Top Ten Linebacking Corps: #3 Bill Parcells Giants

[access1992]

LT LaDanian Tomlinson!

[TheForlanShow10]

Poor Jaws kept getting sakce and sacked and sacked and sacked by LT

[36firerahul]

at 0:40 did he really mean they injured the starting qbs everygame?!?!?!?!

[bhickernell]

@36firerahul well maybe maybe just rung their bell so much ya kno...but remember 2010 giants?...basically that on steroids

[BeastNYbeats]

@36firerahul Yeah, They even broke Joe Theismans leg I dont recall te year though

[marksman061]

lawrence Taylor was the reason the tight end was invented lol search it up

[MsSjofn]

Carl Banks was my favorite as a kid, I always felt like people forgot about the poor guy.

[fatmanfiftythousand]

@JerseyShoreLynch You're wrong.

[rusty1491]

Backups Andy Headen & Byron Hunt were pretty good too.  Unfortunately, a herniated disk forced Headen to retire too early.

[56therealLT]

how the fuck are these giants not 1? who is 1

[job1785]

@56therealLT Jim Mora's Saints are number one.

[RockerNate81]

How are these guys not #1 ?????????????????

[lordvoldemort578]

1;210 haha

[lordvoldemort578]

@JerseyShoreLynch awesome

[fatmanfiftythousand]

@JerseyShoreLynch And the Giants did it in '84, so it goes further back.

[noquarter228]

Why no love for Gary Reasons?

[CallAnAmberLampsLOL1]

carl banks lmao

[thecoolguy2599]

bruce smith is better than lt

[dollarstorePWNRlol]

@thecoolguy2599 hahahahahah STFU

[RockerNate81]

@thecoolguy2599 Hahahahahahahahahahahaha!

[fatmanfiftythousand]

@thecoolguy2599 Bruce Smith didn't play linebacker. Two different things.

[thecoolguy2599]

@fatmanfiftythousand i said bruce smith is beter dumpo

[Bany1911]

@thecoolguy2599 They played different positions. Stop being a tool.

[thecoolguy2599]

@Bany1911 still bruce smith is better than LT

[iamhungey12345]

@thecoolguy2599

How so?

[CentinelThe]

the now famous gatorade dump actually came about one game in '85 the giants had played awful and Parcells flung a few empty gatorade buckets around in the locker room and was furious, so Carson said to a few guys that if they won the next few games he was gonna do the same to Parcells but with the buckets not empty, unfortunaly that year they lost to the Bears.

[jedii5]

ok lets talk about the facts, Lawrence taylor is the single greatest linebacker ever and that giants corp in 86' was the best ever. Taylor had the single biggest impact on his respective sport of any athlete that ever played anything. He single handedly changed the way an entire sport is played

[wbdrugstrat]

Great piece, but I believe that Pepper Johnson deserves a mention. Pepper was fantastic, and I believe that he was better than Banks and Reasons. Banks was a super consistent player, but Pepper seemed to always make bigger plays with greater frequency. All in all, wright or wrong, there is no question that that crew was fun to watch week in and week out.

[darkknight951]

If these Giants played today in 2012, they would be fined so bad it wouldn't be funny.

[TheObeey]

if you have deacon jones calling you an animal your a badass!

[901flaminskull]

Could a Giants fan tell me why nobody talks about Gary Reasons? He was an underrated linebacker for the G-Men back then too.

[1994beattie]

they are quite clearly the best ever linbacker corps the saints got nothing on them and the steelers got nothing on them or anyother team for that matter

[ECWnWWF]

where is Pepper Johnson? 

[TheShootTruth10]

LT not as good as kevin greene or derrick thomas.

[Jefgg]

@TheShootTruth10 Derrick Thomas was supposed to be the next LT. He wasn't. If Kevin Greene is dreaming he was nearly as good as Lawrence Taylor he better wake up and apologize.

[TheShootTruth10]

@Jefgg that ok if you want a LB who will be good for 5 season and be a drug and addict and pedophile. I would rather have either of these two guys then that coke addict LT. LT retired at 34. kevin green had 4 more double digit sack seasons.

[Jefgg]

@TheShootTruth10 I can't defend Lawrence Taylor's personal life. LT would have one more double digit sack season if sacks were an official statistic his rookie season. LT was a force most of his thirteen seasons. And he did more than just sack quarterbacks.

[TheShootTruth10]

@Jefgg only season LT played that they didnt keep sack records was his rookie year. then next two seasons he had single digit sacks.

[sosdkny]

@TheShootTruth10

That is true but the 82' season was a 7 game strike shortened season and the 83 team was one of the worst Giants teams ever.

