- Lawrence Taylor
Lawrence Julius Taylor (born February 4, 1959, in Williamsburg, Virginia), commonly referred to as LT, is a retired Hall of Fame American football player. Taylor played his entire professional career as a linebacker for the New York Giants in the National Football League (NFL). He is often considered to be one of the greatest defensive players in the history of football, and has been called the greatest defensive player of all time by media members, …
- Ray Lewis
2001, 2003, 2004, 2006Ray Anthony Lewis (born May 15, 1975 in Bartow, Florida) is an American football linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens of the NFL. He was the first linebacker to win Super Bowl MVP since 1971. He posted 44 tackles, two interceptions, one fumble recovery, nine pass deflections, and a touchdown in the Ravens' four game playoff run. Lewis has been named to the Pro Bowl eight times and has been an All-Pro seven times including five first team selections.
- Dick Butkus
Dick Butkus (born December 9, 1942 in Chicago, Illinois) is a former American football player and actor. Butkus starred as a football player for the University of Illinois and the Chicago Bears. He was best known for his punishing tackles. Terry Bradshaw once claimed Butkus to be "a killer on the field, but an angel sent by God from heaven above off the field".
- Hugh Green
Hugh Donell Green (born July 27, 1959 in Natchez, Mississippi) is a former American Football linebacker in the National Football League. He played for eleven seasons from 1981 to 1991 for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Miami Dolphins. He is considered to be one of the greatest linebackers in Buccaneers history. Green had a stellar college football career as a defensive end for the University of Pittsburgh Panthers in the late 1970s where he was a three-time All-American.
- Ted Hendricks
Theodore (Ted) Paul Hendricks (born November 1, 1947 in Guatemala City, Guatemala) was an American football linebacker for the 1968 to 1973 Baltimore Colts (now Indianapolis Colts), 1974 Green Bay Packers and the 1975 to 1983 Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders.
- Brian Urlacher
Brian Keith Urlacher (born May 25, 1978) is an American football player for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. Urlacher, a five-time Pro Bowl player, has established himself as one of the NFL's most productive linebackers. He is regarded as one of the best defensive players in the NFL, winning the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award in 2000 and the NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2005, …
- Tedy Bruschi
Tedy Lacap Bruschi (pronounced BREW-ski) (born June 9, 1973 in San Francisco, California) is an American football linebacker for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. He is of Filipino and Italian descent.
- Jack Lambert
John Harold "Jack" Lambert (July 8, 1952, Mantua, Ohio, United States) is a former NFL linebacker in American football. He played football with Kent State, winning two-year All-Mid-American Conference linebacker honors. He won four Super Bowls with the Pittsburgh Steelers and established himself as one of the best linebackers in the history of the NFL.
- Jack Ham
Jack Raphael Ham, Jr. (born December 23, 1948 in Johnstown, Pennsylvania) is a former American Football linebacker who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He is considered one of the greatest outside linebackers in the history of the NFL. He attended Bishop McCort High School in Johnstown, Pennsylvania followed by Massanutten Military Academy in Woodstock, Virginia for a post graduate season.
- Bill Parcells
Duane Charles "Bill" Parcells (born August 22, 1941 in Englewood, New Jersey), nicknamed "The Big Tuna", is a retired American football head coach, last coaching the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. Parcells owns two Super Bowl rings with wins in Super Bowl XXI and Super Bowl XXV. He announced his fourth retirement from football on January 22, 2007
- Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson (born July 15, 1957 in Pasco, Washington) is a former professional American football player who played linebacker for eight seasons for the Seattle Seahawks.
- Derrick Brooks
Derrick Dewan Brooks (born April 18, 1973 in Pensacola, Florida) plays professional football for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. Brooks, an outside linebacker, starred at Washington High School in Pensacola and later at Florida State University, where he was a four-year letterman and was first-team All-American his senior year. He was selected in the first round of the 1995 NFL Draft by Tampa Bay.
- Sam Mills
Samuel Davis Mills, Jr. (June 3, 1959 - April 18, 2005) was an American football linebacker who played twelve seasons in the National Football League for the New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers. Sam Mills was born in Neptune, New Jersey and attended high school in Long Branch, New Jersey. Mills was a standout football player at Long Branch High School, which honors him to this day by hanging his high school jersey and his NFL jersey in the school gym.
