Best Michigan Linebacker ever?
September 16th, 2009 at 4:51 PM ^
Jarrett Irons is still the school's all time career tackling leader.
However for Personality and over all Michigan Man - I'm still a huge Larry Foote fan.
September 16th, 2009 at 4:53 PM ^
ill always like David Harris
September 16th, 2009 at 5:04 PM ^
Harris
http://www.cmarket.com/auction/item/Item.action?id=91161175
Irons
http://www.cmarket.com/auction/item/Item.action?id=89305880
Foote
http://www.cmarket.com/auction/item/Item.action?id=68350528
What about the old timers. The guy I was arguing with tried to pull Ron Simpkins and Calvin O'Neal out of the bag. They are the 4th and 10th highest on the career tackles list at Michigan.
Could also argue our only Butkus Award winner Erick Anderson who is #2 on career tackles list and, as I stated, has the only Butkus Award in UM history.
September 16th, 2009 at 5:25 PM ^
Started all 4 years under Bo and then played for the Bengals. He was the only 4 year starting Linebacker I can recall. Erick Anderson would be my second choice.
September 16th, 2009 at 9:11 PM ^
Good call, Simpkins was really good. Erick Anderson was one of the toughest LBs UM has ever had. Another old school pick would be John Anderson. He played OLB so his tackle totals aren't as high, but he was an all-american who also had a decent pro career. Real good player.
September 16th, 2009 at 9:35 PM ^
Erick Anderson was a beast. He was the epitome of a linebacker and was as good of a tackler as I ever saw.
Also, didn't Trevor Pryce play DE? He played there at Clemson and in the NFL.
September 16th, 2009 at 11:10 PM ^
John Anderson also punted as I recall. Funny seeing a big linebacker with the multibar facemask making punts.
September 16th, 2009 at 4:56 PM ^
David Bowens
September 16th, 2009 at 4:57 PM ^
Sam Sword
September 16th, 2009 at 5:39 PM ^
3rd all-time in tackles for the Wolverines, plus he was on the 1997 nc team.
September 16th, 2009 at 4:59 PM ^
with Ian Gold. I can't help but wonder if he was just a bit before his time when it comes to playing LB at Michigan. He seems to fit the current mold of smallish, fast, and athletic as opposed to the older dinosaur mold. I think he would be a monster in the current scheme. He was still darn good anyway.
Disclaimer...I was a freshman in '97, so my knowledge only goes back really to the mid to early 90s.
September 16th, 2009 at 5:01 PM ^
Carl Diggs
September 16th, 2009 at 5:01 PM ^
Victor Hobson did have a great name.
September 16th, 2009 at 5:06 PM ^
Defense Career Top 20 'Tackles'
# Name Tack Ast Tot TFL Yds Sack Yds PBU FR FF From To
1 Jarrett Irons 296 133 429 107 64 19 4 4 1993 1996
2 Erick Anderson 286 104 390 87 40 6 4 1 1988 1991
3 Sam Sword 265 105 370 24.0 88 5.0 33 5 3 3 1995 1998
4 Ron Simpkins 262 153 415 141 19 11 7 3 1976 1979
5 Steve Morrison 220 95 315 43 8 8 3 1 1990 1994
6 Mike Boren 212 120 332 19 0 5 2 2 1980 1983
7 Mike Mallory 211 110 321 35 21 12 4 2 1982 1985
8 Paul Girgash 206 146 352 34 14 10 1 1 1979 1982
9 Victor Hobson 205 72 277 41.0 155 14.5 80 4 2 4 1999 2002
10 Calvin O'Neal 180 145 325 45 0 16 0 4 1974 1976
11 Curtis Greer 179 88 267 212 59 3 3 2 1976 1979
12 Andy Cannavino 175 114 289 49 3 10 4 2 1977 1980
13 Mark Messner 173 75 248 335 242 2 5 4 1985 1988
14 Garland Rivers 172 61 233 19 10 11 1 2 1983 1986
15 Andy Moeller 170 91 261 40 23 3 3 1 1983 1986
16 James Grant 165 67 232 56 32 14 5 1 1986 1989
Dhani Jones 165 82 247 33.0 128 12.0 81 3 0 1 1996 1999
18 Gregory Morton 162 106 268 117 0 3 3 1 1974 1976
19 Tom Hendricks 156 66 222 14.0 59 2.0 12 12 1 2 1996 1999
20 Tripp Welborne 153 74 227 50 30 8 2 3 1987 1990
September 16th, 2009 at 5:05 PM ^
Anderson
September 16th, 2009 at 5:06 PM ^
dude was a beast... and he had a great stache
Beast stats: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Messner
Mustache: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_JrB9fpNy-yE/RhmhCPHXvDI/AAAAAAAAAI4/yFPHKLjAE…
September 16th, 2009 at 5:08 PM ^
He's a DT.
