ES Chalk Talk Discussion: Greatest Redskin Linebackers of All Time

[KDawg]

With the 80th Anniversary team being announced, I thought it would be interesting for ES to take it's own poll on who we think the greatest linebackers of all time are. Due to the influx of the 3-4 defense, and not wanting to exclude anyone, I figured we could pick the top four (in a public poll) and see who has the most votes at the end of this thing.

Some of the old timers I had a hard time getting statistics for, but I don't want to do a whole lot of talking in the OP, just some numbers and then I'll let everyone else take over. I'm going to hold my vote for a bit myself to see if anyone else has some solid reasoning, but I definitely have four I'd pick right now

LaVar Arrington (2000-2005) 78 G, 22.5 sacks, 3 INT, 6 FF, 7 FR, 321 tackles

Monte Coleman (1979-1994) 215 G, 43.5 sacks, 17 INT, 2 FF, 14 FR, 999 tackles

Chuck Drazenovich (1950-1959) 113 G, 15 INT, 9 FR

Chris Hanburger (1965-1978) 187 G, 19 INT, 17 FR

Ken Harvey (1994-1998) 74 G, 41.5 sacks, 1 INT, 13 FF, 6 FR, 326 tackles

Sam Huff (1964-1969) 66 G, 12 INT, 6 FR

Wilber Marshall (1988-1992) 80G, 24.5 sacks, 12 INT, 13 FF, 7 FR, 621 tackles

Harold McLinton (1969-1978) 127 G, 4 INT, 6 FR

Neal Olkewicz (1979-1989) 150 G, 12 sacks, 6 INT, 15 FR

Rusty Tillman (1970-1977) 107 G

London Fletcher (2007-current) 89 G, 7.5 sacks, 8 INT, 8 FF, 5 FR, 517 tackles

Andre Collins (1990-1994) 75 G, 18.5 sacks, 8 INT, 3 FF, 2 FR, 579 tackles

Kurt Gouveia (1987-1994, 1999) 130 G, 3.5 sacks, 7 INT, 0 FF, 1 FR, 573 tackles

Marvcus Patton (1995-1998) 64 G, 11.5 sacks, 6 INT, 6 FF, 2 FR, 403 tackles

Make sure to respond and create discussion. I'm tired about talking about the current product and its state. Let's have some fun with guys who did great things for us!

[KDawg]

Boss_Hog,

Any reasoning as to why you chose those four? (I don't think you can go wrong with any of the choices, to be honest!) Just curious

[Boss_Hogg]

[Alcoholic Zebra]

Chris Hanburger's accolades are insane. He's considered one of the best pass rushing linebackers of all time, too bad he didn't play in an era where they recorded sacks. But just a quick copy pasta...

- Elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011
- 9× Pro Bowl selection (1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976)
- 4× First-team All-Pro selection (1972, 1973, 1975, 1976)
- 2× Second-team All-Pro selection (1969, 1974)
- 8× First-team All-Conference (1968, 1969, 1970, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976)
- 1972 NFL 101 NFC Defensive Player of the Year

I'm also not positive, but I think he was responsible for making the clothesline sack illegal in the NFL. That was his signature takedown move.

[KDawg]

I'm learning that many don't follow the spirit of the thread

You're supposed to choose four (many have chosen one) AND you're supposed to reply with why! Come on! Make this fun instead of a silly poll

---------- Post added November-8th-2012 at 10:28 AM ----------

Chris Hanburger's accolades are insane. He's considered one of the best pass rushing linebackers of all time, too bad he didn't play in an era where they recorded sacks. But just a quick copy pasta...

- Elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011
- 9× Pro Bowl selection (1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976)
- 4× First-team All-Pro selection (1972, 1973, 1975, 1976)
- 2× Second-team All-Pro selection (1969, 1974)
- 8× First-team All-Conference (1968, 1969, 1970, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976)
- 1972 NFL 101 NFC Defensive Player of the Year

Thank you for the post AZ!! Hanburger was an absolute monster. I've seen bits and pieces of him on TV and in DVDs on the 'Skins and I always came away extremely impressed with his field presence and his ability to play the game.

