Biggest Hitters of All Time on Every NFL Team

These football players did more than tackle. They brought the pain. Every play.

Football isn’t a contact sport. It’s a collision sport. That has been the case since the NFL was established in 1920, and that’s still the case now. Rule changes in recent years have attempted to decrease the ruthlessness and brutality of the game, but one opponent trying to bring another to the ground will always be violent.

Of course, some defenders have been a little better than others at putting a ball carrier on the ground. They even specialized in laying out their opponents. This act was once glorified by the league and its fans, but as the game has evolved, players like these have almost become outlawed. That’s why this list of hardest hitters contains just two active players and only six who played in the 2010s.

If you’re a fan of old-school football, where there was no regard for player safety, then you might want to watch YouTube highlights of these players back in the day. These are the hardest hitters from every NFL team. Ever.

Arizona Cardinals: Night Train Lane, Cornerback

Beware of the “Night Train.” AP Photo

Career: 14 years (1952-65)

Other teams: Los Angeles Rams (1952-53), Detroit Lions (1960-65)

Career stats: 4 FF, 11 FR, 68 INT, 7 TD

Super Bowl titles: 0

Bottom line: It says a lot about Night Train Lane that he is the only full-time cornerback to make this list of the hardest hitters.

Apart from picking off opposing quarterbacks left and right, Lane was known as a ferocious tackler who used the league’s rules at the time to his advantage. He had a habit of tackling his opponents at the head and neck area, which was legal back then.

Lane once infamously said that there’s never been a good tackle in the history of the NFL “below the eyebrows.” Opponents would agree that being hit by Lane was just like being hit by a night train.

Atlanta Falcons: Keith Brooking, Linebacker

Incoming. John Amis / AP Photo

Career: 15 years (1998-2012)

Other teams: Dallas Cowboys (2009-11), Denver Broncos (2012)

Career stats: 1,435 TKL, 22.0 SACK, 13 INT, 0 TD

Super Bowl titles: 0

Bottom line: A native of Atlanta who also went to Georgia Tech, Keith Brooking was ATL through and through, and he was a tackling machine between the white lines. Brooking had every bit of the intensity of Ray Lewis or Junior Seau but didn’t have the same acclaim.

His pregame huddle speeches were legendary as he often psyched up his teammates by saying, “We’re gonna keep hitting ’em. And when they’re barely hanging on. … We’re gonna hit ’em in the mouth! We’re gonna bloody their nose! We’re gonna knock ’em to the ground!”

Baltimore Ravens: Ray Lewis, Middle Linebacker

No mercy. Jeff Roberson / AP Photo

Career: 17 years (1996-2012)

Career stats: 2,055 TKL, 41.5 SACK, 31 INT, 3 TD

Super Bowl titles: 2 (2000, 2012)

Bottom line: There was little thought needed for the selection of the Ravens’ most feared hitter because Ray Lewis is in the discussion for the most feared hitter of all time. He was considered undersized for his era, but he definitely wasn’t under-athletic as he used his sideline-to-sideline speed to chase down backs and receivers.

One of his most memorable hits came against poor Darren Sproles on a fourth-down play in the fourth quarter when the Chargers were driving for the game-winning score. Lewis anticipated the play and burst through the offensive line to meet Sproles at nearly the same time he received the handoff.

Game over.

Buffalo Bills: Bruce Smith, Defensive End

Bruce Almighty. Bill Kostroun / AP Photo

Career: 19 years (1985-2003)

Other teams: Washington Redskins (2000-03)

Career stats: 1,224 TKL, 200.0 SACK, 2 INT, 1 TD

Super Bowl titles: 0

Bottom line: Two hundred times quarterbacks were on the receiving ends of Bruce Smith’s hits on pass plays, and he remains the NFL’s sack king.

Smith stood 6 feet, 4 inches but had uncanny balance and was able to bend and contort his body coming off the edge to crush opposing quarterbacks. The fact that he amassed 200 sacks is one thing, but the fact that he did it while playing in a 3-4 alignment is even more amazing as that front isn’t conducive to racking up sacks.

