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AJ McKenzie
  • 2 days ago
Gotta have 2 HOF linebackers to get into the top 6
IG: aj_mckenzie416
Twitter: AJMckenzie94847
Transcript
00:07you're looking for sheer great linebacking hey baby let's go out there like a bunch of
00:11crazy dogs that's some fun some of the hardest men in show business you can't hurt this i'm
00:16a machine junk you can't get no meaner than them guys
00:30in the nfl offense may sell tickets but defense wins championships
00:41and at the heart of a defense is its linebacking core
00:48a linebacker is a type of a kid who loves the hit
00:51a person who probably you take his heart out from here and you put it in his belly and you
00:58call it
00:59they're the destroyers the demolishers the offense builds something up and then the linebackers just
01:06destroy it our criteria for the greatest linebacking core of all time includes pro bowls
01:15super bowls the effect of surrounding talent and the unit not as individuals but as a whole
01:21well you know i think it's a difficult thing to judge because you can't do it really quantitatively
01:26because every defense is structured differently that's just right you got to strip away the
01:33front four really good athletes that are smart and all complement each other you take any other
01:40the group and i would take them as a jam number 10 linebacking core of all time the 2000 ravens
01:4998 10 they're playing um san diego chargers and uh eric metcalf catches a pass over the middle
01:59but eric's in full stride so it's a 60 yard race to the end zone and there's no one else
02:05in the
02:05picture but eric and ray they get to the 30 yard line and ray hits the extra game
02:11just takes them down at the 20 and that's when i knew that group was going to be special
02:18ray lewis was baltimore's seminal defender but jamie sharper and a former seminal
02:23helped the ravens take flight in 2000 peter was the consummate pass rusher
02:31for a few years peter boulware was probably as big a nightmare for any offense attack or
02:36tight end this league as anybody everybody on that defense got overshadowed by ray and
02:42peter was the sack specialist jamie made big plays but no one knew about it
02:48ravens pick it up touchdown he had a super bowl interception i think
02:52jamie sharper jamie came in and he became like a caddy but when the chips were down when we
02:59needed a play to be made in that championship game against oakland jamie made that play
03:03thrown down the middle it's picked off that's it jamie sharper
03:07mad lady can't sing now
03:10but it was ray lewis who most often left off as he's singing the blues
03:14you can't hurt this i'm a machine you know it was ray's team
03:18follow my lead and i promise i'll get you now well now where's the blue we're on this hell today
03:23it was passionate ray we want to be the best at what we're trying to get done
03:27we're trying to set this team out i mean ray felt like he should make every tackle every play
03:36when ray hits you he he destroyed you we were playing against them one time i believe it was
03:41a sunday night game and bam morris caught a screen pass out on the flat and just laid him out
03:46just laid
03:47him out and it just gave him a renewed sense of confidence at defense and that's what great linebackers
03:54in 2000 lewis earned the nfl's defensive mvp with a season for the ages
04:01i don't know if there'll be an inside linebacker to have or have a year like ray lewis had that
04:05year
04:05he was just a hoover vacuum cleaner that year
04:07one guy did back in the late 60s his name was dick buckus
04:15so no other outside linebackers since the merger
04:19could do that inside linebacker since the merger
04:24total package just a menacing force and ray lewis sealed the deal for the ravens
04:30he was the best football player in the national football league in 2000 without question
04:36all right come on now take it over in 2000 our number 10 linebacking corps helped baltimore
04:41set the record for fewest points allowed in the 16 game season on their way to winning super bowl 35
04:47there's no other defense i've ever seen in my lifetime that can compare to this one they cannot do nothing
04:53they can't move the ball
04:55but lewis and the backers had plenty of help from the defensive line they had two huge tackles
05:02players inside and sam adams and tony saragusa who very often took four offensive linemen
05:08to block those two players they had one job and they let me peter and jamie run all day long
05:20you know all of those guys could run they were big they were athletic you take all three of those
05:25guys
05:25you put them together that's a very special unit should be in the top five
05:30well if it's any consolation lewis certainly has the top spot for pregame introductions locked up
05:40how do i follow that
05:44coming up which band of renegades broke into our list
05:48they were always going to spit your face and start a fight you needed to match their intensity level
05:58a linebacking corps legacy is often born or broken on pro football's biggest speed
06:03welcome to the biggest show in sports buffalo's cornelius bennett shane conlin and daryl talley
06:10combined for 10 pro bowls but couldn't pay the bill at the big dance brian urlacher and lance briggs
06:16played in back-to-back pro bowls but stumbled in super bowl 41 chicago bears just does not get it