[The Full Monty]

Monte Coleman was a class act, my dad met him one time at the airport and was a total gentleman. I was too young too appreciate the man's career, but it appears others were not.

I do recall being 10 years old and Monte's last season was Norv Turner's rookie season as Head Coach, and that was the year we lost every single home game. Good one Norv.

[pjfootballer]

Hanburger for the obvious stats posted above. I said Ken Harvey because despite being on some bad teams, he was the best player on defense for us. I chose Wilbur Marshall. The reason I did was because despite him not being a Redskin for a long time, his immediate impact for the time he was here was shown. He could flat out play and I would nominate him as the best "free agent" pickup of all time. I was torn between Fletcher, Huff and Coleman as my last choice. I chose Fletcher because up until this year, he's played at the top of his game. When Huff got here, he was not considered elite and his career was on the downswing. I didn't choose Coleman only because he was a part time player for alot of his career.

So mine are:

Hanburger
Harvey
Marshall
Fletcher

[LD0506]

Coleman, Hanburger, Huff and Fletcher- all for their production on the field but the other intangibles they brought to the team and game as well.

[KDawg]

Not that I would do it, but no one is looking at Andre Collins #'s and realizing he was actually more productive than London Fletcher in a lot of ways?

I KNOW Collins didn't have the leadership ability that London has, and that certainly counts. But just curious as to why he seems to be getting the shaft

[stevemcqueen1]

Coleman, Hanburger, Huff and Fletcher- all for their production on the field but the other intangibles they brought to the team and game as well.

That's the four I settled on too. I ended up going with Hanburger. He did it at a super high level for a long time for us. You can't get better than that. Coleman's longevity is amazing, but I think Hanburger's peak was higher.

Huff didn't play enough games for us to really overtake those two IMO. Probably the greatest linebacker to ever play as a Redskin, but no the greatest Redskins linebacker--if that makes sense.

I kind of penalize Fletcher for the same. Though he enjoyed the best individual years of his career with us, he made a lot of his bones in St. Louis and Buffalo.

It's hard to believe Fletcher has already played in more games than Lavar though. For one thing, the time with Fletcher has flown by, it's unfortunate he had to be on some of our worst teams ever. It also seemed like Lavar was here forever, but looking back, he really flamed out quick. Maybe not noticing how long a guy has been here is a sign of great play.

[pjfootballer]

Not that I would do it, but no one is looking at Andre Collins #'s and realizing he was actually more productive than London Fletcher in a lot of ways?

I KNOW Collins didn't have the leadership ability that London has, and that certainly counts. But just curious as to why he seems to be getting the shaft

I think because of his quiet demeanor on and off he field. He had a short career and although his stats look productive from a tackling perspective he was not known as an impact player. I'm not sure, that's all I got.

I'm suprised alot of people are picking Sam Huff. He was a better player with the Giants and was starting to regress with us.

[skins4eva]

Awesome thread--I went only with players I actually watched--so Marshall, Fletcher, Harvey Coleman. I loved, loved, loved watching Ken Harvey play. All you could see behind his face mask were the whites of his eyes. He used to feast on the QB during our division games against the Cardinals. Great LB.

---------- Post added November-8th-2012 at 11:56 AM ----------

I think because of his quiet demeanor on and off he field. He had a short career and although his stats look productive from a tackling perspective he was not known as an impact player. I'm not sure, that's all I got.

I'm suprised alot of people are picking Sam Huff. He was a better player with the Giants and was starting to regress with us.

I don't think many of us saw him play, so most people are probably picking him based on his HOF status.

[Veretax]

Wow I'm the first to Vote for Kurt Gouveia... That guy was a monster especially during that last SB season

Other than Kurt I chose Coleman, Collins, Hanburger and Harvey

[DC9]

Damn... I meant to click on Monte Coleman but I clicked on Andre Collins by accident.

[NIKKI8]

I chose Harvey (the best pass rushing linebacker I ever saw as a Redskins and the classiest player I ever met), Colemon (A true Redskin, he was all about the team during the Gibbs years), Hanburger(very underrated throughout his career and a well deserved trip to the HOF) & Olkewicz(another underrrated player who brought it on every play, a rock in the middle).