4× Super Bowl champion (IX, X, XIII, XIV) 9× Pro Bowl (1975-1983) 6× First-team All-Pro (1976, 1979-1983) 2× Second-team All-Pro (1975, 1978) 2× NFL Defensive Player of the Year (1976, 1983) NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year (1974) Pittsburgh Steelers All-Time Team NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team NFL 1980s All-Decade Team NFL 1970s All-Decade Team That's pretty awesome stuff.
I remember watching a Pro Bowl one year, and the AFC defense was on the field and 7 of the 11 helmets were Steelers: Greene, Greenwood and Holmes on the line, Lambert and Hamm at linebacker, and Blount and Wagner in the Secondary. I can't think of a single defense in the history of the league that can match that.
Marcus Williams idk man 21 century pats are better. 6 titles in the free agency era while back then they could keep everybody around and it only lasted 6 years. They didn’t expand upon the 70’s
@@lisastocker7537 much tougher era to play in. the patriots would not stand a chance. as proven by the giants, great defensive lines stop the patriots. say no more.
"Half latino" What the hell does that even mean? Are you trying to say that he has AmeriIndian; has a bit of indigenous tribe, in his blood ? "Latino" is the modern-day equivalent of the now, apparently, disfavored yet more accurate term, "Mestizo". Caucasians mixed with the races they conquered
I was there, and witnessed Jack Lambert’s incredible play. I used to yell encouragements at him from the sidelines, and he’d look over at me, at this ten year old kid, and smile. 25 yard line, 16 rows from the field, Steeler side of Three Rivers Stadium. It was a magical time and place, 1975 Pittsburgh...let me take you back there in my novel, Secret Under Pittsburgh!
I’m a Florida boy. However, I am also a lifelong Steeler fan. After experiencing many memorable games here in Gainesville Florida, a.k.a. THE SWAMP! It’s almost like I could see your memory. Where if I was to explain some of mine from Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, I think you would understand. I was not alive in the 70s to see the great decade. Because I was born in the early 80s so all I have is film to watch. Thank you for sharing that. Oh by the way, Jack and Troy are my favorite Steelers ever.🐊
What a classic shot at 3:07. You hardly see better shots, even in movies. Truly a force to be reckoned with. An amazing era of football and a legend in the lore of the game.
In 1983 John Elway was a rookie with the Broncos and their first game (I believe it was preseason) was against the Steelers. Elway said as he was walking up to the line he could hear Lambert growling and then he looked at Jack who flashed that toothless snarl and just pointed right at him to let Elway know that he was coming for him. Elway admits that he was unnerved by the whole thing and that caused him to line up behind the right guard to take the snap, thinking he was over the center. Elway said he wanted to call a time out and go to the sidelines and call NY Yankees owner George Steinbrenner and tell him that he changed his mind and wants to play baseball instead, as he was drafted by the Yankees.
When I think of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Jack Lambert dressed in the black and gold wearing number 58 immediately comes to mind. He will always be my favorite Pittsburgh Steeler.
yeah,and he would get fined to death,like james harrison,under flag football commisioner roger goodell,goodness,and those cheap shot artist's from the oakland raiders,jack[i can't tackle legally]tatum,and that other chump,george[head shot]atkinson would have been kicked out of the nfl.which they should have been back in the early 1970's.the true criminal element,that's why those 2 fools are not enshrined in canton,ohio,hall of fame
no he would donate every dime he made to fines, that's why you can't compare eras in pro football, Lambert played when the QBs made maybe 200 grand, the league wasn't interested in protecting multi millionaire players because there wasn't any???
That was the moment I became a Steelers fan. I was 13. My Dad was from western PA so he was a Steeler fan. Me being a little kid had been a Vikings fan cuz I liked their purple unis. So when I was 12 the Steelers and Vikings played in the Super Bowl. Steelers win and I'm starting to get more interested in the game. Next year here's the Steelers in the SB again. So I'm watching it with my dad and the kicker misses and I see Harris patting him on the helmet, then in swoops Superman! I was absolutely awed. Like an avenging angel Lambert grabs Harris and flings him to the ground! NOW I'm interested in the NFL. Having put himself in the spotlight I directed my attention to #58 every time he was on the field. He used that perceived disrespect to elevate his play to a whole different level. Needless to say I was officially baptized a Steeler fan that day. My dad couldn't have been happier!
Loved his work ethic and intensity..he and Joe greene were great leaders on those 70s teams..and in my opinion lambert was one of top 6 or 8 linebackers ever to play.
With all due respect but I don't think that Lewis was better than Butkus, Lambert and Singletery. Lewis was a great linebacker but not as good as this three. Cheers.
