30 greatest NFL defensive players of all-time
By Daniel Tran
24. Andy Robustelli, Defensive End
When Andy Robustelli played football at Arnold College in Milford, Connecticut, and picked in the nineteenth round of the 1951 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams, it was an understatement to say that he was a long shot to make the roster. Through pure grit and determination he acquired while fighting in the Pacific Theater of World War II, he became a stud defensive lineman that would dominate the NFL.
Considered small at the defensive end position, the 6’0, 230-pound Robustelli used his never-ending motor and unquestioned toughness to put pressure on the quarterback and stop any ball carrier that wandered onto his side of the field. He won two NFL Championships with two different teams (1951 Rams, 1956 New York Giants) and recovered 22 fumbles.
In 1962, Robustelli became one of the only defensive players to win the NFL MVP award and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971.
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