But Smith was more than just “The Sack Man” even though that was his college nickname. He was equally ruthless to running backs. He racked up nearly 1,100 tackles in his career, and running backs will attest that he wasn’t any easier on them than on quarterbacks.

Carolina Panthers: Luke Kuechly, Middle Linebacker

You’re not going anywhere. Phelan M. Ebenhack / AP Photo

Career: 8 years (2012-present)

Career stats: 1,114 TKL, 12.5 SACK, 18 INT, 2 TD

Super Bowl titles: 0

Bottom line: Some players are considered hard hitters due to imposing physiques or pure physicality. That’s not why Luke Kuechly is special.

Kuechly, who is known as “Captain America,” has shown an uncanny knack for knowing exactly where the ball is going throughout his career. He can read any receiver or tight end routes coming across the middle and meets the intended receiver at the same time the ball gets there.

Kuechly is no longer the sideline-to-sideline demon he was earlier in his career, but as his athleticism has waned, his awareness has increased, and the future Hall of Famer is always in the right place at the right time.

Chicago Bears: Dick Butkus, Middle Linebacker

A stone-cold maniac. AP Photo

Career: 9 years (1965-73)

Career stats: 27 FR, 22 INT, 1 TD

Super Bowl titles: 0

Bottom line: Former Bears teammate Ed O’Bradovich described Dick Butkus’ tackling ability best when he said, “Tackling wasn’t good enough. … Just to hit people wasn’t good enough. He loved to crush people.”

Butkus was an exceptionally large linebacker for his era, and his opponents felt every bit of his 6 feet, 3 inches, 245-pound frame. Nicknamed both “The Animal” and “The Enforcer,” Butkus would often snarl at his opponents before a play, nearly take their heads off during the play and even reportedly bit some players after the play in a pile.

For the devastating hits he laid on opponents, the NFL Network crowned Butkus as the most feared tackler of all time.

Cincinnati Bengals: Tim Krumrie, Nose Tackle

You’re going down. Lenny Ignelzi / AP Photo

Career: 12 years (1983-94)

Career stats: 1,017 TKL, 34.5 SACK, 13 FR, 0 TD

Super Bowl titles: 0

Bottom line: According to Pro Football Reference, no defensive tackle in the history of the NFL has racked up as many tackles as Tim Krumrie did. But Krumrie wasn’t just a defensive tackle. He was the Bengals’ nose tackle throughout his career, which meant he was double-teamed on practically every play.

Still, he delivered bone-rattling hits to opposing running backs and quarterbacks and displayed legendary toughness in Super Bowl XXIII. Krumrie snapped both bones in his lower leg and insisted on staying in the locker room to watch the rest of the game rather than going to the hospital.

He eventually had a 15-inch steel rod placed in his leg and was back on the field just seven months later, and he started all 16 games the following season.

Cleveland Browns: Bill Willis, Defensive Guard

One of the all-time greats. Cleveland Browns

Career: 8 years (1946-53)

Career stats: 0 FF, 2 FR, 1 INT

Super Bowl titles: 1 (1950 NFL Championship)

Bottom line: Bill Willis played a now-obsolete position of the middle guard back in the 1940s and ’50s, and his skills were tailor-made for the position.

He would line up over the center like a nose tackle on running plays, but if it was a pass, then he would backpedal into a middle linebacker position to defend the underneath routes. It’s a position that took exception athletic ability, intelligence and a knack for getting to whoever had the ball.

Willis was a huge catalyst for controlling the middle of the line of scrimmage, and he led the Browns to either the No. 1 or No. 2 scoring defense in all eight of his NFL seasons.

Dallas Cowboys: Cliff Harris, Safety

Watch out for that elbow. Dallas Cowboys

Career: 10 years (1970-79)

Career stats: 10 FF, 29 INT, 1 TD

Super Bowl titles: 2 (1971, 1977)

Bottom line: Nicknamed “Captain Crash’ because of his reckless style, Cliff Harris willingly put his body on the line for the betterment of the team. Despite being a free safety, he would wear the same size pads as kickers so he would be more aerodynamic and quicker to the football.