Every generation there's going to be a player who's next level. That's just how it is. Lambert is a legendary player, but there will be other guys in the clubhouse with him as long as the NFL exists. Just appreciate his greatness. Lambert was the best MIKE in the league during the 1970s. How many players can say they were the best in the NFL at their position for a decade????
one of the guys I grew up on, the great Jack Lambert. Part of the greatest draft class in NFL history, the 1974 class of which he was a 2nd rounder (Lynn Swann was the 1st pick). Probably the meanest player on the team. In the immortal words of Mean Joe Greene "Lambert was so mean that he doesn't even like himself ". He was the face of the defense for sure (obviously Mean Joe is the heart and soul of the history of the Steelers) and was much more effective when they played a 4-3.
The media did make him out as being some sort of vicious animal but he wasn't really that way off the field (at least not when he got older) and the Roy Gerela/Cliff Harris incident shows he was a team person.
The Steelers always played the 4-3 defense for as long as Mean Joe played. And it was Mean Joe requiring a double team, that kept Jack Lambert free'd up to make all those tackles. If you remember before Jack Lambert arrived, the MLB before him also made the Pro Bowl, and that was Henry Davis. Jack was good, because Joe was great.
Lambert was great without a doubt. He was the final piece missing in that great defense. But I think having that Front Four (L.C. Greenwood, Joe Greene. Ernie Holmes and Dwight 'Mad Dog' White) in front of him certainly helped.
James Tressler Exactly. He had some talent, but without Holmes, White, Greenwood and Greene in front of him he wouldn't have had half as many tackles. Classic case of being in the right place at the right time.
Exactly. The mere fact that he helped lead the Steelers to the 1984 AFC Championship Game, after the retirements of, among others, Joe Greene, L.C. Greenwood (who should be in the Hall of Fame, but isn't), Dwight White, Mel Blount, Jack Ham, Terry Bradshaw, and Lynn Swann (and Franco Harris having gone to the Seahawks in '84 before retiring himself) should say something right there. One thing about a middle linebacker that many people don't understand is that, as much as physicality is a part of playing that position, so is intelligence, since an inside, or middle linebacker is the QB of the defense, and in Lambert's career, the Steelers made the playoffs nine times (every year except 1980 and '81), won eight AFC Central titles (1974-'79, '83-'84), and played in six AFC Championship Games (1974-'76, 78-'79, '84), the last of which was the final game of his career. So it should have been no surprise that the Steelers' slide began after Lambert retired after the 1984 season, as they only made the playoffs once in Chuck Noll's final seven seasons as the head coach (1989).
cjs83172 Lambert missed 1/2 of the 1984 season due to a dislocated big toe...he entered the game in the 4th quarter of AFC championship game when the game was a blowout...that was the last game he played for the Steelers. Lambert announced his retirement in the spring of 1985, and by the start of the 1985 season, the intensity that he brought to the defense was gone....it did not return until Greg Lloyd became a starter in 1988
Even if he wasn't able to play, Lambert was one who led by example, as well as being able to teach the younger players how to play "the Steeler way", because on a defense filled with All-Pros, it was Lambert who was the undisputed leader, and when those All-Pros and Hall of Famers retired, it became even more obvious who the leader of that defense was. And it was no accident that when he retired after the 1984 season, that defense struggled for a number of years.
When I was a kid in the 70's there were 3 teams I always loved watching other than my fav team the "Colts" play each other & that was the Steelers Cowboys & Raiders' & you can bet your ass whenever they did play one another it was ALWAYS a war!'
Yeah jack lambert definitely had that X-factor that no other linebacker could really have, which was that physical appearance of someone who was crazy across from you with that toothless apperance. The way he looked, how he played, and yet how undersized he was speaks to his toughness and why he was one of the greatest LBs to play the game.
I wouldn't go that far because Butkus was rated the most feared hitter of all-time by former players, GMs, and coaches. Not to mention Butkus was rated higher than Lambert on this list too at #10.
There's linebackers and then there's Jack Lambert. He epitomizes what a linebacker is and should be. Lambert may have came into the league weighting 200lbs but by the mid to late 70s he was around 225. Now setting that aside he played and hit people like he weighed 275, Lambert was what was called "country strong" meaning he was a lot stronger then he looked. As strange as this may sound he was the type of player that was actually stronger on the field then when in the weight room, he became a totally different person once suited up and played with the intensity that no one could match. Joe Greene once said that he would take Lambert into any bar in the world and clear it out. The players who played against Lambert should thank God Lambert didn't weigh more then he did because if he had he might have actually killed or permanently crippled them for life.
For me, Jack Lambert’s greatest play was when he intercepted the Ram’s Vince Ferragamo in Super Bowl 14 when the Rams were driving deep into Steelers territory in the 4th quarter...a total see-saw, very difficult game for Pittsburgh, but that play changed everything.
