with the Chicago Bears. In the first round, the team tabbed Fred McNeill of USC, who became a fixture at the outside linebacker spot for many . 1. Ray Lewis is the top MLB of the modern era and is easily the linebacker of the 2000s. 25, Karl Mecklenburg (Broncos) (1983-1994) *Six-time Pro Bowler *Three-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro Karl "The Albino Rhino" Mecklenburg was the definition of a blue collar player. 9, Derrick Brooks (Bucs) (1995-2008) *Eleven-time Pro Bowler *Five-time 1st Team All-Pro *Four-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Ray Lewis is the highest-ranked active player on this list, and the top middle linebacker on it. Let me start out by saying that yes, I know that he was only a linebacker for half his career and DE the other half. 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 . 10. Beason may be the most controversial player on this list. Blair was outstanding in coverage, along with being a great tackler. He has done it all for the Bears with his pass coverage, run support, and blitzing. His best season was his first year with the Bills where he had 17.5 sacks, 70 tackles, two INTs, and three forced fumbles. Won Conference Championship 17-10 vs. San Francisco 49ers. The defense was ranked right up there along with the 1985 Bears, and Steelers teams of the 1970s. He wasnt great at one aspect but was equally as good at everything he did. Since Donnie Shell finally cracked the Hall of Fame, I would say the . Lloyd will always be remembered as the lightning quick pass rusher from the Blitzburgh days. In this Article . Julian Peterson has had a very well-rounded NFL career to this point, and its still going on. Love him or hate him, Lewis has earned the title of greatest middle linebacker of all time. Jason Gildon (Steelers/Jaguars): - Three-time Pro Bowler, one-time 1st Team All-Pro. 12 sacks and three picks. Also note that an asterisk (*) by the players name means they are still active today. Mike Singletary is one of three players on this list to win Defensive Player of the Year twice in his career. He is still active, and is a starter, but he might be on his way out of San Diego. Its too bad Fredd Youngs career had to end prematurely due to injuries. Nickerson wasnt just a one hit wonder though. For most other franchises, a resume like this would make Jack Ham the greatest linebacker in thier history by a wide margin. This site is using Cloudflare and adheres to the Google Safe Browsing Program. He made five straight Pro Bowls, but the reason he doesnt rank higher on this list is because he was never a feared player like his teammate Michael Strahan was, and his stats just arent good enough. [3] Super Bowl XX champion. His swinging the axe celebration sums up his style of play and tenacity on the field. Derrick Thomas was on pace to absolutely shatter NFL records before his tragic death in 2000. [1][2] The squad consists of first- and second-team offensive, defensive, and special teams units, as well as a first- and second-team head coaches. The second member of the Dome Patrol comes off the board at No. 7. No. Hes had 92 sacks and 23 forced fumbles so far in his career. Williams was the heart and soul of two Super Bowl defenses. John Offerdahl may have had the shortest NFL career on this list, but he made the most of it. He had eight seasons with 10+ sacks. 48, Terrell Suggs* (Ravens) (2003-Present) *Three-time Pro Bowler *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Taylor changed the way football is played today. The leader of the Dome Patrol comes in at No. Jackson had 40 forced fumbles, just one short of the NFL record. That is just unheard of. Mike Singletary is one of three players on this list to win Defensive Player of the Year twice in his career. 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. Ray Lewis came into the league and dominated right away. When Indiana travels to San Antonio, it will MLB Rule Changes | Can F1 Compete With NASCAR | Froggy Talkin Sports #MLB #indianahoosiers #nascar, Indiana Basketball Postgame W/Steve Risley: Indiana vs Iowa Recap and more, Must be 21+. Offensive Coordinator: Jim Myers. Chris Spielman was a tackle machine during his 10 years in the NFL. Wagers only accepted in CO. For full terms and conditions, click here. Rickey Jackson was one of the fastest linebackers in the game, but he was also one of the hardest hitters. Theres not much Brooks doesnt have. Jackson was the vocal leader of that defense. Lamberts best season was in 1976, where he won the Defensive Player of the Year award. 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. He was always around the ball. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNzd9Xd0who, No. 35, Lance Briggs* (Bears) (2003-Present) *Five-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. 46, Jon Beason* (Panthers) (2007-Present) *One-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Robert "Dr. Doom" Brazile is another one of those underrated linebackers. He may be one of the most hated players, but man can he play football. 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 had 885 career solo tackles, which is impressive on a defense filled with swarming the ball, shown by his 1,488 career tackles. Brian Urlacher is one of the greatest linebackers of this decade. Ham is the only linebacker other than Tom Jackson to have seven INTs in a single season. Spielman was a great leader and intense player who always gave everything he had. Suggs will only continue to climb this list the longer he plays, since hes in the middle of his prime right now. Ham had arguably the most successful NFL career out of any of the names on this list as he was a star for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Hes going into his first healthy season again in three years. 2-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year (1985, '88) Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 1989. No. Bryce Paup was an outstanding pass rusher in the 1990s. He took up blockers and threw his body around a lot. No. Lewis stats at this point of his career are 1,349 tackles, 36.5 sacks, and 28 INTs. No. Please play responsibly. Many of you will say that Keith Bulluck is way too high. Quinto was a regular at both inside and outside linebacker for head coach Ron Gladnick's Saints. His high sack number was 15 in 2001, a year that he didnt even get voted into the Pro Bowl. This list isnt based solely on performances from the 2020 NFL season. Discuss this article along with many other quality articles, discussions, and much more at: http://forums.sportsjabber.net/sjforums/showthread.php?t=54444. Over the past decade, virtually every stage of the offensive evolution has increased stress on linebackers, putting them in a bind and asking them to account for multiple things on the same play. 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. Thomas was one of the most instinctive linebackers of all-time. He finished his career with 132.5 sacks. Call 1-800-522-4700. 34, Julian Peterson* (49ers/Seahawks/Lions) (2000-Present) *Five-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. T&Cs apply. 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 . 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, The Top 10 Seattle Mariners of all Time, 19 undeniable Lies in Disney's Remember the Titans, If you enjoy hearing from the legends of pro sports, then be sure to tune into The Grueling Truth sports shows, Where the legends speak. 7, Rickey Jackson (Saints/49ers) (1981-1995) *Six-time Pro Bowler *Five-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Mills racked up 1,142 tackles in his career. 10. Thats fine, he played enough linebacker to be considered this high. Sacks and tackles werent recorded until late in his career, but he was a great pass rusher and all-around linebacker. Named to NFL's All-Decade Team for 1970s and 1980s. The 2008 season was his best sack season with 17.5. Jeremiah The Axeman Trotter has been a very recognizable name over the past decade. Eddie Johnson. Top 25 SEC LBs of all-time: 10-6. HELLO, PANDORA. He racked up a staggering 1,181 tackles, and 1,131 of them in his first nine seasons. In his three years at Clemson (1995-'97) Simmons recorded 486 tackles, only 29 off the school record Bubba Brown recorded in four years from 1976-'79. 15, Zach Thomas (Dolphins/Cowboys) (1996-2008) *Seven-time Pro Bowler *Five-time 1st Team All-Pro *Two-time 2nd Team All-Pro.