Greatest College Football Linebackers of All Time

No position in college football defines toughness more than linebackers.

You can’t be an elite college football program without having tough players. Sounds cliché and simple but it’s true.

There’s no position in football as tough as linebackers, where your duties mix brute strength with being an elite athlete more than anywhere else on the field. At linebacker, you can be called upon to mix it up with a 6-foot-5, 325-pound offensive lineman in one moment and in the next, you’re being asked to go step for step with a wide receiver or tight end trying to catch a pass.

Linebackers and their versatility have been celebrated by the sport since it began and the very best to ever do it have become household names. Here’s a look at the greatest college linebackers of all time and why their college careers landed them on this list.

30. Robert Jones, East Carolina

ebay

Born: Sept. 27, 1969 (Blackstone, Virginia)

High School: Nottoway County High School (Crewe, Virginia)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-3, 245 pounds

Career highlights: AP All-American (1991), Freshman All-American (1988), Butkus Award finalist (1991), three-time Super Bowl champion (1993, 1994, 1996), Pro Bowl (1994), PFWA All-Rookie Team (1992)

Bottom line: One of just a few mid-major players to make this list, ECU linebacker Robert Jones finished his career with 478 tackles and led the Pirates to a 12-1 record, a Peach Bowl win and a No. 9 ranking in the final AP Top 25 Poll in 1991.

Jones was the first ECU player selected in the first round of the NFL Draft and played 10 seasons in the league, winning three Super Bowls and making the Pro Bowl in 1994.

Jones should be in the College Football Hall of Fame. Full stop.

29. Jerry Robinson, UCLA

Reed Saxon / AP Photo

Born: Dec. 18, 1956 (San Francisco, California)

High School: Cardinal Newman High School (Santa Rosa, California)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-2, 218 pounds

Career highlights: Three-time AP All-American (1976-78), Pop Warner Trophy (1978), two-time NFL All-Pro (1980, 1981), Pro Bowl (1981), PFWA All-Rookie Team (1979)

Bottom line: One of college football’s great forgotten stars, UCLA ‘s Jerry Robinson was recruited to play for the Bruins by Dick Vermeil to play tight end — why he wore No. 84 — but the Hall of Fame coach quickly decided he was a better fit at linebacker.

Vermeil’s instincts were right. Robinson was a three-time All-American and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1996. He also played 13 seasons in the NFL and was a three-time NFL All-Pro.

28. Trev Alberts, Nebraska

Hans Deryk / AP Photo

Born: Aug. 8, 1970 (Cedar Falls, Iowa)

High School: Northern University High School (Cedar Falls, Iowa)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-4, 245 pounds

Career highlights: Butkus Award (1993), Jack Lambert Trophy (1993), AP All-American (1993)

Bottom line: Trev Alberts put Nebraska on his back as a senior in 1993 when he had one of the great individual seasons by a defender of all time with 15 sacks, 21 tackles for loss and 38 quarterback hurries. Nebraska went 11-1 and came one win from winning it all, losing to Florida State in the Orange Bowl despite a heroic performance from Alberts, who sacked Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Charlie Ward three times.

27. Tom Cousineau, Ohio State

AP Photo

Born: May 6, 1957 (Fairview Park, Ohio)

High School: St. Edward High School (Lakewood, Ohio)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-3, 225 pounds

Career highlights: Two-time AP All-American (1977, 1978), three-time All-Big Ten (1976-78), NFL All-Pro (1984), PFWA All-Rookie Team (1982), Grey Cup MVP (1979), CFL All-Star (1980)

Bottom line: One of three Ohio State players to make this list — all Ohio natives — Tom Cousineau was one of the most highly-recruited high school football players in state history out of St. Edward High.

Cousineau played for legendary head coach Woody Hayes, where he was a two-time All-American, won three Big Ten championships and was the 1977 Orange Bowl MVP. Cousineau was selected No. 1 overall by the Buffalo Bills in the 1979 NFL Draft but never played for the franchise, instead choosing to play in the CFL for double the money offered by the Bills. Cousineau played three seasons in Canada and was named Grey Cup MVP before returning to the NFL for six seasons and earning NFL All-Pro honors with the Cleveland Browns.

