Bob Brudzinski

Last updated

Bob Brudzinski
No. 59
Position: Linebacker
Personal information
Born: (1955-01-01) January 1, 1955 (age 69)
Fremont, Ohio, U.S.
Height:6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight:230 lb (104 kg)
Career information
High school: Fremont Ross (Fremont)
College: Ohio State
NFL draft: 1977  / Round: 1 / Pick: 23
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Sacks:14.5
Interceptions:9
Touchdowns:1
Player stats at NFL.com  ·  PFR

Robert Louis Brudzinski (born January 1, 1955) is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker for 13 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the Miami Dolphins. He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes, earning consensus All-American honors in 1976.

Contents

Ohio State

Brudzinski was a four-time letter winner and a three-year starter at defensive end for the Ohio State Buckeyes. He was a two-time All-Big Ten Conference selection and as a senior in 1976, he was a consensus All-America choice. In his 43 games for Ohio State he totaled 214 tackles and in 1976 he intercepted four passes, a high number for a defensive end. In 2000 Brudzinski was voted to the Ohio State Football All-Century Team.

Los Angeles Rams

The Los Angeles Rams drafted Brudzinski with the 23rd pick in the first round of the 1977 NFL Draft. The Rams planned moving him to outside linebacker, to match his 4.7 speed and good strength. He started as a rookie because starting middle linebacker Jack Reynolds held out for the first one-third of the season. While starting left linebacker Jim Youngblood moved to the middle to fill in for Reynolds, Brudzinski started at left linebacker. He ended up starting seven games and recording 37 tackles, two interceptions, three forced fumbles and one sack. He was voted All-Rookie by UPI and PFWA and FD for his efforts in 1977. In 1978, he became the starter at right outside linebacker in week 10 when Isiah Robertson walked out of camp purported with complaints about his salary. The Rams defense was ranked #1 in the NFL at the time and in the 2+1⁄2 months with Brudzinski starting they never fell from the top status. He ended the year with 43 tackles, intercepted a pass that went for a touchdown and two quarterback sacks.

In 1979 Brudzinski had his best year to date. Making all 16 starts as the RLB and being named 2nd-team All-pro by the Gannett Wire Service. "Bru" as his teammates called him, amassed 127 tackles, with 7 of those for a loss, plus 5 sacks, he intercepted a pass, forced a fumble, recovered one and broke up 14 passes, either at the line of scrimmage or in coverage. The Rams went through the NFC playoffs beating the Dallas Cowboys and Tampa Bay Buccaneers before losing Super Bowl XIV to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Two-thirds into the 1980 season Brudzinski walked out and never returned to the Rams. To date, he had made 35 tackles and had 6 passes defensed plus a sack, but felt he was underpaid. He was replaced by George Andrews.

The Rams were forced to trade Brudzinski and did so in the spring of 1981. The Rams received multiple picks and the top pick was used to draft future star linebacker Jim Collins. With the Rams Brudzinski totaled 242 tackles, 9 sacks, and over 20 passes broken up in his 55 games (41 starts) with the Rams. [1]

Miami Dolphins

Brudzinski played 125 games with 94 starts for Don Shula's Dolphins from 1981 though 1989, recording 141⁄2 sacks to bring his career total to 231⁄2 to go with his nine interceptions. [2]

Brudzinski adapted quickly to the Bill Arnsbarger-coached defense nicknamed the "Killer-Bs" which propelled the Dolphins to the 1981 playoffs and the 1982 Super Bowl as well as the 1984 Super Bowl.

While with Miami, Brudzinski was voted to the All-Time Dolphins team in the early 2000s. [3] He was mentioned in articles that ask "Who is the best linebacker never to play in a Pro Bowl?" and Brudzinski's name often comes up since he played well for a long period of time and was never honored by a Pro Bowl selection, even after his stellar 1979 season.

Bru's Room

Founder and owner of Bru's Room Sports Grill.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Karlos Dansby</span> American football player (born 1981)

Karlos Montez Dansby is an American former football linebacker who played in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Auburn Tigers and received All-American recognition. He was selected by the Arizona Cardinals in the second round of the 2004 NFL draft, and has also played for the Miami Dolphins, the Cleveland Browns, and the Cincinnati Bengals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ted Hendricks</span> Guatemalan-born American football player (born 1947)

Theodore Paul Hendricks, nicknamed "the Mad Stork," is a former professional American football linebacker who played for 15 seasons with the Baltimore Colts, the Green Bay Packers, and the Oakland / Los Angeles Raiders in the National Football League (NFL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zach Thomas</span> American football player (born 1973)

Zachary Michael Thomas is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons. He played college football for the Texas Tech Red Raiders, and was recognized as a unanimous All-American. He was selected in the fifth round, 22nd pick, in the 1996 NFL draft by the Miami Dolphins, and played for the Dolphins in his first 12 seasons in the NFL, before playing his 13th and final season with the Dallas Cowboys.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joey Porter</span> American football player and coach (born 1977)

Joseph Eugene Porter Sr. is an American professional football coach and former player. He played as a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Colorado State Rams and was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third round of the 1999 NFL draft. A four-time Pro Bowl selection, Porter won Super Bowl XL with the Steelers and was also a member of the Miami Dolphins and Arizona Cardinals. The Steelers drafted his son, Joey Porter Jr., with the thirty-second overall selection of the 2023 NFL draft.

