John Offerdahl may have had the shortest NFL career on this list, but he made the most of it. 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. There is a reason the award given to the best linebacker in high school, college and the NFL each year is named after Butkus. Merriman still has the potential to be a great player again. Career highlights: Super Bowl champion (1969), three-time Pro Bowl (1970-72), two . Wilson doesnt have the career numbers because his career was so short, but theres no doubt when he was playing he was the most feared player on the field. Super Bowl XX champion. T&Cs apply. In 1984 and 1985, Tippett put up two of the best back-to-back seasons recording 18.5 and 16.5 sacks in them. Ranking Explanation . He took up blockers and threw his body around a lot. His best days were with the Bears and Redskins, but he had an impact everywhere he went. The Steel Curtain was the defensive line of the 1970s American football team Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). 48, Terrell Suggs* (Ravens) (2003-Present) *Three-time Pro Bowler *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Thats an outstanding number. He was selected late in the 12th Round, and nobody expected much out of him. Kirkland had great speed and agility for a big man. 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 . 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. The second member of the Dome Patrol comes off the board at No. The only thing that could match his signature stare was the stellar play of Samurai Mike on the field. 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. Ray Lewis is another one of the three players on the list to win Defensive Player of the Year twice in his career. Ham is the only linebacker other than Tom Jackson to have seven INTs in a single season. 3, Mike Singletary (Bears) (1981-1992) *Ten-time Pro Bowler *Seven-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. In this Article . Boards are the best place to save images and video clips. Thats right, seven. He also played two different positions, playing ILB and OLB for the Vikings in his career. Ham is the only linebacker other than Tom Jackson to have seven INTs in a single season. Woodrow Lowe, Alabama (1972-75) Respected as college football's top linebacker in the early 1970s, Lowe was the first . He also had 20 INTs, three of which he returned for touchdowns. He would give it his all on every single down of every single play. No. He was close to averaging a sack per game, which is an amazing number. The next year, he followed it up with four more interceptions. Wagers only accepted in CO. For full terms and conditions, click here. No. Ray Lewis came into the league and dominated right away. I think hell climb up this list further in the near future. *Ty Anderson, Thomasville: Anderson (6-0, 210) has been an all-state player since he was a sophomore Region 1-2A defensive co . A five-time pro bowler, Wilson was one of the best linebackers in the league during the early 2000s. Robertson was one of the NFLs most athletic linebackers. The transition from college football to the NFL . No. 29, Joey Porter* (Steelers/Dolphins/Cardinals) (1999-Present) *Four-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro *Three-time 2nd Team All-Pro. He was a tackle machine and a very big hitter. He was also the fastest linebacker of the bunch and excelled in pass coverage. He was never the most athletic player on the field, but he was always the hardest working. The NFL is back in L.A. for the first time since 1995, as the Rams return to the Coliseum. No. 15, Zach Thomas (Dolphins/Cowboys) (1996-2008) *Seven-time Pro Bowler *Five-time 1st Team All-Pro *Two-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Next were Defensive end Jack Youngblood and Joe Greene who each had 18 votes. 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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. 4, Derrick Thomas (Chiefs) (1989-1999) *Nine-time Pro Bowler *Two-time 1st Team All-Pro *Three-time 2nd Team All-Pro. It seemed like he knew where the ball was going at all times. The line was the backbone of the Steelers dynasty, which won four Super Bowls (IX, X, XIII, and XIV) in six years.. 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. 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). With rule changes being what they have been, I decided to rank the linebackers that have played since 1970. Even now, you can tell what kind of person he is by his charity work with the REACH Foundation that he started. He was a very solid 3-4 ILB playing on one of the best LB Cores of all-time, the Dome Patrol. Already in his career, Ware has forced 23 fumbles. Thomas' remarkable personality was also recognized by being awarded the Walter Peyton Man of the Year Award in 1993. He totaled 28 INTs in his career while he also racked up 1,045 tackles. Since Donnie Shell finally cracked the Hall of Fame, I would say the . Jack Ham might be the best coverage linebacker of all-time. No. Jackson had 40 forced fumbles, just one short of the NFL record. 