26. Dan Morgan, Miami

University of Miami

Born: Dec. 19, 1978 (Clifton Heights, Pennsylvania)

High School: J.P Taravella High School (Coral Springs, Florida)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-2, 245 pounds

Career highlights: AP All-American (2000), Butkus Award (2000), Nagurski Trophy (2000), Bednarik Award (2000), Jack Lambert Trophy (2000), Big East Defensive Player of the Year (2000), All-Big East (2000), Pro Bowl (2004), PFWA All-Rookie Team (2001)

Bottom line: Dan Morgan was actually a fullback on Miami’s roster until one week before his freshman season started in 1997, when he was switched to linebacker and became the first freshman to start at the position since Ray Lewis.

Morgan became the first sophomore team captain in Miami history in 1998 and finished his career as the first person in NCAA history to win the Butkus Award, Bednarik Award and Nagurski Trophy. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2021.

25. Paul Posluszny, Penn State

psufootball / Twitter

Born: Oct. 10, 1985 (Butler, Pennsylvania)

High School: Hopewell High School (Aliquippa, Pennsylvania)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-2, 232 pounds

Career highlights: Two-time AP All-American (2005, 2006), Butkus Award (2005), two-time Bednarik Award (2005, 2006), three-time All-Big Ten (2004-06), Pro Bowl (2013)

Bottom line: Penn State’s Paul Posluszny became just the second player in school history to win both the Butkus Award and the Bednarik Award and is one of only two two-time Bednarik winners alongside Northwestern’s Pat Fitzgerald.

24. A.J. Hawk, Ohio State

Jamie Sabau / AP Photo

Born: Jan. 6, 1984 (Kettering, Ohio)

High School: Centerville High School (Centerville, Ohio)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-1, 240 pounds

Career highlights: BCS National Champion (2002), two-time AP All-American (2004, 2005), Lombardi Award (2005), Jack Lambert Trophy (2005), Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year (2005), two-time Fiesta Bowl MVP (2004, 2006), Super Bowl champion (2010), PFWA All-Rookie Team (2006)

Bottom line: A.J. Hawk was bad, bad man when he played for Ohio State in the early 2000s, where he won a national championship, was a two-time All-American and two-time Fiesta Bowl MVP. Hawk entered the lexicon of “guys who really could do it all” when he began dating the sister of Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn during his final season at Ohio State (they later married and had four kids). In Hawk’s final college game, he sacked Quinn twice in a win over the Irish in the Fiesta Bowl.

23. Marvin Jones, Florida State

College Football Hall of Fame / Facebook

Born: June 28, 1972 (Miami, Florida)

High School: Miami Northwestern High School (Miami, Florida)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-2, 244 pounds

Career highlights: Two-time AP All-American (1991, 1992), Butkus Award (1992), Lombardi Award (1992), Jack Lambert Trophy (1992), Sporting News College Football Player of the Year (1992)

Bottom line: Florida State’s Marvin Jones was the prototype for a great college middle linebacker in the early 1990s, leading the Seminoles to a 21-3 record over his last two seasons. Jones was named a consensus All-American twice, won the Butkus Award in 1992, and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2022.

22. Derrick Johnson, Texas

Eric Gay / AP Photo

Born: Nov. 22, 1982 (Waco, Texas)

High School: Waco High School (Waco, Texas)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-3, 245 pounds

Career highlights: Two-time AP All-American (2003, 2004), Butkus Award (2004), Nagurski Trophy (2004), Jack Lambert Trophy (2004), Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year (2004), three-time All-Big 12 (2002-04), Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year (2001)

Bottom line: Derrick Johnson was big, fast and athletic and in four years at Texas, there were few opponents who could do much to stop him. Johnson was a two-time All-American, won the Butkus Award as a senior and finished his Texas career with 458 career tackles, 11 forced fumbles and an incredible nine interceptions. Believe us when we tell you that other teams did not want that smoke.

