Linebacker U

Al A Bama

Hall of Fame
Jun 24, 2011
6,658
934
132
Help my failing memory, please: Who were the linebackers on the 1992 defense?

ditto on the props for Mike Hall that someone said earlier.

Oh, for those who are talking about Jordan, it's Lee Roy, not Leroy. I think :smile:
What ever happened to Mike Hall? Wasn't he a Tarrant High School grad. If not dementia is possibly setting in. I guess I could be mistaken.

As far as Leroy or Lee Roy, I just can't remember but in the ranking in the article posted, they posted his name as Leroy, I think?!.
 

Nolan

Hall of Fame
Jul 4, 2006
5,591
679
137
Oahu
They can call PSU "Linebacker U" if they want. Probably makes them feel better. We are "National Championship U." We've had better players, too, and more of them.

My starting 4 LBs would be DT, Biscuit, CJ, and Ro.
 

TouchThatThang

All-SEC
Feb 8, 2014
1,161
0
0
Surprised Mosley didn't get more mentions. In terms of production, he gave us four good seasons one, three of them outstanding. He was the best LB in CFB his last two seasons.
 

USCBAMA

All-SEC
Sep 21, 2001
1,860
105
182
Columbia, SC, Richland
I asked my dad, who saw all of these play. Without hesitation he said Jordan was the best defensive player to step foot on the Capstone (dad was in school with Jordan at Bama so he may be biased).

Of the ones I saw play, IMO Bennett was the best, with Thomas a very close second.
 

IGetBuckets

Suspended
Jan 13, 2014
368
0
0
I have seen many of them, and imo, Derrick Thomas was the best PLAYER ever at UA. Joe, Don Hutson, Marlow, Hannah, and many others are close, but I think DT was the best
 

BigBama76

Suspended
Oct 26, 2011
1,002
0
0
Atlanta, GA
I asked my dad, who saw all of these play. Without hesitation he said Jordan was the best defensive player to step foot on the Capstone (dad was in school with Jordan at Bama so he may be biased).

Of the ones I saw play, IMO Bennett was the best, with Thomas a very close second.
I know it can seem difficult to compare players from one era to another but I'd have to agree with your dad.

Lee Roy Jordan not only played LB on defense, he played Center on offense. He also made 31 tackles in ONE game against Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl, which was a shutout, (17-0). Lest not forget he played 14 years in the pros and was part of what is considered one of the greatest LB corps in NFL history where his nickname was "killer" and he was the defensive team captain.

Coach Bryant said if the runners stayed between the sidelines, Lee Roy would “get ’em.” Among other superlatives from Coach Bryant, that's a pretty good endorsement.

The biggest difference when comparing players today against players around Lee Roy Jordan's day would be size but he was a 220lb LB, which isn't that small even by today's standards. However, there's not that much difference in LB sizes today versus Lee Roy Jordan's day, he was undersized then as well. The biggest size difference is in O linemen and D linemen. I don't think there is a speed differential, or if there is it's marginal and could go both ways.
 
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USCBAMA

All-SEC
Sep 21, 2001
1,860
105
182
Columbia, SC, Richland
I know it can seem difficult to compare players from one era to another but I'd have to agree with your dad.

Lee Roy Jordan not only played LB on defense, he played Center on offense. He also made 31 tackles in ONE game against Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl, which was a shutout, (17-0). Lest not forget he played 14 years in the pros and was part of what is considered one of the greatest LB corps in NFL history where his nickname was "killer" and he was the defensive team captain.

Coach Bryant said if the runners stayed between the sidelines, Lee Roy would “get ’em.” Among other superlatives from Coach Bryant, that's a pretty good endorsement.

The biggest difference when comparing players today against players around Lee Roy Jordan's day would be size but he was a 220lb LB, which isn't that small even by today's standards. However, there's not that much difference in LB sizes today versus Lee Roy Jordan's day, he was undersized then as well. The biggest size difference is in O linemen and D linemen. I don't think there is a speed differential, or if there is it's marginal and could go both ways.
He also says Jordan was the hardest hitting player he ever saw, and that you could hear the pop of his hits from the stands.

Personally I was at the Bama-UT game in Knoxville when Bennett ran down the UT speedster from behind on a reverse, one of the better plays I've ever seen live.
 

gtgilbert

All-American
Aug 12, 2011
3,168
4,046
187
Help my failing memory, please: Who were the linebackers on the 1992 defense?

ditto on the props for Mike Hall that someone said earlier.

Oh, for those who are talking about Jordan, it's Lee Roy, not Leroy. I think :smile:
Lemanski Hall and Antonio London outside - both had decent pro careers.

Derrick Oden and Micheal Rodgers inside - till Rodgers was hurt, then Mario Morris. Oden played in the NFL for a few years. Rodgers was a solid player and started as a soph; if not for the car wreck he was in he might have played on sundays
 
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tidefanbeezer

All-American
Sep 25, 2006
3,292
204
87
46
Atlanta, GA
Can I take Derrick Thomas and 3 Derrick Thomas clones? ;)

I'd probably have my 4 at:
DT
Jordan
Biscuit
McClain

Really, pair any 3 with DT and I'll take it.

Some of my personal favorites that aren't on the list:
Dwayne Rudd
Saleem Rasheed
Marvin Constant
Freddie Roach
Derrick Pope
 

Bamagator

Scout Team
Jan 12, 2000
147
0
135
I also would like to mention an underrated, under-appreciated Thomas Boyd (#90, I think). Had 19 tackles against Notre Dame in 1980. Career - 324 tackles, 120 tackles in 1980. Super solid.

Wayne Davis was excellent from 1983-86; he played along some other guy that wasn't too shabby so he gets overlooked. He had 24 tackles against Texas A&M in 1985, 125 tackles that season, 327 for his career.
 

BigBama76

Suspended
Oct 26, 2011
1,002
0
0
Atlanta, GA
I think outside of the linemen there's a huge speed differential. Lineman are slower now, but that's to be expected.
I thought so too at one time until I started seeing the 40 times. I played LB in HS at a small 2A school in the early 70's and ran a 4.6 40 with hand-me-down football cleats but I wasn't even in the top 10 on our team. Even at a small school I played against some future Bama and Auburn All-Americans that were a lot faster than I was. One guy I grew up with was clocked at below 10.0 in the 100m his first and only outdoor track meet.

We used to watch old Bama game film in the old student Union when I was at UA and I'll say before he hurt his knees, Joe Namath is the fastest QB I've ever seen, including the likes of Michael Vick.
 

TiderJack

Hall of Fame
Jul 9, 2010
12,232
6,265
187
Inverness, AL
I also would like to mention an underrated, under-appreciated Thomas Boyd (#90, I think). Had 19 tackles against Notre Dame in 1980. Career - 324 tackles, 120 tackles in 1980. Super solid.

Wayne Davis was excellent from 1983-86; he played along some other guy that wasn't too shabby so he gets overlooked. He had 24 tackles against Texas A&M in 1985, 125 tackles that season, 327 for his career.
Thomas Boyd was great player. He would not make my top 6-7. He would be great in the HUNH era with his speed. Davis was good also but would rate him behind Boyd. Interesting that I have not seen any Barry Krauss mentions.
 

RollTide1224

All-American
Feb 18, 2008
2,385
87
67
Spartanburg, SC
Surprised Mosley didn't get more mentions. In terms of production, he gave us four good seasons one, three of them outstanding. He was the best LB in CFB his last two seasons.
Yeah, if he had even average hands he might have broken Langham's Int return for td record. He probably would've been high up on the all time interception record for Bama as well.
 

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