Lambert was such a good MLB because he was a great tackler and a student of the game. His game would even be viable in today's game because of the form he used. When RBs got hit by Lambert they went backwards. He hit you with both form and authority.
Before steroids, before strength programs, before amino acids, before pass runners were protected from getting hit coming out of the backfield, before players were down when they were merely grabbed, Butkus, Nitschke, and Lambert prevailed by making textbook yet vicious tackles on players that could take a hit. They were the greatest in a time when the game was the greatest! And they did it by being smart and without tattoos, fishing tackle in their noses, and hooks in their mouths and ears.
Lambert was going to make Cliff Harris permentally blind. Watch the right hand. #58 got his mitt beyond the face mask and inside the helmet. That's OG stuff right there. From that point on, Pittsburgh's offense ran everything at Harris for the rest of SB X. With a Disabled Vietnam Combat Infantry Soldier in Rocky Blier visualizing Cliff Harris as a NVA regular leading the downfield blocking right at him. All because the bully fvcked with Roy Gerela excessively. That doesn't happen, the Cowboys win that game. That were kicking Pittsburgh's ass up until that point.
I have been fortunate enough to be around some pretty special people in my life ... real NLF royalty ... and have been able to speak candidly about this and that in some great company ... at an NFL dinner once i asked who was the best to ever play the MLB position ... who was the baddest ever ... Butkus, Seau, Taylor ? .... 3 greats at my table all said unanimously Jack Lambert ... they all nodded at each other in agreement ...
One thing that really sticks out to me in these videos is the tackling technique. it was always textbook. not what you see today at all in a lot of cases.
Wrap them up and wrestle them to the ground. It takes alot of STRENGTH and being IN SHAPE. A lot of the guys today are sucked up and can't breathe after 10 seconds of exertion. Wasn't always like that
If were starting a football team and could pick any player from any team to have played pro football, I’d start with Jack Splat Lambert. He was ferocious all the time.
Was a kid in West Texas during the 60s and was naturally a Cowboys fan. Was so lucky to have grown up an NFL fan in the 70s, 80s, and 90s... there was genuine and lasting team rivalry, but we loved and respected all these guys... I knew Cliff was wrong for his bad sportsmanship and I admired Lambert taking up for his teammate. What an amazing era of real men and true warriors who through their play gave young viewers insights into honor, respect, courage, and true grit with every game. Haven't watched an NFL game in three years
Ulysses S. Grant try watching a full season of early and mid 70’s football. It’s boring af. The passing game was terrible due to the rules. Just having more TDS than ints is a good season before 1978 rule changes
He really changed how that position was played because before him guys like Schmidt, George, Nitschke, and Butkus were downhill run stoppers known for their physicality. Lambert was lighter but just as physical but also was very quick and could play in coverage from sideline to sideline. The Steelers then ran what's now known as Tampa 2 which requires linebackers that can fly around the field and play in pass coverage.
I like how after he threw Harris to the ground from behind, Harris jumped up like he was going to do something about it and then realized who it was. He was like "YO WHAT THE FU....hey look there's something over on the sideline. I should go there as fast as I can!"
....And I hated him with a passion, as I was a Raider fan.....but boy did I ever respect him. I wish that he and Joe Green were Raiders. That would have made a perfect world.
Lambert and Butkus would tackle a guy with extra aggression to make sure that it stayed in the poor slob's head. Sort of like Al Davis's rule that a quarterback had to go down early and hard.
At the time Pittsburgh had so many great players that it was easy to overlook any one player but when you look back on Lambert's career you realize how great he really was!' And I hate sayin anything good about Pittsburgh...I'm from Baltimore so take it for what it's worth but he was an outstanding player..
Huge Pittsburgh Steelers fan from the 70s. And I agree with you he was one of the most intimidating football players in that era but defensively Joe Greene and Mel Blount probably the two best defenders on that team
@@robertlongwill8856 Definitely. Joe was the cornerstone of that dynasty, Mel was the shutdown corner that forced the league to change the rules on the 'bump and run'... Lambert was tough and durable, but...some of these guys on this page just getting carried away. Great player, but not close to the 'greatest ever'. Perspective seems to get lost amid all this hero worship.
Top 5 in my book!!!!!!!! go Steeler Nation,the ferocity of Jack Lambert was unmatched by anybody who ever stepped on the field with the exception of Joe Greene,l c greenwood Jack ham, Mel blond the greats, the Hall of Fame was paved my men like you God bless you
No joke these top 100 greatest videos are pure joy.
Boy, you said it.
I agree. Helps remember these greats and let some of these young fans see the talent they've missed out on seeing
Yuppers
Back before the nfl became what it is today
That is for sure...we were blessed witnessing pure talent and physical excellence. Jack Lambert #58.
If Jack didnt talk to the Mexican dude imma be upset, he was so happy to be there
Yep that man was so happy💯
Probably just snarled at him and made the guys trip worthwhile
@@user-dc1dr9kr8x that sounds right for Lambert lol
What Mexican dude?