He owned the deep middle of the field and laid out many wide receivers who dared to venture into his territory. He was equally adroit against the run and would come downhill in a hurry to fill rushing lanes and level running backs.

Former Redskins coach George Allen perhaps described Harris’ style best when he said he was “a rolling ball of butcher knives,” and Harris would strike anyone in his path.

Denver Broncos: Steve Atwater, Safety

Say hello to the “Hit Man.” Barry Sweet / AP Photo

Career: 11 years (1989-99)

Other teams: New York Jets (1999)

Career stats: 1,180 TKL, 24 INT, 5.0 SACK, 1 TD

Super Bowl titles: 2 (1997-98)

Bottom line: Football is a game of leverage, and no one understood that more than Steve Atwater. At 6 feet, 3 inches, he was one of the tallest safeties in NFL history, but he knew how to get low to get the best of his opponent.

Chiefs running back Christian Okoye found that out the hard way. Despite outweighing Atwater by 35 pounds, the Broncos’ safety leveled Okoye in the hole on a memorable “Monday Night Football” play. “The Nigerian Nightmare” went tumbling backward while Atwater never even went to the ground and stood snarling over his opponent.

It’s one of the most famous tackles in NFL history, and his coach Mike Shanahan said, “That’s the hit people will remember him for.”

Detroit Lions: Bennie Blades, Safety

Smelling blood. Lions / Twitter

Career: 10 years (1988-97)

Other teams: Seattle Seahawks (1997)

Career stats: 860 TKL, 5.0 SACK, 14 INT, 2 TD

Super Bowl titles: 0

Bottom line: At 6 feet and 225 pounds, Bennie Blades was a safety who was a biscuit shy of becoming a linebacker. He certainly hit like a linebacker, and the Detroit teams he played on preferred using him close to the line of scrimmage.

Blades was a little ahead of his time. Toward the end of his career, he shifted to nickel linebacker on obvious passing downs, a tactic that Rodney Harrison and others used in the 2000s.

Blades is considered one of the most physical defensive backs in NFL history and was a lone bright spot for the Lions’ defenses in the 1990s.

Green Bay Packers: Chuck Cecil, Safety

Look up “reckless abandon,” and you’ll see a picture of Chuck Cecil. eBay

Career: 7 years (1988-93, 1995)

Other teams: Phoenix Cardinals (1993), Houston Oilers (1995)

Career stats: 461 TKL, 16 INT, 1 TD

Super Bowl titles: 0

Bottom line: He wasn’t elegant and wasn’t always accurate, but when Chuck Cecil made contact with an opponent, they felt it.

Like a baseball player who could hit 50 home runs and also strike out 200 times, he had a hit-or-miss approach that often showed no regard for his well-being. Cecil appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated in 1993 under the headline of “Is Chuck Cecil Too Vicious for the NFL?”

Nearly none of his tackling tactics would be allowable in today’s NFL. However, in the 1990s, they were commonplace, although his reckless style led to a string of concussions and an early retirement.

Houston Texans: J.J. Watt, Defensive End

Welcome to the terrordome. Eric Christian Smith / AP Photo

Career: 9 years (2011-present)

Career stats: 479 TKL, 96.0 SACK, 1 INT, 2 TD

Super Bowl titles: 0

Bottom line: The Texans have the shortest history of any NFL franchise, but J.J. Watt has established himself as not only the greatest player in franchise history, but also one of the greatest of all time.

He has terrorized quarterbacks for nearly a decade and is the only player in NFL history to have two seasons of 20-plus sacks.

While most of Watt’s success comes from his sack totals, he isn’t just a one-trick pony and has led the NFL in tackles for loss three times in his career.

Indianapolis Colts: Bob Sanders, Safety

Take that. John Russell / AP Photo

Career: 8 years (2004-11)

Other teams: San Diego Chargers (2011)

Career stats: 302 TKL, 3.5 SACK, 6 INT, 1 TD

Super Bowl titles: 1 (2006)

Bottom line: At just 5 feet, 8 inches Bob Sanders was built like a bullet — and he hit like one, too. In fact, he was nicknamed “The Hitman” because of his ferocious tackles on guys who were sometimes up to 10 inches taller than him.

