Greatest Linebackers in NFL History
Chicago Bears linebacker and Pro Football Hall of Famer Mike Singletary. AP Photo
Generations of linebackers have played in the NFL and defined the game. They often are the quarterbacks of the defense, and many of them possess physical talents few have ever seen on a football field.
While quarterbacks have their hands on every play on offense to lead their teams to victory, it’s much tougher for players to control the game by sheer force of will. That’s what linebackers do.
These are the greatest linebackers in NFL history.
60. Karlos Dansby
Born: Nov. 3, 1981 (Birmingham, Alabama)
High school: Woodlawn High School (Birmingham, Alabama)
College: Auburn
Height/weight: 6-foot-4, 250 pounds
NFL career: 14 seasons (2004-17)
Teams: Arizona Cardinals (2004-09, 2013, 2017), Miami Dolphins (2010-12), Cleveland Browns (2014-15), Cincinnati Bengals (2016)
Career highlights: NFL All-Pro (2013)
Bottom Line: Karlos Dansby
Karlos Dansby was tall for an NFL inside linebacker at 6-foot-4, and he made plays all over the field. His best season was in 2008, when he had over 100 tackles and helped lead the Arizona Cardinals to an NFC championship and into the Super Bowl.
That would end up being an anomaly in Dansby’s career. He only played on teams with winning records three times in his career and only made two playoff appearances.
His 1,077 career tackles put him in the NFL’s top 10 career list.
59. James Farrior
Born: Jan. 6, 1975 (Ettrick, Virginia)
High school: Matoaca High School (Chesterfield, Virginia)
College: Virginia
Height/weight: 6-foot-2, 243 pounds
NFL career: 15 seasons (1997-2011)
Teams: New York Jets (1997-2001), Pittsburgh Steelers (2002-11)
Career highlights: Two-time Super Bowl champion (2005, 2008), two-time Pro Bowl (2004, 2008), two-time NFL All-Pro (2004, 2008)
Bottom Line: James Farrior
Here’s a crazy thing about James Farrior. He spent the first five seasons of his career with the New York Jets, and it was long enough ago that the Jets were actually pretty good.
And Farrior, nicknamed “The Ultimate Farrior” by fans, was a huge part of that. He took his skills as a free agent to the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he won two Super Bowls.