@@walterwhite1 the guy in the very beginning that said "Jack I've come all the way from Mexico to see you play"
4× Super Bowl champion (IX, X, XIII, XIV)
9× Pro Bowl (1975-1983)
6× First-team All-Pro (1976, 1979-1983)
2× Second-team All-Pro (1975, 1978)
2× NFL Defensive Player of the Year (1976, 1983)
NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year (1974)
Pittsburgh Steelers All-Time Team
NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team
NFL 1980s All-Decade Team
NFL 1970s All-Decade Team
That's pretty awesome stuff.
And hall of famer
Great Resume eh?
One correction jack lambert didn’t win DPOY in 1983 he won the award once
He only won DPOY once
Loved watching Lambert play for such a great team.
The 70's Steelers are unmatched.
So True
WT Hendrix Best dynasty of all time
I remember watching a Pro Bowl one year, and the AFC defense was on the field and 7 of the 11 helmets were Steelers: Greene, Greenwood and Holmes on the line, Lambert and Hamm at linebacker, and Blount and Wagner in the Secondary. I can't think of a single defense in the history of the league that can match that.
Marcus Williams idk man 21 century pats are better. 6 titles in the free agency era while back then they could keep everybody around and it only lasted 6 years. They didn’t expand upon the 70’s
@@lisastocker7537 much tougher era to play in. the patriots would not stand a chance. as proven by the giants, great defensive lines stop the patriots. say no more.
just look at those tackles fantastic
Thank you.
Perfect Technique
masterpeices
Fundamentally sound tackling- don’t see that enough in today’s game-
The Mad stork and Jack Lambert two of my favorite Linebackers ( and yes, I'm from Mexico too).
Ted was half Latino.
"Half latino"
What the hell does that even mean?
Are you trying to say that he has AmeriIndian; has a bit of indigenous tribe, in his blood ?
"Latino" is the modern-day equivalent of the now, apparently, disfavored yet more accurate term, "Mestizo".
Caucasians mixed with the races they conquered
+mano fiske not all Mexicans are mixed with Caucasians
Guillermo Sanchez who is the mad stork?
@@ArshadKhan-ys9ey Ted Hendricks
As a Chicago Bears fan growing up in Chicago, I admired Jack Lambert LB for his craziness and hard hitting. A great football player of his times!
When Lambert slammed Cliff Harris to the ground in the Super Bowl....NOT one Cowboy came to his defense!!!
+Jim they knew not to bother with the next Butkus!!!!!
+Dwight Love No, they all knew Harris was wrong for what he did
+Keith Clark Even so nobody from Dallas came to his defense!!!
Nobody messed with Jack Lambert!!!
Harris was picking on someone much smaller than him (Roy Gerela) & had it coming.
I was there, and witnessed Jack Lambert’s incredible play. I used to yell encouragements at him from the sidelines, and he’d look over at me, at this ten year old kid, and smile. 25 yard line, 16 rows from the field, Steeler side of Three Rivers Stadium. It was a magical time and place, 1975 Pittsburgh...let me take you back there in my novel, Secret Under Pittsburgh!
I’m a Florida boy. However, I am also a lifelong Steeler fan. After experiencing many memorable games here in Gainesville Florida, a.k.a. THE SWAMP! It’s almost like I could see your memory. Where if I was to explain some of mine from Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, I think you would understand. I was not alive in the 70s to see the great decade. Because I was born in the early 80s so all I have is film to watch. Thank you for sharing that. Oh by the way, Jack and Troy are my favorite Steelers ever.🐊
What a classic shot at 3:07. You hardly see better shots, even in movies. Truly a force to be reckoned with. An amazing era of football and a legend in the lore of the game.
Iconic shot, along with Willie Brown INT return for the TD. NFL films truly has some incredible shots
“This is my dream!!!”
real, unrigged, genuine American Football
Yup. I don't even count anything that's happened after the 2000 season because it's become the WWF ever since the Tuck Rule game
The tuck rule was called correctly in that game. The rule itself was pretty lame but it was called right.
Jeremy Thompson moron
@@dutdut2.052 weak nfl
@@dutdut2.052 u go on every video your the moron
In 1983 John Elway was a rookie with the Broncos and their first game (I believe it was preseason) was against the Steelers. Elway said as he was walking up to the line he could hear Lambert growling and then he looked at Jack who flashed that toothless snarl and just pointed right at him to let Elway know that he was coming for him. Elway admits that he was unnerved by the whole thing and that caused him to line up behind the right guard to take the snap, thinking he was over the center. Elway said he wanted to call a time out and go to the sidelines and call NY Yankees owner George Steinbrenner and tell him that he changed his mind and wants to play baseball instead, as he was drafted by the Yankees.
lol him throwing down Cliff Harris like a rag doll was the best.
