Which Team Has the Best Linebacking Corps in the NFL?

When serious fans of the National Football League (NFL) are discussing hard-nose, rough-and-tough, banged-up, bloody defenses, most will agree that the Pittsburgh Steelers have ranked at, or near, the top for decades.

In 1980, the Pro football Hall of Fame Selection Committee chose four of the toughest guys from the Pittsburgh Steelers’ “Steel Curtain” defense – Jack Ham, Jack Lambert, L.C. Greenwood, and Joe Greene – for the “NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 1970s – DEFENSE.” These guys were so feared, so dominating, so good at their positions, that I can’t think of one bruised-up body that doesn’t belong in the Hall. I mean, hey, one of these guys was even known as “Mean Joe.” One doesn’t just get a nickname like “mean.” You have to be mean, physical and tough to have the word “mean” in your nickname, right? Right. Of course you do!

Defenses of the 1970s

For those of us old enough to remember the time when TV actually went off early in the morning or when MTV was in its infancy and only played music videos, the defenses of the 70s are a pleasant memory. Defenses were important to us and every good team had a great defense – one with a nickname.

In addition to Pittburgh’s “Steel Curtain,” the Cowboys had the “Doomsday Defense;” Minnesota was famous for the “Purple People Eaters;” and the Rams had a few guys upfront known as the “Fearsome Foursome.”

As a young kid in Florida, football was exciting. Every kid had a favorite team and favorite player. Tampa had only a ghost of a team, but I wasn’t overly concerned with the Buccaneers one bit ’cause my heart was already with a more successful franchise, a real team – “America’s Team”, the Dallas Cowboys. I was a Cowboy and life was good. Even the fistfights in the locker room at school over which QB was better (Bradshaw, Griese or Staubach) were cool. Later in life, once I followed football more seriously, I realized the Steelers were much better than I previously cared to admit. Live and learn, huh?

Pittsburgh LBs: 2011 Season

As I mentioned earlier, the Steelers have been known for their defensive players – namely those known for hard, attention-grabbing hits. Here are the four guys that form the NFL’s best linebacking corps:

One guy on everyone’s radar, including Roger Goodell’s screen, is James “Hitman” Harrison. The 33-year-old veteran is entering his fifth season as the starting “headhunter.” Harrison is such a force on the field, that opposing offensive line coaches often scramble around during half-time to re-configure their game plan for contain him. With 49 sacks, Harrison is seventh on the Steelers’ all-time sack list so you had better find a way to keep him out of your backfield.

Lawrence Timmons was selected in the first-round of the 2007 NFL draft by the Steelers (15th pick overall) and is known for his quickness as well as his intensity. Steeler linebacker coach was recently quoted in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review admitting that Timmons could …”arguably [be] the hardest hitter” on a defense renowned for physicality. During the 2010 season, Timmons was a monster on the field, producing a personal best 135 tackles.

Next on the list of outstanding Steeler linebackers, is James Farrior. The 6’2″ Virginia native has more experience than the previous two players combined. Having 15 seasons of experience under your pads at this level speaks volumes. Linebackers seldom last this long in the NFL, yet James still produces consistently. Farrior has 11 INTs on his resume – one returned for a TD.

Finally, on the list is the Steelers’ highest-paid defensive player in franchise history, OLB, LaMarr Woodley. LaMarr has had more than 10 sacks in each of the last three years and even returned an INT for a TD against Cincy in week 14 of the 2010 season. I expect even greater things from Woodley this season. He can stand to improve on tackling; otherwise, life is good…again.

Giovanni Badalamenti resides in (Mt. Washington) Pittsburgh, Pa, and is a Steelers fan.

Read more from Giovanni Badalamenti:
“How do I buy a fishing license in Pennsylvania?”

Sources:
Yahoo!Sports: Pittsburgh Steelers on Yahoo!Sports (Steelers homepage)
Scott Brown, “Worilds’ Hunger”; Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (8/2011)
“NFLs All-Decade Team of the 1970s — DEFENSE”, Pro Football Hall of Fame


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