#44

 

JACK LAMBERT

There is little doubt that Jack Lambert was one of the toughest and meanest players to ever play in the NFL. He was a dominant athlete who took over the leadership role for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1976 when Joe Greene started to feel the impact of nagging injuries. Lambert, big, mean, and raw in his No. 58 jersey, channeled Dick Butkus as he went sideline to sideline to punish ball carriers. But what makes Lambert’s outstanding, Hall of Fame career so shocking is that when he came into the league as a second-round pick from Kent State in 1974, he weighed only 204 pounds.

While he stood an imposing 6-foot-4, Lambert was downright skinny. But despite his weight disadvantage there have been few players as intimidating as Lambert. He was a remarkable athlete who had great speed for the inside linebacker position but he was not a subtle player. Instead, he would knock a blocker or ball carrier’s head off with a brutal forearm and then stand over him and snarl. He would eventually play the majority of his career at 220 pounds, but he was still regarded as an undersized player who simply could have cared less for NFL convention. He just wanted to go out and play the middle for a Steelers defense that was already among the most imposing in the league when he arrived and only got steadily better.

The image of Lambert as a raging, emotional madman leading the Steelers with his maniacal, toothless sneer has long been held by NFL fans. There were incidents to back up that image. His tossing of Dallas Cowboys defensive back Cliff Harris after Steelers placekicker Roy Gerela missed 33-yard field goal is the stuff of legend. Harris cheekishly tapped Gerela on the helmet and told him “way to go” after the field goal sailed wide to the right. Lambert intervened. Referee Norm Schachter was about to throw Lambert out of the game for his unsportsmanlike conduct, but after hearing Lambert’s defense he not only allowed him remain in the game, but decided not to throw a penalty flag.

Lambert also was called into the commissioner’s office after an incident with Cleveland Browns quarterback Brian Sipe. Lambert had obliterated Sipe when the quarterback chose to stay in bounds and get extra yards instead of escaping the field of play. “I hit him as hard as I could,” Lambert told commissioner Pete Rozelle. “He was in bounds. I would do the same thing again.”

There were no other incidents that could be responsibly described as reckless or dirty. Instead, Lambert played the game with a great personal responsibility that impressed the Steelers’ coaching staff and his teammates. Andy Russell was a linebacker with the Steelers from 1963 through 1976 and he observed Lambert’s development and capabilities first hand. “Tough, raw-boned, intense,” Russell told Sports Illustrated, “that’s the way he’ll be remembered, but I’ve seen a lot of guys like that come into the league. No, Jack’s a whole lot more. The range he has . . . they put him into coverage 30 yards downfield. They gave him assignments that old Bears or Packers never would’ve dreamed of. He brought a whole new concept to the position, and that’s why, for me anyway, he’s the greatest there has ever been. His first step is never wrong, his techniques have always been perfect. His greatness has nothing to do with his popular image.”

A great case can be made that the 1976 Steelers had the best defense the NFL has ever seen. They gave up only 138 points that season, 38 fewer than the Minnesota Vikings who were the runners-up in that category. The Steelers started that season with a 1–4 record before winning their final nine games. They registered five shutouts in that span, gave up six points in one other game, and three points in two others. The Steelers were the No. 1 statistical defense in the league that season, allowing 237.4 yards per game, 13 first downs per game and 104.1 rushing yards per game. They only gave up five rushing touchdowns all season, and Lambert was named the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year.

Honors came to Lambert throughout his career. He won rookie of the year in 1974, made the Pro Bowl nine times and was an All-Pro six times. But honors were not the story. He won respect in his own locker room and had an image that intimidated opponents. But more than image was the reality. Lambert took the crown of most dominant player on the most dominant defense from Greene and he wore it well.