21. Jack Ham, Penn State

AP Photo

Born: Dec. 23, 1948 (Johnstown, Pennsylvania)

High School: Bishop McCourt High School (Johnstown, Pennsylvania)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-1, 225 pounds

Career highlights: AP All-American (1970), four-time Super Bowl champion (1974, 1975, 1978, 1979), eight-time Pro Bowl (1973-80), eight-time All-Pro (1973-80), NFL Defensive Player of the Year (1975), NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team, Pro Football Hall of Fame (1988)

Bottom line: One of a pair of linebackers from Penn State to make this list, the Nittany Lions went 22-0 over Ham’s first two seasons as a starter and finished his career with 251 tackles — including 143 unassisted — and set a school record with three blocked punts in 1968.

Ham went on to become one of the most legendary linebackers in NFL history on the Pittsburgh Steelers “Steel Curtain” defense that won four Super Bowls in six seasons. Ham was built more like a safety but was as fast as any running back or wide receiver and his 53 career takeaways (interceptions or fumble recoveries) are the most in NFL history by a a non-defensive back.

20. Alfred Williams, Colorado

University of Colorado

Born: Nov. 6, 1968 (Houston, Texas)

High School: Jones High School (Houston, Texas)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-6, 265 pounds

Career highlights: National Champion (1990), two-time AP All-American (1989, 1990), two-time Super Bowl champion (1997, 1998), NFL All-Pro (1996), Pro Bowl (1996)

Bottom line: One of the forgotten stars of college football — outside of Colorado — Alfred Williams was the defensive star in the greatest era of football for the Buffs, earning All-American honors twice and serving as team captain on the 1990 national championship squad. Williams, who also won the Butkus Award in 1990, finished his career with 263 tackles and 35 sacks.

Williams played defensive end for nine seasons in the NFL and won two Super Bowls with the Denver Broncos. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2010.

19. Dat Nguyen, Texas A&M

AP Photo

Born: Sept. 25, 1975 (Fort Chaffee, Arkansas)

High School: Rockport-Fulton High School (Rockport, Texas)

Height/Weight: 5-foot-11, 238 pounds

Career highlights: AP All-American (1998), Bednarik Award (1998), Lombardi Award (1998), Jack Lambert Trophy (1998), Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year (1998), three-time All-Big 12 (1996-98), AP All-Time Big 12 Team (2010), Big 12 10th Anniversary Team (2005)

Bottom line: The son of Vietnamese immigrants, Dat Nguyen became a high school football star in Texas before making his mark as the greatest defensive player in Texas A&M history. Nguyen is the only player to lead Texas A&M in tackles for four consecutive seasons and still holds career records for career tackles (517), consecutive starts (51) and tackles per game (10.7).

Nguyen, who was thought to be undersized at 5-foot-11 and 238 pounds, played seven seasons in the NFL for the Dallas Cowboys and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2017.

18. Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern

David Boe / AP Photo

Born: Dec. 2, 1974 (Midlothian, Illinois)

High School: Sandburg High School (Orland Park, Illinois)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-2, 243 pounds

Career highlights: Two-time AP All-American (1995, 1996), two-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year (1995, 1996), two-time Bednarik Award (1995, 1996), two-time Nagurski Trophy (1995, 1996), Jack Lambert Trophy (1996), Big Ten Medal of Honor (1997)

Bottom line: Arguably the greatest player in Northwestern history was Illinois native Pat Fitzgerald, a two-time All-American, two-time Bednarik Award winner, two-time Nagurski Trophy winner and two-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year who led the Wildcats to back-to-back Big Ten titles in 1995 and 1996. Fitzgerald was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2008 and was Northwestern’s head coach for 17 seasons before he was dismissed in the wake of a hazing scandal in 2023.

17. Manti Te’o, Notre Dame

Michael Conroy / AP Photo

Born: Jan. 26, 1991 (Laie, Hawaii)

High School: Punahou School (Honolulu, Hawaii)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-1, 241 pounds

Career highlights: Maxwell Award (2012), Lott Trophy (2012), Bednarik Award (2012), Walter Camp Award (2012), Butkus Award (2012), AP All-American (2012), Lombardi Award (2012)

Bottom line: Notre Dame legend Manti Te’o is the only primarily defensive player in the last 25 years to come close to winning the Heisman Trophy, finishing as the runner-up to Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel in 2012. Te’o almost single-handedly led the Irish to a national runner-up finish as a senior in 2012 and is only the second player in Notre Dame history with over 100 tackles in three consecutive seasons.

