CFB51 College Football Fan Community
The Power Four => Big Ten => Topic started by: OrangeAfroMan on March 16, 2026, 09:08:28 PM
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4 and only 4 - best ILBS in college football history
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Paul Posluszny, Penn St
Marvin Jones, Florida St
Patrick Willis, Ole Miss
TBD
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Just gonna throw out some names (that I've seen play).
Brian Bosworth has to be in the conversation, even though he's a tool.
Persey Snow
Chris Spielman
Pat Fitzgerald
Mike Singletary (did not see him in NCAA)
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Did not see:
I've seen lots of people talk about Tommy Nobis.
Jack Ham.
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Did not see:
I've seen lots of people talk about Tommy Nobis.
Jack Ham.
Forgot about him, averaged 20 tackles a game while on the 40 Acres. Had he played for the Colts/Raiders/Dallas/Miami later he might be all century team
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Yeah Tommy Nobis is one of our Longhorn legends for sure. I don't know how he stacks up nationally though.
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Any list without Ray Lewis is incomplete.
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Of course I didn't see him play, but how could the best name in history be left off?
Dick Butkus
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he might have been a Center
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He was both.
The 2-platoon system in college football was interesting, in that it began in 1945 (because of WWII), but only until 1953. Then, the iron-man football slowly gave way to 2-plaotton again by 1964.
Butkus played at Illinois from '62-'64.
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Of course I didn't see him play, but how could the best name in history be left off?
Dick Butkus
All-American and CFB HoF as a Center.
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All-American and CFB HoF as a Center.
The size and speed of humans has definitely changed, maybe more due to specialization. ILB's go usually under 250 lbs now, and (NFL at least) Centers are all pushing 300 or more.
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I think the Fridge was the first player in the NFL to be over 300 pounds. 1985.
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Believe that was Art Donovan,if you haven't read "FATSO" do yourself a favor and read it. Hands down thee funniest book I've ever read.I did so in like '87 he use to come on Carson and Letterman. Seriously go to the library and order it. It was a different game when old Artie(RIP) started,he served with the Marines in WWII at the Battle of Luzon and the Battle of Iwo Jima.
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the Fridge was the first player to score a TD in the NFL to be over 300 pounds. 1985.
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I don't think Donovan ever touched 300. Just looking at the listings, it's shown in the 260 area.
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The first NFL player officially recognized as having a playing weight of 300 pounds or more was Roger Brown in the early 1960s.
While Brown is the most commonly cited "first" for regular 300-pound players, several other historical figures held similar distinctions:
Les Bingaman (1948–1954): A defensive middle guard for the Detroit Lions, Bingaman was widely considered the heaviest player of his era. Although often listed at a lower weight like 272 pounds, he reportedly tipped the scales at nearly 350 pounds near the end of his career in 1954.
Roger Brown (1960–1969): Also a defensive tackle for the Lions, Brown was the NFL's first "regular" player to be listed at 300 pounds. He was a key member of the "Fearsome Foursome" and reached this weight during the 1960 season.
Richard Sligh (1967): Sligh, who played for the Oakland Raiders, was officially listed at 300 pounds. Standing at 7 feet tall, he remains the tallest player in professional football history.
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I don't think Donovan ever touched 300. Just looking at the listings, it's shown in the 260 area.
he'd vacilate between 275 and 300 lbs depending on how many deli sandwiches and Schlitz he'd consume. The trainer sometimes would fudge his weight as Artie was not only a great player but a blast to have around. He claimed he mostly subsisted on kosher deli sammiches and SCHLITZ. He said he'd worry about scurvy when he got it