Best linebackers in Las Vegas Raiders history: 1. Ted Hendricks
Was it really any surprise that the legendary Ted Hendricks tops this ranking of the greatest linebackers in Raiders franchise history? I mean come on, his nickname was “The Mad Stork”. Need I say more?
Hendricks was an incredible football player and one of the most intimidating men to play the sport. Standing at 6-foot-7 and roughly 220 pounds, Hendricks was a behemoth of a man.
Hendricks was originally a defensive lineman out of the University of Miami, however the great Don Shula converted him to a linebacker. Perhaps the best move of his career, as Hendricks wound up being one of the greatest linebackers of all-time.
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Hendricks was drafted by the Baltimore Colts of the AFL and didn’t join the Raiders until 1975 after Al Davis traded two first round picks for him with the Green Bay Packers.
I would hazard to say that the trade was worth it, but you tell me. Hendricks spent the final nine seasons of his career with the Silver and Black, playing in 131 regular season games and 16 playoff games.
In those nine seasons, the Raiders only missed the playoffs three times. In the six seasons they qualified for the playoffs, three of them ended with a Super Bowl victory.
Hendricks won three Super Bowls with the Raiders and one with the Colts, leaving his total championships at four. He also was an eight-time Pro-Bowler and a four-time first team All-Pro in his illustrious football career with three iconic franchises in the Colts, Packers and Raiders.
Legendary is putting it lightly, Hendricks was easily the best linebacker in Raiders history. In terms of talent, accolades, and intimidation, no linebacker is on par with the “Mad Stork”. With Khalil Mack now playing with the Chicago Bears, it’s safe to say that Hendricks will hold on to the top spot of Raiders linebacking greats for years to come.