06:22done
06:22andre tippet and new england's linebacking corps helped get the patriots to super bowl 20 in new
06:27orleans but failed to finish with then they got ran over by william perry they started as did our next
06:34group in super bowl 12 orange crush defense you serious above the 2,000 ravens no the number nine line
06:49the broncos of the late 70s featured
06:52tom jackson bob swenson randy gratishar and joe rizzo in a 3-4 defense ahead of its time at that
06:59point we were the only team in the nfl running that defense offenses did not know how to attack us
07:05pass one hand attempt incomplete intercepted after you played denver you wouldn't be sore
07:11physically you'd be sore mentally we'll change it up on them so they don't get used to anything
07:17among the linebackers it was the quietest bronco who made the loudest impact randy gratishar was
07:24you're a classic off the front of the wheaties box all american boy comes from a town called champion
07:31ohio and was very smart when they tighten down close that means they're going to usually pass
07:36he was kind of our hero guy he was a 10-year linebacker never missed a game
07:41he'd get all the game goals let our team tackle us every year
07:47wherever the ball was i'll guarantee you that's where randy was wasn't it butkus kind of it's not
07:53about one-on-one i'm gonna knock your block off that's my goal my goal is to get to the
07:59ball
08:01to me he was just the epitome of a great linebacker i think it is an absolute tragedy that he
08:06is not in
08:07the football hall he's there now a former louisville cardinal did all the chirping on our number nine
08:15core jackson was the emotional vocal leader we gotta stop the first down run tighten up d don't jump
08:23offside he was our top blitzer plus he was able to play pass defense very well because he was the
08:28fastest of the four linebackers when i saw tom in his younger days he reminded me of a cat he
08:33was so
08:34quick i've never seen anybody as quick as tom and uh he made a lot of big plays
08:45two undrafter free agents rounded out our number nine linebacking core
08:49joe rizzo and bob swenson swenson was uh real tall real lanky great agility great mobility
08:57great quickness probably the quickest of the four linebackers joe rizzo was just kind of a mean
09:02ornery uh type of guy kind of guy that you'd want to go into a bar with and if anything
09:06happened
09:07you'd want to protect your backside that was rizzo
09:11in 1977 the broncos emerged from preseason obscurity to produce the afc's best record at 12
09:18and two and bronco mania took hold of mile high
09:23it was unbelievable when you went into mile high stadium it was almost like going to a college game
09:28the broncos had never had a winning season but the broncos would need to beat some of the best teams
09:34in nfl history to reach super bowl 12. i just don't think that the media really felt they were for
09:40real
09:41only one of them could get to the super bowl out of the afc it's like watching six eighteen wheelers
09:47coming down the highway to a one lane bridge but our number nine c was the class conference of the
09:53nfl c was pretty good but they weren't they weren't the steel curtain they weren't whatever the raiders
10:01call themselves time core made denver's dream a reality
10:07that was a monumental moment um bronco history
10:27denver didn't get the ring but they did get our number nine spot
10:31i think it's a very underrated group of linebackers because they never did win a super bowl
10:35it's a special group in the national football league history
10:38the number eight linebacking core of all time the raiders of the early 80s
10:44the defense to me was huge for the raiders and all you need to do is look at the super
10:50bowl win over the
10:50washington redskins
10:51in 1983 matt millen ted hendricks and rod martin
10:56let's keep dominating
10:56helped the raiders claim their second super bowl title in four years by shutting down the highest scoring offense
11:03in nfl history
11:05this is abuser
11:07raiders linebackers in that era might have been overlooked because we tended to think of the raiders as an offensive
11:12team
11:14but their defense was huge
11:27the raiders have long relished their role as nfl bad boys
11:32here come all the raiders
11:33holy palina
11:34you know they were always going to spit in your face and start a fight and they're very physical a
11:39very physical team particularly against the run
11:42and in 1980 our number eight linebacking corps added a hungry nittany lion
11:47matt millen was a physical leader inside
11:49we'd watch him when he'd roll off a pile and hit a guy with an elbow and we thought he
11:54was hilarious
11:54and matt on every tackle saying if i could beat you up longer i'd stay here
11:58simple simple game
11:59you find the ball
12:02and you drill him
12:05while millen plugged the middle
12:07rod martin pounced from the edges
12:10martin reminded me a lot of jack ham
12:12in terms of the great speed
12:15throws is picked off
12:16intercepted by the raiders rod martin
12:18he uh he was actually known on the team as having this
12:21incredible vice-like grip
12:23if he got his hands on you
12:24he passed away back in
12:28yo rest in peace rod martin
12:32another april birthday like myself
12:36it was over
