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Historic Best Defensive Linemen


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I've seen Auburn play since 1954. I've watched all these great lineman play in Auburn. From 1954 to 2012 I pick Zeke Smith (jersey #61 ). And please remember his teammate Jackie Burkett (jersey #50) also two time All-American should rank a tie with Zeke. Thanks to their great play in 1957, 1958 & 1959 Auburn lead the nation in total defense plus two unbeaten seasons in 1957 & 1958. And what's really remarkable they are the only ones named who played offensive and defensive. How could I almost forget big Jimmy "Red" Phillips (jersey #88, All-America and later All-Pro) who played both ways at end and was a senior on the 1957 National Champ team. The whole team played both ways. I would rank "Red" Phillips as #3 . What a great time period to be an Auburn Tiger!

Dad? Is that you?

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  1. Tracy Rocker
  2. Zeke Smith
  3. Nick Fairley
  4. Jackie Burkett
  5. Aundray Bruce
  6. Jim "Red" Phillips
  7. Antonio Coleman
  8. Quentin Groves
  9. Donnie Humphrey
  10. Benji Roland
  11. Ron Stallworth
  12. Gerald Robinson
  13. Benny Sivley
  14. Doug Smith
  15. Gerald Williams
  16. David Rocker
  17. Rick Telhiard
  18. Ben Thomas
  19. Jimmy Brumbaugh
  20. Jack Thornton
  21. Dowe Aughtman
  22. Sen'Derrick Marks
  23. Danny Sanspree
  24. DeMarco McNeil
  25. Frank Warren
  26. Reggie Torbor
  27. Stanley McClover
  28. Leonardo Carson
  29. David Campbell
  30. Gary Walker
  31. Pat Sims
  32. T.J. Jackson
  33. Willie Whitehead
  34. Edmund Nelson
  35. Harold Hallman
  36. Josh Thompson
  37. Spencer Johnson
  38. Lamar Rogers
  39. Zach Clayton
  40. Walter Tate

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I've seen Auburn play since 1954. I've watched all these great lineman play in Auburn. From 1954 to 2012 I pick Zeke Smith (jersey #61 ). And please remember his teammate Jackie Burkett (jersey #50) also two time All-American should rank a tie with Zeke. Thanks to their great play in 1957, 1958 & 1959 Auburn lead the nation in total defense plus two unbeaten seasons in 1957 & 1958. And what's really remarkable they are the only ones named who played offensive and defensive. How could I almost forget big Jimmy "Red" Phillips (jersey #88, All-America and later All-Pro) who played both ways at end and was a senior on the 1957 National Champ team. The whole team played both ways. I would rank "Red" Phillips as #3 . What a great time period to be an Auburn Tiger!

Gramps? Is that you?

FIFY

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  1. Tracy Rocker
  2. Zeke Smith
  3. Nick Fairley
  4. Jackie Burkett
  5. Aundray Bruce
  6. Jim "Red" Phillips
  7. Antonio Coleman
  8. Quentin Groves
  9. Donnie Humphrey
  10. Benji Roland
  11. Ron Stallworth
  12. Gerald Robinson
  13. Benny Sivley
  14. Doug Smith
  15. Gerald Williams
  16. David Rocker
  17. Rick Telhiard
  18. Ben Thomas
  19. Jimmy Brumbaugh
  20. Jack Thornton
  21. Dowe Aughtman
  22. Sen'Derrick Marks
  23. Danny Sanspree
  24. DeMarco McNeil
  25. Frank Warren
  26. Reggie Torbor
  27. Stanley McClover
  28. Leonardo Carson
  29. David Campbell
  30. Gary Walker
  31. Pat Sims
  32. T.J. Jackson
  33. Willie Whitehead
  34. Edmund Nelson
  35. Harold Hallman
  36. Josh Thompson
  37. Spencer Johnson
  38. Lamar Rogers
  39. Zach Clayton
  40. Walter Tate

Well, that should just about cover everyone.

Just lock this thready already.

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  • 4 months later...

I alphabetized the terrific list provided by DoubleX at Post #27 and added the other names mentioned in this thread (excluding quoted passages) and put an approximate count by those names mentioned more than once:

=====================================

Dowe Aughtman (2)

Rodney Bellamy

Aundray Bruce (4)

Jimmy Brumbaugh (2)

Jackie Burkett (2)

David Campbell

Leonardo Carson

Zach Clayton

Antonio Coleman (2)

Carlos Dansby

Bret Eddins (2)

Nick Fairley (6)

Kevin Greene

Quentin Groves (4)

Harold Hallman

Randy Hart

Donnie Humphrey (2)

T.J. Jackson

Spencer Johnson

Sen'Derrick Marks (3)

Stanley McClover

DeMarco McNeil (3)

Edmund Nelson

Mike Pelton

Jimmy "Red" Phillips (2)

Jay Ratliff (2)

Gerald Robinson (4)

David Rocker

Tracy Rocker (9)

Lamar Rogers

Benji Roland (4)

Danny Sanspree

Pat Sims (2)

Benny Sivley

Doug Smith

Zeke Smith (8)

Ron Stallworth (3)

Walter Tate (2)

Rick Telhiard

Ben Thomas

Josh Thompson

Jack Thornton

Reggie Torbor (2)

Gary Walker

Frank Warren (2)

Willie Whitehead

Gerald Williams

=====================================

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Mike Pelton ... Randy Hart ... Jay Ratliff ???

Jay is the most under rated DL we have had in my opinion. I don't think I really appreciated how good he was until Bill Parcells drafted him in Dallas, and he went on to a very successful career there. Our 2004 defense would not have been as nasty without him. I think he is easy for us to overlook because he grew into the DL position and only played there his SR season.

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