NFL: The 1990s All-Decade Team

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Bruce Smith could find his way to the quarterback. /

Defensive End: Bruce Smith, Buffalo Bills (1990-99)

Smith was a six-time All-Pro in the 1990s and while he never led the NFL in sacks in any one season was tied for second with Kevin Greene in the decade with 113.5 sacks, trailing only Derrick Thomas’ 116.5.

But Smith was more than just a pass rusher, twice finishing with more than 100 tackles in a season in the 1990s, and was the leader of a defense that got the Bills into four straight Super Bowls.

He was the Defensive Player of the Year in both 1990 and 1996 and finished in the top five in sacks in four different seasons in the decade.

Reggie White had three sacks in Super Bowl XXXI. /

Defensive End: Reggie White, Philadelphia Eagles (1990-92), Green Bay Packers (1993-98)

The Minister of Defense was what White was known as and he racked up 111.5 sacks in the 1990s, fourth-best in the decade despite not playing in 1999.

White was an All-Pro selection in 1990 and 1991 with the Eagles and in 1995 and 1998 with the Packers and it was his three sacks in Super Bowl XXXI against the New England Patriots that helped Green Bay win its first title since the Vince Lombardi era in 1996.

In his final season—at least before a one-year comeback with the Carolina Panthers in 2000—White was the Defensive Player of the Year, the epitome of a player going out on top.

Cortez Kennedy’s 14 sacks in 1992 is one of the best seasons ever by a defensive tackle. /

Defensive Tackle: Cortez Kennedy, Seattle Seahawks (1990-99)

Kennedy was the third overall pick coming out of Miami in 1990 and established himself as one of the premiere defensive tackles ever to snap up a chin strap.

He was an All-Pro in 1992, 1993 and 1994, earning Defensive Player of the Year honors in 1992 with a career-high 14 sacks to go with 92 tackles.

Kennedy’s 57 sacks were fourth-most for a defensive tackle in the decade and he was an eight-time Pro Bowl selection, as well.

No defensive tackle in the 1990s had more sacks than John Randle. /

Defensive Tackle: John Randle, Minnesota Vikings (1990-99)

No defensive tackle in the 1990s wreaked as much havoc on opposing quarterbacks as did Randle, an undrafted free agent out of Texas A&M-Kingsville in 1990.

Randle’s 106 sacks were far and away the most of any defensive tackle in the decade and he was a six-time All-Pro, leading the NFL with 15.5 sacks in 1997, joining La’Roi Glover in 2000 as the only defensive tackles to lead the league in sacks since it became an official statistic in 1982.

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