12:38millen and martin fit traditional roles
12:41but there was nothing traditional about ted hendrix
12:44his first day of practice
12:46he rode a horse out to the middle of the field
12:48on the horse he had on his oakland raider practice uniform
12:51and he was wearing a german helmet
12:53with number 83 on the side of it
12:55and we all just kind of looked at each other and said
12:58fits right in
12:59ted hendrix was kind of a freak
13:01because ted hendrix was about 6'7 or 6'8
13:03he could really do a little bit of everything
13:06including blocking kicks
13:07which he did 25 times
13:10it's brought to the middle
13:12an unofficial nfl record
13:14but the mad stork was best known for his uncanny ability to rush the passer
13:21he understood attacking protections
13:24the adjustments
13:25personnel
13:26and he'd adjust
13:28on the fly
13:29he would extend his arms
13:31and he wouldn't put moves on you
13:33all of a sudden
13:35he was grabbing the quarterback
13:40it was a linebacker core
13:43that really worked well together
13:44because of a disparate set of physical attributes
13:48and those attributes were never more evident
13:51than on the big stage
13:58big stage brilliance was enough
14:00to get the raiders our number 8 spot
14:02this was our finest hour
14:04this was the finest hour
14:05in the history of the oakland raiders
14:06coming up
14:07which linebacking crew
14:09had quarterbacks in the crosshairs
14:13many linebacking cores
14:15have lived and died by the blitz
14:17the paint train is coming
14:18derrick thomas
14:19tallied 20 sacks
14:21in 1990
14:22oh what a play
14:23in 1996
14:24lamar latham
14:25and kevin green
14:26rushed carolina
14:27to the nfc championship game
14:29too much for them today king
14:31a little too much for them today
14:32in 2005
14:33the backers totaled
14:3430 of pittsburgh's
14:3547 sacks
14:36on their way
14:37to winning super bowl 40
14:38but they aren't
14:39the pittsburgh unit
14:40that's next
14:41on our list
14:42the number 7
14:44linebacking core
14:45of all time
14:45the stealers of the mid-90s
14:48i think the second pittsburgh set of linebackers
14:51all day
14:52is probably better
14:53than the 70s version
14:55because you had mean joe green
14:57and lc green
14:58what he had all that
15:00i think that's objectively
15:02false
15:04that pressure
15:05and all that heat
15:07well in this case
15:08the heat was coming
15:09from outside
15:09in the mid-90s
15:10kevin green
15:11chad brown
15:12kevin green
15:13chad brown
15:14let's get out of here baby
15:15and levon kirkland
15:16turned pittsburgh
15:17into blitzburg
15:18when you think about pressure
15:19that's exactly what they did
15:21you get when you feel like
15:22you can rush
15:23the quarterback
15:24you understand
15:24rush the quarterback
15:26think about pressure
15:28that's exactly what they did
15:29you get when you feel like
15:30you can rush
15:31the quarterback
15:32you understand
15:33rush the quarterback
15:34do not let that
15:35damn quarterback
15:36out of there
15:37they had an attitude
15:38that pittsburgh attitude
15:40that lambert
15:40ham and russell
15:42set back in the 70s
15:43how cool you ass off
15:44they were just
15:45the 90s version
15:54nobody on our number 7
15:56linebacking corps
15:57brought more attitude
15:58than greg lloyd
16:01walk your ass out
16:01and get embarrassed
16:02greg lloyd was
16:04not a particularly big man
16:06but i think greg lloyd's
16:08one of the hardest hitters
16:09i've ever seen
16:09i don't feel sorry for you
16:11line up and play football
16:14greg lloyd just like to hurt people
16:16he better slide
16:17i'm gonna bust his ass
16:18that guy across from me
16:20he has to raise his level of place
16:22before he's gonna get his ass kicked over there
16:24i think greg lloyd may be
16:26one of the best football
16:27he was only about 2.30
16:29bell died it at least
16:31he played a lot bigger than he was
16:34players i've ever seen
16:36back is blake
16:37what
16:41kevin green and he just
16:43fed off each other
16:44they can't beat us
16:45they can't beat us
16:47you had pure emotion
16:48between kevin green and greg lloyd
16:51not just out of space
16:52kevin is crazy like a fox
16:54i'm looking for you
16:56i'm looking for you
16:57if you were going into a troubled situation
17:00i think you'd want to take kevin along with you
17:03come on
17:04let's break it
17:07there was mayhem on the edges
17:09and a monster in the middle
17:11the one that surprises people is levon
17:15because levon he was rather robust
17:18that 273 pot monster middle linebacker
17:22who runs like a gazelle
17:25273 he was 310
17:28he was a defensive tackle playing linebacker
17:31kirkland was like a defensive tackle playing at the mike linebacker
17:34you know i remember trying to chase that guy down and he was bigger than i was
17:39the name of this game is respect
17:42let's line up and let's do it
17:43the backers carried pittsburgh to three afc title games in four years
17:48and only neil o'donald could keep them from a ring
17:51o'donald threw it right to him
17:52there was no receiver out there
17:54these guys grew not only into their position but into each other
17:58they were a formidable force
18:00they were tough to deal with
18:02the number six linebacking core of all time
18:06lombardi's packers
18:09back in the 1960s
18:10everything that you did defensively
