Defensive lineman
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A defensive lineman is any of the down positions on the defensive side of American football. Although alignments vary, the most popular consist of either 3 or 4 down linemen. On a 3 lineman set, there are 2 Defensive Ends which bookend an often large Nose Tackle. In a 4 lineman set, the Ends bookend 2 Defensive Tackles. The primary job of a defensive lineman is to gain penetration past the line of scrimmage to disrupt an offensive play. The best results are a sack on the quarterback or tackling a ball carrier for a loss of yardage.
[edit] Traits in a Defensive Lineman
Almost all Defensive Linemen have certain key traits. These are important factors that often make or break how a lineman performs:
- Size - most defensive linemen are at least 270 pounds, and sometimes more. By contrast, most NFL running backs weigh no more than about 220-230 pounds
- Explosiveness - Linemen need to get at the offensive players quickly. They need to be able to explode out of their stance with lots of power and forward drive
- Durability - Linemen are almost guaranteed to take contact on every play in a game. They need to have the durability to withstand hits on every play in the season.
[edit] Types of Defensive Linemen
There are several variations of defensive lineman:
[edit] Notable Defensive Linemen
Bruce Smith, a defensive lineman, is the NFL's all-time sack leader. He came to fame as a Buffalo Bill but ended his career as a Washington Redskin in 2002. Other notable defensive linemen throughout NFL history include Reggie White (DE), Elvin Bethea (DE), Art Donovan (DT), Joe Greene (DT), David Jones (DE), Bob Lilly (DT), Howie Long (DE), Gino Marchetti (DE), Merlin Olsen (DT),Richard Dent (DE), Alan Page (DT) & Randy White (DT).
