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Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, playing closer to the line of scrimmage than the defensive backs (secondary), but farther back than the defensive linemen. As such, linebackers play a hybrid role and are often the most versatile players on the defensive side of the ball; they can be asked to play roles similar to either a defensive lineman (such as stopping the runner on a running play) or a defensive back (such as dropping back into pass coverage). How linebackers play their positions depends on the defensive alignment, the philosophy of the coaching staff, and the particular play the offense may call. Linebackers are divided into middle linebackers, sometimes called inside linebackers, and outside linebackers. The middle linebacker, often called "Mike", is frequently the "quarterback of the defense". His central role on the field means he is in the best position to call defensive plays and direct shifts and changes based on what the offense is doing. Outside linebackers are often in a position to blitz, a defensive maneuver where the player rushes into the offensive backfield to disrupt a running play or sack the quarterback on passing plays. Besides "Mike", other nicknames such as "Sam", "Will", or "Jack", are commonly used to refer to various linebacking roles. Historically, some of the most impactful defensive players, such as Pro Football Hall of Fame members Chuck Bednarik, Dick Butkus, Jack Lambert, Ray Lewis, Ray Nitschke, Mike Singletary, Brian Urlacher, and Lawrence Taylor, were linebackers. History Before the advent of the two-platoon system with separate units for offense and defense, the player who was the team's center on offense was often, though not always, the team's linebacker on defense. Hence, in contemporary football, one usually sees four defensive linemen to the offense's five or more. Most sources claim coach Fielding H. Yost and center Germany Schulz of the Michigan invented the position. Schulz was Yost's first linebacker in 1904 when he stood up from his usual position on the line. Yost was horrified at first, but came to see the wisdom in Schulz's innovation. William Dunn of Penn State was another Western Conference linebacker soon after Schulz. However, there are various historical claims tied to the linebacker position, including some before 1904. For example, Percy Given of Georgetown is another center with a claim to the title "first linebacker," supposedly standing up behind the line well before Schulz in a game against Navy in 1902. Other sources have the first linebacker in the South as Frank Juhan, who played at Sewanee during 1908–1910. In the East, Ernest Cozens of Penn was "one of the first of the roving centers," another archaic term for the position, supposedly coined by Hank Ketcham of Yale. Walter E. Bachman of Lafayette was said to be "the developer of the 'roving center' concept". Edgar Garbisch of Army was credited with developing the "roving center method" of playing defensive football in 1921. In professional football, Cal Hubbard is credited with pioneering the linebacker position. He starred as a tackle and end, playing off the line in a style similar to that of a modern linebacker. Types Middle linebacker The middle or inside linebacker (MLB or ILB), sometimes called the "Mike" or "Mac", is often referred to as the "quarterback of the defense". Often it is the middle linebacker who receives the defensive play calls from the sideline and relays that play to the rest of the team, and in the NFL he is usually the defensive player with the electronic sideline communicator. A jack-of-all-trades, the middle linebacker can be asked to blitz (though they often blitz less than the outside linebacker), cover, spy the quarterback, or even have a deep middle-of-the-field responsibility in the Tampa 2 defense. In standard defenses, middle linebackers commonly lead the team in tackles. The terms middle and inside linebacker are often used interchangeably; they are also used to distinguish between a single middle linebacker playing in a 4–3 defense, and two inside linebackers playing in a 3–4 defense. In a 3–4 defense, the larger, more run-stopping-oriented linebacker is usually still called "Mike", while the smaller, more pass protection/route coverage-oriented player is called "Will". "Mikes" usually line up towards the strong side or on the side the offense is more likely to run on (based on personnel matchups) while "Wills" may line up on the other side or even a little farther back between the defensive line and the secondary. Outside linebacker The outside linebacker (OLB), sometimes called the "Buck, Sam, and Rebel", is usually responsible for outside containment. This includes the strongside and weakside designations below. They are also responsible for blitzing the quarterback. Not only is the OLB responsible for outside containment and blitzing the QB, but they also have to perform pass coverage in the flats – sometimes called a drop. Outside linebackers pass coverages covers quick slants outside, in curls in the flats. The "flats" are the edge of the field closest to the sideline, from the line of scrimmage down about ten yards. John Alexander is the first person to have played outside linebacker in the NFL. Strongside linebacker The strongside linebacker (SLB) is often nicknamed the "Sam" for purposes of calling a blitz. Since the strong side of the offensive team is the side on which the tight end lines up, or whichever side contains the most personnel, the strongside linebacker usually lines up across from the tight end. Often the strongside linebacker will be called upon to tackle the running back on a play because the back will be following the tight end's block. He is most often the strongest linebacker; at the least he possesses the ability to withstand, shed, and fight off blocks from a tight end or fullback blocking the backside of a pass play. The linebacker should also have strong safety abilities in pass situation to cover the tight end in man on man situations. He should also have considerable quickness to read and get into coverage in zone situations. The strongside linebacker is also commonly known as the left outside linebacker (LOLB). Weakside linebacker The weakside linebacker WLB), or the "Will" in 4–3 defense, sometimes called the backside linebacker, or "Buck", as well as other names like Jack or Bandit, must be the fastest of the three, because he is often the one called into pass coverage. He is also usually chasing the play from the backside, so the ability to maneuver through traffic is a necessity for the Will. The Will usually aligns off the line of scrimmage at the same depth as Mike. Because of his position on the weakside, the Will does not often have to face large in.... Discover the Joe Giampalmi popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Joe Giampalmi books.