Sanders’ frenzied style lent itself to numerous injuries as he played in just 50 out of a possible 128 games. When he was on the field, though, he was the ultimate X-factor, a force in stopping the rush for the 2006 Colts’ Super Bowl run and the Defensive Player of the Year in 2007.

Perhaps with a less reckless style, we would have seen more of Sanders on the field, but with a less reckless style, we likely wouldn’t have seen the same caliber of player that we got out of Bob Sanders.

Jacksonville Jaguars: Donovin Darius

Stretcher time. Donovin Darius / AP Photo

Career: 10 years (1998-2007)

Other teams: Miami Dolphins (2007)

Career stats: 623 TKL, 2.0 SACK, 14 INT, 1 TD

Super Bowl titles: 0

Bottom line: The Jags have always preferred big, physical players on defense as opposed to agile, quick guys, and Darius was the embodiment of their preferred style. He was a 225-pound strong safety who hit like a linebacker as former Packers receiver Robert Ferguson found out.

During a game in 2004, Ferguson caught a pass over the middle and Darius was waiting for him. But Darius didn’t deliver just an ordinary tackle. He hit Ferguson with a clothesline at the neck that knocked off the receiver’s helmet.

Ferguson had to go to the hospital and briefly lost feeling in his legs while Darius was fined $75,000.

Kansas City Chiefs: Willie Lanier, Middle Linebacker

No one could avoid “Contact.” AP Photo

Career: 11 years (1967-77)

Career stats: 18 FR, 27 INT, 2 TD

Super Bowl titles: 1 (1969)

Bottom line: The fact that Willie Lanier’s nickname was “Contact” tells you all you need to know about him as a defender.

The Chiefs’ equipment manager outfitted Lanier’s helmet with special padding on the outside of his helmet to protect the player he was tackling. Lanier even later admitted that his tackling style wasn’t the safest, although it was effective.

“Since I unfortunately followed the style of tackling that we were taught at that time — that was to use your head first of hitting players in the middle of their body — it was done in a rather aggressive manner,” said Lanier.

Las Vegas Raiders: Jack Tatum, Safety

Proceed with caution. AP Photo

Career: 10 years (1971-80)

Other teams: Houston Oilers (1980)

Career stats: 3 FF, 37 INT, 1 TD

Super Bowl titles: 1 (1976)

Bottom line: Jack Tatum was the author of one of the most infamous plays in NFL history. His nickname, “The Assassin,” tells you all you need to know about him as a player.

As for that play, Tatum is best known for paralyzing the Patriots’ Darryl Stingley during a preseason game in 1978 when Tatum’s shoulder-to-helmet hit caused a spinal cord injury for the receiver.

Not only was Tatum part of perhaps the most infamous play in NFL history, but he also was part of perhaps the most famous play in NFL history.

Remember the “Immaculate Reception” and the ricochet that landed in Franco Harris’ hands? Yeah, that was Tatum who collided with Frenchy Fuqua and knocked the ball in the air and into Harris’ hands.

Los Angeles Chargers: Junior Seau, Linebacker

Meet Junior. Keith Srakocic / AP Photo

Career: 20 years (1990-2009)

Other teams: Miami Dolphins (2003-05), New England Patriots (2006-09)

Career stats: 1,846 TKL, 56.5 SACK, 18 INT, 1 TD

Super Bowl titles: 0

Bottom line: One of the most dynamic linebackers in NFL history, Junior Seau was the prototypical outside linebacker who could make plays at all three levels of the defense. He was a Pro Bowler at both inside linebacker in a 3-4 and as an outside backer in a 4-3.

Seau was known more as a freelancer but his instincts always took him to the ball, and if he got his hands on you, then you weren’t going anywhere.

But it wasn’t just ballcarriers who felt the wrath of Seau. He also was known as a selfless teammate who would willingly take on a fullback in order to allow a teammate to tackle the running back.

Whether it was fullbacks, running backs, quarterbacks or pass catchers, they all had the misfortune of getting hit by Seau during his 20-year career.

