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Best all time IU linebackers

bdhman

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Apr 19, 2002
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Saw post below about LB's, and it got me thinking about the best all time LB's at IU. I've been following IU since 75', so I might miss some of the greats that played before that. My top 3 would be: Joe Norman, Van Waiters, and Donnie Thomas. Maybe Scales will crack the top 3 if he had an AA type season. Go Hoosiers!
 
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Snaidecki and Kazmerack
Both were from my old high school, St. Joe's in South Bend. Katz had terrific instincts/nose for the ball. Good leadership also. Sniadecki was quick and athletic. Good in space and aggressive. My recollection is that he lined up a lot as an end too. He played several seasons in the league too (I think mostly with the 49ers).
 
Both were from my old high school, St. Joe's in South Bend. Katz had terrific instincts/nose for the ball. Good leadership also. Sniadecki was quick and athletic. Good in space and aggressive. My recollection is that he lined up a lot as an end too. He played several seasons in the league too (I think mostly with the 49ers).
Oops, I meant to say "Kaz", not Katz.
 
Saw post below about LB's, and it got me thinking about the best all time LB's at IU. I've been following IU since 75', so I might miss some of the greats that played before that. My top 3 would be: Joe Norman, Van Waiters, and Donnie Thomas. Maybe Scales will crack the top 3 if he had an AA type season. Go Hoosiers!
Loved those three too. When Norman played, it seemed like he made three-fourths of our team tackles every game! So relentless. Mark Weiler comes to mind also. Another guy who flowed to the ball with strong instincts, even while lacking speed.
 
I remember Jabar Robinson from the 90s being everywhere on the field. I think he's one of the top tacklers of all time for Indiana. Al Thurman would be on this list too.

One player with the last name of Bryant made a spectacular play against Minnesota. He picked off the QB and returned it for a 75-80 yard touchdown. He would've been one of the best ever at LB but I don't think he played much for some reason. This was around 94', I think he was from Elkhart.
 
I also liked the play of Joe Huff. John Kerr could have been one of our best, but he decided to leave after one season to walk on at Ohio State. That was quite a surprise, since he was considered a leader on that defense and was always sought for quotes after games that season.
 
i think Norman will always be remembered for that one tackle where he jumped over the O line to make the tackle. (for no gain or a loss iirc).
Wasn't that against Purdue? I remember he got to the RB just as he was getting the ball.

Joe Norman was a beast. Played hurt a lot.


Yes he was, and he is probably my favorite also, but I have to give my props to Ken Kaczmarek and Jim Sniadecki, as they were my fraternity brothers who lived right across the hall from me in the fraternity house, the year that we went to the Rose Bowl. Jim was just like Norman, he had a dislocated shoulder his senior year and the thing would pop out and he would run to the sidelines to have it popped back in and be right back on the field.
 
I remember Jabar Robinson from the 90s being everywhere on the field. I think he's one of the top tacklers of all time for Indiana. Al Thurman would be on this list too.

One player with the last name of Bryant made a spectacular play against Minnesota. He picked off the QB and returned it for a 75-80 yard touchdown. He would've been one of the best ever at LB but I don't think he played much for some reason. This was around 94', I think he was from Elkhart.

You're right about Reggie Bryant. A very long, athletic player (think he was 6'4"). I always liked Jabar and Thurman, too. Think they both started all four years.
 
Reggie Bryant, that's the guy! If you could find that 75 yard TD he had, it would show what a tremendous upside he had. He had athletic ability that NFL teams drool over...

I was at that game and was really impressed by that play, especially Bryant's speed. I called Mal's radio show the next week and asked why hadn't seen more if Bryant, and would we see more of him going forward. Mal gave a very vague answer and clearly didn't want to talk about it.
 
I was there too, I was shocked at his speed/athletic ability. He must have gotten in the dog house because I just don't remember him getting lots of playing time.

It's easily one of the top plays an IU defender EVER made.
 
