NFL Films: Jack Lambert

Source:NFL Films- with a piece in 2010 about Pittsburgh Steelers LB Jack Lambert.

"Pro Football Hall of Fame wide linebacker Jack Lambert comes in at number 29 on NFL Films' "The Top 100: NFL's Greatest Players" list produced in 2010." 

From NFL Films

I don't want to put Jack Lambert in the same conversation as Dick Butkus other than to say after Butkus, I think Jack Lambert is great MLB in the NFL, at least up until Ray Lewis came up with the Baltimore Ravens in the mid 1990s. I think Dick Butkus is the greatest not just middle/inside LB ever, but I have Butkus down as the great LB ever, if not defender ever in the history of American football. But Jack Lambert would be like the next guy after Butkus, at least when it comes to middle/inside LB's. 

At Jack Lambert's biggest, you are talking about a guy who even though he was 6'5, never weighed more than 220 pounds. And 220 pounds was small NFL LB, perhaps especially inside LB even in the 1970s. And then Lambert was 6'5 and taller then most NFL defensive lineman back then, so he seemed even smaller and skinner because he was so tall and playing middle linebacker in the NFL. 

Despite Jack Lambert's lack of weight, no one seemed to be able to block him. And people could say that's because of the great defensive lineman in front of him, but NFL lineman couldn't block him either, fullbacks couldn't block him, tailbacks and fullbacks couldn't break his tacklers. So Lambert was obviously a lot stronger than he appeared. 

Jack Lambert was also so quick, I mean we're not talking about a blitzing LB who blitzed most of the time he was in there like a rush end whose a hybrid DE/OLB, whose in there mostly to pressure the QB. We're talking about a MLB who because of the Steelers great defensive line and pass rush, didn't blitz much, at least in the mid 1970s before the offensive rule changes, which meant their linebackers had to play pass defense and either drop back in zones, or pick up a running back or tight end coming out for a pass. And similar to Dick Butkus, Jack Lambert was great as both as run defender or pass defender. 

Putting any NFL defender, perhaps especially linebackers in the same conversation as the Monster of the Midway Dick Butkus, is saying a helluva lot. But Jack Lambert was really that good. And if you are doing a debate or conversation about the best NFL defenders ever, not just linebackers and Jack Lambert is not in that conversation, you need to do a lot more homework and get a lot more education about the history of the NFL. And not just rely on things that you see on ESPN other sports websites, because they're mostly interested who are the best players today and don't take NFL history very seriously, if at all.