[fatmanfiftythousand]

@TheShootTruth10 5 good seasons? Try 10. Without LT, there is no Kevin Greene and there is no Derrick Thomas.

[pimptress1980]

@TheShootTruth10 LMAO!! You clearly have no football knowledge whatsoever...

[rochesan]

No love for Pepper Johnson?

[sosdkny]

Giants invented the Gatorade dump in 1985!!

[PorkFrog]

#1

[PagsandRags]

I don't know how the Giants weren't #1 on this list. Or the 70s Steelers. The Saints as #1? What did they ever win???

[job1785]

@PagsandRags The reason was all the saints had were just those linebackers and had no support on defense and offense. The linebackers were the defense. The 70s Steelers had plenty of support on offense and an all around defense.

[fatmanfiftythousand]

@job1785 But the Dome Patrol was not the #1 linebacking corps of all-time. The '70s Steelers should be 1, the '85 Bears 2. The Dome Patrol may be top 5, but take away Swilling and Jackson from that team and tell me how they do. Mills was good, but he couldn't carry a defense.

[job1785]

@fatmanfiftythousand I disagree. Because they did not have a defensive line, a secondary and an offense. They had to make all the plays themselves. They carried the whole the whole team. They are very underrated. The 70s steelers had an all around defense and offense. When the Saints made the playoffs it was not their fault that they lost. The offense was terrible. By the way I'm a Giants fan. I was not bothered that they were placed number over the giants.

[TheRatedIX7]

Joe Thiesman took all kinds of punishment from that New York Giants team.

[presidential1985]

JOHN...YA'LL GOTTA DO BETTA THAN THIS

[sosdkny]

@presidential1985

"Son, yall gotta do better than this"

[VPrimeTimeV]

haha Joe Thiesman....

[Gwitfu90]

They didn't talk about Gary Reasons. Remember that play in the 1990 NFC Championship Game against the 49ers?

[wizeman5974]

@Gwitfu90 That and the hit he put on Bobby Humphrey of Denver in 1989. That hit is on here -- look up: Gary Reasons THE HIT. Another underrated yet great linebacker on the Giants who played for Bill Parcells.

[Nautilus1972]

@Gwitfu90  No.

[fakeandgay69]

this could be #1

[frigginfreddy]

THE BIG BLUE WRECKING CREW!!!

[Shacklersrevenge1981]

go back and watch film noob- LT Sometimes had to beat 2 or THREE players that were intended just for him- and nobody else could do it or has done it that way since.

[sosdkny]

@rorank

You really have no clue about football do you. The Giants always played a 3-4, not a 4-3 and LT beat Lineman, TE's, RB and FB's and sometimes all four of them at the same time. Dont give us Giant fans any bullshit of how he only beat RB's and QB's. Look at the tapes my friend.

[ForgottenFootball]

@sosdkny Lawrence Taylor hardly ever played on linemen. I have much respect for LT, but he mainly beat FBs and TEs (Most teams weren't stupid enough to put a RB on LT). That's all I have to say.

[sosdkny]

@ForgottenFootball

Well if you are so sure, they why dont u find all the film on his sacks and break it down. I watched LT from day one and he had just as many sacks one on one with LM then on Rb's, TE's Double and triple teams. Thats all I have too say.

[QBDogKiller]

@sosdkny

It's hilarious how haters try to diminish LT's importance by saying he was "just a pass-rusher" and "only beat RBs in pass-protection".

If he was so one-dimensional (according to them), why couldn't coaches find a way to stop him from taking over games???

I swear, YouTube idiots make my day.

[sosdkny]

@QBDogKiller

Dont be upset. A majority of the posters on YT weren't even born when these guys played.

Lt was "only" a pass rusher who had over thousand tackles in his career. Morons indeed!!

[StriderHiryu1200]

@sosdkny well when LT first started it was 4-3 but then Par cells changed it a 3-4 defense once he became a head coach.

[rrrjjjmmm100]

'86 Giants invented the Gatorade dump

[marksman061]

@rrrjjjmmm100 and the "I'm going to Disney Land"

[rorank]

Just saying, LT had next to no interceptions as a "great" linebacker. I'm not saying that LT was bad but the only reason he was able to get to the QB was because he rushed every time with a 4-3 and only had to beat a FB or RB if anyone.