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. Well have to see how he does, but he could either climb up or fall off this list based on his performance in 2010. Lambert is said by many to be the best inside linebacker of all-time. In 2008, Suggs even had two INTs, both of which he returned for touchdowns. But we would be remiss to not acknowledge some of the top performers from that earlier era. No. 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. Im only going to be looking at players drafted in 1970 or later. Lost Super Bowl 13-16 vs. Baltimore Colts. His high sack number was 15 in 2001, a year that he didnt even get voted into the Pro Bowl. Lance Briggs may be overshadowed by Brian Urlacher, but dont forget how great of a player Briggs has been for the Bears. In 1976, Jackson had seven INTs. He is not only the greatest linebacker in NFL history, hes one of the games greatest players period. 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. No. From his time at USC, Lott . The leader of the Dome Patrol comes in at No. He did anything the Bears asked of him, especially stuffing the run. Over the course of his two-year Ohio State career, Lee accumulated 147 tackles. No. 7, Rickey Jackson (Saints/49ers) (1981-1995) *Six-time Pro Bowler *Five-time 2nd Team All-Pro. He was always good enough for Pro Bowls, but was never an All-Pro Player. 19, Harry Carson (Giants) (1976-1988) *Nine-time Pro Bowler *Three-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Who knows how many he wouldve had if he played in the entire 16? The Pittsburgh Steelers are second with all-time players in four decades. Jack Lambert played middle linebacker. Chuck Drazenovich. Any coach would be lucky to have a player like Karl Mecklenburg on their roster. Lofa Tatupu didnt take any time breaking into the NFL, making the Pro Bowl in his first three seasons. He would always be found around the ball, and around the play. The 1970s had many great moments by individual players such as the NFL's first 2,000-yard season by O.J. 12 sacks and three picks. The Minnesota Vikings did an outstanding job of drafting linebackers in 1974. A true enforcer in every sense of the word, Lewis intensity was unmatched by any player of his era. His 32 career INTs lead the way for linebackers. Over his nine-year career, he had 2,049 tackles, although this number is solo and assisted because he played before solo tackles were an official stat. 9. Its too bad Fredd Youngs career had to end prematurely due to injuries. He would always be found around the ball, and around the play. Randy Gradishar Joins The Speer Wealth Team. Here is my ranking of the top 10 Giants linebackers, along with some honorable mentions. Lloyd will always be remembered as the lightning quick pass rusher from the Blitzburgh days. Briggs has made five straight Pro Bowls for the Bears, and that streak still continues. Thomas never had less than seven sacks in a season in his entire career, and only had less than eight sacks in one season. He had 1,301 tackles and 25 forced fumbles in his career. 10. He had ten seasons with 10+ sacks. Hes also great against the run and is a turnover forcing monster. 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+. Visit Our Patreon Page to Create Your Own All-Time Fantasy Teams and See Other Bonus Material . Lambert wasnt just great on the inside, he was an outstanding coverage linebacker. 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. Lamberts best season was in 1976, where he won the Defensive Player of the Year award. No. As part of the Steelers Blitzburgh defense in the 90s, Greg Lloyd was a speedy, undersized pass rusher.Sometimes, he would use his size to his advantage to disguise where he was coming from. Derrick Brooks may be the most accomplished linebacker on this list. Regardless, he definitely deserves the respect for what he accomplished on the field. Thats the type of player you want on your team, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Bergey became one of the NFL's best linebackers in Philly, where he made five consecutive All-Pro teams and was the foundation for the "Gang Green" defense that made the playoffs in each of his last three seasons, including a trip to the Super Bowl in 1980. . The 'Skins historically have had some solid inside linebackers capable of both stopping the run and being reliable in coverage. He did it once in 1985 and again in 1988. 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. Leslie ONeal was a sack machine in his career. 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. For most other franchises, a resume like this would make Jack Ham the greatest linebacker in thier history by a wide margin. Outside linebacker Joey Porter came to Pittsburgh in 1999. 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 . 46, Jon Beason* (Panthers) (2007-Present) *One-time Pro Bowler *One-time 1st Team All-Pro *One-time 2nd Team All-Pro. Theres not much Brooks doesnt have. Peterson is another versatile linebacker who has played both inside and outside linebacker. 9. 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