16. Zack Thomas, Texas Tech

Pat Sullivan / AP Photo

Born: Sept. 1, 1973 (Pampa, Texas)

High School: White Deer High School (Pampa, Texas)

Height/Weight: 5-foot-11, 242 pounds

Career highlights: Two-time AP All-American (1994, 1995), Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year (1995), Texas Tech Ring of Honor, seven-time NFL All-Pro (1998-99, 2001-03, 2005, 2006), seven-time Pro Bowl (1999-2003, 2005, 2006), AFC Defensive Rookie of the Year (1996), NFL 2000s All-Decade Team

Bottom line: Few linebackers in college football history have been must-see television, but that was Texas Tech’s Zach Thomas in the early 1990s, when he was a two-time All-American and Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year in 1995. Thomas made one of the most famous plays in Texas Tech history when he intercepted a pass and returned it 25 yards for a touchdown with just 34 seconds left for a 14-7 win over Texas A&M that snapped a five-game losing streak to the Aggies.

Thomas played 13 seasons in the NFL and was a seven-time NFL All-Pro. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2015 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2023.

15. Junior Seau, USC

Rob Kozloff / AP Photo

Born: Jan. 9, 1969 (Oceanside, California)

Died: May 2, 2012, 43 years old (Oceanside, California)

High School: Oceanside High School (Oceanside, California)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-3, 251 pounds

Career highlights: AP All-American (1989), Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year (1989), All-Pac-10 (1989), 12-time Pro Bowl (1991-2002), 10-time All-Pro (1991-2000), NFL Defensive PLayer of the Year (1992), NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team, Pro Football Hall of Fame (2015)

Bottom line: Junior Seau’s college career got off to a rocky start at USC when he was declared academically ineligible to play as a freshman and lost a year of eligibility. He bounced back to dominate in two seasons, capping his career with 19 sacks as a junior in 1989 on the way to being named an All-American and the Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year.

Seau played 20 seasons in the NFL and carved out a career as one of the greatest players of all time, regardless of position. The athlete, who suffered from an extreme case of CTE from his football career, died by suicide just three years after retiring from the NFL. He was only 43 years old.

14. Chris Spielman, Ohio State

NFL

Born: Oct. 11, 1965 (Canton, Ohio)

High School: Massillon Washington High School (Massillon, Ohio)

Height/Weight: 6-foot, 247 pounds

Career highlights: Two-time AP All-American (1986, 1987), Lombardi Award (1987), Chic Harley Award (1987), three-time NFL All-Pro (1991, 1992, 1994), four-time Pro Bowl (1989-91, 1994), PFWA All-Rookie Team (1988), Detroit Lions 75th Anniversary Team, Detroit Lions All-Time Team

Bottom line: Ohio State might have the most storied group of linebackers in college football history — and no one was better than Chris Spielman.

Spielman played for famed Massillon (Ohio) High and was the first high school athlete to have his picture on a box of Wheaties — which is crazy. He actually wanted to go to Michigan before his father told him “not to ever come home” if he didn’t sign with Ohio State. Spielman followed his father’s advice and was a two-time All-American for the Buckeyes and won the Lombardi Award as a senior in 1987.

13. Will Anderson Jr., Alabama

Vasha Hunt / AP Photo

Born: Sept. 2, 2001 (Hampton, Georgia)

High School: Dutchtown High School (Hampton, Georgia)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-4, 243 pounds

Career highlights: CFP National Champion (2020), Lombardi Award (2022), two-time Nagurski Trophy (2021, 2022), Bednarik Award (2022), Lott Trophy (2022), two-time SEC Defensive Player of the Year (2021, 2022), two-time AP All-American (2021, 2022), three-time All-SEC (2020-22), Cotton Bowl MVP (2021)

Bottom line: Alabama’s Will Anderson Jr. is the youngest player to make this list. He was the most dominant defensive player in college football for three seasons, winning the Nagurski Trophy twice, being named All-American twice and helping lead Alabama to a national championship in 2020. Anderson was selected No. 3 overall by the Houston Texans in the 2023 NFL Draft.