[BeefstuYuhu]

Shout out to Leonard Marshall and his 83.5 sacks as a 3-4 defensive end

[TheSupreme203]

@dpinzow I totally agree

[TheSupreme203]

@4oldschool 1st of all, lawrence taylor by himself was better than most LB units on this list.and he's the only one on this whole list to be league MVP.banks was all decade,and carson is in the HOF.no unit was as dominate as them.period.

[writerrad]

Gary Reason too, dont forget white folks, LOL

[Jefgg]

@writerrad Gary Reasons was an excellent linebacker for the Giants from 1984 to 1991. The hit he put on Denver Broncos running back Bobby Humphrey was historic.

[phbtorres]

@Jefgg Historic to say the least. That video is the reason that I play football today

[ntcpraisethelord]

The saints of the 80's are better than the giants of the 80's? please.

[Jefgg]

@ntcpraisethelord The Saints sent four linebackers to the Pro Bowl one year. But they never had a game changer like Lawrence Taylor.

[TheSupreme203]

@ conquistador SHUT THE FUCK UP.OBVIOUSLY U DONT KNOW FOOTBALL.THE GIANTS LB SQUAD IS THE REASON TEAMS STILL USE THE 3-4 DEFENSE TODAY.THH GIANTS LBS ARE HANDS DOWN THE GREATEST UNIT OF ALL-TIME

[iamhungey12345]

@TheSupreme203

Don't mind him, he's a bitter Eagles fan.

[dpinzow]

I can't believe they ranked the dome patrol over the big blue wrecking crew...saints LBs were excellent but if you compare both teams' defensive performances against the other NFC powers, the saints LBs don't stack up to Taylor, Carson, Banks, Pepper, and Reasons

[pauliewalnuts1156]

this is crap... we are #1

[iamhungey12345]

@pauliewalnuts1156

Ditto.

[TheEsquire212]

I watched those Mora Saints and there is NO WAY they were better than my guys. And I'd argue against the steelers being ahead of us also. This unit was THE reason we won those two super bowls in 1986 and 1990. Our offense was martyball BEFORE there was martyball.

[GCOCK4LIFE02]

Yeah Pepper became damn good...what if the current NYG had anything close to this...

[GCOCK4LIFE02]

G-men need to do something close to this and they'll be aite

[TheSupreme203]

@ iamhungey no both LT & CARSON ARE IN THE H.O.F & CARL BANKS SHOULD BE TOO WHICH IS A TRAVESTY

[ElConquistadorNo1]

@TheSupreme203 Carson is a cunt who cried until he was voted in. Banks just flat sucked

[WitnessNFLInside]

Carl Banks was very underrated

[ElConquistadorNo1]

@WitnessNFLInside He is as poor at broadcasting as he was at linebacking

[WitnessNFLInside]

@ElConquistadorNo1 he might be bad a broadcasting but i won't question his "linebacking" as you call it he was a huge part of a team defense with LT as its QB

[TheEsquire212]

@ElConquistadorNo1 Carl Banks is excellent on THE FAN what in God's name are you talking about?

[ElConquistadorNo1]

@TheEsquire212 Banks is a Mara shill who takes 20 minutes to make a single point. He should stick to hawking his overpriced crap.

[celts1984]

belichicks giants

[freshbloos13]

this is number 1 are you serious its not even a question you will never see a linebacker corps like this again plus pepper johnson a two time pro bowler is not even mentioned in this video.

[TygerXG2]

Whatever Bill Belichick touches, turns to gold... How many HOFers has he produced? When it is all said an done, it will be in the 20s. Bill Belichick was the real coach of that team, Bill Parcells without Belichick = 0 championship.

[TygerXG2]

Without Bill "The Greatest Ever" Belichick, LT, Carson, and Banks are nothing but average. Thank Bill Belichick for sending LT and Carson to the HOF.

[panther2552]

@TygerXG2 thank bill belichick for LT and Carson being in the Hall? why? they hardly ever listened to him.

[TygerXG2]

@panther2552 I didn't know you were on the sidelines. What was your position with the Giants? Or are you just assuming?

[panther2552]

@TygerXG2 Nope just going by what LT said in his autobiography Carson and Johnshon confirmed that in interviews. btw to say no Billicheck no bowls for Parcell's is rediculous considering Parcell's and turned every losing program he went to and made em contenders. Billicheck is a part of the Parcell's lineage and not everything he touched turned to gold, remember Cleveland? Also notice the Pats haven't won a superbowl since they got caught cheating.

[TygerXG2]

@panther2552 Link to those interviews or you're lying. You are incorrect. Bellichick has won without Parcells while Parcells hasn't won anything without Bellichick. That is proof alone that Bellichick made Parcells.