18:13was built on physicality and stopping the run
18:17toughness was at a premium
18:18and no core of linebackers was tougher than our number six group
18:22leroy caffy
18:24dave robinson
18:25and ray nitschke
18:26ray nitschke
18:27was the most frightening person on game day that i've ever seen i mean his face
18:31he looked like you know freddy krueger
18:34when he walked on that field
18:35he'd start metamorphosizing
18:37you could see him changing
18:38he'd start turning this hitting machine
18:41this plastic
18:41coming in there with nitschke
18:43you didn't take on ray nitschke if you didn't have to
18:48and that might be your last thing you wanted to do
18:53contrary to his mythic figure nitschke made just one pro bowl
18:56the same number as leroy caffy and two fewer than dave robinson
19:00i'm not sure nitschke was the greatest that ever played i don't know that he wasn't
19:04but for the packers he set the standard
19:07i mean nitschke was the figurehead
19:10he was the emotional leader on the field
19:14he was the guy they all looked up to
19:17and he was he was a frightening person because of his passion and his intensity
19:22the former third round pick embodied lombardi's ideal linebacker
19:27the suit is a man's responsibility
19:28the suit is dedication
19:30the suit is persistence
19:31it's getting to the ball carrier on the shortest course
19:34taking the proper angle
19:36and when you get there you get there in an angry mood
19:41dave robinson is maybe one of the most underappreciated linebackers to ever play the game
19:46i go in every ball game thinking we're going to have a shutout
19:49i'm not sure anybody's ever been better than dave robinson
19:52i can't imagine why he's not in the hall of fame
19:55he's there now and that makes two or three
19:57and leroy caffy is just
20:00you know he was a solid player
20:03he's got to be you know
20:04the finest outside linebacker in football
20:06dave was a great athlete big for that year
20:09let's take a tour now
20:10come on let's take a tour
20:11but what made dave robinson a great linebacker
20:14was a combination of his instincts as a player
20:19he had a great feeling for what the offense was going to do at a given time
20:24and yet he was a gambler
20:25as evidenced by the his play in the 66 championship game
20:29if the cowboys go in here we're going into overtime
20:32meredith is rolling out
20:33it's dave robinson that instinctively goes against all that lombardi had instructed him to play back
20:40instead charges
20:41he's going to be nailed
20:43but that play was symbolic of robinson's instincts to do the right thing at the right time
20:52the game was different then
20:54ray nitschke did not have to play against three and four wide receiver sets
20:58but five world championships
21:00green bay packers are going to be world champions
21:03and two super bowl wins
21:05qualifies green bay for our number six spot
21:09coming up
21:10which middle linebacker remade the position
21:21i think 85 is the best set of linebackers i've ever seen
21:24and i'm talking about wilbur marshall
21:26i'm talking about otis wilson mike singletary
21:28those three guys
21:30took no prisoners
21:31in chicago's blitz happy 46 defense
21:35our number five linebacking corps spent most of its time in opposing backfields
21:40otis and wilbur were basically blitz guys
21:44otis was more powerful
21:46wilbur was very very explosive
21:49any one of them could change a ball game
21:51certainly wilbur marshall
21:58wilbur was the guy that i would call the assassin
22:04he was nasty with a bad mood
22:07he didn't like anybody
22:09you know he played with that
22:10bright mixture of intelligence and anger
22:13i've seen wilbur hit some quarterbacks that were just unmerciful
22:17i still see the hit he made on joe ferguson from detroit
22:20i never seen him like it
22:22i thought he killed him
22:26you know he knocked joe into another century
22:32in my dick i didn't say the next century
22:37we'll probably see joe in another 174 years
22:41when 2200 starts
22:48otis's personality was to seek and destroy
22:54when he looked at the enemy
22:55otis was going to take him out
22:58otis was so strong in terms of his upper body strength
23:01that you could almost put him down to three point
23:03and uh... you know he could go make a play
23:05they were so relentless
23:08so ferocious
23:09you know you're another quarterback you know you're coming
23:11it's just their attitude
23:14but the man in the middle was the midway's biggest monster
23:18lifting up if it plop over there and sternly sharp is on the inside guy you got to be on
23:23it
23:23hey baby we're gonna be here all day
23:26mike was a north-south kind of guy
23:28i like this kind of party
23:30it's a little bit easier
23:31to play middle linebacker
23:35your typical middle linebacker plays from tackle to tackle
23:38singletary's lane responsibilities were basically guard to guard
23:45he didn't play the pass
23:48he didn't he didn't uh... get sacks
23:52sounds like he was limited to me
23:58that's like singletary's sacked up
24:02singletary got there with a lot of thunder
24:05hey man this young quarterback man
24:07somebody knock him out for me will you
24:11the bears recorded an nfl record 72 sacks
24:19but it's our number five live
24:24defense is incredible
24:26to knock your socks off
24:27just to go to the AFC champion to England Patriots