12. Lawrence Taylor, North Carolina

AP Photo

Born: Feb. 4, 1959 (Williamsburg, Virginia)

High School: Lafayette High School (Williamsburg, Virginia)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-3, 240 pounds

Career highlights: AP All-American (1980), ACC Player of the Year (1980), two-time Super Bowl Champion (1986, 1990), NFL Most Valuable Player (1986), 10-time Pro Bowl (1981-90), 10-time All-Pro (1981-90), three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year (1981, 1982, 1986), NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year (1981), NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team, Pro Football Hall of Fame (1999)

Bottom line: While Lawrence Taylor would eventually become the greatest linebacker of all time, he had only played two seasons of organized football when he showed up at the University of North Carolina as a freshman. Taylor carved out a reputation for creating fear in opponents and playing with reckless abandon in Chapel Hill, where he played defensive line for two seasons before moving to linebacker and capping his career by earning All-American honors with 16 sacks in 1980.

11. Brandon Spikes, Florida

Mark Humphrey / AP Photo

Born: Sept. 3, 1987 (Shelby, North Carolina)

High School: Crest High School (Shelby, North Carolina)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-3, 255 pounds

Career highlights: Two-time BCS National Champion (2006, 2008), two-time AP All-American (2008, 2009), three-time All-SEC (2007-09)

Bottom line: If we’re just talking about winners, you might not be able to find a player on this list to compare to Florida linebacker Brandon Spikes. The North Carolina native won two national championships and was a two-time All-American in three seasons with the Gators, where he started 39 of 47 career games and finished 307 tackles, 31.5 tackles for loss and six interceptions, of which he returned four for touchdowns.

10. Tommy Nobis, Texas

Texas Longhorns / Facebook

Born: Sept. 20, 1943 (San Antonio, Texas)

Died: Dec. 13, 2017, 74 years old (Marietta, Georgia)

High School: Thomas Jefferson High School (San Antonio, Texas)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-2, 240 pounds

Career highlights: National Champion (1963), AP All-American (1965), Outland Trophy (1965), Maxwell Award (1965), NFL Rookie of the Year (1966), five-time Pro Bowl (1966-68, 1970, 1972), two-time NFL All-Pro (1967, 1968), NFL 1960s All-Decade Team

Bottom line: Few college players have reached the heights of fame that Tommy Nobis did at Texas, where the San Antonio native was on the cover of “LIFE,” “Time” and “Sports Illustrated” after leading the Longhorns to a national championship in 1963 and winning the Outland Trophy in 1965.

How great was Nobis? Texas linebacker Derrick Johnson, who also made this list, honored Nobis by wearing his No. 60 in his final home game in 2004. Nobis was selected No.1 overall in the 1966 NFL Draft by the expansion Atlanta Falcons and was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1981. He died in 2017 at 74 years old.

9. Patrick Willis, Ole Miss

College Football Hall of Fame

Born: Jan. 25, 1985 (Bruceton, Tennessee)

High School: Central High School (Bruceton, Tennessee)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-1, 240 pounds

Career highlights: Two-time AP All-American (2005, 2006), Butkus Award (2006), Jack Lambert Trophy (2006), Connerly Trophy (2006), SEC Defensive Player of the Year (2006), three-time All-SEC (2004-06), seven-time Pro Bowl (2007-13), six-time NFL All-Pro (2007-12), NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year (2007), NFL 2010s All-Decade Team

Bottom line: If you want to get to the heart of how Patrick Willis dominated SEC competition during his time at Ole Miss, start with his unique combination of size and speed at 6-foot-1, 240 pounds with a 40-yard dash around 4.4 to 4.5 seconds.

Willis was a three-time All-SEC pick and two-time All-American who led the SEC in tackles each of his last two seasons and capped his career by winning the Butkus Award and being named SEC Defensive Player of the Year. Willis only played eight seasons in the NFL and was a seven-time Pro Bowler and six-time NFL All-Pro. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2019.

