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Ranking the 13 Most Powerful Tackles in NFL History
The NFL is known for two things: incredible offensive performance and tackles. Furthermore, people who watch the NFL see grown men fight each other.
The NFL has had a long history of game-changing tackles.
However, some have had a greater impact on the NFL than others.
In the 2021 Super Bowl, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers tackle Travis Kelce.
In the 2021 Super Bowl, Travis Kelce is tackled by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
We presented the 13 biggest tackles in NFL history in this article. Let’s see which tackles are at the top of our list.
The 13 Toughest Tackles in NFL History
To make it more interesting, let’s start with the top 13 and work our way down to the top 1.
13. Sean Taylor
The NFL All-Star Game (Pro Bowl) is not typically regarded as a legitimate event.
As a result, the biggest hits or tackles in the NFL Pro Bowl are uncommon.
However, in the 2006 Pro Bowl, NFC Sean Taylor made one of the NFL’s most memorable tackles.
Bill Belichick, AFL coach, and punter Brian Moorman discussed running a fake punt.
‘Do you want to run it?’ Taylor later asked Boorman.
‘, to which he replied, ‘Yeah, absolutely.’
He later regretted his choice of Boorman.
Taylor slammed him down brutally as he ran towards the sideline.
Taylor’s annihilation of Boorman will go down in Pro Bowl history as unrivaled.
Despite the fact that the tackle occurred before Twitter or Instagram, it is still receiving a lot of attention.
12. Dunta Robinson
Dunta Robinson’s hit on Eagles wide receiver De Sean Jackson by the Falcons is quite different.
Furthermore, it was as if two fast and talented players collided at high speed.
Both players collided during the game between the Atlanta Falcons and the Philadelphia Eagles, leaving both on the field.
Jackson was a tough player who never gave up against defenders.
He did, however, resemble a dummy after being laid out by Robinson.
The NFL later fined Robinson tackles for lowering his helmet to make contact with a defenseless receiver.
11. Leonard Marshall
Joe Montana wearing a Chiefs jersey after being traded in April 1993 remains one of the league’s strangest moments.
However, he would not have worn Cheifs if a career-threatening injury had not occurred on January 20, 1991.
During the fourth quarter of the NFL Championship game, Leonard Marshall of the New York Giants hit Montana so hard that he suffered a serious injury.
With Montana out, the 49ers held a 13-12 lead until kicker Matt Bahr converted a last-second field goal.
The Giants prevented the 49ers from becoming the first team in NFL history to win three consecutive games.
They went on to win the Super Bowl as well.
Montana suffered fractured ribs, broken hands, a bruised sternum, and a stomach.
Furthermore, injuries forced him to miss two seasons in a row.
Later, Steve Young took his place and went on to become a Hall of Famer, winning the Super Bowl in 1995.
Montana was sent to Kansas City as a result of Leonard’s hit, allowing Young to retire with the 49ers.
10. Ben Watson
Ben Watson’s chase-down tackle on Champ Bailey is likely the best in the NFL playoffs.
Furthermore, the game marked the end of Tom Brady’s 10-game playoff winning streak.
The Broncos led the Patriots 10-6 in the third quarter of the 2006 divisional playoffs.
Also See: NFL’s 15 All-Time Greatest Football Teams
Later, Brady failed to complete a pass in the end zone, leaving Bailey with an open field ahead of him.
However, Patriots tight end Ben sprinted 100 yards out of nowhere to tackle Bailey just one yard before the end zone.
Despite the fact that they lost the game, Ben’s tackle is one of the most famous in NFL history.
9. Sheldon Brown
Reggie Bush of the New Orleans Saints was one of the most hyped prospects in NFL history, thanks to his uncanny ability to shake up defenders.
However, during an NFC divisional playoff game against the Philadelphia Eagles, he was the victim of one of the most brutal hits in NFL history.
Furthermore, he was too fast and shifty in high school and college and was drilled like never before in his career by cornerback Sheldon Brown.
Reggie Bush is defeated by Sheldon Brown.
Brown hit Bush with his shoulder as soon as Saints quarterback Drew Brees passed the ball to him.
One of the best aspects of this hit was that it was completely legal.
Another thing is that when Bush tries to stand up, he falls back down.
8. Jack Tatum has
Darryl Stingley was paralyzed on August 12, 1978, during a preseason game between the New England Patriots and the Oakland Raiders.
When the Raiders’ hard-hitting safety Jack Tatum was running a pattern, he slammed Patriots wide receiver, Stingley, with his helmet.
Stingley’s fourth and fifth vertebrae were later injured as a result of that blow.
He was rendered paralyzed below the neck.
The NFL, however, did not penalize or suspend Tatum for his tackle.
However, it significantly tightens the rules and regulations governing violent hits.
Tatum attempted to visit Stingley after the collision, but Stingley’s family members refused.
As a result, they never met again after the incident.
7. Chuck Bednarik
Chuck Bednarik is widely regarded as the NFL’s last two-way player.
However, on November 20, 1960, while playing for the Philadelphia Eagles as a linebacker, he delivered a violent hit on Giants receiver Gifford.
Both teams were competing for first place in the Eastern Division, and the Eagles led by 7 points in the fourth quarter.
Also see: NFL’s Top 10 Best Quarterbacks of All Time
Later, when Gifford received the ball, he ran to the sideline, hoping to stop the clock.
Gifford, on the other hand, was defeated by Chuck Bednarik. Bednarik’s hit, dubbed “Concrete Charlie,” sent Gifford to the hospital with a concussion.
Gifford was unable to play for another two seasons due to a life-threatening injury.
The takedown may have aided the Eagles’ victory in the NFL Championship. Bednarik, on the other hand, delivered another crucial hit in the championship game against the Green Bay Packers.
