The middle linebacker position to a football team's defense is the equivalent to the quarterback of the team's offense. The position can be likened to the catcher of a baseball team, the point guard in basketball and the center in hockey. All the good ones are typically the heart and soul of the team. They become the "coach" on the field of play. They lead both by encouragement and example.
With the upcoming DugoutZone signing with Baltimore Ravens RAY LEWIS in August, I thought that this would be a great time to begin a discussion of who is the best NFL middle linebacker ever. This question always raises considerable debate as the NFL has been blessed with many great ones over the years.
To generate some comments here, I would like to begin with my list of the ten best middle linebackers of all time. I have chosen the DugoutZone Digest 10 from the eleven Hall of Famers who were true middle linebackers their entire career, three current or recently retired future hall of Famers and three young up and comers:
The Hall of Famers:
Bill George
Joe Schmidt
Ray Nitschke
Sam Huff
Dick Butkus
Willie Lanier
Jack Lambert
Nick Buoniconti
Derrick Thomas
Harry Carson
Mike Singletary
The Future Hall of Famers:
Junior Seau
Ray Lewis
Brian Urlacher
The Up and Comers:
Jon Beason
DeMeco Ryans
Patrick Willis
The criteria I have used to whittle this list of storied defenders down to the ten best is not only their statistics, but also the impact that they have had on their team. The amount of leadership exhibited along with the sheer fear put into their opponents was just as important as how many total tackles made. All of these individuals spent most, if not all, of their career with the same team - placing their mark of intensity on the entire defense. My ten finalist are:
Ray Nitschke - He WAS the Green Bay Packers defense.
Sam Huff - He helped to refine the mlb position in the media glare of NYC.
Willie Lanier - His Chiefs teams went from perennial losers to consistent winners.
Dick Butkus - There was a reason no one wanted to play Da Bears - it was Dick Butkus.
Jack Lambert - He gave his heart, soul and front teeth to the Steelers.
Derrick Thomas - HOF career cut short by tragedy.
Mike Singletary - One picture of "the look" tells the story.
Junior Seau - Helped to change the Chargers from a scoring machine to a winner.
Ray Lewis - Mr. Raven for fourteen years and going strong.
Patrick Willis - Playing for Mike Singletary may make this youngster one of the best.
There you have our starting point. Though there may be some disagreement on who should have made the list and who should have been left off as a result, surely we can all agree that "the best ever" is on the list. Now let's all start the discussion to pare these greats down to five finalists for the title of Best Linebacker Ever!
"Don't fire the messenger"
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Here are my top five in no particular order: Mike Singletary, Dick Butkus, Ray Lewis, Jack Lambert, and Sam Huff.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, I think Patrick Willis has the talent as well as the tools to surpass all previous MLBs as the greatest of all time. He's a guy to keep an eye on if he stays healthy and learns from his coach, Mike Singletary.
Of all the film I have seen, I would have to say that Butkis was the most menacing MLB of of all time. That said, I am not sure that that there has ever been a MLB that has meant so much to his team on (and off) the field as Ray Lewis. Personality, work ethic, dedication...I think Ray takes the cake for all of these.
ReplyDeleteThomas and Singletary (those eyes), get an honorable mention from me. As far as Willis goes, the sky is the limit.
Schmidt is always underrated. He played in the original Mike role, could play today's pass coverage, sideline to sideline game, along with his knack for playmaking. He was also flat out better than Huff. I loved Thomas, but he was a Mike in name only. I remember guys like Tracy Simien cleaning up behind him. I think Brazile from the 70's Oilers was better in the middle AND produced sacks. My top 10 in order: Ray Lewis, Nitschke, Butkus, Singletary, Schmidt, Seau, Lanier, Lambert, Derrick Brooks, and I'm putting Willis at 10, he could be 1 by the end of his career. -Jeff
ReplyDeleteHad he lived, Thomas would be at the beginning of any conversation; Growing up as a NYG and now a 'Skins fan, I'd want to say Huff. Nitschke and Lambert were strong parts of REALLY good teams as was Singletary. Lanier and Seau suffer because they didn't play on the East Coast or in big cities. London Fletcher does a stunningly good job on an incompetent team as he did in Buffalo and STL but will never get the recognition because of the teams he has played on.