Andrew Warren Katzenmoyer is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Patriots in the first round of the 1999 NFL draft. He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes, and became the first Buckeye to win the Butkus Award. His playing career was shortened due to a neck injury.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jason Taylor (American football)</span> American football player and coach (born 1974)

Jason Paul Taylor is an American football coach and former player who is the defensive ends coach at the University of Miami. He played as a defensive end and linebacker in the National Football League (NFL), spending the majority of his career with the Miami Dolphins. Over the course of his 15-year career, Taylor played for the Dolphins for 13 years in three separate stints, and also played a season each for the Washington Redskins (2008) and the New York Jets (2010).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A. J. Hawk</span> American football player and sports analyst (born 1984)

Aaron James Hawk is an American sports analyst and former football linebacker who played for 11 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Green Bay Packers fifth overall in the 2006 NFL draft and he later won Super Bowl XLV with the team. He was also a member of the Cincinnati Bengals and Atlanta Falcons. He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes, where he earned All-American honors twice and won the Lombardi Award as a senior. He won the BCS National Championship Game with the Buckeyes as a freshman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Akin Ayodele</span> American football player (born 1979)

Akinola James Ayodele is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Dallas Cowboys, Miami Dolphins, and Buffalo Bills. He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the third round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Purdue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rocky McIntosh</span> American football player (born 1982)

Roger A. "Rocky" McIntosh Jr. is a former American football linebacker. He was drafted in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft by the Washington Redskins. He played college football at the University of Miami.

Reggie Jermaine Torbor is a former American football linebacker. He was drafted by the New York Giants in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at Auburn.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bobby Carpenter (American football)</span> American football player (born 1983)

Robert Joseph Carpenter III is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker for seven seasons in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes, and was selected by the Cowboys in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He also played in the NFL for the Miami Dolphins, the Detroit Lions and the New England Patriots.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lawrence Timmons</span> American football player (born 1986)

Lawrence Olajuwon Timmons is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round of the 2007 NFL draft. He won Super Bowl XLIII with the Steelers the following year, and played in Super Bowl XLV two years later. He played college football for the Florida State Seminoles.

George Eldon Andrews, II is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He is a graduate of the University of Nebraska who played in the National Football League (NFL) from 1979 to 1984 for the Los Angeles Rams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dannell Ellerbe</span> American football player (born 1985)

Dannell Antonio Ellerbe is a former American football linebacker. He was signed by the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2009 and has also played for the Miami Dolphins, New Orleans Saints and Philadelphia Eagles. He played college football at Georgia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kyle Van Noy</span> American football player (born 1991)

Kyle Van Noy is an American football linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). Van Noy played college football at BYU. He was selected in the second round of the 2014 NFL draft by the Detroit Lions, with whom he spent his first three seasons. Van Noy played his next four seasons for the New England Patriots, where he won Super Bowl LI and Super Bowl LIII. Following a year as a member of the Miami Dolphins, he rejoined New England in 2021. Van Noy signed with the Los Angeles Chargers the following season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raekwon McMillan</span> American football player (born 1995)

Raekwon McMillan is an American football linebacker for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Miami Dolphins and has also played for the Las Vegas Raiders. He played college football at Ohio State.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shaquil Barrett</span> American football player (born 1992)

Shaquil Akeem Barrett is an American football linebacker for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at the University of Nebraska Omaha before transferring to Colorado State University, and was signed by the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2014. After five seasons with the Broncos, including winning Super Bowl 50, Barrett signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. His level of play increased, making the Pro Bowl and All-Pro teams in 2019 after leading the league in sacks, and in 2021 won Super Bowl LV.

Matt Sheldon is the game management coach for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). He is a professional football coach, analyst and researcher with extensive NFL experience in research/analytics, in-game strategy, coaching and video editing with the New York Jets, Miami Dolphins, Chicago Bears, Minnesota Vikings, Buffalo Bills, St. Louis Rams and New Orleans Saints. Additionally, he has worked with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League (CFL) and the Wisconsin Badgers of the NCAA. Sheldon also served as director of sports solutions development with Zebra Sports, the official provider of player tracking for the NFL. Sheldon has consulted with teams and leagues at the professional, olympic, collegiate and high school levels in North America and Europe. His areas of focus include strategy/tactics and decision-making, athlete tracking systems and elite athlete performance. He is a graduate of the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management and the University University of Wisconsin M.B.A. Program.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elandon Roberts</span> American football player (born 1994)

Elandon Roberts is an American football linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Houston. He was selected by the New England Patriots in the sixth round of the 2016 NFL Draft. He plays primarily as a linebacker on defense, but when injuries during the 2019 season left the Patriots without a fullback on the roster, Roberts began to play that position as well.

Jerome Baker is an American football linebacker for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Ohio State.

References

  1. ↑ 1981 Los Angeles Rams Media Guide
  2. ↑ Pro Football Reference.com
  3. ↑ ""Experts All-Time Team"". Archived from the original on 2008-09-18. Retrieved 2013-09-27.Miami Sun-Sentinel
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.