Great Linebackers Trivia Quiz

Answer: Chicago

Dick Butkus was truly a hometown hero. He was born in Chicago, played collegiate football at Illinois, and starred in the NFL with the Chicago Bears. He was a fearsome force on the gridiron- ruthless and intense. Butkus' number 51 uniform became synonymous with Bears' football. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1979.

Answer: Ray Perkins

Lawrence Taylor revolutionized defensive pro football with his lightning speed and brute power. L.T. joined the Giants in 1981 after attending the University of North Carolina. Ray Perkins (1979-1982) was Taylor's first head coach at the NFL level. Bill Parcells led the Giants from 1983 to 1990, and Ray Handley was the Giants' coach from 1991 to 1992. Coach John McVay (1976-1978) preceded L.T.'s arrival in Gotham. Taylor's number 56 was retired by the Giants. L.T. was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1999.

Answer: Notre Dame

Nick Buoniconti, a native of Massachusetts, was the captain of the 1961 Notre Dame Irish football team. NFL teams didn't show much interest in Buoniconti because of his small size, but the AFL's Boston Patriots drafted him in 1962. Buoniconti used his intelligence and leadership skills to become an outstanding pro linebacker.

In 1969, Buoniconti joined the Miami Dolphins and was an integral part of their "No-Name" defense which went undefeated in 1972. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2001.

Answer: Colts

Ted Hendricks won Super Bowl rings in 1977, 1981 and 1983 with the Raiders. However, he began his NFL career with the Baltimore Colts in 1969. He was drafted as a defensive end, but he was converted to a linebacker- and the "Mad Stork" quickly became a star.

Hendricks played with the Colts from 1969 to 1973, when he was dealt to the Green Bay Packers. He played with the Raiders from 1975 until his retirement in 1983. Hendricks was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1990.

Answer: Samurai

Mike Singletary played his entire NFL career (1981-1992) with the Chicago Bears. He was nicknamed "Samurai" for his slashing, intense style of play. Singletary's number 50 became a symbol of defensive intimidation for enemy running backs and receivers. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1998.

Answer: Willie Lanier

Willie Lanier was a major part of the Kansas City Chiefs' defense during his 11-year career. Lanier joined K.C. after playing at Morgan State University, and "Number 63" quickly became a dominant member of a linebacking corps which featured Bobby Bell (#78) and Jim Lynch (#51). Lanier helped the Chiefs to a victory against Minnesota in Super Bowl IV. E.J. Holub was a center/linebacker for Kansas City from 1963 to 1970. Willie Lanier was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1986.

Answer: 66

Ray Nitschke was an intelligent, hard-hitting member of the Green Bay Packers during their dynasty years in the 1960s. His uniform number 66 became a symbol of excellence during the Vince Lombardi Era, and the jersey was retired in 1983 by the Packers. Nitschke was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1978.

Answer: The Violent World of Sam Huff

Sam Huff was a star linebacker with the New York Giants and the Washington Redskins for 14 seasons. Huff became one of the first superstars of the NFL television era while with the Giants during the late 1950s and early 1960s. Huff was featured on a CBS prime time special called "The Violent World of Sam Huff", a documentary which aired on October 31, 1960.

It showed the public a close-up view of how brutal a linebacker's job is. Huff was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1982.

Answer: He was a second round draft pick from Kent State University

Jack Lambert was a prominent member of the Steel Curtain defensive unit which helped Pittsburgh to win four Super Bowl titles: 1975, 1976, 1979, and 1980. He attended Kent State University in Ohio and was drafted in the second round by Pittsburgh in 1974. Lambert was considered by many scouts to be too small for a pro defensive player, but he became a star linebacker through ruthless determination and preparation. "Number 58" played his entire career with Pittsburgh and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1990. Mean Joe Greene wore uniform number 75 for the Steelers.

Answer: Patriots

After a brilliant collegiate career at Iowa, Andre Tippett joined the New England Patriots in 1982 and played his entire career with the Pats. He used his speed to become one of the best quarterback sackers in NFL history. Tippett was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2008.