- A. J. Hawk
Aaron James Hawk (born January 6, 1984 in Centerville, Ohio) is an American football linebacker for the Green Bay Packers of the NFL. A two-time All-American in college, he played for Ohio State University. He is 6'1" and 247 pounds (1.85 m, 112 kg), ran the 40 in 4.42 seconds at his Pro Day, 395 pound bench press, and has a 37 inch (94 cm) vertical leap.
- Joey Porter
Joey Eugene Porter (born March 22 1977 in Bakersfield, California) is an American football linebacker who currently plays for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third round (73rd overall) of the 1999 NFL Draft. He played collegiately at Colorado State.
- Kevin Greene
Kevin Darwin Greene (born July 31, 1962 in Schenectady, New York) is a former American football linebacker who played in the NFL for 15 years and who retired after the 1999 NFL season.
- Charles Haley
Charles Lewis Haley (born January 6, 1964, Lynchburg, Virginia) is a former American Football Linebacker/Defensive End who played for the San Francisco 49ers (1986-1991, 1999) and the Dallas Cowboys (1992-1996). He was drafted in the fourth round of the 1986 NFL Draft out of James Madison University. A versatile defensive player, Haley began his career as a specialty outside linebacker, eventually progressing to pass-rusher and finally full-fledged defensive end.
- Randy White
Randy Lee White (born January 15, 1953 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) was an American football player. He attended the University of Maryland from 1971-1974, and played professionally for the Dallas Cowboys from 1975-1988. He is a member of both the college and professional football halls of fame.
- Antonio Pierce
Antonio Pierce (born October 26, 1978 in Long Beach, California) is an American football middle linebacker on the NFL's New York Giants. Pierce stands 6'1" and weighs 240 lb. He played his high school football at Paramount High School in Paramount, CA. He played two years of football at Mount San Antonio College in Walnut, California, before transferring to the University of Arizona. As a senior at the University of Arizona, he had 3 sacks, 77 tackles (10 for losses), …
- Andra Davis
Andra Davis [pronounced Andre] (born December 23, 1978 in Live Oak, Florida) is an American football linebacker who currently plays for the NFL's Cleveland Browns. He is currently the team's starting strong-side inside linebacker. Davis was drafted by the Browns out of the University of Florida with the sixth pick in the fifth round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He led the NFL in tackles during the 2005 season.
- Lofa Tatupu
Mosiula Mea'alofa Tatupu (born November 15, 1982 in Plainville, Massachusetts) is an American football linebacker for the Seattle Seahawks. He was selected in the second round of the 2005 NFL Draft out of the University of Southern California. As a rookie in 2005, he was named to the Pro Bowl, while leading the NFC Champion Seahawks in tackles, with 104. He also had four sacks and three interceptions, …
- Mike Singletary
Michael Singletary (born October 9, 1958 in Houston, Texas) is a former linebacker in American football who played his entire career for the Chicago Bears in the NFL, after starring in college at Baylor University, whose team is also known as the Bears. While with the Bears, Singletary was known as "The Heart of the Defense" for the Monsters of the Midway in the mid-1980s. His nickname is Samurai Mike.
- Chuck Noll
Charles Henry Noll (born January 5 1932) is a former professional American football player and coach, most notably the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League from 1969 to 1991. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Noll attended Benedictine High School where he played running back and tackle, winning All-State honors. He won a football scholarship to the University of Dayton. Noll was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in 1953, …
- Chuck Howley
Chuck Howley (born June 28, 1936 in Wheeling, West Virginia) was an American football linebacker who spent most of his career with the Dallas Cowboys.
- Mike Vrabel
Michael George Vrabel (born August 14, 1975 in Akron, Ohio) is an American football linebacker for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. Vrabel has been with the Patriots since 2001, after spending four seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He recently extended his contract with the Patriots through 2009.