Patriots were a fluke play from being the greatest team ever assembled. That's after they cheated. Even when Bellichick didn't win that Superbowl, he came close to it than any Bellichickless Parcells team... More proof that Parcells is a fraud without Bellichick.

[panther2552]

@TygerXG2 i don't have links. i saw them on cbs and fox when they were intially given. read lawrence's autobiography if you like. it's a good book.

The near undefeated season came in the same season they were caught btw so not really after. 3 titles before caught. 0 after. Billichek inherited a very good Patriot team when he got there that Parcell's built into a consistent playoff team. He's done it for the Giants, Jets, Pats, Cowboys and as a GM improved Miami

[panther2552]

@TygerXG2 I don't think Parcell's is the greatest coach ever either. but he def is a great one. Greatest ever goes to either Lombardi ( ultimate motivator and offensive mind, 2 SB, countless NFL champs) or Tom Landry (2 bowls 5 appearances, most winning seasons in history, greatest innovator in NFL history, 43 defense, the flex, reinvented the shotgun, multi formation offense, multi shift offense to combat 43. All modern NFL coaches use some form of his creations.) Walsh and Knoll in da mix too

[TygerXG2]

@panther2552 Where would you put Belichick in the top coaches list? Would you put him ahead of Parcells? Why and why not?

[ElConquistadorNo1]

@TygerXG2 Belichick is at the top of the scumbag list

[fatpatlives1998]

@ElConquistadorNo1 he was the DC of this team and the dynasty Defense of the 2000's Patriots ~

[oklablakjak]

with pepper and van pelt also playing with these guys at times it made everyone's job easier. this was a great lb crew and one of my favorites. But it also shows just how great Dick Butkus was because he played without all pros playing beside him.

[Jefgg]

Carl Banks now does the Giant games on the radio. It's a great gig for him because he sure has a face for radio. If I had a dog that ugly I would shave his ass and teach him how to walk backwards.

[joenathanable]

#1 please

they were the best

saints and steelers were better?

[xxchinookxx]

Bill Parcells stated: "If they don't bite when they're puppies then usually they're not going to bite when they mature".

[GeorgeVreelandHill]

This unit should be rated number one.

No question.

If the Giants had kept Brad Van Pelt, just think how scary they would have been.

George Vreeland Hill

[Jefgg]

The late Brad Van Pelt played strong side linebacker for the Giants from 1973 to 1983. He made five straight Pro Bowls from 1976 to 1980. Bill Parcells first year was Giants head coach was 1983.  He was defensive coordinator and linebackers coach from 1981 to 1982. Brian Kelley was a starting linebacker for the Giants from 1973 to 1983. I think he played weakside linebacker early in his career and moved inside when the Giants switched from a 4-3 to a 3-4 circa 1979.

[Jefgg]

Lawrence Taylor is one of my all time favorite players, but I wish he would quit messing around with teenaged hookers. Harry Carson was rock solid even when the Giants defense was lousy early in his career. Carl Banks is one of the best strong side linebackers, and is definitely the ugliest. He fell off the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down. I've seen better looking faces on bottles of iodine. If he was my dog I would shave his ass and teach him to walk backwards.

[joenathanable]

im not a football expert but how can they not be #1

[TheSupreme203]

NFL films are retards not rating this unit #1! No LB corps ever was better than this..LT & Carson have 19 pro bowls between them alone! This unit features 2 All-decade (LT,Banks) & 2 HOF,ers (LT,Carson) and Banks should be in the hall too which is BS!how many of the saints LBs are hall of fame or all decade?NONE!

[iamhungey12345]

@TheSupreme203

One is in the HOF.

[sosdkny]

Gary Reason's was the guy nobody talked about but always got the job done, especially in big games. 1986 NFC Champ Game and the 1991 NFC Champ game, he was all over the place.

Top Moments

Fake Punt against the Niners in 1991 NFC

Diving INT against the Redskins in 1986 NFC

Knocking out Bobby Humphries ear flap in 1989!!

[LEROTHECAT]

I always liked Theisman. As an analyst he always told it like it was. He knows his stuff and was one of the toughest sob's I've ever seen. I can't believe he's not on tv anymore. The Giants always made his life miserable, but he would pick himself up, and go at them again. I'm a Giants fan, but Mr. Theisman you are class personified.

[giantsfan11imag]

that should be number 1

[WeLiveForFootball]

@giantsfan11imag

Agreed

[plntntvzn]

Harry Carson had spiritual leadership that set the team philosophy & direction. On the field, he moved well & was a prime force against the run. He was a strong & active run defender, a power blitzer & monster hitter. A superb athlete with great desire, he had the strength to take blockers on inside & the speed to take on backs at the sidelines. He stunned people when he hit them, & hit them with authority & seldom missed.