24:32so why are the bears only number five on our list
24:35mike couldn't play coverage
24:36we didn't ask him to play coverage
24:38he knew he couldn't play coverage
24:40wilbur again
24:41he wasn't a great man to man cover
24:44believe me
24:44Miami proved that
24:47the bottom line in anything you do is can you execute
24:50these people gave us the ability to execute in that defense
24:54despite their shortcomings
24:56there's only four groups in nfl history higher on our list
25:07guys who weren't complete on the list
25:11these guys could do everything
25:14bell, lanier, jim lynch
25:19group man
25:20we was unbelievably awesome
25:24bobby bell, willy lanier, jim lynch
25:27what made them great was the combined will to compete
25:32it was a defense that was straped around the linebackers
25:36we enjoyed an awful lot of success
25:38it wasn't a cocky thing but i do feel that we felt at that time we were the best linebacking
25:44corps that had played the game and we were out to prove that
25:48but before they could take on the league our number four linebacking corps had to take on each other
25:53willian and i came in the same year
25:55he and i competed for the middle linebacker chap very early in that contest i i said to myself well
26:01they're gonna have a new middle linebacker and it's not gonna be me
26:04on the double zone how you want to sound it all set on the double zone
26:08i was able to go to the outside and play that position probably better than i ever would have played
26:14the middle linebacker position
26:18lynch was sort of like a jackhammer smart and cerebral never out of position very dependable
26:26i don't think jim got the credit he's due to it
26:29while lynch flourished outside
26:31they gotta slide double wing
26:32lynch was changing the game inside
26:35he was the first linebacker that i ever interviewed
26:39that talked about
26:41geometry
26:42and angles of pursuit
26:43he was a very cerebral very intelligent middle linebacker
26:50but it was another use of his head for which the hall of famer was best known
26:54he used to wear that old ohio state looking helmet
26:57had the big
26:59ridge that ran down the middle of it
27:01he stayed near mr contact and that ridge was to protect his opponent not him
27:07he would hit you
27:10i call it a quiet guy when you sneak up on you hit you with a hammer
27:14he laid down hey he
27:18i mean i'll be sitting over there he hits somebody i'll be jumping too
27:21he was the best middle linebacker in the league
27:24bobby bell was probably the best outside linebacker
27:28nine-time pro bowler bobby bell carved out his own historic niche on our number four linebacking corps
27:34many people still believe to this day that bobby bell may be the best all-around all-around linebacker to
27:41ever play the game
27:42one player put on by bobby bell bobby bell had all the physical attributes necessary to play almost any position
28:02bobby bell
28:03he won't ride it back for a touchdown he was a complete linebacker
28:08in super bowl four our number four linebacking corps completely dismantled minnesota
28:14capro's down the middle
28:28number one offense in football afl or anything
28:33and they scored seven points
28:37how many nfl linebacking corps have two hall of famers
28:41two guys who are arguably the top three four at their position
28:48in the history of the game
28:49that was as fine a set of linebackers as ever played the game
28:56uh trivia
28:58willie lanier and jim lynch were born a week apart
29:06coming up an army of one invades the nfl
29:09a single sensational player can sometimes carry a linebacking corps
29:21dick buckus was the original inside intimidator
29:24reaching eight pro bowls in nine years despite just two winning seasons
29:29fellow tough guy chuck mcnarrick led the birds to an nfl title in 1960
29:35that same year detroit's joe schmidt was the nfl's co-mvp
29:40joe schmidt picks it up at the 14
29:41he was the only linebacker to achieve that honor until the apple of new york's eye
29:46the number three linebacker of all time
29:51parcels giant
29:57thanks
29:58carson and gary reason simply overwhelmed opposition in the mid-80s
30:03hey we're about to ban some of this pleasant ball
30:06that was the toughest opponent i played against
30:11because they beat the living daylight chamber
30:13we had a run in 86 where no starting quarterback finished the game
30:19when you played the giants
30:21you left that football game
30:22you were on your way to an ice tunnel
30:24i mean they've knocked out my front teeth
30:27the worst injury i've ever suffered besides my broken leg
30:30which was another one
30:31was a hip pointer that i got
30:33all courtesy of the giants
30:37hey baby let's go out there like a bunch of crazed dogs
30:40and have some fun
30:41no defender ever changed the game
30:44quite like the 1986 nfl mvp
30:47lars taylor is the greatest defensive football player i have ever seen
30:51there was a writer who said
30:52totally consensus greatest defender of all time
30:55and then next to him is a hall of famer
30:58and then right over there
31:00is an all pro
31:01uh carl banks
31:05and then there's pepper johnson who hasn't been mentioned yet for some reason
31:09gary reasons
31:12they have five legit linebackers
31:17why all the fuss
31:18he only had 11 interceptions
31:20let me tell you something
31:22if you dropped into coverage