Check out this picture of him though. BEAST!!!
http://www.cmarket.com/auction/item/Item.action?id=91161065
September 16th, 2009 at 5:11 PM ^
Look at the number of TFLs that Foote had in 2001. He was third in the nation, with 26- a Michigan record. Was also BigTen defensive player of the year.
http://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/football/fballam/aafoote.htm
September 16th, 2009 at 5:15 PM ^
Yo, Jarrett Irons, I'm really happy for you, I'ma let you finish, but Sam Sword was one of the best Michigan linebackers of all time! Of all time!
September 16th, 2009 at 5:28 PM ^
I second the Sam Sword vote. That guy dominated in the middle, and he was an intimidating force in his junior and senior years.
September 16th, 2009 at 5:36 PM ^
He didn't stay but ....Trevor Pryce
September 16th, 2009 at 5:37 PM ^
Ridiculous linebacker name. When I think of Michigan defenses of the '90s, Irons is the first name to come to mind after Woodson.
Maybe it's because I was young and wasn't as aware of mistakes, but Irons was a beast and seemed to always make the right play. Better than Gold, Foote, Sword, etc.
Anderson and Steve Morrison are up there too. For anyone who's actually watched Michigan football for more than a decade, I think Irons is the clear winner.
September 16th, 2009 at 5:38 PM ^
Irons was great, too. Steve Morrison was good.
Simpkins was before my time.
Sword, Jones, Gold Hobson, Foote and Harris? I like them all, but hard to put those guys in the "greatest of all time" debate unless your only frame of reference is 1997 on. That said, my frame of reference is 1987 on, so who am I to talk.
September 16th, 2009 at 5:40 PM ^
Dhani fuckin Jones. The bow tie speaks for itself.
September 16th, 2009 at 6:23 PM ^
Gotta agree. Besides the bow tie, we've got the hair, the creative writing major, the pre-med classes, all adding up to one of the most unique guys to step on the field. And a great hitter!
September 16th, 2009 at 6:30 PM ^
he just never missed tackles and made a shitload of them....i am hoping just a bit of his football IQ could rub off on this year's LB corps....as he was a genius and a badass mo-fo all bundled into one...
September 16th, 2009 at 6:44 PM ^
The Wolfback.
Does Wolfback count as linebacker?
I like Larry Foote in recent years.
September 16th, 2009 at 6:55 PM ^
Not a game most of us want to see - the '95 loss to Northwestern - but it's Woodson's freshman year and a lot of other good ones are in there too. Irons, Steele, Swett, Feazill, Tim B., Riemersma, Toomer, Mercury, etc.
edit: forgot Rod Payne. Man what an "All Name" defense. Can you imagine having to go against a D with guys named (phonetically) Iron, Steel, Pain, and Sweat?? Killer.
September 16th, 2009 at 6:51 PM ^
The best I've ever seen is David Harris. Note, I am a young wolverine so I can't really say hes the greatest of all time.
September 16th, 2009 at 7:10 PM ^
not really in best ever category, but in that 06 season, he was a monster. Fast to the ball and he put people down. Oh to have someone like Harris in the middle now ...
September 16th, 2009 at 7:56 PM ^
I can't believe we're all forgetting Jonas Mouton.
September 16th, 2009 at 7:59 PM ^
very tough. hard to separate anderson, irons and morrison as pure run stuffers. foote, although great from sideline to sideline, would get blown out a lot on runs up the middle. david harris, imo, was the most underrated LB i ever saw.
September 16th, 2009 at 9:13 PM ^
Ernest Shazor
September 17th, 2009 at 5:41 PM ^
Wasn't he?
September 17th, 2009 at 2:12 AM ^
No linebacker represents the school better then Foote. I love his attitude, true blue inside and out.
September 17th, 2009 at 2:39 AM ^
Larry Foote is the best I've seen in my adult life. He was everywhere his senior season, and always seemed to be making a huge play or TFL.
David Harris is a close second, especially since he's a Grand Rapids native.