10 Greatest linebackers of all time

[ZenBear34]

The greatest myth about. Lawrence Taylor is that he was some pass rushing demon from hell. Taylor took advantage of an era where linebackers were still being single blocked by backs and TEs. So Taylor took advantage of beating under sized players rather than having to constantly beat the left tackle.

yeah that is totally not true. he beat tackles, guards, tight ends and backs and many combinations of tackles, guards, tight ends and backs. just go watch a highlight vid on youtube. he beats tackles over and over and over again with speed and his bull rush.

also back then tight ends were better blockers as they were more often then not 6th lineman and not the receiving weapon they have evolved into.

 

[ChettheJet]

The main fault I find with the rankings is the 4-3 and the 3-4 being lumped together. You can just about put middle and outside of a 4-3 on the list but you notice there are no middles from a 3-4 on the list nor mentioned.


Somebody brought up Chris Hanburger as one missed choice, he intercepted plenty of passes. I'll say Ted Hendricks compares all around to Lawrence Taylor. How many passes did Taylor intercept? Not that many because he in passing situations with a 3-4 defense he rushed because they only had 3 lineman. He didn't drop into coverage, he may have changed sides of the field to disguise where he was coming from. Hendricks had a lot of interceptions and fumble recoveries, blocked kicks, long snapped.

 

[The Hawk]

1. Butkus ----- May have been also the best football player of all time

2. Bill George -- Invented the linebacker position in football

3. L. T. --- Amazing speed both in and outside his body

4. Jack Lambert --- Fearless and as good a fundamental line-backer as there ever was.

5. The Mad Stork --- couldn't be blocked. No better pass defender and chaos maker ever.

6. Ray Nitchke (sp?) --- No two better linebackers ever took the same field together than when he and Butkus did it.

7. Leroy Selmon ---- Speed, power, smarts.

8. Brian Urlacher --- Fastest linebacker ever. Great technique. IF he was stronger, he might have been in top three.

9. Mike Singletary --- Amazing against the run. Almost imporssible to knock off of his feet. Noone played harder.

10. Jack Youngblood. Never took a play off. Team fed off of his energy

 

[malcore]

Jack Youngblood was a defensive end.

 

[Omeletpants]

1. Butkus ----- May have been also the best football player of all time

2. Bill George -- Invented the linebacker position in football

3. L. T. --- Amazing speed both in and outside his body

4. Jack Lambert --- Fearless and as good a fundamental line-backer as there ever was.

5. The Mad Stork --- couldn't be blocked. No better pass defender and chaos maker ever.

6. Ray Nitchke (sp?) --- No two better linebackers ever took the same field together than when he and Butkus did it.

7. Leroy Selmon ---- Speed, power, smarts.

8. Brian Urlacher --- Fastest linebacker ever. Great technique. IF he was stronger, he might have been in top three.

9. Mike Singletary --- Amazing against the run. Almost imporssible to knock off of his feet. Noone played harder.

10. Jack Youngblood. Never took a play off. Team fed off of his energy

Leroy Selmon wasnt a LB LOLOLOLOLO

 

[malcore]

Lee Roy*

 

[Escobar's Army]

The greatest myth about. Lawrence Taylor is that he was some pass rushing demon from hell. Taylor took advantage of an era where linebackers were still being single blocked by backs and TEs. So Taylor took advantage of beating under sized players rather than having to constantly beat the left tackle.

You must have smoked as much crack as LT. Do yourself a favor and watch some tape of him, he consistently best double teams and dominated when teams game planned to stop him. He is not only a top 3 LB, but a top 5 player of all time.

 

[Escobar's Army]

If you rush the QB every play then you are a DE not a LB.

Line Backers back the line by definition. If they are the line then how can they back the line? answer that one, nitwits

For a guy who "never dropped into coverage" he still ended up with 9 career picks, so strange. He was such a dominate pass rusher that he was asked to do that most of the time, and for good reason, sacking the QB has a much bigger impact than dropping into coverage. That being said LT could have been the best coverage LB ever as well if was asked to do that. He was the most physically gifted D player I have ever seen play. I personally hate to admit it, but Ray Lewis was better than Lach, both are great, top 10 for sure, but Lewis was brought just a little bit more. I just cried typing that as I love Lach.

Based on being an all around player, Butkus is tough to beat.

 

[The Hawk]

Jack Youngblood was a defensive end.

Whatever you call him, he played a lot of what is called linebacker today. So did Selmon. So did Bill George who pretty much invented the position. People forget about how great Bill George was but he dominated on the field like Butkus did a few years later.

 

[The Hawk]

No he didn't. Urlacher was simply an evolution of guys like Butkus, Lanier, Nobis Lambert, etc.

I think that Urlacher was a real hybrid that was different from the other guys. No one in the history of the NFL could cover receivers like he could. He was basically a huge safety out there. He was not a great hitter compared to the other great lbs. He was also very smart in diagnosing where the offense was going to run the play as was Butkus and others.

