Editing Linebacker (section)

=== Modern Super Bowl era ===
On January 15, 1967, the Chiefs lost [[Super Bowl I]] to Vince Lombardi's [[Green Bay Packers]] by a 35–10 score, forcing [[head coach]] [[Hank Stram]] to look for defensive players in the upcoming draft. Stram picked [[Willie Lanier]]. 

[[Chicago Bears]] linebacker [[Dick Butkus]] is viewed as the "gold standard by which other middle linebackers are measured".<ref name="Davis">{{cite news |last1=Davis |first1=Nate |date=November 4, 2010 |title=Who is NFL's greatest player ever? NFL Network reveals No. 1 Thursday night |url=http://content.usatoday.com/communities/thehuddle/post/2010/11/who-is-nfls-greatest-player-nfl-network-reveals-no-1-thursday-night/1 |access-date=July 25, 2017 |work=USA Today}}</ref> In 2009, the [[NFL Network]] named Butkus the most feared tackler of all time.  
[[File:Ray Lewis 2007.jpg|thumb|140px|left|Ray Lewis]]
[[Jack Lambert (American football)|Jack Lambert]] and [[Jack Ham]] played behind the [[Steel Curtain]] of the 1970s, and Lambert was recognized by the [[Pro Football Hall of Fame]] in 1990 as "the greatest linebacker of his era." Colts and Raiders linebacker [[Ted Hendricks]] won 4 Super Bowls and in 2019 the ''NFL Football Journal'' named him the best punt and kick blocker of all time.

Bears linebacker [[Mike Singletary]] was known as "the Heart of the Defense" for their [[Monsters of the Midway]] defense in the mid-1980s. New York Giants linebacker [[Lawrence Taylor]] is almost universally regarded as the greatest defensive player of all time.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mori |first=Dan |date=October 25, 2010 |title=NFL Power Rankings: Top 50 Greatest Defensive Players In NFL History |url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/492690-the-top-50-greatest-defensive-players-in-nfl-history |access-date=2024-06-17 |website=Bleacher Report |language=en}}</ref>

Baltimore Ravens linebacker [[Ray Lewis]] is considered one of the greatest linebackers of all time.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Karpovich |first=Todd |date=2022-08-04 |title=Ravens Ray Lewis Named Greatest Linebacker of All-Time |url=https://www.si.com/nfl/ravens/news/ravens-ray-lewis-greatest-lb |access-date=2024-07-30 |website=Sports Illustrated Baltimore Ravens News, Analysis and More |language=en}}</ref> Lewis has the most [[Pro Bowl]] selections by a linebacker with 13. With 12 is former Chargers linebacker [[Junior Seau]], and with 11 is former Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker [[Derrick Brooks]].

Bears linebacker [[Brian Urlacher]] led his team in sacks in 2000, and led his team in interceptions in 2007.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.profootballhof.com/players/brian-urlacher/ | title=Brian Urlacher &#124; Pro Football Hall of Fame }}</ref> In 2013, Panthers linebacker [[Luke Kuechly]] became the youngest recipient of the [[AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award]] in its history.