I am almost 56 and SAW Jack Lambert's career (once in person in Oakland )..The man was ALL THAT + MORE !!
When I think of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Jack Lambert dressed in the black and gold wearing number 58 immediately comes to mind. He will always be my favorite Pittsburgh Steeler.
Lambert would have a field day in the NFL in this day and age!!!
yeah,and he would get fined to death,like james harrison,under flag football commisioner roger goodell,goodness,and those cheap shot artist's from the oakland raiders,jack[i can't tackle legally]tatum,and that other chump,george[head shot]atkinson would have been kicked out of the nfl.which they should have been back in the early 1970's.the true criminal element,that's why those 2 fools are not enshrined in canton,ohio,hall of fame
Lambert would have been in Goodels office weekly and fined to no end
He was small then he'd be way too small now
+spud man his height, long arms and legs made the difference. he'd wrap around anyone like a snake, and he could hit too!
no he would donate every dime he made to fines, that's why you can't compare eras in pro football, Lambert played when the QBs made maybe 200 grand, the league wasn't interested in protecting multi millionaire players because there wasn't any???
Jack Lambert and Joe Greene...my two all time favorite players. I am a girl who loves the game of yesteryear.
Two players who absolutely hated to lose.
Thanks Bernie..
I was a Cowboy fan. Dallas might have won SBX if Harris hadn't fired up Lambert (and the rest of the Steelers).
30 years before Stone Cold Steve Austin, there was Jack Lambert..
we need Jack Lambert A Footbal Life!!! come on NFL Films!
My son, 9 years old, loves Jack Lambert. Has an autographed jersey! Love it.
If you analyze Lambert's tackling technique it was among the best ever which made him so effective along with his tenacity.
REAL football players!!!
That was the moment I became a Steelers fan. I was 13. My Dad was from western PA so he was a Steeler fan. Me being a little kid had been a Vikings fan cuz I liked their purple unis. So when I was 12 the Steelers and Vikings played in the Super Bowl. Steelers win and I'm starting to get more interested in the game. Next year here's the Steelers in the SB again. So I'm watching it with my dad and the kicker misses and I see Harris patting him on the helmet, then in swoops Superman! I was absolutely awed. Like an avenging angel Lambert grabs Harris and flings him to the ground! NOW I'm interested in the NFL. Having put himself in the spotlight I directed my attention to #58 every time he was on the field. He used that perceived disrespect to elevate his play to a whole different level. Needless to say I was officially baptized a Steeler fan that day. My dad couldn't have been happier!
Loved his work ethic and intensity..he and Joe greene were great leaders on those 70s teams..and in my opinion lambert was one of top 6 or 8 linebackers ever to play.
He's one reason why in Mexico the Steelers are so beloved.Count Lambert.🏈
Only second to the Cowgirls ;)
thank you mexico
As great as guys like Butkus, Singletary and Ray Lewis were...you can't fuck with the beast that is Jack Lambert.
With all due respect but I don't think that Lewis was better than Butkus, Lambert and Singletery. Lewis was a great linebacker but not as good as this three. Cheers.
Ethan Lidstrom Besides superbowls the only thing ray lewis has mor of the butkus is seasons played, and they still had the same amount of dpoy's
Butkus and Lewis were easily better than Lambert.
Every generation there's going to be a player who's next level. That's just how it is.
Lambert is a legendary player, but there will be other guys in the clubhouse with him as long as the NFL exists.
Just appreciate his greatness.
Lambert was the best MIKE in the league during the 1970s.
How many players can say they were the best in the NFL at their position for a decade????
@@xaviervega468
That's an opinion, not fact.
What I do know is the Steelers don't win 4 SBs without Lambert.
That does look intimidating the way he's pumping his legs before the snap at 3:13. So much energy waiting to be unleashed.
man they don’t make them like Lambert anymore , he is truly the definition of badass
rudedawg 420 meaning what? they don’t make skinny undersized linebackers anymore?
dut dut 2.0 I believe he was referring to his spirit, consistency, presence on the field, etc. more than his physical attributes.
Tj Watt
I'm 51 now..... JACK LAMBERT was the scariest football player of all time.
Hands down!
one of the guys I grew up on, the great Jack Lambert. Part of the greatest draft class in NFL history, the 1974 class of which he was a 2nd rounder (Lynn Swann was the 1st pick). Probably the meanest player on the team. In the immortal words of Mean Joe Greene "Lambert was so mean that he doesn't even like himself ". He was the face of the defense for sure (obviously Mean Joe is the heart and soul of the history of the Steelers) and was much more effective when they played a 4-3.
W
The media did make him out as being some sort of vicious animal but he wasn't really that way off the field (at least not when he got older) and the Roy Gerela/Cliff Harris incident shows he was a team person.
