5 greatest Pittsburgh Steelers inside linebackers of all-time

Lawrence Timmons

Timmons was one of the first major athletic linebackers to roam the middle of the defense for the Steelers. He was one of the most athletic at the position before the likes of Ryan Shazier and Devin Bush came onto the scene. Timmons came out of Florida State and was groomed behind James Farrior and Larry Foote to become a huge factor in this defense for the majority of his NFL career. He was apart of some really good defenses but also apart of some rebuilding ones.

He became a stop-gap for the Steelers while they began accumulating talent around him as he quickly went from learning from two great linebackers to becoming the top dog within a few years. Timmons was the start of the new type of inside linebacker that could do it all. He could stuff the run, get after the passer, and drop back in coverage all because of his size and speed combo. He was the start of what the prototype at inside linebacker has become since Timmons helped pave the way.

Timmons would start 126 games during his ten-year career in Pittsburgh. He tallied 983 total tackles, 66 tackles for loss, 83 quarterback hits, 35.5 sacks, seven fumble recoveries, 13 forced fumbles, 43 pass deflections, one touchdown, 12 interceptions, one Pro Bowl, and Super Bowl Champion.