ReplyDeleteDick Butkus was THE greatest during his playing days and era and you have to admire a guy who was born and played his collegiate AND entire pro career in one geographic area. The position today requires a different form of athleticism and (I can't believe I'm writing this), Ray Lewis the one to have today.
And just for fun, the most overrated middle linebacker moment- Brian Bosworth for what Bo Jackson did to him.
Henry Z.
Time to keep this thread going! I am fresh off of 5 days at the 31st National Sports Collectors Convention. It was held in Baltimore for the very first time. During the show I had plenty of time to further the linebacker discussions. With those talks and the posted comments in mind I am ready to whittle the list down to five!
ReplyDeleteWhereas many of the top ten are mentioned in most conversations, there were consistently two names that always appeared in the discussions of the best linebacker ever.
The name DICK BUTKUS is the reason why the NFC central division was named the black and blue division. There was a reason why teams hated to play Da Bears even though they were perennial losers. The reason was the guy in the middle of the defense and the effect that he had on every other defensive player on the team. If you didn't play hard and mean on defense you wouldn't last long on the Chicago Bears. The captain of the defense was Dick Butkus - one of my hometown heroes.
The other name mentioned in all of the comments and conversations was Baltimore's own RAY LEWIS. An original member of the Ravens (taken in the first round of the Ravens' first draft), Ray Ray has managed to stay with one team for his entire career - not an easy feat in todays era of free agency and 'mo money. Ray has won two Defensive Player of the Year awards. He led his sans offense team to a victory in Super Bowl 35 and was named its Most Valuable Player. Even at 35 years old, he still gives the impression that he can do it again.
Just one look at those eyes would make you know that MIKE SINGLETARY had perhaps the greatest vision of any MLB. His intensity was second to none and add a Super Bowl win to his resume also. Bill George began the long tradition of great middle linebackers for Da Bears and Singletary did everything to keep the tradition alive.
The middle linebacker is the quarterback of the defense and this defensive QB took his team to greater heights than any in this group. JACK LAMBERT may not have the best stats of any MLB but he helped take his team to four Super Bowl victories in his first six years! He lost his front teeth by taking an elbow in a basketball game but most of us thought he left them embedded in an opponent on any given Sunday.
The final Hall of Famer to make my list of 5 made a career of playing in championship games including the 1958 Greatest Game Ever Played. SAM HUFF beat out Hall of Fame great Ray Nitschke for the top five along with still wet behind the ears Patrick Willis.
So I now turn over our list of five for you to vote on. The polls are now open. We will announce the DugoutZone Digest Best Linebacker Ever on August 27th. We will also draw the winner of the Joe Flacco autographed 8x10 photo at that time. Every comment receives an entry form. Followers get two!
Once again, the list in alphbetical order:
DICK BUTKUS
SAM HUFF
JACK LAMBERT
RAY LEWIS
MIKE SINGLETARY
Ray Lewis -- but then again I am little biased :D Can't wait for the signing!!
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with your five! Although, I go along with Pills....Ray Lewis is at the top of my list -- Ok, so my list is slightly slanted:)
ReplyDeleteHad Butkus not ended his career with a knee injury in his ninth season, he and Ray MIGHT be neck and neck, but I rank Ray as the superior linebacker for his athleticism and side to side speed. Singletary and that stare however, actually made opponents think that this might be the day that it all ends.
ReplyDeleteIt's 2 guys for me, Lewis and Singletary. Both of those guys are the most ferocious I've ever seen. But since I'm a homer, I'll have to say Lewis. People ran scared when they played him.