8. LaVar Arrington, Penn State

Harry Cabluck / AP Photo

Born: June 20, 1978 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)

High School: North Hills High School (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-3, 257-pound

Career highlights: Two-time AP All-American (1998, 1999), Butkus Award (1999), Bednarik Award (1999), Jack Lambert Trophy (1999), Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year (1999), two-time All-Big Ten (1998, 1999), two-time NFL All-Pro (2001, 2003), three-time Pro Bowl (2001-03), PFWA All-Rookie Team (2000)

Bottom line: LaVar Arrington seemed like a linebacker created in a laboratory at 6-foot-3 and 257 pounds with athleticism to spare. The two-time All-American and Butkus Award winner had a knack for making spectacular plays in his three seasons at Penn State but is still most famous for “The Lavar Leap” — a play that would be illegal in today’s game — when he timed a snap against Illinois on fourth-and-short and jumped over the entire offensive line and made the tackle in the backfield.

7. Derrick Thomas, Alabama

Tom Strattman / AP Photo

Born: Jan. 1, 1967 (Miami, Florida)

Died: Feb. 8, 2000, 33 years old (Miami, Florida)

High School: South Miami Senior High School (Miami, Florida)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-3, 255 pounds

Career highlights: AP All-American (1988), Butkus Award (1988), six-time NFL All-Pro (1990-94, 1996), nine-time Pro Bowl (1989-97), NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year (1989), NFL 1990s All-Decade Team

Bottom line: Derrick Thomas wasn’t a traditional linebacker or even a traditional defensive end — he was singular in his talent of sacking the quarterback and could do it from anywhere he lined up on the field. At Alabama, Thomas set the career sacks record (52) and the single-season sacks record (27) in 1988, as he was named a consensus All-American and won the Butkus Award.

The athlete played 11 seasons in the NFL and was a nine-time Pro Bowler and five-time NFL All-Pro. Thomas died in 2000, two weeks after sustaining major injuries in a car accident. He was 33 years old.

6. Luke Kuechly, Boston College

Rob Carr / AP Photo

Born: April 20, 1991 (Cincinnati, Ohio)

High School: St. Xavier High School (Cincinnati, Ohio)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-3, 238 pounds

Career highlights: Two-time AP All-American (2010, 2011), Butkus Award (2011), Nagurski Trophy (2011), Lombardi Award (2011), Lott Trophy (2011), Jack Lambert Trophy (2011), ACC Defensive Player of the Year (2011), three-time All-ACC (2009-11), ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year (2009), NFL Defensive Player of the Year (2013), seven-time Pro Bowl (2013-19), seven-time All-Pro (2013-19), NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year (2012), NFL 2010s All-Decade Team

Bottom line: Ohio native Luke Kuechly was a four-year starter for Boston College and you can make an argument he’s the greatest player in school history after quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Doug Flutie. Kuechly was a two-time All-American and won the Butkus Award and Nagurski Trophy as a junior in 2011 before leaving school one year early for the NFL Draft.

5. Mike Singletary, Baylor

Baylor University

Born: Oct. 9, 1958 (Houston)

High School: Worthing High School (Houston)

Height/Weight: 6-foot, 230 pounds

Career highlights: Two-time AP All-American (1979, 1980), two-time SWC Player of the Year (1979, 1980), two-time Davey O’Brien Memorial Trophy (1979, 1980), three-time All-SWC (1978-80), Super Bowl champion (1985), 10-time Pro Bowl (1983-82), nine-time All-Pro (1983-91), two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year (1985, 1988), three-time NFC Player of the Year (1984, 1985, 1988), NFL 1980s All-Decade Team

Bottom line: Mike Singletary averaged 15 tackles per game over his last two seasons at Baylor, earning All-American honors both years and leading the Bears to the first 10-win season in school history as a senior in 1980.

Singletary’s greatest single game may have been as a sophomore against his hometown school, the University of Houston, where he set a school record with 35 tackles — one of two times he had over 30 tackles in a single game — and he had a staggering 232 tackles that season.