 

[The Hawk]

Going back beyond 30 years, I can't say who was better than who because I wasn't around to witness their careers, but I'm also in the group the prefers Urlacher to Singletary as an overall player, even if his resume isn't as impressive on paper. In his athletic prime, his speed and range were incredible, and I've still never seen an athlete at the MLB position who could attack the run sideline to sideline to that level and still cover deep center field like a third safety in the Tampa 2 scheme. Special player.

The thing is that later players get higher ratings than the older guys because the memory fades about them and there is not nearly as much vintage film surrounding them. And when I hear stuff like....."well, if Butkus or Nitchke would have been carried off the field in a body bag if they played today" it makes me laugh because it absolutely discounts the greatness of those guys. Football back in those days was much more violent and less specialized. ANd when you take it further back down the road when many players played on both sides of the ball, I wonder how many of this days "specialists" could have survived back then? How many of the speedsters nowadays could have survived one or two seasons of dog piles, cheap shots,etc. A Doug Adkins or Big Daddy Lipscomb or Night Train Lane or Bill George or Chuck Bednarek lining up against them?

 

[Omeletpants]

Whatever you call him, he played a lot of what is called linebacker today. So did Selmon. So did Bill George who pretty much invented the position. People forget about how great Bill George was but he dominated on the field like Butkus did a few years later.

No they didn't play LB. Selmon had a brother on the team that was a LB. LOLOLOLOLO

 

[Omeletpants]

For a guy who "never dropped into coverage" he still ended up with 9 career picks, so strange.

He played 13 years. The first 2 years when he was a true LB he had 2 INTs. So he had 7 INTs in his last 11 years. I dont think that is much and many of those were on batted balls and messed up screen plays, not dropping back

 

[The Hawk]

No they didn't play LB. Selmon had a brother on the team that was a LB. LOLOLOLOLO

Selmon was listed as a DE but they moved him all around the field like a linebacker so stick you LOL bullshit up your butt. The Rams did the same thing with YOungblood. Bill George came into the NFL as a defensive lineman until Halas moved him off of the line of scrimmage and put him in the middle of the field. Smart people can comprehend how the game evolved over the years. Then there is you.

 

[cobra302]

I think that Urlacher was a real hybrid that was different from the other guys. No one in the history of the NFL could cover receivers like he could. He was basically a huge safety out there. He was not a great hitter compared to the other great lbs. He was also very smart in diagnosing where the offense was going to run the play as was Butkus and others.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Urlacher play safety to some extent in college? That could've had a lot to do with his ability to cover receivers.

 

[Omeletpants]

Selmon was listed as a DE but they moved him all around the field like a linebacker so stick you LOL bullshit up your butt. The Rams did the same thing with YOungblood. Bill George came into the NFL as a defensive lineman until Halas moved him off of the line of scrimmage and put him in the middle of the field. Smart people can comprehend how the game evolved over the years. Then there is you.

Nitiwt, get your facts straight:

-Selmon had a brother on the team named Dewey that played LB

-The Rams had another player on the team in the early 70s that was a LB with the same last name. Here is the reference:

Jimmy Lee Youngblood is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League for the Los Angeles Rams and Washington Redskins. He played college football at Tennessee Tech and was drafted in the second round of the 1973 NFL Draft.

So, just stop talking about shit you know nothing

 

[cobra302]

The thing is that later players get higher ratings than the older guys because the memory fades about them and there is not nearly as much vintage film surrounding them. And when I hear stuff like....."well, if Butkus or Nitchke would have been carried off the field in a body bag if they played today" it makes me laugh because it absolutely discounts the greatness of those guys. Football back in those days was much more violent and less specialized. ANd when you take it further back down the road when many players played on both sides of the ball, I wonder how many of this days "specialists" could have survived back then? How many of the speedsters nowadays could have survived one or two seasons of dog piles, cheap shots,etc. A Doug Adkins or Big Daddy Lipscomb or Night Train Lane or Bill George or Chuck Bednarek lining up against them?

I think it's just the opposite--a lot of players in today's NFL would've been carried off the field in a body bag back when guys like Butkus played. Remember, a lot of things were legal back then (clothesline, leading with the helmet, crackback blocks, etc) that are lillegal & probably get you thrown out of a game today. Fined for sure. How many guys in todays game could survive getting their knees chopped out from under them play after play? Much more violent game back then.

 

[Omeletpants]

I think it's just the opposite--a lot of players in today's NFL would've been carried off the field in a body bag back when guys like Butkus played. Remember, a lot of things were legal back then (clothesline, leading with the helmet, crackback blocks, etc) that are lillegal & probably get you thrown out of a game today. Fined for sure. How many guys in todays game could survive getting their knees chopped out from under them play after play? Much more violent game back then.

Yes, I was in 8th grade and a flag football game broke out at my cousin's house. My sister was running with the ball and I gave her a cross body block that wiped her out

Lots of crying and some blood but my side did win