31:23you breathed a sigh of relief
31:26you have to give bill parcells and the giants
31:29a ton of credit for understanding
31:31what he was
31:32and how he could dictate to an offense
31:34no back
31:36could block lawrence taylor
31:39when you see
31:40the angle stance
31:41of the left tackle
31:42that was invented
31:43it's because of martin stale
31:47son
31:47y'all gotta do bad in this
31:49he came off that edge
31:50and he came off that edge with an attitude
31:52bona fide animal
31:54lt hated everybody
31:55hey sooner you're gonna hope i never get back in there i'm gonna kick your ass
31:59he tried to tear your head off when he got to you
32:04lt left offenses with nowhere to attack our number three linebackers core
32:08we wanted to run at lawrence
32:10we can't play that stuff over here
32:12y'all glad to go to the other side
32:13it was better to go at him than away from him because he'd run everything down
32:16but then you had to deal with harry coming up the middle
32:19what's the first thing you hear
32:21gotta stop the run
32:22we gotta stop the run this week
32:23well to me harry carson was the best run stopping linebacker of his generation
32:28let's not give them any confidence
32:31carson was at his greatest on the goal line
32:34you say riggins was a great goal line runner
32:36marcus allen great goal line runner
32:38harry carson was like that on defense
32:40he had the greatest goal line instincts that i've ever seen
32:46the guy that gets left out in that giants group is carl banks
32:50he was the quintessential strong side linebacker
32:55if you wanted to run strong side against carl banks forget about it
32:59he was as good outside linebacker against the run
33:02i think as the league has ever seen
33:06against denver in super bowl 21
33:08new york's big three linebackers made three successive big plays
33:12to turn the game
33:14great players make plays
33:18taylor made one
33:20carson was in on one
33:22banks made another one
33:27and then they missed the field goal
33:29i told them at the half i said you know we got a good chance to beat the broncos
33:33new york dumped denver and drowned the big tuna
33:36here comes harry carson now
33:38marcells is up there without the headset
33:40and they get it
33:41starting a celebration that's still in use today
33:44you had mobility
33:51you had speed
33:53you had size
33:54they were big
33:55they were tough
33:56you know harry could handle the middle carl handled the strong side
34:00the most dominant single force
34:05they were the best
34:08coming up
34:09the curtain comes down on one surprising contender
34:12you're afraid are you
34:14it's greatness for a linebacking corps quite like winning a championship
34:18but despite a perfect season in 1972
34:21nick bonacani is the only linebacker we can name from the no-name defense
34:26the cowboys
34:28chuck howley and leroy jordan combined for eleven pro bowls and a championship ring
34:34the patriots claimed three rings in four years behind a strong linebacking corps
34:39but no team dominated a decade quite like our number two
34:43the number two linebacking corps of all time
34:47the steelers of the 70s
34:49the pittsburgh
34:50the pittsburgh
34:52the steelers had the greatest defense
34:54over a period of time i've ever seen
34:57starting in 1974 the steel curtain defense led pittsburgh to four super bowl wins in six seasons
35:04i think almost every starter but one or two on that team was a pro bowler
35:09but i think the most important part of that defense was the linebacking corps
35:13i think they were the heart and soul of it
35:15our number two linebacking corps of jack ham
35:18jack lambert and andy russell was together for the first two super bowls
35:22russell was a seven-time pro bowler who had been with the team over a decade before lambert even arrived
35:28andy was this wily all pro
35:31andy let's get one
35:34who always seemed to make plays
35:36and made very few mistakes
35:38i mean you talk about a guy that can think on his feet
35:41that guy there he was probably doing stock calculations in between plays
35:44russell's approach differed dramatically from the fiery kent state product
35:48who would come to symbolize the steel city
35:51jack lambert was the single most intimidating force in football
35:56and maybe the single most intimidating force in the history of football
36:00he epitomized the intensity of the fans felt
36:06you know with the no front teeth and just his uh... clint eastwood ways
36:11what you've seen of jack lambert
36:14what you've heard about his reputation
36:16is all true
36:16but the ferocity that made lambert both feared and fabled wasn't a complete picture
36:22his image as being this rock'em sock'em kind of guy
36:24had little to do with why he was so successful
36:28the guy was just a very smart very
36:31he was really intelligent i was just about to say
36:35and if he didn't knock your block off
36:37if he wasn't at an angle
36:39he would just form tackle you
36:42he had ball skills
36:44i mean
36:47he wouldn't really rush the passer
36:49but he was probably capable
36:53a technically proficient player
36:55who could anticipate what was going to happen
36:57he was simply so gifted at showing up the middle
37:01the guy that seems to get the most published is jack lambert
37:05i thought he was a fine football player
37:08but jack ham and andy russell