[plntntvzn]

Carl Banks was a real killer in the clutch, the type who would get his only sack of the game in the 4th quarter to kill a drive. He was a big & strong smash-mouth player who never arm-tackles or would grab-&-drag down.Ball carriers generally ran for cover from this intense,sure tackler.Equally adept at moving to plays away from him or getting angle on ball carrier coming right at him,his strong hands helped him shed blocks efficiently & was solid vs the pass in zone coverage, smart & instinctive

[plntntvzn]

Banks was quick enough to sneak undetected up to the line on blitz or back off into passing lanes. He deflected lots of balls, had terrific lateral movement to string out sweeps, took great angles & used his octopus-like arms to be a sure tackler. He got a good chunk on tight ends and backs looping out of the backfield, & had the speed to chase in short zones. A quick-reacting diagnostician, Banks was always where he was supposed to be & played classic strong side run defense.

[plntntvzn]

Pepper Johnson was a superb athlete, an explosive tackler with the speed to range from sideline to sideline & the muscle to shed & fill. He was quick to diagnose run or pass & adept at stopping both. He moved well laterally & was a power blitzer that delivered a blow & attacked the pocket. He dropped smoothly & had awareness in zone coverage. At first, he was a stay-at-home plugger with a mean streak. A big talker & tremendous hitter,he would eventually diagnose better & become more consistent.

[plntntvzn]

Garry Reasons was a blue-collar worker who layed the lumber & played smart. He was a tall (6-4) rangy type, who anticipated well & called the defensive signals. He was limited & lacked the speed & athleticism to chase from sideline to sideline, but had superb instincts against the pass & knew the inside running game. Still, he lacked upper body strength at the point of attack,struggled to take on guards, & was a sucker for cut blocks. Blockers got into Reason's body & pushed him around.

[plntntvzn]

I am sorry,but they are selling linebacker Pepper Johnson short. Johnson was just one big,active, nasty hitter, who could cover from sideline to sideline, and would be strong enough to shed and fill. He could cover pretty well against the pass, but in 1990,they turned him loose on the QB more than they did Taylor. Johnson was a power blitzer and a smart player.

[iTouchMyself11]

damn. thats scary. id like to see adrian peterson or chris johnson run on them.

that, would be crazy.

[broad08530]

Damn this was a good group. holy cow.

[MwKShield1]

Half of this video is LT

[bisquik3006]

In my book, Carl Banks is in the top 5 most underrated players in football history.

[thunderstruck665]

@bisquik3006: You wanna laugh, I actually met Carl Banks when I was food shopping at my neighborhood supermarket in Edgewater, New Jersey. I was completely stunned!! I have to say, he doesn't look like he's aged one bit and could still play if he wanted to!

[bisquik3006]

Well it also helps that he looked 40 when he was in his 20s, lol

[WillJames28]

@bisquik3006 . . . I agree with you 100%. Banks was the best all-around linebacker of his era, in my opinion. Never got the respect he deserved because he was low-key and played a run-stopping and pass coverage role on the strong side. Smart guy, too. I'm surprised he hasn't gotten into coaching in the NFL.

[phbtorres]

@bisquik3006 not only Carl but Gary Reasons too ! he made the crucial run on the 1990 nfc championship game which without that play the New York Giants wouldnt win SuperBowl XXV

[bisquik3006]

@phbtorres Very true.  I still remember that hit he put on Bobby Humphrey in the snow. Mouthpiece flying one way, Bobby going the other, lol.

[wizeman5974]

@bisquik3006 Yep.....there's a video on YouTube entited, "Gary Reasons THE HIT" which shows the play. That hit was awesome, but symbolized just how great as a unit the linebacking corps under Parcells really was. This wasn't Johnson, or Taylor, or Banks making this play. This was Gary Reasons, another underrated Giants linebacker.

[Oscar1097]

i dont see the saints linebackers better than these guys with LT!

[plntntvzn]

Especially when you throw Pepper johnson into the mix.

[sportsnut6078]

Don't forget that Pepper Johnson was a backup on this unit

[frigginfreddy]

@sportsnut6078 Yes, thank you sir.

[manetuck]

Don't forget Brad Van Pelt!

[MrSinister99]

I think they're number # 1  in my book!

[VMMETS1]

Gary Reasons was and still is the most under rated and under appreciated Giant of all time.

[Ariamaluum]

I think Brian Kelly was better than Gary Reasons.