Los Angeles Rams: Deacon Jones, Defensive End

Here comes Deacon. SportsDaysPast / Twitter

Career: 15 years (1961-74)

Other teams: San Diego Chargers (1972-73), Washington Redskins (1974)

Career stats: 15 FR, 2 INT, 0 TD

Super Bowl titles: 0

Bottom line: Sacks weren’t made official by the NFL until 1982, but Deacon Jones is credited with coining the term, and he used an intense visual to describe sacking the quarterback.

“You take all the offensive linemen and put them in a burlap bag, and then you take a baseball bat and beat on the bag. You’re sacking them, you’re bagging them. And that’s what you’re doing with a quarterback,” stated Jones.

Unofficially, Jones sacked quarterbacks 173.5 times, which would rank third all-time. While he never used a baseball bat as he described in his quote, he did use the head slap against opposing linemen. He would knock them upside the head before going after the quarterback.

The move was so violent that the NFL outlawed it two years after Jones retired.

Miami Dolphins: Zach Thomas, Middle Linebacker

A tackling machine. Lynne Sladky / AP Photo

Career: 13 years (1996-2008)

Other teams: Dallas Cowboys (2008)

Career stats: 1,727 TKL, 20.5 SACK, 17 INT, 4 TD

Super Bowl titles: 0

Bottom line: If it wasn’t for Ray Lewis, then Zach Thomas may be viewed as the best middle linebacker of his era because he became a five-time All-Pro thanks to impeccable instincts.

Thomas wasn’t even six feet tall, but he was stout against the run, in addition to covering the deep middle of the field in a Cover-2 defense. Thomas’ size actually helped him with leverage when going up against running backs since his low center of gravity made him a nearly unmovable force.

The Dolphins had a top-five scoring defense five times during Thomas’ tenure, and no player in the NFL had more tackles than he did from 1996 to 2006.

Minnesota Vikings: John Randle, Defensive Tackle

You better bring a lunch against John Randle — because it was going to be a long day. WMWSports / Twitter

Career: 14 years (1990-2003)

Other teams: Seattle Seahawks (2001-03)

Career stats: 555 TKL, 137.5 SACK, 1 INT, 1 TD

Super Bowl titles: 0

Bottom line: How does a 250-pound defensive tackle become the all-time leader in sacks for his position? By having a relentless motor and unmatched intensity that allowed him to go toe-to-toe with players almost 100 pounds heavier than him.

John Randle redefined the defensive tackle position by utilizing quickness instead of brute strength in order to get to the quarterback. Brett Favre was the most common recipient of Randle’s sacks, and the Hall of Fame quarterback described Randle as “unblockable” when lined up on the artificial turf of the Metrodome.

His ability to penetrate the line and get his hands on the quarterback made him the only undrafted defensive lineman in NFL history to make the Hall of Fame.

New England Patriots: Rodney Harrison, Safety

Who wants some? Winslow Townson / AP Photo

Career: 15 years (1994-2008)

Other teams: San Diego Chargers (1994-2002)

Career stats: 1,197 TKL, 30.5 SACK, 34 INT, 3 TD

Super Bowl titles: 2 (2003, 2004)

Bottom line: Rodney Harrison played only four seasons worth of games with the Patriots, but during his time in New England, he bulked up to be a linebacker masquerading as a safety.

He even played linebacker in nickel situations, but Harrison brought the hammer to backs, receivers, tight ends and even offensive linemen. He spoke glowingly about being someone who could knock a lineman 100 pounds heavier on his butt, so just think of what he could do to running backs.

In addition to being one of the hardest hitters, Harrison also earned the rep of being one of the league’s dirtiest players while with the Patriots and topped a “dirtiest player” poll three times in New England.

New Orleans Saints: Sam Mills, Inside Linebacker

Y’all come back now, you hear? Brad Mangin / AP Photo

Career: 12 years (1986-97)

Other teams: Carolina Panthers (1995-97)

Career stats: 1,265 TKL, 20.5 SACK, 11 INT, 4 TD

Super Bowl titles: 0

Bottom line: According to the NFL archives, the 5-feet, 9-inch Sam Mills is the second-shortest linebacker in NFL history — a guy who played one game in 1952 is the only one shorter. But Mills defied the odds and became one of the fiercest players in NFL history, in part, due to his size.

