25 best NFL players of all time from the SEC
By John Buhler
Jack Youngblood
Defensive End, Florida Gators
Four years, Jack Youngblood made opposing quarterbacks mincemeat as a pass-rushing dynamo for the Los Angeles Rams. The former superstar defensive end for the Florida Gators is a College Football and Pro Football Hall of Famer.
Youngblood spent his entire 14-year NFL career (1971-84) with the Rams. He played in 202 NFL games, unofficially garnering 151.5 quarterback sacks in his Hall of Fame career. Youngblood was not only one of the best pass rusher in the NFL in the 1970s, but one of the best in NFL history.
Keep in mind that he came into the league to play for a Los Angeles franchise that once had a guy named Deacon Jones wreaking havoc on opposing quarterbacks. While he didn’t slap dude’s helmets like Jones did in the 1960s, Youngblood loved driving quarterbacks like Steve Bartkowski and Archie Manning into the ground annually.
Youngblood was a seven-time Pro Bowler, a five-time All-Pro and a two-time NFC Defensive Player of the Year. The Rams have been an NFL franchise for a long time. Youngblood is one of the very best to play in Los Angeles and in Gainesville.