Clay Matthews & Doug Dieken H.O.F. worthy?

The Gipper

The following is unofficial. Apparently tackles were not kept track of by the league until 1994, but before that, each team kept their own stats, so these must have been cobbled together from those stats. I can't even really give you a proper source for this, as it came off of a blog that I found:

PlayerPositionTacklesTeamsFirst YearLast Year

1.Jessie Tuggle LB 1,640 Falcons1987

2. Ray Lewis LB 1,573 Ravens1996

3.Clay Matthews LB 1,561 Browns, Falcons 1978

4.Junior Seau LB 1,524 Chargers, Dolphins, Patriots 1990

5.Kyle Clifton LB1,468 Jets 1984

6.London Fletcher LB 1,378 Rams, Bills, Redskins1998

7.Derrick Brooks LB 1,301 Buccaneers 1995

8.Hardy Nickerson LB 1,271 Steelers, Buccaneers, Jaguars, packers 1987

9.Eugene Robinson DB 1,250 Seahawks, Packers, Falcons, Panthers 1985

10.Darryl Talley LB 1,190 Bills, Falcons, Vikings1983

11.Chris Spielman LB 1,181 Lions, Bills 1988

12.Rickey Jackson LB/DE 1,173 Saints, 49ers1981

13.Darrell Green DB 1,159 Redskins 1983

14.Dennis Smith DB 1,152 Broncos 1981

15.Mike Johnson LB 1,146 Browns, Lions 1986

16.Sam Mills LB1,142 Saints, Panthers 1986

17.Donnie Edwards LB 1,133 Chiefs, Chargers 1996

18.Ken Norton LB 1,130Cowboys, 49ers 1988

19.Ronnie Lott DB 1,113 49ers, Raiders, Jets 1981

20.Zach Thomas LB 1,106 Dolphins, Cowboys 1996

Edited to highlight HOFers

mjp28

And how many of the above were current or senior inductees to the HOF? #3 certainly stands out on that list.

.......edit add the only other BROWN LB Mike Johnson.

The Gipper

I think my above list also shows some disparity on if you play MLB vs. OLB. Chris Spielman has more total tackles than Rickey Jackson.....but Jackson makes the HOF because of his sack numbers. And you don't see Kevin Greene or Haley or Doleman on that tackles leader list.

mjp28

@the-gipper said:

I think my above list also shows some disparity on if you play MLB vs. OLB. Chris Spielman has more total tackles than Rickey Jackson.....but Jackson makes the HOF because of his sack numbers. And you don't see Kevin Greene or Haley or Doleman on that tackles leader list.

And the quality of teams/defense they played on, schemes, era etc. but still a decent overall snapshot of LBs.

The Gipper

@mjp28 said:

And the quality of teams/defense they played on, schemes, era etc. but still a decent overall snapshot of LBs.

Matthews played on teams/defenses as good as Rickey Jackson's Saints, as did Spielman.

mjp28

@the-gipper said:

Matthews played on teams/defenses as good as Rickey Jackson's Saints, as did Spielman.

Happens a lot great players on lousy teams tend to get overlooked sometimes until the senior voting..... 1960 Dallas 1976 TB 1982 Baltimore 2008 Detroit 2017 Cleveland.

Tour2ma

@nickers said:

Clay yes.. Diek.. not so much

Ditto...

Put Jerry Sherk on the "Deserving" list.

nickers

@tour2ma said:

Ditto...

Put Jerry Sherk on the "Deserving" list.

Walter Johnson was pretty badass also.. Hell... that whole unit was a surly lot...A Dline of Sherk,Johnson,Jones .. I know I'm forgetting somebody...Alzado ....Dayum.. That wasnt a bad haul on defense...

Zombo

@nickers said:

Walter Johnson was pretty badass also.. Hell... that whole unit was a surly lot...A Dline of Sherk,Johnson,Jones .. I know I'm forgetting somebody...Alzado ....Dayum.. That wasnt a bad haul on defense...

Lots of different guys tried at DE, but we were always solid in the middle with Johnson and Sherk.

Should held on to Jack Gregory, he was a good one.

nickers

Zombo said:

Lots of different guys tried at DE, but we were always solid in the middle with Johnson and Sherk.

Should held on to Jack Gregory, he was a good one.

If My memory serves right.. Jack Gregory became part of Mia (Shula's) No name defense...

Zombo

@nickers said:

If My memory serves right.. Jack Gregory became part of Mia (Shula's) No name defense...

No he had a long career with the Giants. Came back to the Browns for one season at the end of career.

There was a former Brown that played for that Dolphin defense ... Matheson?

Z

nickers

Zombo said:

No he had a long career with the Giants. Came back to the Browns for one season at the end of career.

There was a former Brown that played for that Dolphin defense ... Matheson?

Z

Yup Matheson was it.. I think he was part of the Warfield trade to haul in Phipps..

The Gipper

Zombo said:

No he had a long career with the Giants. Came back to the Browns for one season at the end of career.

There was a former Brown that played for that Dolphin defense ... Matheson?

Z

The 53 defense which I believe Miami ran was name after Matheson's number. Here is a blurb on it:

Several teams adopted the “53 defense” that the perennial champion Miami Dolphins instituted part time which saw DT Bill Heinz replaced with LB Bob Matheson, who wore #53, and could rush the passer as well as drop back into coverage. This change from 3 linebackers to 4 linebackers clogged the underneath passing routes. Many teams that were desperate for a winner went for this new tactical defensive adaptation of the old’50’s “Oklahoma” Bud Wilkinson defense full time. The 3-4 was just the old “Wilkinson 5-2” which had the two ends take their hand off the ground and become trackers.