Saw post below about LB's, and it got me thinking about the best all time LB's at IU. I've been following IU since 75', so I might miss some of the greats that played before that. My top 3 would be: Joe Norman, Van Waiters, and Donnie Thomas. Maybe Scales will crack the top 3 if he had an AA type season. Go Hoosiers!
They would be my three too. For my money Joe Norman was the best football player I have seen at Indiana going back to the mid sixties. Van Waiters might be second on my list although Dan Feeney would be close.
 
I saw Joe Norman play as a kid when I went to games with my dad & his friends. They taught me how to focus on him and he literally could see where play was headed and seemed to ave about 12 tackles a game. But I also remember he was about the only one who could hang with the big boys, and IU would wilt after 3 quarters.

meat back when, IU beat Washington in a huge upset (14-7) and believe they may have been 2-0 to host Nebraska (not in B10 then), a top 5 type program with RB I.M. Hipp. National TV ABC game, big excitement and sadly a cold, rainy monsoon game. Quickly got out of hand, believe IU ended up losing 69-17, for a major reality check.

Joe played well, but didn’t have enough help around him. But he was truly an incredible player during his era.
 
Yes he was, and he is probably my favorite also, but I have to give my props to Ken Kaczmarek and Jim Sniadecki, as they were my fraternity brothers who lived right across the hall from me in the fraternity house, the year that we went to the Rose Bowl. Jim was just like Norman, he had a dislocated shoulder his senior year and the thing would pop out and he would run to the sidelines to have it popped back in and be right back on the field.
With PU driving for the winning TD with time running out in the 1967 Bucket game, at the 2 yd line PU's Perry Williams was tackled head on by Sniadecki, fumbled, & Kacmarek recovered to perserve the victory & thus Indiana's Rose Bowl appearance.
 
With PU driving for the winning TD with time running out in the 1967 Bucket game, at the 2 yd line PU's Perry Williams was tackled head on by Sniadecki, fumbled, & Kacmarek recovered to perserve the victory & thus Indiana's Rose Bowl appearance.

Not too many know that your only Big Ten loss was to Minnesota and their QB was Phil Hagen, Mark’s Dad. The Gopher’s only loss was to Purdue hence the three way tie for the title.
 
I saw Joe Norman play as a kid when I went to games with my dad & his friends. They taught me how to focus on him and he literally could see where play was headed and seemed to ave about 12 tackles a game. But I also remember he was about the only one who could hang with the big boys, and IU would wilt after 3 quarters.

meat back when, IU beat Washington in a huge upset (14-7) and believe they may have been 2-0 to host Nebraska (not in B10 then), a top 5 type program with RB I.M. Hipp. National TV ABC game, big excitement and sadly a cold, rainy monsoon game. Quickly got out of hand, believe IU ended up losing 69-17, for a major reality check.

Joe played well, but didn’t have enough help around him. But he was truly an incredible player during his era.

There was a Nebraska connection because your AD, Bill Orwig came to IU from Lincoln. Bill was a Michigan man and the best AD you’ve ever had.
 
We were a linebacker desert for 25 years until Tegray, Marcus Oliver, and Chris Covington. Other than Justin Smith and Jabar Robinson, and I'm not sure if they were, I bet we didn't have a linebacker above HM All-B1G from 1995 through 2015.
 
We were a linebacker desert for 25 years until Tegray, Marcus Oliver, and Chris Covington. Other than Justin Smith and Jabar Robinson, and I'm not sure if they were, I bet we didn't have a linebacker above HM All-B1G from 1995 through 2015.
Man, you weren't kidding, had to look it up to see.

2004 - Kyle Killion - 2nd Team

Only All Big-10 other than Smith I saw in the Media Guide from 1995-2015. Moving a year back in the range, there was 1 in 1994 (Alfonzo Thurman) and Hagan twice ('90 & '91) and Beauchamp twice ('91 & '92). So we went from two at once to two in a generation overnight. The football gods are fickle.
 
Seems odd to be going back so far to find the best linebackers, But I would have to agree with Joe Norman as the best. Donnie Thomas was playing when I was on Campus, and if I remember right he was about 6'2'' and 260, and was built like a Refrigerator with Legs. Of the outside LB,s I would have to say Van Waiters, although he was somewhat of a hybrid. Tall, rangy, moved around on Defense and did a lot of Defensive End type work.
 
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