30 greatest NFL defensive players of all-time
By Daniel Tran
22. Chuck Bednarik, Linebacker
There is nobody quite like Chuck Bednarik on this list. Bednarik is the last regular two-way player that played in the NFL, playing snaps at both linebacker and center for the duration of his 14-year career with the Philadelphia Eagles.
It was not just the length of his playing career that was impressive. Although Bednarik was the NFL’s last “60-Minute Men,” he managed to stay healthy enough to play all but three games in his career.
Bednarik toughness most likely stems from the time he spent in the United States Air Force where he spent four years flying 30 combat missions over Germany during World War II. After the war, Bednarik attended the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia where his versatility made him a three-time All-American.
After winning two NFL Championships in 1949 and 1960, and finishing his career with the Philadelphia Eagles in 1962, Bednarik had been selected to eight Pro Bowls, ten All-Pro teams and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1969.