37:11were great football players
37:15jack lambert was a fine football player
37:20nine like eight time old pro jack lambert was a fine football player
37:24but andy russell who's never going to the hall of fame
37:28is a is a is a great football player
37:31jack ham's a great football player
37:33so is jack lambert
37:37what is that cte
37:42and i think jack ham was the best outside linebacker that i ever played against
37:49in the 60s and the 70s jack ham
37:51was the best linebacker i ever saw
37:54bar none
37:56middle or outside jack ham was the best
37:58and it is intercepted
38:00there's an intercutter by jack ham
38:02a lot of people say
38:03there are not many ever better than jack ham
38:09inside or outside linebacker
38:11he was better than him
38:13i disagree
38:14lt was just a pass rush
38:15jack ham
38:16played the game of football
38:18he tackled
38:19he intercepted
38:20he was great in coverage
38:21he was great on the pass rush
38:23there was nothing he couldn't do
38:28in pittsburgh's defense
38:30the linebackers didn't target the passer
38:32they covered the passer's targets
38:34the strength we had
38:36was assisting the defensive backs
38:38in the in the passing game
38:39we didn't come off the field
38:41you know when it was third and down
38:43in our obvious passing situation
38:44we were out there playing
38:48jack ham and andy russell
38:50and myself all played in the 220 range
38:52and we had to be able to run
38:54we could play defenses
38:56that other teams
38:57just couldn't even think about playing
39:00pittsburgh's backers
39:01combined for 25 pro bowls
39:03and played their best
39:05in the biggest games
39:06i played them in the super bowl
39:07in the rollins
39:08and the week before
39:09they had played the oakland raiders
39:11before that
39:11and i think the oakland raiders
39:12had gained 21 yards rushing
39:14and i said i'll tell you what
39:14we'll rush for more than 21 yards
39:16against the steelers
39:17you know how many yards
39:18we rush for in the super bowl
39:2017
39:2217 yards
39:23against the steelers defense
39:26there's never been a better threesome
39:28there's never been guys
39:29who interlock together
39:31whose talents complemented each other
39:32i don't think any linebacker
39:34in court history
39:34even compares to those guys
39:36but success can be
39:38a double-edged sword
39:39the steelers fielded
39:41nine hall of famers
39:42and sent an annual parade
39:44of defensive players
39:45to the pro bowl
39:45they were protected well
39:47by joe green
39:48and dwight white
39:49lc greenwood
39:52that's a pretty good
39:53defensive line
39:54for those linebackers
39:54to be playing with
39:55it's all about super bowls
39:56they won a lot of super bowls
39:58and when you win a lot of super bowls
40:00you get a lot of notoriety
40:01coming up
40:02why we picked a team
40:03that never won a super bowl
40:05as our number one
40:06all-time linebacking corps
40:07i mean i think you could
40:08stay there any good
40:10the number one
40:11linebacking corps of all time
40:15the crew that i liked the most
40:17i happened to play against
40:19was the new orleans saints
40:20ordinarily when you have
40:21a linebacker you have one
40:22two maybe if you're really
40:23lucky three that were as
40:24dominant as they were
40:26but they had four
40:27new orleans dome patrol
40:29featured ricky jackson
40:30sam mills
40:31vaughn johnson
40:32and pat swilling
40:32each reached at least
40:34four pro bowls
40:35and in 1992
40:36our number one
40:37linebacking corps
40:38was the only corps
40:39to ever send
40:40four backers
40:41in the same year
40:42two of them are hall of famers
40:44and pat swilling
40:46was a dpoi
40:48who had over 100 sacks
40:51i think pat swilling was dpoi
40:53yeah he was
40:5491
40:56well that had never happened before
40:57but if you watched that defense play
41:00and you watched those guys play
41:01i mean every one of them deserved it
41:03hey new quarterback there baby
41:05it's worth tonight man
41:06when teams had to prepare
41:08to go into that dome
41:09they were scared to death
41:10of that linebacker corps
41:13i hated playing against the saints
41:15their defense was very violent
41:17i mean i mean the giants had great linebackers
41:20but the saints linebackers
41:21i thought was by far the best linebacker group
41:24in the nfl
41:27the outside linebackers are your pass rushers
41:29so you get ricky jackson
41:30who had incredible strength
41:32and you get pat swilling
41:34who had incredible speed and quickness
41:35coming off the edge
41:36they were a great group
41:38ricky jackson was a 14 year veteran
41:40and the team's original tough guy
41:42if i was ever in a situation
41:44where i needed to defend myself
41:46and i could pick one guy
41:48that i've ever coached
41:49would be ricky jackson
41:52no knee pads
41:53no thigh pads
41:54he's just a raw football player
41:57ricky was very underrated
41:59ball came loose
42:00saints have it
42:01in 1987
42:02the saints provided jackson
42:04with a complimentary yellow jacket
42:05georgia tech's pat swilling
42:07pat swilling was your classic
42:10up the field pass rushing
42:11outside linebacker
42:13yeah we're gonna be on top of marino
42:14today too
42:15the ball was snapped
42:15i mean he was so explosive
42:17coming off that edge
42:18you put him on that artificial turf
42:21he's hit by swilling