- Ken Norton
Kenneth Howard Norton, Jr. (born September 29, 1966 in Lincoln, Illinois) is a former American football linebacker who spent 13 years playing in the NFL. Ken Norton Jr. was the #51 49er that ended Napoleon McCallum's career, bending Napoleon's leg a way the human body never should bend. Norton Jr., a graduate of Westchester High School in California, went on to obtain his bachelor's degree in sociology at UCLA, …
- Bobby Bell
Robert Lee Bell, Jr (born June 17, 1940, in Shelby, North Carolina, USA, is a former collegiate and professional American football linebacker/defensive end. He excelled in several sports at a then-segregated Cleveland High School. At the University of Minnesota, he was named an All-American and the winner of the 1962 Outland Trophy and the nation's outstanding interior lineman.
- Andre Tippett
Andre Bernard Tippett (born December 27, 1959, in Birmingham, Alabama), is a former American football linebacker who played for the New England Patriots of the NFL. He went to the University of Iowa, where he was an All-American.
- Clay Matthews
William Clay Matthews, Jr. (born March 15, 1956 in Palo Alto, California) is a former American football linebacker who played for the Cleveland Browns and the Atlanta Falcons. He played 19 seasons and 278 games in the NFL (third most in NFL history). Matthews was drafted by the Browns out of the University of Southern California with the 12th pick in the first round of the 1978 NFL Draft. Clay was a four time Pro Bowler for Cleveland.
- Keith Rivers
Keith Rivers (born May 5, 1986) is an American football linebacker from Lake Mary, Florida.
- Rosevelt Colvin
Rosevelt Colvin, III (born September 5, 1977 in Indianapolis, Indiana) is an American football linebacker for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. Colvin attended Broad Ripple High School (same high school attended by David Letterman) in Indianapolis. As a senior, in football, he was a first-team All-State pick, an All Marion County Player, …
- Levon Kirkland
Lorenzo Levon Kirkland (born February 16, 1969) is a former linebacker in the NFL. A second-round draft choice of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1992, he went on to play 11 years in the NFL including 9 seasons with the Steelers, and one each for the Seattle Seahawks and the Philadelphia Eagles. Kirkland was a massive inside linebacker, just 6-1 but weighing anywhere from 275-300 pounds during his career. Yet, he had great speed and agility for a big man.
- Shawne Merriman
Shawne Merriman (born May 25, 1984 in Upper Marlboro, Maryland) is an American football outside linebacker for the San Diego Chargers of the NFL.
- Harry Carson
Harry Carson (born November 26, 1953) is a former NFL football inside linebacker who played his entire career for the New York Giants in the NFL (1976-1988). His hometown is Florence, South Carolina. He played at McClenaghan High School and later at Wilson High School. Carson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006.
- Wahoo McDaniel
Edward "Wahoo" McDaniel was a Choctaw-Chickasaw Native American who achieved fame as a professional American football player and later as a professional wrestler.
- Willie McGinest
William Lee McGinest, Jr, (born December 11, 1971 in Long Beach, California), is an American football linebacker for the Cleveland Browns.
- William Thomas
William Thomas (born August 13, 1968 in Amarillo, Texas) is a former American football linebacker for the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles (1991 - 1999) and Oakland Raiders (2000 - 2001) franchises. Thomas attended Palo Duro High School and later played college football in Texas A&M University. After college, the Philadelphia Eagles selected Thomas in the fourth round, 104th overall in the 1991 NFL Draft. He will later played for the Eagles in nine NFL seasons.
- Willie Lanier
Willie Edward Lanier (born August 21, 1945, in Clover, Virginia) is a former American football middle-linebacker who played for the Kansas City Chiefs from 1967 through 1977. He won postseason honors for eight consecutive years, making the American Football League All-Star team in 1968 and 1969 before being selected to the Pro Bowl from 1970 through 1975. He was inducted into Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1986.
- Chuck Bednarik
Charles Philip Bednarik (born May 1, 1925 in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania) is a former professional football player, known as one of the most devastating tacklers in the history of football and the last two-way player (excluding Deion Sanders who played offense and defense for the Dallas Cowboys in 1996, he filled in for the suspended Michael Irvin) in the National Football League.
- Marvin Lewis
Marvin Ronald Lewis (September 23, 1958) has been the head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League since January 14, 2003. Lewis is the only head coach in Bengals history who has not experienced a losing season and, in 2005, led the Bengals to their first winning season and division title in 15 years.