100 Years of NFL: The Defensive Tackles Quiz

Answer: White

Selected as the second overall pick in the 1975 NFL Draft, Randy White made himself a Hall-of-Fame career with the Dallas Cowboys for fourteen seasons. Originally placed at middle linebacker, Randy White was moved to right defensive tackle in the 1977 season.

This was a prestigious spot to be in as it previously belonged to "Mr. Cowboy", Bob Lilly. It also proved to be the right choice for the team - White had an amazing season capped with an MVP performance in Super Bowl XII. It also marked the first of nine Pro Bowl selections for White.

He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1994.

Answer: Buck

Buck Buchanan was a huge defensive tackle. Not only because of his career, Buck Buchanan stood 6' 7" tall and weighed 270 lbs. with explosive speed and amazing ability to stop the run. He was drafted by the AFL's Kansas City Chiefs in 1963 out of Grambling State College in Louisiana, the first player from that college to be drafted in the first round. He was, also, the first African-American player to be drafted first overall in professional football.

Buck Buchanan was a talented tackler and his speed gave him great mobility across the field. He was also very durable, at one time appearing in 66 straight games in one of the more punishing positions on the field. Buck Buchanan was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1990. Unfortunately, a week before his induction he was diagnosed with lung cancer due to his smoking habit. He passed away about two years later.

Answer: Dallas Cowboys

Bob Lilly was drafted thirteenth overall in 1961 by the Dallas Cowboys, their first ever draft pick. In fact, they had to trade up with the Cleveland Browns in order to get him. Lilly was originally slotted at defensive end, however, in 1963 he was moved to the defensive tackle position, a more suitable position for him. This started the Cowboys' 'Doomsday Defense' and the Cowboys began to dominate in the NFL. In fact, they made the Super Bowl in 1970 but lost on a last minute field goal by the Baltimore Colts. In frustration, Lilly tossed his helmet into the air where the act was captured on television.

In 1971, the Cowboys returned to Super Bowl VI where they destroyed the Miami Dolphins 24-3. Bob Lilly was instrumental in that game recording a sack on Dolphin quarterback Bob Griese that was a Super Bowl-record 29 yards. In his fourteen-year career, all with the Dallas Cowboys, Lilly made the Pro Bowl eleven times. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1980.

Answer: San Francisco 49ers

The San Francisco 49ers were a fledgling franchise and they used their first ever draft pick to get Leo Nomellini out of Minnesota with the 11th overall pick. Nomellini would go on to play in fourteen seasons for the Niners and made the Pro Bowl ten times in that period.

As a player in the NFL of the 50s and 60s, Nomellini played on both sides of the ball and was an outstanding tackle. Teammate Joe Perry said that Nomellini was so strong "he'd slap you on the back and knock you twenty feet." Nomellini was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1969 mostly for his defensive aptitude.

Answer: He was small for his position

John Randle was a defensive tackle who played for fourteen seasons in the NFL, eleven with the Minnesota Vikings as well as three with the Seattle Seahawks. When he retired, he had the most sacks ever as a defensive tackle (all those who were ahead of him were defensive ends). However, he almost didn't play in the NFL. Considered too small at 6'1" and too underweight at 244 lbs., Randle was undrafted in the 1990 NFL Draft. His older brother played at that time for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and got him a tryout as a free agent, but the Bucs passed on him too. However, the Vikings gave Randle an opportunity, and agreed to sign him on the condition that he reach 250 lbs. On the weigh-in day, Randle had topped out at 244 lbs. and actually hid an iron chain in his clothing to get him over the cutoff weight. Once Randle started playing, however, all talk of his not fitting the position went out the window.

Randle had a career 137.5 sacks (leading the league in 1997) and made seven Pro Bowls. The quarterback he sacked the most, Brett Favre, held him in high regard. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2010.

