We conclude the linebacker portion of our all-time Tennessee team with the right (weakside) linebacker position. Four players have manned the position as the primary starter:
Lonnie Marts (1997-1998) — A ten-year NFL player, Marts’ best season in Tennessee was 1998, when he had 59 tackles, an interception for a touchdown, four sacks and two forced fumbles. Marts played 30 games with 29 starts in Tennessee.
Joe Bowden (1999) — A versatile player, Bowden started at all three linebacker positions in Tennessee, starting in 47 games. Bowden was the LLB in 1997, MLB in 1998 and RLB in 1999. A regular jack-of-all-trades. Because he didn’t remain at one position long enough, it was difficult for Tennessee fans to associate him with any one of them.
Eddie Robinson (2000-2001) — Another versatile player, Robinson was Tennessee’s LLB in 1998 and 1999, then moved to the weak side in 2000. Linebackers coach Gunther Cunningham later said, with the benefit of 20/20 hindsight, that he shouldn’t have kept Keith Bulluck on the bench as long as he did while Robinson played.
Keith Bulluck (2002-present) — After sitting on the bench for two years behind Robinson, Bulluck took over as the full-time starter in 2002. He then led the Titans in tackles five years in a row, earning Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro honors after the 2003 season. Bulluck has two impressive streaks going — he’s intercepted at least one pass in each of his eight seasons and he hasn’t missed a start in six years.
This seems like a no-brainer to me, I’m voting for Bulluck. Who’s your pick, and why?
In our last poll, we voted for Randall Godfrey to be the middle linebacker.
Our defensive team so far:
LDE Jevon Kearse
LDT Kevin Carter
RDT Albert Haynesworth
RDE Kyle Vanden Bosch
LLB David Thornton
MLB Randall Godfrey
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