ReplyDeleteI just want to throw in my vote for Ray Lewis. First, you have to start with longevity. He has been in the league for 15 years. He may not be as fast as he was when he was a rookie, but he can still hit as hard. Look no further than his hit on Chad Ocho-Cinco last year against the Bengals. Furthermore, he has to be one of the smartest LBs of all time. Look at the play against the Chargers last year. He diagnosed that play and won the game for the Ravens. Simply absurd.
ReplyDeleteFinally, I want to say thank you for having Ray Lewis at the Dugout Zone tonight. It was an awesome experience. I will be back
The signing was great! The traffic road closures in the area delayed the start but Ray stayed to make sure everyone there was able to meet him and get his autograph. Thanks to all of you who hung in there! Check out our Facebook page (The Dugout Zone) for lots of great pictures from last night.
ReplyDeleteToday is the last day to get your vote in. The winner of the DugoutZone Digest All Time Best NFL Middlelinebacker Award will be announced this evening.
Well, this is it .... drum roll please. Even with a commanding lead in the voting - RAY LEWIS, the winner of the DugoutZone Digest Best All-Time NFL Middle Linebacker Award certainly cinched his victory with a Hall of Fame performance off the field at the DugoutZone last night. After three hours of fullfilling multiple committments during one of the worst traffic messes ever seen in Howard County, Ray Ray was still able to wow the sold-out crowd at the DugoutZone. He stayed well past 10pm to make sure everyone that came was able to meet him and get his autograph. Especially comvincing was his obvious genuine love for children - engaging each and every one who came to meet him and leaving them with a memory they will never forget.
ReplyDeleteOK - what does this have to do with playing football. Is this just a Homer vote? Doubters just need to check the facts.
The two names mentioned most often in the same breath as Mr.Raven were those two great Hall of Famers from Da Bears - Dick Butkus and Mike Singletary. Don't forget that I left my heart in Chicago before embracing Baltimore as my home. Those two are certainly worthy of top three status. However, it all comes down to the stats.
Butkus Singletary Lewis
Tackles 1020 1488 1754
Sacks 19 36.5
Interception 22 7 28
Fumble Recover 27 12 15
TD 0 0 2
Pro Bowl 8 10 11
All Pro 6 8 9
Defensive POY 2 2 2
Playoff Appear 0 7 6
Super Bowl MVP 0 0 1*
* Ray Lewis is the only middle linebacker to ever win the Super Bowl MVP Award.
We will never know what Dick Butkus might have achieved had his knee not given out after nine seasons. Unfortunately tackle assist and sack stats were not kept in his era. However, I would have to believe from watching him play that his totals would have been right there with Ray and Mike. There is no doubt that Butkus was certianly the "meanest" of the three. My guess is the high fumble recoveries resulted from numerous bite marks left on ball carrier extremities. The telling tale here is that BAD knee or not Dick Butkus did only play nine years and during those nine seasons Da Bears did not make the playoffs even once.
Samurai Mike Singletary was the captain of a defense that did take the previously hapless Bears to seven playoff appearances and a Super Bowl victory. His two Defensive Player of the Year awards equal the most ever won by a middle linebacker. That is where the statistic comparison stops.
Ray Lewis leads the field in tackles, sacks, interceptions and touchdowns and even has one more Pro Bowl appearance to boot. The final kicker is that Ray Lewis' Hall of Fame career is not over. His superior conditioning regime leaves all voters on the subject believing that his incredible statistic compilations will only continue into the 2010 season and beyond. Supporting cast has come and gone but since the arrival of Ray Lewis the Baltimore Raven defense has become the most consistent unit in the NFL. The Ravens will once again challenge for a playoff berth and Ray Lewis will be in the middle leading the charge.
The DugoutZone Digest Final Vote:
3. Mike Singletary
2. Dick Butkus
1. Ray Lewis
Thanks for all of you who participated in thiS discussion and vote. Also a big Thank You for everyone who came out last night and welcomed Ray Lewis to the store.
Look for a new story line next week. The winner of the Joe Flacco autographed 8x10 photo is DD follower Jason.
GO RAVENS!