There are many safeties who can lay declare to the title of best of all time, however one factor is for certain: Nothing adjustments the sport on protection like a ball-attacking or hard-hitting pressure within the defensive backfield.
Having a protected, high quality recreation has at all times been very important, however within the fashionable NFL, as passing assaults have grown exponentially, there has by no means been a better want for elite defenders on the last degree of the protection.
The historical past of the league is filled with good safeties, however this roster has them enhance securities.
Here are the ten best safeties in NFL historical past.
10.LarryWilson
Wilson joined the St. Louis Cardinals in 1960, the crew with which he would play all 13 years of his soccer profession. In that point, he collected 52 interceptions, made 14 fumble recoveries and 7 defensive touchdowns.
Best identified for among the finest security blitzes of all time, Wilson collected 21 sacks in his profession. He, together with Charles Woodson, are the one gamers to have 50 or extra interceptions to associate with 20 or extra sacks.
Over the course of his profession, Wilson has amassed eight Pro Bowl honors and 5 first-team All-Pro honors. And notably, in 1966, he had interceptions in seven consecutive video games.
9. Willie Wood
It’s stunning to suppose again, however Wood was by no means drafted and needed to request a tryout with the Green Bay Packers to even make the crew. Wood turned a starter earlier than his sophomore season and by no means relinquished that position for Green Bay, taking part in his whole 12-year profession with the crew. Patrolling the sector, he had 48 profession interceptions and was additionally in a position to gather 16 fumble recoveries throughout his 12-year profession. He led the league in interceptions in 1962, with 9.
Ultimately, Wood made eight Pro Bowls, was chosen First or Second Team All-Pro 9 occasions and performed in six championship video games with the Pack, going 5-1 in these video games.
8. Cliff Harris
Despite not being chosen in any of the 17 rounds of the 1970 draft, Harris was a turnover magnet, gathering 29 interceptions and 18 fumble recoveries throughout his profession. Additionally, Harris additionally threw quite a few interceptions in all 10 seasons he performed within the NFL, together with his single-season excessive of 5 coming throughout his 1977 season, when he was chosen to the Pro Bowl, incomes honors as First-Team All-Pro and helped the Dallas Cowboys win the Super Bowl.
Harris performed for the Cowboys in all 10 of his NFL seasons, incomes six consecutive Pro Bowl nominations, three First-Team All-Pros and two Super Bowl titles. All instructed, he ended up taking part in in 5 totally different Super Bowls in his profession with Dallas.
7.Brian Dawkins
Unyielding confidence was in Brian Dawkin’s DNA, and he finally managed 36 makes an attempt throughout his 16-year profession. Dawkins performed nearly all of his profession with the Philadelphia Eagles, the place he’s nonetheless tied for the crew document with 34 interceptions. During his 13-year tenure with the Eagles, he was chosen to seven Pro Bowls, 4 first-team All-Pro groups and positioned third within the 2002 Defensive Player of the Year. Dawkins can be a part of an unique membership defensive finish within the NFL, being certainly one of solely 5 gamers in NFL historical past to throw 35 interceptions and gather 20 sacks over the course of his profession.
6. Ken Houston
One of essentially the most electrical gamers with the ball in his fingers, Houston held many data which have solely lately been damaged. In 1971, he set a then-NFL document with 5 nonoffensive touchdowns in a single season, together with 4 coming from pick-sixes. This lasted till 2006, when Devin Hester scored six non-offensive touchdowns for the Chicago Bears. His ball abilities had been evident even with out counting landing returns, grabbing 31 interceptions in his first seven seasons and ending with 49 for his profession.
Houston break up his profession together with his first six years with the Houston Oilers and the final eight with Washington. Over the course of these 14 seasons, he was chosen to 12 consecutive Pro Bowls, earned two first-team All-Pro nominations and completed his profession with 9 defensive touchdowns.
5. Troy Polamalu
One of one of the best safeties ever and a dominant pressure within the twenty first century, Polamalu was a turnover machine. Over the course of his profession, he led the Pittsburgh Steelers in interceptions seven occasions, together with 4 consecutive seasons from 2008 to 2011. He spent his whole 12-year profession with the Steelers, serving to the crew to seven playoff appearances in these 12 seasons and successful two Super Bowls in these seven locations.
Polamalu was chosen to eight Pro Bowls throughout his profession, obtained 4 First-Team All-Pro honors and received NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2010 together with his seven interceptions. Additionally, he was additionally named to the NFL’s All-Decade Team for the 2000s and chosen to the Steelers All-Time Team.
4. Emlen Ton
Another takeaway machine, Tunnell has 79 interceptions in his profession, second-most in NFL historical past. However, the sport did not finish with the choose for him: He additionally put up 1,282 return yards from these interceptions, which was a document on the time and stood for 4 a long time, however now ranks fifth general the occasions.
Tunnell performed most of his profession with the New York Giants, earlier than ending it with the Green Bay Packers the final three seasons. Over the course of his profession, Tunnell made 9 Pro Bowl appearances, 4 First-Team All-Pros and, extra impressively, completed with greater than 5 interceptions in every of his first 10 NFL seasons.
3. Paul Krause
The definition of a turnover machine, Krause was a relentless situation for opposing offenses. Krause holds the all-time NFL document with 81 interceptions over his 16-year profession, together with three touchdowns. He wasted no time, incomes 12 picks in his rookie season, together with a ridiculous streak during which he earned a choose in seven straight video games. He finally completed with a number of interceptions in 15 of his 16 seasons.
Krause was drafted by Washington, finally spending simply 4 seasons with the crew earlier than being traded to the Minnesota Vikings in 1968, the place he would play the ultimate 12 seasons of his profession. Over the course of his profession, Krause made eight Pro Bowls, three First-Team All-Pros and completed with six defensive touchdowns to his title.
2. Ed Reed
Easily thought to be certainly one of, if not essentially the most, expert move rushers in league historical past, Reed instilled concern in each opposing quarterbacks and offensive playcallers. The main defensive playmaker, he has essentially the most interception return yards in NFL historical past, totaling an absurd 1,590 interception yards. Additionally, he additionally received Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2004 when he put collectively a league-leading 9 interceptions, together with a well-known 106-yard interception return landing towards QB Jeff Garcia and the Cleveland Browns. At the time, that was the longest interception return in NFL historical past.
Over the course of his 12 seasons, 10 of which got here with the Baltimore Ravens, the star security earned 9 Pro Bowl nominations, 5 First-Team All-Pros and a complete of 64 interceptions, seventh-most in NFL historical past. He additionally helped lead the Ravens to seven playoff berths, culminating with their solely Super Bowl title in 2012.
1. Ronnie Lott
Lott is obvious and presents one of the best safety of all time. The dynamic, hard-hitting security was identified for shelling out ferocious photographs and creating turnovers. It all began with the leap, with Lott hauling in three interceptions for touchdowns, changing into solely the second rookie in NFL historical past on the time to take action. Lott was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in 1981, instantly incomes a First Team All-Pro nod, a Pro Bowl nod and ending sixth within the MVP race as a defensive rookie. That efficiency additionally helped the Niners declare the Super Bowl title that very same yr.
Notably, Lott started taking part in security in 1985, earlier than transferring to the place full-time the next season. In his profession, he received 4 Super Bowls, earned six First-Team All-Pros, 10 Pro Bowls, led the league in interceptions twice, and completed his profession excessive with 63 interceptions, eighth most of all of the occasions.
Honorable Mentions:
- Steve Atwater
- Kenny Easley
- John Lynch
- LeRoy Butler
- Donnie Shell
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