Great NFL Linebackers Who Are Not in the Hall of Fame

There are many great pro linebackers who are enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. But there are quite a few more who are not, but who probably should be. I will try to mention just a few of them in this episode of this podcast.

Those linebackers who have at least a decent argument for their inclusion into the hallowed halls of Canton include – in my opinion – Mike Curtis of the Baltimore Colts, the Seattle Seahawks, and the Washington Redskins: Bill Bergey of the Cincinnati Bengals and the Philadelphia Eagles; Tommy Nobis of the Atlanta Falcons, Phil Villapiano of the Oakland Raiders and the Buffalo Bills, and Lee Roy Jordan of the Dallas Cowboys.

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Mike Curtis

Let’s briefly take a look at each of these linebackers. Mike Curtis was a prototypical middle linebacker who was the spirit leader of Baltimore’s defense during the late 1960s and the early 1970s. Curtis intercepted 25 passes and recovered nine fumbles during his 14-year pro career.

He played in four Pro Bowl games and was named as an All-Pro twice. He also was a member of the 1970 Super Bowl V Champion Baltimore Colts. Probably the only thing that is keeping Curtis from the Hall of Fame is the fact that he did not make more All-Pro teams.

Bill Bergey

Bill Bergey is similar to Curtis. He was a spirit leader of every defense that he played on. Like all good linebackers of his era, Bergey played with a chip on his shoulder. He loved to hit his opponents. Be it running backs, quarterbacks, offensive linemen…it didn’t matter.

Bergey would try to level every one of them. He intercepted 27 passes in his NFL career. That’s a lot of thefts for a middle linebacker. He was an All-Pro five times, and he played in five Pro Bowls. The only thing that may be keeping him out of the Hall of Fame might be his lack of a Super Bowl ring.

Tommy Nobis

Tommy Nobis was an old school type of middle linebacker. He was one of the toughest to ever play the position. He enjoyed a wealth of fame even before he played his first game in the NFL.

Nobis won the Maxwell award, the Outland trophy, the Knute Rockne trophy, and was a consensus All-American out of the University of Texas in 1965. In the pros, Nobis is credited with 1,688 tackles, 12 interceptions, and 13 fumble recoveries. He was named as an All-Pro twice, and he played in five Pro Bowls. He unfortunately never played in a playoff game in the NFL.

Phil Villapiano

There has been a recent push among grassroots fans to get the Hall of Fame voters to take a closer look at the career of Bowling Green State University grad, Phil Villapiano. Unlike Nobis, Villapiano did not receive a lot of notoriety in the college ranks.

But Villapiano was a natural at the outside linebacker position. He had the speed to drop back into covering tight ends and setbacks coming out of the offensive backfield. He also enjoyed forcing running plays on the outside. Villapiano intercepted 11 passes in his career and he played in four Pro Bowl games. He also helped the Raiders achieve the ultimate victory in Super Bowl XI.

Lee Roy Jordan

Lee Roy Jordan may well have been the greatest middle linebacker in Dallas Cowboys history. He was the play caller on the Doomsday Defense, and his experience and leadership was second to none in the NFL during the early 1970s.

Jordan played in five Pro Bowls, was a valuable member of Dallas’ Super Bowl VI World Championship team, and he intercepted 32 passes. 32 passes! From the middle linebacker position?!? That’s really an incredible number. Jordan played 14 seasons in the NFL, and his steady influence helped to make the Cowboys one of the most competitive teams in his era.

Conclusion

There is a chance that maybe someday, one or more of these outstanding pro linebackers will one day receive enshrinement in the Pro Football Hall of Fame through the Hall’s Veterans Committee. I don’t know if they will, but we can always hope.

Trivia Question:

Which one of the linebackers mentioned in this podcast episode actually tackled a fan when he ran onto the field during a game?

As always, thanks for checking out the many great sports podcasts from many great sports podcasters on the Sports History Network!

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Host of Pro Football in the 1970s - Joe Zagorski

Throughout his days, Joe spent some time as a sportswriter and has been a member of the Pro Football Researchers Association since the mid-1980s. Joe is also a proud member of the Pro Football Writers of America.

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