On the final play of the game, he tackled running back Jim Taylor at the Eagles’ 10-yard line, securing a 17-13 victory.
Bednarik’s hit is remembered in NFL folklore as “The Hit,” because it made people aware of concussion effects and football protective gear.
6. Von Miller
The Denver Broncos were the underdogs in Super Bowl 50 against the Carolina Panthers.
With a dramatic first-half sack, Broncos linebacker Von Miller altered the course of the game.
Miller rushed to the edge and sacked Newton when he dropped into the pocket.
Malik Jackson later recovered the ball in the end zone after it had pooped free, giving the Broncos a 10-0 lead. Carolina never recovered from that.
Similarly, in the final four minutes of regulation time, Miller successfully stripped the ball from Newton, setting up a possible game-winning rally.
Denver defeated Carolina 24-10 in the Super Bowl. Miller, likewise, was named NFL Super Bowl MVP after recording six tackles, two and a half sacks, and a forced fumble.
5. Lawrance Taylor
The legendary rivalry between the New York Giants and the Washington Redskins dates back to 1932.
On November 18, 1985, they were playing against each other, and the Redskins’ starting quarterback, Joe Theismann, was leading them to their second consecutive Super Bowl victory.
He was tied at 7-7 entering the second quarter. Later, while Theismann was attempting a flea-flicker pass, Lawrance Taylor drew him down from the quarterback’s blindside.
Furthermore, that tackle solidified Taylor’s legacy as one of the best past rushers in NFL history.
Although Taylor’s hit on Theismann was not the most powerful in terms of initial contact between the two
it is unquestionably one of the most significant hits in NFL history.
Following that play, NFL teams placed a greater emphasis on protecting quarterbacks’ blind side.
NFL teams became willing to spend money and draft picks on left tackles, particularly for right-handed quarterbacks.
Although it has not eliminated QBs being hit from the blindside, it has significantly reduced the number of hits since that incident.
4. Mo Lewis
Mo Lewis hit Bledsoe in the chest near the sideline on September 23, 2001, during a game between the New York Jets and the New England Patriots.
Later, that tackle altered the course of NFL history in ways that no one could have predicted.
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Bledsoe had a potentially fatal injury. He also had a concussion and internal bleeding problems.
Later, on his way to the hospital, he passed out. When he regains consciousness, he discovers a tube in his chest.
However, Bledsoe played the next game but was diagnosed with a concussion near the end.
Then, with 2:16 left in the fourth quarter, Tom Brady took the field.
He got three first downs but couldn’t get past the goal line.
This was the game in which Brady replaced Bledsoe as the starting quarterback.
Brady later contributed to the team finishing the season with an 11-3 record.
Brady led the Patriots to a Super Bowl victory over the Rams as the starting quarterback. Everything else is history.
3. Donta Hightower
The New England Patriots won Super Bowl LI with the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history, a 25-point victory.
Furthermore, it would not have been possible without Hightowers’ strip-sack of Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan.
With only 8:35 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Hightower provided the spark that the Patriots needed to close the huge point gap.
Matt Ryan is sacked by Donta Hightower. Donta Hightower goes after Matt Ryan.
When the Patriots were trailing the Falcons 28-12, Hightower attacked from the left side and blew past running back Devonta Freeman to take down Matt Ryan.
Later, Alan Branch successfully recovered the ball, giving the Patriots possession.
Furthermore, the momentum shifts and Hightower assists the Patriots in scoring 31 consecutive unanswered points.
The Patriots won the most coveted prize with a 34-28 overtime victory. All thanks to Hightower’s strip-sack of Matt Ryan.
Similarly, the Falcons became the first team in NFL postseason history to come back from a 17-point deficit in the fourth quarter.
2. Ben Roethlisberger
On January 15, 2006, with 1:05 minutes remaining, the Pittsburgh Steelers led the Indianapolis Colts 21-18.
Roethlisberger handed the ball to running back Jerome Bettis, hoping for an insurance touchdown.
However, he was tackled, the ball popped out, and Harper scooped it up.
Harper was attempting an easy game-winning touchdown.
Furthermore, it would be disastrous because the Steelers were leading by 18 points at one point.
But their quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, had a different plan.
As a result, when Harper got the ball, he ran toward the Steeler’s goal line.
As blockers surrounded Harper, the only person who could tackle him was Roethlisberger.
Then Roethlisberger wrapped his massive and bulky body around Harper’s ankles.
He reached 40 when he tackled him. However, the Colts missed the game-tying field goal later in the game.
How significant was Roethlisberger’s tackle? Later, his crucial tackle on Harper helped the Steelers win the Super Bowl.
Also, read 15 Shortest NFL Players in History, Top 12 NFL Quarterbacks of Current Year
1. Mike Jones
On January 30, 2000, the St Louis Rams faced the Tennessee Titans in Super Bowl XXXVI.
The game was nearing its conclusion.
Kurt Warner later threw a 73-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Issac Bruce with 2 minutes remaining.
Similarly, Titans quarterback Steve McNair accepted responsibility for bringing his team back into the game.
He was faced with a do-or-die situation after leading them to the opponent’s 10-yard line with only six seconds remaining.
Later, on the final play, he found wide receiver Kevin Dyson heading straight for the end zone.
Mike Jones tackles Kevin Dyson one yard before the end line.
Kevin Dyson is tackled by Mike Jones just one yard from the end line.
At the time, it appeared that the Rams would score easily, but Rams linebacker Mike Jones made a game-saving tackle just one yard from the end line.
Mike Jones’ tackle is widely regarded as the greatest in NFL Super Bowl history.
It’s also known as “The Tackle.”