Claude White stfu
LeVeon Bell #26Savage #Winsday #JukeGod who the $#@& are you? Do something positive with your life!
The Steelers always played the 4-3 defense for as long as Mean Joe played. And it was Mean Joe requiring a double team, that kept Jack Lambert free'd up to make all those tackles. If you remember before Jack Lambert arrived, the MLB before him also made the Pro Bowl, and that was Henry Davis. Jack was good, because Joe was great.
Lambert was great without a doubt. He was the final piece missing in that great defense. But I think having that Front Four (L.C. Greenwood, Joe Greene. Ernie Holmes and Dwight 'Mad Dog' White) in front of him certainly helped.
James Tressler Exactly. He had some talent, but without Holmes, White, Greenwood and Greene in front of him he wouldn't have had half as many tackles. Classic case of being in the right place at the right time.
Really then please explain WHY Lambert was ALL PRO YEARS after THEY RETIRED.
Exactly. The mere fact that he helped lead the Steelers to the 1984 AFC Championship Game, after the retirements of, among others, Joe Greene, L.C. Greenwood (who should be in the Hall of Fame, but isn't), Dwight White, Mel Blount, Jack Ham, Terry Bradshaw, and Lynn Swann (and Franco Harris having gone to the Seahawks in '84 before retiring himself) should say something right there.
One thing about a middle linebacker that many people don't understand is that, as much as physicality is a part of playing that position, so is intelligence, since an inside, or middle linebacker is the QB of the defense, and in Lambert's career, the Steelers made the playoffs nine times (every year except 1980 and '81), won eight AFC Central titles (1974-'79, '83-'84), and played in six AFC Championship Games (1974-'76, 78-'79, '84), the last of which was the final game of his career. So it should have been no surprise that the Steelers' slide began after Lambert retired after the 1984 season, as they only made the playoffs once in Chuck Noll's final seven seasons as the head coach (1989).
cjs83172 Lambert missed 1/2 of the 1984 season due to a dislocated big toe...he entered the game in the 4th quarter of AFC championship game when the game was a blowout...that was the last game he played for the Steelers. Lambert announced his retirement in the spring of 1985, and by the start of the 1985 season, the intensity that he brought to the defense was gone....it did not return until Greg Lloyd became a starter in 1988
Even if he wasn't able to play, Lambert was one who led by example, as well as being able to teach the younger players how to play "the Steeler way", because on a defense filled with All-Pros, it was Lambert who was the undisputed leader, and when those All-Pros and Hall of Famers retired, it became even more obvious who the leader of that defense was. And it was no accident that when he retired after the 1984 season, that defense struggled for a number of years.
1:32 THE VERY DEFINITION OF THE FORM TACKLE.
Greatest Middle Linebacker of all time
When I was a kid in the 70's there were 3 teams I always loved watching other than my fav team the "Colts" play each other & that was the Steelers Cowboys & Raiders' & you can bet your ass whenever they did play one another it was ALWAYS a war!'
Yeah jack lambert definitely had that X-factor that no other linebacker could really have, which was that physical appearance of someone who was crazy across from you with that toothless apperance. The way he looked, how he played, and yet how undersized he was speaks to his toughness and why he was one of the greatest LBs to play the game.
butkus,and nitzkie can't compare to lambert,3 different animals,lambert reigned supreme.
I wouldn't go that far because Butkus was rated the most feared hitter of all-time by former players, GMs, and coaches. Not to mention Butkus was rated higher than Lambert on this list too at #10.
yeah before lambert played the game.
Butkis couldnt cover like Lambert could .(His knee was destroyed )
Lawrence Taylor is not only the best linebacker of all time hes the greatest football player to step on the feild fact
Lambert would have killed Brady.
and ate him up and spitted him out.
Any Quarterback in this days will shit their pants just to see Lambert in front of them!!! Specially that idiot of Cam Newton!!!
Pinhead Larry your profile pick
Truth!
Levi Ackerman fr
I've been waiting for this guy to come on the list. NFL FILMS made us wait too long to release some Steelers. Keep the best for last
Lambert had fearless determination. A true legend.
Absolutely. Truth right there!
There's linebackers and then there's Jack Lambert. He epitomizes what a linebacker is and should be. Lambert may have came into the league weighting 200lbs but by the mid to late 70s he was around 225. Now setting that aside he played and hit people like he weighed 275, Lambert was what was called "country strong" meaning he was a lot stronger then he looked. As strange as this may sound he was the type of player that was actually stronger on the field then when in the weight room, he became a totally different person once suited up and played with the intensity that no one could match. Joe Greene once said that he would take Lambert into any bar in the world and clear it out. The players who played against Lambert should thank God Lambert didn't weigh more then he did because if he had he might have actually killed or permanently crippled them for life.