4. Brian Bosworth, Oklahoma

Kathy Willens / AP Photo

Born: March 9, 1965 (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma)

High School: MacArthur High School (Irving, Texas)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-2, 248 pounds

Career highlights: National Champion (1985), two-time Butkus Award (1985, 1986), two-time AP All-American (1985, 1986), three-time All-Big Eight (1984-86)

Bottom line: The most famous linebacker in college football history has to be Oklahoma’s Brian Bosworth, who held a master class in self-promotion while becoming a two-time All-American (the only two-time Butkus Award winner ever) and winning a national championship. OU head coach Barry Switzer threw Bosworth off the team before his senior season for a myriad of offenses, including testing positive for steroids. Bosworth played three injury-riddled seasons in the NFL before he was forced to retire.

3. Ray Lewis, Miami

Daniel Portnoy / AP Photo

Born: May 15, 1975 (Bartow, Florida)

High School: Kathleen High School (Lakeland, Florida)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-1, 240 pounds

Career highlights: Two-time AP All-American (1994, 1995), two-time Super Bowl champion (2000, 2012), Super Bowl Most Valuable Player (2000), 13-time Pro Bowl (1997-2001, 2003, 2004, 2006-11), 10-time All-Pro (1997-2001, 2003, 2004, 2008-10), two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year (2000, 2003), NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team, Pro Football Hall of Fame (2018)

Bottom line: Ray Lewis did what people at the time pretty much thought was impossible by starting as a freshman at Miami. He made a career out of going beyond what people thought a linebacker was capable of.

Lewis dominated college opponents the next two seasons with over 150 tackles each year and earned All-American honors twice in the process before leaving school one year early for the NFL Draft. In three seasons, he had a mind-blowing 393 tackles.

The athlete went on to play 17 seasons in the NFL, leading the Baltimore Ravens to two Super Bowl championships, earning NFL Defensive Player of the Year twice and being named an NFL All-Pro 10 times. The conversation over the greatest linebacker of all time usually comes down to Lawrence Taylor, Lewis and the No. 1 player on this list. So keep reading.

2. Derrick Brooks, Florida State

Derrick Brooks / Facebook

Born: April 18, 1973 (Pensacola, Florida)

High School: Booker T. Washington High School (Pensacola, Florida)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-1, 235 pounds

Career highlights: National Champion (1993), two-time AP All-American (1993, 1994), ACC Defensive Player of the Year (1993), three-time All-ACC (1992-94), Super Bowl champion (2002), nine-time All-Pro (1997-2005), 11-time Pro Bowl (1997-2006, 2008), NFL Defensive Player of the Year (2002), NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team

Bottom line: Derrick Brooks played 22 consecutive seasons of organized football from high school through the NFL in his home state of Florida. He was a high school All-American at Pensacola Booker T. Washington High, two-time All-American and national champion at Florida State, and a Super Bowl champion and NFL Defensive Player of the Year for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

1. Dick Butkus, Illinois

AP Photo

Born: Dec. 9, 1942 (Chicago, Illinois)

Died: Oct. 5, 2023, 80 years old (Malibu, California)

High School: Vocational High School (Chicago, Illinois)

Height/Weight: 6-foot-3, 245 pounds

Career highlights: Two-time AP All-American (1963,1964), Sporting News Player of the Year (1964), UPI Lineman of the Year (1964), Big Ten MVP (1963), two-time All-Big Ten (1963, 1964), eight-time Pro Bowl (1965-72), eight-time NFL All-Pro (1965-72), two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year (1969, 1970), NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team

Bottom line: Chicago native Dick Butkus was a 60-minute man for Illinois, where he starred at center and linebacker but made his real mark instilling fear in running backs.

Playing in an era where freshmen weren’t allowed to play on varsity, Butkus had over 130 tackles each of his last two seasons as he was named a two-time All-American and was a Heisman Trophy finalist both years. Butkus wouldn’t just have been a star in any era he played in, he would have probably been better than he was in his own era — imagine if he didn’t have to play both ways?

Butkus became world famous for his time with the Chicago Bears, where he came to define what it meant to be an NFL linebacker. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1983 and died in 2023, at 80 years old.