Mills was the same height or shorter than the running backs he went up against so he was able to gain leverage while taller linebackers would play too high. Whether it was a fullback or a halfback, Mills met his opponent in the hole, and it was the opposing player who often went backward.

Mills made five Pro Bowls in his career despite not joining the NFL until he was 27 years old.

New York Giants: Sam Huff, Middle Linebacker

Nice to meet you. AP Photo

Career: 14 years (1956-69)

Other teams: Washington Redskins (1964-69)

Career stats: 17 FR, 30 INT, 5 TD

Super Bowl titles: 1 (1956 NFL Championship)

Bottom line: Sam Huff was one of the first players to be mic’d for a game as a part of a CBS special called “The Violent World of Sam Huff.” Enough said.

Huff was the middle linebacker in Tom Landry’s revolutionary 4-3 defense with the Giants. He was such an integral part of the unit that the Giants didn’t make him a two-way player so he could put all of his focus on one side of the ball.

Huff was such a physical and forceful tackler that the game’s greatest running back, Jim Brown, even gave him his props and would compliment Huff after he made a tackle on Brown.

New York Jets: Mo Lewis, Outside Linebacker

That might leave a mark. Bill Kostroun / AP Photo

Career: 13 years (1991-2003)

Career stats: 1,227 TKL, 52.5 SACK, 14 INT, 5 TD

Super Bowl titles: 0

Bottom line: Count the New England Patriots and Pats Nation for being happy to see Mo Lewis on this list. Without his devastating hit on Drew Bledsoe, Tom Brady might have never been inserted into the lineup.

In 2001, Lewis laid into Bledsoe as he was heading for the sideline, and the hit busted a blood vessel in his chest. Bledsoe later said that doctors considered opening up his chest during surgery, and the injury nearly killed him.

That was just one of Lewis’ many destructive hits during his 13-year career, which ended with him second on the Jets’ franchise tackle list.

Philadelphia Eagles: Chuck Bednarik, Linebacker

They didn’t call Chuck Bednarik “Concrete Charlie” for nothing. AP Photo

Career: 14 years (1949-62)

Career stats: 1 FF, 20 INT, 1 TD

Super Bowl titles: 2 (1949 and 1960 NFL Championships)

Bottom line: Chuck Bednarik made perhaps the most famous tackle in NFL history when he knocked out Frank Gifford in a game in 1960. The hit was so vicious that it forced Gifford to retire for 18 months, and when he came back, he had to switch positions.

The hit also spurred an iconic photo in the immediate aftermath of Bednarik gesturing over a fallen Gifford who, quite frankly, looks like a corpse while lying on the ground.

Legend has it that up until his death at 84 years old, Gifford still flinched whenever he saw the photograph of Bednarik standing over him.

Pittsburgh Steelers: Jack Lambert, Middle Linebacker

Mr. Intimidating. AP Photo

Career: 11 years (1974-84)

Career stats: 1 FF, 17 FR, 28 INT, 0 TD

Super Bowl titles: 4 (1974, 1975, 1978, 1979)

Bottom line: All you need to do is look at one picture of Jack Lambert to see that he preferred a rough, physical style over utilizing finesse. Lambert was the linchpin of Pittsburgh’s “Steel Curtain” defense, and he didn’t shy away from looking to hurt you every time he hit you.

“I believe the game is designed to reward the ones who hit the hardest,” Lambert said. “If you can’t take it, you shouldn’t play.”

Lambert’s most memorable hit wasn’t even an actual tackle. It was a late hit that got him ejected. He speared quarterback Brian Sipe as Sipe was going out of bounds, which led to a flag for unnecessary roughness and an ejection.

But according to Lambert, he was ejected for simply being Jack Lambert and having the reputation as one of the game’s hardest hitters.