Amen Brother!
Actually , there is Jack Lambert and there is the rest of linebackers........
@@Carlos-sd6cz
Roger that!!!!!
Badass comment
I remember him from back in the day. He was a total badass.
For me, Jack Lambert’s greatest play was when he intercepted the Ram’s Vince Ferragamo in Super Bowl 14 when the Rams were driving deep into Steelers territory in the 4th quarter...a total see-saw, very difficult game for Pittsburgh, but that play changed everything.
Jack lambert all game no joke at all one of my favorites of all time!!!
"that a cool your ass off "
I still use that line until this day
Amen.
Same
Oh man. Take me back to that era.
An Absolute BEAST! A true Legend!
I really love the begining of the vídeo 😂😂😂 el paisano with the pasaport
Great seeing Jack waving to Lambert’s Lunatics. Small gestures like that can mean so much.
He reminds me a lot of Ray Nitschke. They were very similar in style and ferocity.
Good comparison.
And in dental work
@@elbowgang9715 LMAO!!
Lambert was such a good MLB because he was a great tackler and a student of the game. His game would even be viable in today's game because of the form he used. When RBs got hit by Lambert they went backwards. He hit you with both form and authority.
Great Job, Jack! Thank You for posting this!!!
💪✌
My favorite player to watch!!!
The front 4 was pretty intimidating in itself.
Jack Lambert, Jack Ham, Nitschke and Butkus were all legends.
When football was football... I cant even watch NFL anymore.
You and me both... Jack Lambert probably doesn’t watch it either. If we’re disgusted with it, imagine how he feels.
JA Family if they played in today’s NFL they would get dominated.
Luke Bargowski they are obviously tough. If they weren’t tough they wouldn’t be playing football
Luke Bargowski stfu u idiot, you know how many of these guys get CTE? If you wanna see guys getting hurt to watch the UFC
My favorite player in the 70s
Before steroids, before strength programs, before amino acids, before pass runners were protected from getting hit coming out of the backfield, before players were down when they were merely grabbed, Butkus, Nitschke, and Lambert prevailed by making textbook yet vicious tackles on players that could take a hit. They were the greatest in a time when the game was the greatest! And they did it by being smart and without tattoos, fishing tackle in their noses, and hooks in their mouths and ears.
and cigarettes. gotta love lambert.
Perfect comment!!!
Before steroids? Your joking right. 70s Steelers have said numerous times they did steroids
@George Washington Mike Webster? Just ONE example...
Okay by why do you care so much about the tattoos and piercings? I hope you are proud of yourself.
It's crazy how different pads are today compared to then. Lol the old pads were huge
Watching him make tackles is like watching a lion grabbing a gazelle.
As a Pittsburgh native we STILL pay respects to Jack Lambert nobody wears #58
Lambert was going to make Cliff Harris permentally blind. Watch the right hand. #58 got his mitt beyond the face mask and inside the helmet. That's OG stuff right there.
From that point on, Pittsburgh's offense ran everything at Harris for the rest of SB X. With a Disabled Vietnam Combat Infantry Soldier in Rocky Blier visualizing Cliff Harris as a NVA regular leading the downfield blocking right at him.
All because the bully fvcked with Roy Gerela excessively. That doesn't happen, the Cowboys win that game. That were kicking Pittsburgh's ass up until that point.
And goes to show you ---Landry did not have sound lil Saint cowyboy teams, they were all full of Vain
I have been fortunate enough to be around some pretty special people in my life ... real NLF royalty ... and have been able to speak candidly about this and that in some great company ... at an NFL dinner once i asked who was the best to ever play the MLB position ... who was the baddest ever ... Butkus, Seau, Taylor ? .... 3 greats at my table all said unanimously Jack Lambert ... they all nodded at each other in agreement ...
He was light but damn he was good. And damn mean. Great character too LOL
Fun fact, Lamberts teammate in college at quarterback was Nick Saban, Later head coach at Alabama
One thing that really sticks out to me in these videos is the tackling technique. it was always textbook. not what you see today at all in a lot of cases.
Wrap them up and wrestle them to the ground. It takes alot of STRENGTH and being IN SHAPE. A lot of the guys today are sucked up and can't breathe after 10 seconds of exertion. Wasn't always like that
If were starting a football team and could pick any player from any team to have played pro football, I’d start with Jack Splat Lambert. He was ferocious all the time.
Jack Lambert the GREATEST linebacker of all time
Always enjoyed watching this man play. Right up there with the best. His intensity made up for his supposed lack of weight and size .
He deserves to be ranked so much higher than that !