Answer: Be chosen as the NFL Most Valuable Player

Alan Page was drafted out of Notre Dame in 1967 with the 15th overall pick by the Minnesota Vikings. He played fifteen seasons in the NFL, twelve with the Minnesota Vikings and three more with the Chicago Bears. As a Viking, Page was a part of the "Purple People Eaters" defensive line which terrorized opposing quarterbacks. Despite this dominance, the Vikings never won a Super Bowl with Alan Page on the team, however, they did win the NFL Championship in 1969 in Page's third season.

In 1971, Alan Page was so dominant that the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award was created and he was the inaugural recipient. He was also the first defensive player named as the league MVP that same year. In his career, Page scored three defensive touchdowns and unofficially recorded 148½ sacks. He was selected for the Hall of Fame in 1988.

After his NFL career, Alan Page went on to have a successful law career and eventually became a judge on the Minnesota Supreme Court. In 2018, Page was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Answer: Reports of failed drug tests

Warren Sapp was both strong and quick on his feet. A college teammate of his once said that "Warren has the power of a Cortez Kennedy and the quickness of a Russell Maryland." In fact, the offence often double or even triple-teamed Sapp in order to contain him long enough so that their quarterback would have a chance of completing the play.

He was selected in 1995 by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the 12th overall pick despite being projected to go much higher. Anonymous reports were circulated the day before the draft that he had failed multiple drug tests while at the University of Miami. Nevertheless, the Bucs gambled on Sapp and it paid off.

He gave the Bucs nine amazing seasons and a Super Bowl win in 2003 (XXXVII). He played for four more seasons in Oakland as a Raider and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2013.

Answer: 14

Merlin Olsen was such a standout player that in his rookie season, 1962, he was not only named Rookie of the Year but was also selected for the first of fourteen Pro Bowls, consecutively. This set the NFL record for consecutive selections which has been matched since then.

In his career with the Rams, Olsen was a part of the famous front line called the "Fearsome Foursome" and they harassed many a quarterback and stuffed many runs. Throughout his fifteen seasons, Olsen only missed two games in one of the most punishing positions.

He was selected to the Hall of Fame in 1982 meaning that the only trophy to elude him was the Lombardi Trophy (the Rams never even made it to the Super Bowl with Olsen).

Answer: Big Daddy

Eugene Allen Lipscomb was a football tackle who went undrafted but was picked up by the Los Angeles Rams in 1953. He played football at Camp Pendleton when he was a part of the US Marines, a short drive away from Los Angeles, and he made an impression on the scouts. After three seasons with the Rams, "Big Daddy" Lipscomb was traded to the Baltimore Colts where he made his first two Pro Bowl appearances and also won two NFL Championships. He played five seasons for the Colts and signed as a free agent with the Pittsburgh Steelers where he played for two more seasons and made one more Pro Bowl.

Sadly, Gene Lipscomb's career was cut short when he passed away from a drug overdose right before the 1963 season. He was only 31 years old, and this is probably why he has not been selected for the Hall of Fame.

Answer: Steel Curtain

"Mean" Joe Greene was a defensive tackle for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1969 to 1981. Selected by new head coach Chuck Noll, Greene immediately made an impact in his rookie season and led his team to a... wait for it... 1-13 season. However, Greene was named Defensive Rookie of the Year and selected for his first of ten Pro Bowls. By 1972, Greene led the defence and the Steelers went 11-3, losing in the playoffs to the perfect Miami Dolphins.

By 1973, the "Steel Curtain" defence was in place consisting of Greene, L. C. Greenwood, Dwight White, and Ernie Holmes. The following seasons, they met the Minnesota Vikings' "Purple People Eaters" defence in the Super Bowl. It indeed proved to be a defensive battle with the Steelers winning the first of four Super Bowls in six seasons 16-6. Greene figured into all of those Super Bowl Wins (IX, X, XIII, and XIV). He was named to the Hall of Fame in 1987 and in 2014, the Steelers retired his #75 jersey, only the second number in franchise history to be officially retired.