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NFL Linebackers Quizzes, Trivia and Puzzles
NFL Linebackers Quizzes, Trivia

NFL Linebackers Trivia

NFL Linebackers Trivia Quizzes

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2 NFL Linebackers quizzes and 20 NFL Linebackers trivia questions.
1.
  100 Years of NFL: The Linebackers   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
100 seasons of the NFL (1920-2019) - in that time there have been some amazing players. Of course, some are a matter of opinion, but, I've tried to find the crème de la crème. Here are ten of the best linebackers.
Easier, 10 Qns, LeoDaVinci, Dec 23 20
Easier
LeoDaVinci editor
Dec 23 20
307 plays
2.
  Great Linebackers   top quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Please take this fun quiz about some of the best linebackers in NFL history. Heads up and enjoy!
Tough, 10 Qns, mrgrouchy, Apr 30 09
Tough
mrgrouchy
1028 plays

NFL Linebackers Trivia Questions

1. "L.T." was a linebacker who was so effective as a part of the New York Giants' defence that he won league MVP in 1986. He is also the first player to win Defensive Player of the Year in his rookie season. Who was this amazing linebacker?

From Quiz
100 Years of NFL: The Linebackers

Answer: Lawrence Taylor & Taylor

Lawrence Taylor was the keystone in the "Big Blue Wrecking Crew" for the New York Giants. It was a defence so effective that it would win games, for example, the 1990 NFC Championship game. In that game against the heavily favoured 49ers, Taylor beat out two defenders as the game clock was ticking away and recovered a fumble that set up the game-winning field goal. He played for the Giants from 1981 to 1993 and dominated for much of those thirteen seasons. The key to the Giants' success was Lawrence Taylor's ability to evade blocks and to overcome or tie up defences. He was named to the Pro Bowl in his first year and then over and over again making it ten years in a row! He won the DPOY award in his rookie season and again in 1982 and in 1986, the year that he won the League MVP award and the Super Bowl. He also won the Super Bowl in 1990. He retired when his productivity began to decline and injuries began to take their toll. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1999. Lawrence Taylor got the nickname "L.T." from his initials.

2. Dick Butkus was an outstanding linebacker in the NFL from 1965 to 1973. Which team did he play his entire career with?

From Quiz Great Linebackers

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.

3. Lawrence Taylor was a great outside linebacker for the New York Giants from 1981 to 1993. Who was his first head coach in the NFL?

From Quiz Great Linebackers

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.

4. Derrick Brooks was a standout linebacker for fourteen seasons in the NFL. Winning Super Bowl XXXVII against the Oakland Raiders, which team did Derrick Brooks spend his career with?

From Quiz 100 Years of NFL: The Linebackers

Answer: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had a hunch about Derrick Brooks at the 1995 NFL Draft, and it proved to be a good one. They traded two second-round picks to the Dallas Cowboys in order to get Brooks; the 14-season career that he gave them really paid off. He was a member of the all-rookie team that year and had amazing numbers in his second year as well. In his third season, Brooks was chosen to play in the first of his eleven Pro Bowl selections. In 2002, Brooks was chosen as the Defensive Player of the Year and led the Buccaneers to victory against the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl XXXVII, the first in Buccaneer history. After the 2008 season (where Derrick Brooks was chosen for his final Pro Bowl), the Buccaneers opted to release Brooks and to try and go for a younger team. He spent the 2009 season as a free agent and retired after not signing for any team. He was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2014.

5. Nick Buoniconti was an All-Pro linebacker for the Patriots and Dolphins during a career which lasted from 1962 to 1976. Which Indiana college did he attend?

From Quiz Great Linebackers

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.

6. Ted Hendricks won three Super Bowl rings as a member of the Oakland / Los Angeles Raiders between 1975 and 1983. However, with which team did Hendricks begin his Hall of Fame career?

From Quiz Great Linebackers

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.

7. Ted Hendricks played as linebacker for fifteen seasons with the Colts, Packers, and Raiders. Despite growing up in the USA, he was not born there. Which Central American country was his first home?

From Quiz 100 Years of NFL: The Linebackers

Answer: Guatemala

Ted Hendricks was born in Guatemala City, Guatemala, but soon thereafter moved to the United States. He was raised in Florida and also went to college there. When he was drafted in 1969, he was chosen in the second sound by the Baltimore Colts. Originally, Hendricks was a defensive end but coach Don Shula transitioned him to linebacker. As a linebacker, Hendricks was very effective and made starter on the team by his sixth game. In his second season, Hendricks and the Colts won Super Bowl V. In 1975, Ted Hendricks was traded to the Green Bay Packers and had a very successful season there. He was then traded again to the Oakland Raiders and played out the rest of his career. While originally a fringe player, John Madden soon saw the value of Hendricks when much of his defence was sidelined by injuries. Hendricks was versatile enough to play linebacker as well as defensive end, and helped make the Raiders defence one of the best in the league. The Raiders would go on to win three Super Bowls (XI, XV, and XVIII) with Hendricks on the team. He retired after the 1983 season, after making the Pro Bowl for the eighth time. In 1990, Hendricks was inducted into the Hall of Fame.