Was a kid in West Texas during the 60s and was naturally a Cowboys fan. Was so lucky to have grown up an NFL fan in the 70s, 80s, and 90s... there was genuine and lasting team rivalry, but we loved and respected all these guys... I knew Cliff was wrong for his bad sportsmanship and I admired Lambert taking up for his teammate. What an amazing era of real men and true warriors who through their play gave young viewers insights into honor, respect, courage, and true grit with every game. Haven't watched an NFL game in three years
Respect
When men were men.
And when football was football
you got that right.
Couldn't have said it better
Ulysses S. Grant try watching a full season of early and mid 70’s football. It’s boring af. The passing game was terrible due to the rules. Just having more TDS than ints is a good season before 1978 rule changes
The average NFL player today is a much, MUCH better athlete than the average NFL player 40 years ago
He really changed how that position was played because before him guys like Schmidt, George, Nitschke, and Butkus were downhill run stoppers known for their physicality. Lambert was lighter but just as physical but also was very quick and could play in coverage from sideline to sideline. The Steelers then ran what's now known as Tampa 2 which requires linebackers that can fly around the field and play in pass coverage.
Exactly right and in fact Tony Dungy developed that defense based off the Steelers D
the best,hands down.
My team, man what an era. I thought life would be like that forever, I was sadly mistaken.
That steelers team was the best I ever saw in my life!!!
This guy was the reason I played and the reason I played my ass off the way I did. Love this guy
...AND....he didn't kill anyone!!!
Although he easily could have if he felt like it
Neither did Ray Lewis, he was proven innocent. Oh but by your logic, anyone who has ever been accused of anything is automatically guilty
@@tropicmix8765 So was O.J.....
Jim Cushman oj was actually guilty. Lewis wasn’t.
Lambert favorite STEELER of all time. Period
My grandpa had a beer with him a little while ago and he said he was the nicest guy ever
He is.
One of my all time favorite Steelers.
Lambert didn't carry a lot of weight, but look at the wide shoulders and broad upper-back...he was strong as hell!!!
You nailed it. He had broad shoulders. That was a big part of his strength. Arms and legs were like toothpicks
I like how after he threw Harris to the ground from behind, Harris jumped up like he was going to do something about it and then realized who it was. He was like "YO WHAT THE FU....hey look there's something over on the sideline. I should go there as fast as I can!"
The best pure tackler I've ever seen. He was just a textbook in cleats.
....And I hated him with a passion, as I was a Raider fan.....but boy did I ever respect him. I wish that he and Joe Green were Raiders. That would have made a perfect world.
i thought he was hulk hogan
Hulk Hogan pretended to be Jack Lambert. Jack Lambert WAS Jack Lambert.
9 straight pro bowls, 4 superbowl wins, leading tackler with steel curtain in front of you....this is the best.
Lambert’s football IQ combined with his skill makes him the greatest ILB ever.
Dustin White Ray Lewis was way better
Lambert was simply a BADASS!!!!...Even Chuck Norris had nightmares about Lambert.
Best MLB ever
Going with Butkus on the middle. They even got an award named after him and hes still alive.
One of top 5 or 10 linebackers ever..the most intense football player I have ever seen..good speed..very very intelligent player as well
Lambert and Butkus would tackle a guy with extra aggression to make sure that it stayed in the poor slob's head. Sort of like Al Davis's rule that a quarterback had to go down early and hard.
lambert was awesome.
If he missed a tackle in the open field, it only happened at St. Vincent's
Steeler country. Let’s ride.
Football back in the 60s and 70s is another level, makes me puke when i watch NFL today.
At the time Pittsburgh had so many great players that it was easy to overlook any one player but when you look back on Lambert's career you realize how great he really was!' And I hate sayin anything good about Pittsburgh...I'm from Baltimore so take it for what it's worth but he was an outstanding player..
the GOAT
John Smith behind lt
Excelente recuerdo de Conde LAMBERT el LB que revolucionó la posición yeah yeah yeah
Lambert wasn't the best player on that defense, in my opinion. But he was the most intimidating. He was the enforcer. And, yes, that mattered.
Huge Pittsburgh Steelers fan from the 70s. And I agree with you he was one of the most intimidating football players in that era but defensively Joe Greene and Mel Blount probably the two best defenders on that team
@@robertlongwill8856 Definitely. Joe was the cornerstone of that dynasty, Mel was the shutdown corner that forced the league to change the rules on the 'bump and run'...
Lambert was tough and durable, but...some of these guys on this page just getting carried away. Great player, but not close to the 'greatest ever'. Perspective seems to get lost amid all this hero worship.
Top 5 in my book!!!!!!!! go Steeler Nation,the ferocity of Jack Lambert was unmatched by anybody who ever stepped on the field with the exception of Joe Greene,l c greenwood Jack ham, Mel blond the greats, the Hall of Fame was paved my men like you God bless you
Count Dracula should be at least #10 and mlb wise at least #3 but I'm a bit prejudice so Jack is #1