Greatest NFL Linebackers Of All Time

Betterthanmost said:

Dont’a Hightower for me. His game to game tape may not show all the flashy highlights reels the best have but when game was on the line Dont’a has made some of the most consequential plays. The Lynch tackle near goal line, the strip sack of Matt Ryan. What impresses me is the fact that if you watch the site and sounds of game, he talks about making such plays before the play. His motivational speeches and at times flat out warnings to his teams on bench not to mess up prior to making such plays are fantastic.

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Yep. Always came up with the biggest play at the right time.

Ian said:

Came across this, and Nick Buoniconti got the call for the Patriots:

The greatest all-time linebacker in for every NFL franchise

Yardbarker's best-of NFL positional series continues with linebackers. This does not cover pure pass-rushing threats -- we will get to them -- but rather true off-ball defenders who thrived as traditional inside and outside 'backers.

www.yardbarker.com

"All due respect to Bill Belichick pieces Tedy Bruschi, Mike Vrabel and Dont'a Hightower, Buoniconti is in the Hall of Fame after doing his best work as a Patriot. Perhaps better remembered for his stay on Don Shula's legendary Dolphins teams and for his "Inside the NFL" contributions, Buoniconti started his career with the Patriots and earned four of his five first-team All-Pro honors with the franchise. Known then as the Boston Patriots, the AFL club received superb Buoniconti work; 24 of his 32 career INTs came as a Patriot. The middle 'backer is also retroactively credited with 18 sacks with the franchise. The Pats traded him to the Dolphins in 1969."

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The article states that its list "does not cover pure pass-rushing threats, but rather true off-ball defenders who thrived as traditional inside and outside 'backers". With that in mind I would have to eliminate guys that were more OLB (Mike Vrabel) or edge players (Andre Tippett) for this list, giving Tippett the nod in that category.

So any Patriots being given consideration have to start with Nick Buoniconti. But given that this is a team-by-team list, that also means that we cannot take into account everything he accomplished in Miami.

Buoniconti was named to five consecutive All-AFL teams while with the Pats. But he also greatly benefitted from the league's best front four: Bob Dee, Jim Lee Hunt, Houston Antwine and Larry Eisenhauer. I'm not trying to disrespect Nick, but that is a reality. Those four in front of him helped a whole lot.


Clayton Weishuhn was a beast of a tackling machine, and would have been another all-time great if not for his injuries.

Vincent "The Undertaker" Brown is very underrated due to having played so long ago, and on some not-so-good teams. But from 1991 to 1995 he averaged 122 tackles per season, including what is probably a team single season record of 158 in 1993. Bill Parcells convinced him to return early from knee surgery 'for the good of the team' and it ruined him, his career over after only eight seasons - otherwise he would be far more well known.

Steve Nelson was an excellent all-around player, another tackling machine. Nellie was a team leader and clutch performer.

There's nothing I can say here that hasn't already been said about Tedy Brushi, "the perfect player" as Bill Belichick put it.

And has been mentioned previously, there is no 28-3 without Dont'a Hightower.

It's a very close call with no wrong answers, but my vote goes to Steve Nelson. This is an individual award, so the fact that he played in the 70s-80s rather than during the dynasty years should not be held against him.

Not many guys that I have more love for than 2014-15 era Jamie Collins.

Joey007 said:

Not many guys that I have more love for than 2014-15 era Jamie Collins.

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That 2015 AFCCG was rough for him allowing 14 points to Owen Daniels early on. Collins was a playmaker blitzing the gaps for sacks, blocked kicks and INT's, but he was awful in man coverage and would get caught daydreaming in zone. The defense had no business allowing more than 10 that day.

aluminum seats said:

Andre Tippett.

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I met him, Bob and Jonathan Kraft at the AZ Patsfan club pre Super Bowl in Phoenix, AZ. It was the undefeated season and I was wearing a white road old skool Tippet jersey that I bought on clearances at the local mall. I had heard the Krafts might show, they normally mingle with with the fans at all Super Bowls, but I didnt know that Tippet would be there too. Tippet had just been approved for the NFL HOF and was rolling with the Krafts in their limo.

Tippet signed my jersey. NEM was there too. He wanted to get Bob Krafts attention to air his concerns about the offense. Turns out that NEM was right.

Wozzy said:

Vincent Brown’s career ended abruptly but he was as good a MLB as there was in the late 80’s early 90’s. He was unlucky to be on the league doormat so that hurt his all star chances.

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I met the Undertaker on a high school jogging track in Duluth, GA.

I used to run there every other night after work and this evening V Brown showed up. It was obvious that he was an athlete so I struck up a conversation. I didnt know it was him until I asked who he played for. When he told me his name, I responded yup I know who you are number 59.

Steve102 said:

I would like to have seen what guys like Tippet and Nelson could’ve done in a Belichick coached team.

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When BB had the Pats 3 - 4 cooking there were very few teams that could get over on them.

NormZauchin said:

Liked Buoniconti because he was sort of a hometown boy, born and raised in Springfield, MA.

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The Pats selected him in the 13th round out of Notre Dame.

In the NFL HOF. Only 5' - 11"

Triumph said:

The Pats selected him in the 13th round out of Notre Dame.

In the NFL HOF. Only 5' - 11"

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His parents owned a bakery in the south end of Springfield. Helped him to bulk up.

Triumph said:

I met him, Bob and Jonathan Kraft at the AZ Patsfan club pre Super Bowl in Phoenix, AZ. It was the undefeated season and I was wearing a white road old skool Tippet jersey that I bought on clearances at the local mall. I had heard the Krafts might show, they normally mingle with with the fans at all Super Bowls, but I didnt know that Tippet would be there too. Tippet had just been approved for the NFL HOF and was rolling with the Krafts in their limo.

Tippet signed my jersey. NEM was there too. He wanted to get Bob Krafts attention to air his concerns about the offense. Turns out that NEM was right.

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That’s awesome

TheRainMaker said:

That 2015 AFCCG was rough for him allowing 14 points to Owen Daniels early on. Collins was a playmaker blitzing the gaps for sacks, blocked kicks and INT's, but he was awful in man coverage and would get caught daydreaming in zone. The defense had no business allowing more than 10 that day.

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Never forget he had the mysterious “Foxboro flu” to end that season. Missed about 4 games without much explanation.