DE-Bruce Smith 6-4, 262; one of the best DL ever & with 200 career sacks he’s the all-time leader. He’s also #8 on the career forced fumbles list. He, along with Reggie White, were the two most dominant, pre-eminent & feared pass rushers of their era. He was just as stiff against the run. Smith helped lead Buffalo to 4 consecutive SB appearances on his way to a HOF career. He was NFL DPOY twice, AFC DPOY 4 times, played in 11 Pro Bowls, All-Pro 10 times (8 first team), NFL 1980s AND 1990s All-Decade Teams & NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team.
DT-Randy White 6-4, 257; the Manster terrorized offenses his entire HOF career. I remember thinking it felt like his name was called after every play. He was just as mean & tough as he was skilled & graceful. Unofficially he’s credited with 113 sacks & was an elite run stopper as well. He played in 9 Pro Bowls, won a SB MVP, 9 time First Team All-Pro, NFL 1980s All-Decade Team & NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team.
DT-Cortez Kennedy 6-3, 306; he only played 11 seasons but was elite in each one en route to a HOF career. He was a dominant run stuffer & a solid pass rusher for a DT, amassing 58 sacks. He was the 1992 NFL DPOY, played in 8 Pro Bowls, All-Pro 5 times (3 first team) & NFL 1990s All-Decade Team.
DE-Chris Doleman 6-5, 285; one of the great, & most underrated, pass rushers of all time. His 150.5 career sacks rank 5th all time, giving me 2 of the top 5 all time sack leaders, & helped punch his ticket to the HOF. Like Smith, he was dominant against the run from the end. He’s also #6 on the all time forced fumbles list with 44. He played in 8 Pro Bowls, All-Pro 5 times (3 first team), 1992 NFC DPOY & NFL 1990s All-Decade Team.
OLB-Joey Porter 6-3, 250; another tough guy, do it all, fan favorite Steeler LBer. His numbers are good enough for Canton but his reputation & on field antics could be a problem. Hopefully not bc he had a great career & helped lead Pittsburgh to a SB title. He was a vicious hitter & was great against the run but also had the speed to play well in coverage & rack up 98 sacks. He once stood alone outside the Ravens’ team bus calling out Ray Lewis, who wanted no part of it. He played in 4 Pro Bowls, All-Pro 4 times (2 first team), selected to the Steelers All-Time Team & NFL 2000s All-Decade Team.
MLB-Mike Singletary 6-0, 230; this HOFer was the ultimate defensive QB & as one of the most intelligent players ever, was basically a coach on the field. He was also a brute & feared hitter. He could diagnose plays before they happened & had everyone in the right place. He was the ultimate run stopper & could also cover TEs. He was just one of the best players of his era regardless of position. He was NFL DPOY twice, NFC POY 3 times, played in 10 Pro Bowls, All-Pro 9 times (8 first team) & NFL 1980s All-Decade Team.
OLB-Robert Brazile 6-4, 245; growing up, Dr Doom is one of the first players I both feared & disliked as a big rival of the Steelers. He was one of the very best LB of his generation & one of the hardest hitters as well, earning a spot in the HOF. He was a complete LB, equally as good against the run, in coverage & rushing the passer. He’s one of the past players who would be a star in any era as he ran a 4.6, 40 at 6-4, 245. He played in 7 Pro Bowls, All-Pro 6 times (5 first team), 1975 NFL DROY & NFL 1970s All-Decade Team.
CB-Champ Bailey 6-0, 192; this first ballot HOFer was one of the best lockdown CB of his era & all time. He had enough size to go up with most WR & his ball skills were off the charts. He was also a good tackler & could come up & stop the run as well. A total package CB. He played in 12 Pro Bowls, All-Pro 7 times (3 first team) & NFL 2000s All-Decade Team.
CB-Mike Haynes 6-2, 192; this HOF corner was elite his entire career & had the size & speed to stay with any WR. He’s one of the best shutdown & complete CBs of his or any other era. He & Lester Hayes are known as one of the greatest CB duos ever. He was the NEA 1984 DPOY, 1976 NFL DROY, played in 9 Pro Bowls, All-Pro 8 times (2 first team), NFL 1980s All-Decade Team & NFL 75th AND 100th Anniversary Teams.
FS-Aeneas Williams 5-11, 200; this HOFer played most of his career at CB, where he was yet another one of the best lockdown CBs of his era. He moved to S later in his career but excelled there as well, making the Pro Bowl at both positions. He was also a complete DB, able to defend the pass & a good tackler who could help with the run. He played in 8 Pro Bowls, All-Pro 5 times (4 first team) & NFL 1990s All-Decade Team.
SS-Willie Wood 5-10, 190; one of only 2 players (Sayers) on my team that were before my time that I never saw play other than highlights. It took quite a while after he retired but he finally was elected to the HOF almost 20 years after he retired. He was part of 7 championship teams with the Packers & was a force in the defensive backfield. He was known as a fast, big hitter & great leaper with ball skills who could take catches away from WR. He was an electric kick returner his first few seasons as well. He played in 8 Pro Bowls, All-Pro 9 times (5 first team) & NFL 1960s All-Decade Team.