42:22bumbles the ball
42:23it's picked up by the saints
42:24will score
42:26swilling was around guys
42:27and on the quarterback
42:28in a lot of cases
42:28before the tackle ever moved
42:34come on let's take it off
42:36stop this drive
42:36huh
42:38inside linebacker sam mills
42:39stood just 5'9
42:41but played like a giant
42:42sam mills looked like tattoo
42:44i kept looking around
42:45for mr roark
42:46thought i was on fantasy island
42:47he was short but he was not small
42:50and he would get up under guys
42:52and just rock them
42:55sam mills was an absolute genius
42:57student of the game
42:59he ran the show
43:00i remember a game
43:01sam called every single play
43:03we were running
43:04watch it joker
43:05swing swing
43:07redraw
43:08i got it baby
43:09i got it
43:09sam mills was the best football player
43:11i ever coached
43:12because he was everything
43:13that you wanted in a player
43:17reminder jim moore coached
43:19peyton manning
43:20so
43:22that says a lot about
43:23if he thinks sam mills is the best
43:26he ever coached
43:31work ethic leadership
43:33preparation
43:34he achieved
43:35as close to his potential
43:37as any player that i've ever
43:39been around or coach
43:40third down has the ball taken out of his hands
43:42by sam mills
43:42he'll score
43:43that's an awesome play
43:46like mills
43:47vaughn johnson went from
43:49usfl cast off
43:50to nfl all pro
43:52if you lined up those four guys
43:54and you'd say
43:55which guy most looks like an nfl linebacker
43:58it would be vaughn johnson
43:59he was just a maniac
44:00i mean this guy was a
44:01physical physical football player
44:04that was a guy that came out of the usfl
44:07that no one knew about
44:09that it took about three plays
44:12roger craig
44:14is arguably the best
44:15all-around running back
44:16in the nfl at this time
44:17and about the third play of the game
44:20he goes man
44:21i don't know who that dude is
44:22i don't want you to let him hit me anymore today
44:25he says that guy hurts
44:30i can't believe what people are going to have a new orleans group
44:32i mean to me they're just another bunch of curtain jerkers
44:34to compare them to the
44:35stealer linebackers is ridiculous
44:37re-refresh my memory
44:38did they ever play in a playoff game
44:40actually
44:40played at three
44:42you buffoon
44:44they did
44:45deon
44:46he lateraled
44:47three times
44:48it's a touchdown
44:49and lost all of them
44:50i mean how can you say they're any good
44:53the fact that
44:56they were good
44:59there are
45:00all four of them were
45:02multiple time pro bowlers
45:04and how can you say they were any good
45:07notice
45:08all of the nfl players
45:10and former players
45:11and former coaches
45:12asked
45:13about this group
45:14praised them
45:15and some slob behind
45:19spends his time on the radio
45:22behind a microphone
45:24doesn't think they're that good
45:25i wonder whose opinion i value more
45:33guys like this guy were the reason wcw went out of business
45:36and he's talking about the saints
45:42they never won a playoff game
45:44had nothing to do with them
45:45and running in for a touchdown
45:47is harry gallum
45:48they didn't have
45:49the chief's defensive line
45:51pittsburgh steelers defensive lines
45:54they really had to make plays
45:56and people got on them pretty quick
45:59the saints are the only team on our list not to appear in a super bowl
46:03so why all the love
46:05for the saints first 20 years in new orleans the sky was always falling
46:09this is the dangest thing i've ever seen in a football game right here
46:12but after 20 years without a winning season
46:15the saints never had a losing season
46:17in the six years our number one linebacking corps was together
46:21i can't name a single defensive lineman
46:25or defensive back who was playing with them
46:29they were the only good players on that team
46:34and to be that good
46:36and they had no support
46:37that's impressive
46:42stop short of the goal line
46:44the saints are winners for the first time in 21 years
46:47they combined for 13 trips to the pro bowl
46:50but only once in those six years
46:53did another saint defender accompany them
46:55it's it's not about size
46:57and it's not about speed
46:59it's about how you execute
47:00how you fit in
47:01how those puzzle pieces fit into a hole
47:04and they did
47:05i think that they executed about as good
47:08as any linebacking crew
47:10that i've ever seen or played against
47:15i'd certainly vote for them to be the number one linebacking corps of all time
47:19i mean i know this team never won a playoff game
47:22but when they were good enough for us to win a super bowl
47:24they're going to be a real factor this year in the playoffs
47:27they could be the super bowl team
47:30if they had an offense
47:31they would have won two or three super bowls in the 80s
47:37though pittsburgh kansas city new york and chicago all have strong cases for number one
47:42they also have much stronger supporting casts
47:45and we think it's time for the saints to finally win something
47:49and the saints have done the unthinkable
47:53the nearly impossible
47:55they may not have gotten their super bowl
47:57but they do now have a title
47:59the saints are our number one linebacking corps of all time
48:03such as if we can deÄŸil
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