San Francisco 49ers: Ronnie Lott, Defensive Back

Ronnie Lott was as tough as they come. Rusty Kennedy / AP Photo

Career: 14 years (1981-94)

Other teams: Los Angeles Raiders (1991-92), New York Jets (1993-94)

Career stats: 1,146 TKL, 8.5 SACK, 63 INT, 5 TD

Super Bowl titles: 4 (1981, 1984, 1988, 1989)

Bottom line: After making four straight Pro Bowls at cornerback to start his career, Ronnie Lott willingly moved to safety in the 1985 season.

His playmaking ability didn’t suffer with the switch, and playing center field allowed him to affect more than just the receiver he was covering.

Wide receivers were known for developing “alligator arms” when they saw Lott in the corner of their eye, and they didn’t go all out to make a catch knowing that Lott was waiting for them.

For his efforts in laying out opponents, a poster of Lott was created with the headline of “Designated Hitter.” This had little to do with baseball and lots to do with his style of play.

Seattle Seahawks: Kam Chancellor, Strong Safety

One-blow KO. John Froschauer / AP Photo

Career: 8 years (2010-17)

Career stats: 641 TKL, 2.0 SACK, 12 INT, 0 TD

Super Bowl titles: 1 (2013)

Bottom line: Chancellor was a part of the Seahawks’ Legion of Boom and no one represented the “Boom” part of that more than Bam Bam Kam. He was actually a cornerback when he began his college career but quickly outgrew that position to become one of the most intimidating strong safeties in recent memory.

His defining hit came in the first quarter of Super Bowl XLVIII on a reception by the Broncos’ Demaryius Thomas. After catching a pass across the middle and taking one step, Chancellor leveled Thomas and knocked him back five yards. The tone of the game was set from that point forward and the Seahawks would proceed to outscore the Broncos 38-8 over the rest of the game.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: John Lynch, Safety

The leveler. Chris O’Meara / AP Photo

Career: 15 years (1993-2007)

Other teams: Denver Broncos (2004-07)

Career stats: 1,054 TKL, 13.0 SACK, 26 INT, 0 TD

Super Bowl titles: 1 (2002)

Bottom line: In the Buccaneers’ Tampa-2 defense, they preferred smaller, athletic defenders which made the 220-pound Lynch stick out like a sore thumb. He was basically the same size as LB Derrick Brooks and one would argue that Lynch moved more like a linebacker than a safety. But Lynch also set the tone for those Bucs teams with his physical play and would often act as an extra linebacker on run downs.

During his eight seasons as a starter for the Bucs, the team never finished worse than eighth in scoring defense including leading the league during their 2002 Super Bowl season.

Tennessee Titans: Blaine Bishop, Strong Safety

Grab some turf. Ron Heflin / AP Photo

Career: 10 years (1993-2002)

Other teams: Philadelphia Eagles (2002)

Career stats: 734 TKL, 15.5 SACK, 5 INT, 1 TD

Super Bowl titles: 0

Bottom line: The fact that Blaine Bishop started 120 games in his career but only had five interceptions tells you he wasn’t on the field for his pass defense. Bishop was an in-the-box safety who was nicknamed “The Hitman” because he, well, liked to hit people.

He was undersized at 5 feet, 9 inches and 200 pounds but showed no regard for his own body as he threw himself into opponents.

Bishop’s style might not fly in today’s NFL, but it made him a fan favorite in the 1990s and the catalyst for some impressive Oilers/Titans defenses.

Washington Commanders: Chris Hanburger, Outside Linebacker

Where do you think you’re going? AP Photo

Career: 14 years (1965-78)

Career stats: 17 FR, 19 INT, 5 TD

Super Bowl titles: 0

Bottom line: Chris Hanburger wasn’t nicknamed “The Hangman” just because it played off his last name. It also was because he nearly took the heads off of ballcarriers when he tackled them. He delivered a clothesline tackle, which was legal at the time, to send a message that there are consequences when trying to test the Redskins’ defense.

But “The Hangman” wasn’t just a bully on defense who used intimidation and physicality to psyche out opponents. Hall of Fame guard John Hannah also called him the smartest player in the league.

That meant Hanburger knew how to be at the right place at the right time, which meant he rarely missed out on delivering one of his signature clothesline tackles.