Miami Dolphins at 50: Top 10 LBs
By Dan Heaning
Mandatory Credit: MiamiDolphins.com
No. 1 – Zach Thomas
Zach Thomas was an after thought in the 1996 NFL Draft. Selected 154th overall in the fifth round, Thomas was considered too small to be an NFL caliber linebacker.
Thomas responded to those claims with a 12-year, seven-Pro Bowl, over 1,000-tackle career. He’s 14th in team history in interceptions, 17th in sacks, and first in interceptions returned for touchdowns.
Yes, Zach Thomas has returned the most interceptions for touchdowns in team history. More than Jake Scott, Dick Anderson, Sam Madison and Patrick Surtain.
He earned five First Team All-Pro selections throughout his career.
Thomas was a machine throughout his entire career. In 2006, now a grizzled veteran, Thomas recorded over 100 tackles and qualified for his last Pro Bowl selection. He had recorded 104 tackles in 2005 making it the first time in his career he racked up over 100 solo tackles in back-to-back seasons.
It also continued his streak of seven Pro Bowls in eight years.
From 1996 to 2006, Thomas only missed 12 games and guided the Dolphins to five straight playoff appearances.
Despite the team being mismanaged at every turn during the twilight of his career, Thomas still churned out great numbers for an over 30-year-old linebacker until 2007 when injuries took their toll and forced Thomas to miss all but five games.
Thomas holds the franchise record with 1,639 tackles as a Dolphin, and his career tackle count of 1,733 is better than any Hall of Fame linebacker.
Quite possibly the greatest steal in Miami Dolphins draft history, Zach Thomas is the best linebacker ever to don the aqua and orange.