8. Mike Singletary played for the Chicago Bears from 1981 to 1992. What was his nickname?

From Quiz Great Linebackers

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.

9. Joe Schmidt was a linebacker in the NFL for thirteen seasons. He then coached the same team for another six seasons. Despite being a Pittsburgh kid, what Motown team did Joe Schmidt play for and coach?

From Quiz 100 Years of NFL: The Linebackers

Answer: Detroit Lions

Even though Joe Schmidt was only drafted in the seventh round of the 1953 draft, he immediately made an impact on an already great Detroit Lions franchise. He had great mobility across the field and was excellent at stopping the run. He helped lead the Lions to the 1953 NFL Championship. So great was his impact over the next couple of years that his fellow players elected him team captain in 1956. He was also voted into ten straight Pro Bowls from 1954 to 1963. In 1957, he captained the Lions to his second NFL Championship. He continued playing, through injury and a brief army service, and retired as a player after the 1965 season. Joe Schmidt was immediately hired as an assistant coach, then as the head coach a season later. His main goal was to rebuild the team, which the owners felt had hit bottom. The Lions hit their peak at 1969 and the team would finish in second place for four straight seasons. After the 1972 season, with still another season left in his contract, Schmidt decided to step down. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1973.

10. This middle linebacker played for the Kansas City Chiefs from 1967 to 1977, wearing uniform number 63. He was known for his intelligence and his hard-hitting style. His nickname was "Contact". Can you name him?

From Quiz Great Linebackers

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.

11. This is a tale of two Jacks: Jack Lambert and Jack Ham. Both were a member of the "Steel Curtain" defence, and both won four Super Bowls with the same team. Which team was the only team both Jack Lambert and Jack Ham played for?

From Quiz 100 Years of NFL: The Linebackers

Answer: Pittsburgh Steelers

Jack Lambert and Jack Ham were linebackers for the Pittsburgh Steelers during their amazing run of four Super Bowl wins in six seasons: Super Bowls IX, X, XIII and XIV. In that time, Lambert's dominance as the middle linebacker and Ham's excellence as the outside linebacker, along with an excellent supporting cast, the Steeler defence was very stingy with points, yards, and first downs, eraning them the nickname "the Steel Curtain". Jack Lambert was called "the greatest linebacker of his era" by the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was inducted in 1990. He was drafted in 1974 and was considered to small to do the job properly. His speed and talent allowed him not only to protect against the run, but also to drop back and protect the area between the two safeties and the potential pass. He won DPOY honours, and thereafter nine straight Pro Bowls. His iconic smile was punctuated by four missing teeth on the top which made him look like he was snarling. Jack Ham was drafted in 1971. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1988 as one of the best ever outside linebackers to ever play football. He was strong, a hard hitter who rarely missed. However, more than that, Ham was remembered for his game vision and intelligence. He was rarely fooled or out of position. When he retired, he created 53 turnovers (interceptions and fumbles recovered), a record for linebackers. He was named to eight straight Pro Bowls.

12. Ray Nitschke was an outstanding linebacker for the Green Bay Packers from 1958 to 1972. What was his uniform number during his pro career?

From Quiz Great Linebackers

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.

13. Sam Huff was a star NFL linebacker from 1956 to 1969. He was also the subject of a CBS television documentary in 1960. What was the title of this documentary?

From Quiz Great Linebackers

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.

14. A true Illinois man, Dick Butkus played in the NFL for nine seasons and terrorized opposing offenses with his relentless style of play. Playing for one team for his entire career, where did Dick Butkus play in the NFL?

From Quiz 100 Years of NFL: The Linebackers

Answer: Chicago Bears

"Dick was an animal. I called him a maniac. A stone maniac. He was a well-conditioned animal, and every time he hit you, he tried to put you in the cemetery, not the hospital." - Deacon Jones Dick Butkus was a linebacker to be feared. He was born and bred in Chicago, and it only made sense that he was drafted by the Chicago Bears as the third overall pick of the 1965 draft. He signed with the Bears and stayed with them for nine glorious seasons. Immediately, he had big shoes to fill. Bill George, the Bears' middle linebacker, had left after fourteen seasons and George was definitely Hall-of-Fame-bound. Butkus did not disappoint. Having an uncanny ability to locate the ball and anticipate where it would be, Dick Butkus managed to intercept five passes and recover six fumbles in his rookie season. He finished third in the voting for rookie-of-the-year and was named to the first of eight straight Pro Bowls. He continued to dominate in the NFL for nine seasons. The only reason he retired was an injury to his right knee that he could not shake for years.

15. Andre Tippett played linebacker in the NFL from 1982 to 1993, wearing uniform number 56. Which pro team did he play for?

From Quiz Great Linebackers

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.

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