5 greatest Pittsburgh Steelers inside linebackers of all-time

Levon Kirkland

Kirkland was an absolute monster in the middle for the Blitzburgh defense of the 90s. They might have never won a Super Bowl but they made a huge impact on the franchise. They were able to bring back that tough and gritty defensive mentality from the 70s.

They continue to inspire the current teams defense and Kirkland is a huge part of that. Many people may not entirely remember Kirkland and that is because other players on that team got noticed more often. Names like Greg Llyod and Kevin Greene always gained the attention and accolades while Kirkland put up numbers as a gigantic athlete unlike anyone else.

He played at 6’1 with a weight of 270 pounds. That is a very large and quick man moving from sideline to sideline for this menacing defense. He was a very underrated player and should be remembered as such to this day. He is not mentioned among the greatest in Steelers history even though he should be.

Kirkland was able to total stats of 124 games started, 849 total tackles, 17 tackles for loss, 18.5 sacks, a touchdown, eight fumble recoveries, 14 forced fumbles, 11 pass deflections, 11 interceptions, 1990s NFL All-Decade Team, two Pro Bowls, two-time All-Pro, and two time Steelers MVP.