1. Rod Woodson, FS/SS, Pittsburgh Steelers- Woodson was a beast for his time. He has 71 interceptions at the safety position with is good for 3rd place in NFL history. His tackling ability was a plus, but wasn't necessarily what he was known for. He was more of a coverage guy but he did force quite a few humbles with those open field helmet-helmet hits, 20 forced fumbles in his career to be exact. People also forget that he was a formidable return ma
n in Pittsburgh, actually leading the league in yards per return, with 27.3 in 1989.2. Jon Lynch, SS, Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Lynch along with Steve Atwater and Darren Woodson may very well be the best safety and hardest hitting safety ever. Dolling out concussions, Lynch was a serious force against the run and passes over the middle in the 1990's and early new millenium, he has been to 9 pro bowls and was twice a first team All-Pro. He finished his carrer with 740 tackles, 16 forced fumbles , and 26 interceptions out of the Strong Safety position. He lasted a long time and I think he still has plenty in the tank, but it looks like his career is over after he didn't play a down in 2009.
3. Reggie White, DE, Green Bay Packers- Reggie was an absolute bear, and he led the league in sacks twice, and throughout his 15 year career only fell below 11 sacks three times. He was feared by John Elway, Vinn Testaverde, Steve Young and Dan Marino--all getting some serious hits--maybe Drew Bledsoe the most. He's second all time with 198 sacks, and is one of the best defenders in the hall of fame.
4. Ray Lewis, MLB, Baltimore Raves- For a long time, the player I hate most, "Dirty Ray" was consistently in the top five in tackles and was 3/4 of the Ravens extremely good defense in the early 2000's. He's a 9 time Pro Bowler and a 6 time First Team All Pro and twice one Defensive Player of the year and a 2000 Super Bowl MVP award to go along with that sexy resume. Like I said, I hate him, he's a frequenter of strip clubs and murdered a black man outside of one of them with a knife--but still, he's definitely one of the bets ever.
5. Zach Thomas, MLB, Miami Dolphins- A 7 time Pro Bowler and a five time First Team All Pro, Thomas has had quite a career and just keeps on chugging away. With his sister married to Jason Taylor, Zach's best friend, the two were a scary force for most of the late 90's and then early 2000's. He's a fast guy, and is fourth all time in Non-Offensive Touch Downs, quite polite touch downs actually. Joke aside, Thomas is one of the best every and is going down in history as a sure fire Hall of Famer.
6. Brian Urlacher, MLB, Chicago Bears- Urlacher was converted from safety to middle linebacker when he was drafted by the Bears. He's been a turn-over machine collecting forced fumbles and interceptions gamely, actually having the most of any active linebacker. He's also collected 37.5 sacks, a ridiculous number for a Middle Linebacker. He's still just 30 years old and has plenty left in the tank but is already a 6 time Pro-Bowler and a 4 time first team All-Pro, pretty impressive considering he's only played eight seasons in the NFL. The Beast and the heart of th
e Bears' Defense, he, Mike Brown, Lance Briggs and now Craig Steltz will be bashing heads and collecting turn- overs well into the future.7. Ed Reed, SS/FS, Baltimore Ravens- Reed is the new Rod Woodson, and even though he' hideously ugly, looking like a cross between The Toxic Avenger and Howard Stern's Beattle Juice, Reed has been picking off opposing quarterbacks for eight seasons now. He has already twice led the league in picks and has only had less than 5 once! He's an absolute animal and is probably already a lock for the Hall of Fame.
8. Ty Law, CB, New England Patriots- The Pat's defense was really cool when Ty Law and Lawyer Milloy were laying down the law in Boston. He's a five time Pro-Bowler and a two time First Team All-Pro, and led the league in interceptions twice. His tackling ability was top notch and he was a huge part of the Pat's Super Bowl run. He's super good and he's still chugging although it looks like 2009 could be his last year.
9. Junior Seau, MLB, San Diego Chargers- Seau has been around forever, 18 years now and as one of the fastest linebackers ever, is a 12 time Pro-Bowler and a 6 time All-Pro. His longevity is what Eddy Murray's was in Baseball, or even Hank Aaron's, and is absolutely incredible for holding up as a linebacker for that long. He and Bryce Paup were a force in
the 90's and were always favorites of John Madden.10. Warren Sapp, DT, Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Michael Strahan just missed this list, but Warren Sapp was an essential part of it. The bets defensive tackle ever in my opinion, he revolutionized the position turning it from a fat-guy-hole-filler to a position that could grab some sacks with the ends. He also could run a 4.4 40 yard dash which is absolutely incredible for a 400 pound guy. He had 16.5 sacks in 2000, a number that is untouchable by any other defensive tackle, ever. He's ranked 28th in his career for sacks, but first among defensive tackles and was a 7 time pro-bowler and 4 time First Team All-Pro- considering the play of Simeon Rice and Chris Hovan during this time that's pretty effing good! Oh, and the fat man is also hilarious.
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