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Historic Best Auburn Linebackers


Newbomb

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I never saw Jackie Burkett play but he'd have to be right there at the top. I saw almost every game Kolen and Spikes played and as much as I loved the licks Capn' Crunch laid on occasion, Spikes was a better LB. Bobby Strickland played about the same time as Kolen and Strickland was exceptional as well. Freddie Smith, before his injury, was great and Curt Crain belongs right near the top.

Talk of Skutack, Miska and so forth is nice. They were great Auburn men and deserve accolades for that but they weren't at the same level of ability as were Burkett and the others I've named.

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I liked miska when he played. But wasn't he an undersized walkon who didn't get a whiff from the nfl? I may be misremembering that, but its hard to say he is in the " historic best".

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All of those mentioned are great Linebackers, but THE BEST has to go to Mike "Capt Crunch" Kolen.

Next is Karlos Dansby and Takeo Spikes.

Man, I miss those killer Linebacker Auburn used to have!

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Dansby has been the best In my 18 years. Dontarious was also very good...but Dansby was just an animal. Hard to believe he came to Auburn as a reciever.

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All of those mentioned are great Linebackers, but THE BEST has to go to Mike "Capt Crunch" Kolen.

Next is Karlos Dansby and Takeo Spikes.

Man, I miss those killer Linebacker Auburn used to have!

Kolen laid some killer licks alright, but he whiffed a lot too. I well remember Shug "chastising" Cap'n Crunch on numerous occasions for trying to smash someone and missing instead of making a sure tackle.

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Fast Freddie Smith was absolutely the best linebacker to ever play at Auburn.

If Freddie would have played in era of tv(every game on tv)he would have been a superstar.

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Apparently it is true, we will never forgive James Willis

I guess if you listed the top ten linebackers he should be included. But after what he did most AU fans would like to forget that he ever played here. I forgive him but can't forget what a SCUMBAG TRAITOR he really is..................

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Travis Williams, who had 67 tackles to go with Dansby's 84 and Thomas' 75 tackles - insane numbers for 2003. As the only returner of those 3, Williams had 80 tackles in 2004.

Good article on Auburn linebackers past and present over the last decade here:

http://www.collegean...inzy-kris-frost

Yep. You have to include Williams in this discussion.

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Apparently it is true, we will never forgive James Willis

Hilarious. I had completely forgotten about him as others have. It's like he has collectively left the Family conscious.

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Fast Freddie Smith, Mike Kolen, Dontarious Thomas, Takeo Spikes, Greg Carr, Karlos Dansby, Curt Crain, Jackie Burkette, Bill Newton, and Q. Riggins. I also thought Ken Bernich was a really good lb in his time.

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Fast Freddie Smith was absolutely the best linebacker to ever play at Auburn.

If Freddie would have played in era of tv(every game on tv)he would have been a superstar.

Fastest and fiercest LB I've ever seen until the knee injury. Had he had today's surgery and rehab, he would have had a 15 year NFL career.

Imagine Takeo Spikes with something in the neighborhood of Bo Jackson's speed.

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Fast Freddie Smith was absolutely the best linebacker to ever play at Auburn.

If Freddie would have played in era of tv(every game on tv)he would have been a superstar.

Fastest and fiercest LB I've ever seen until the knee injury. Had he had today's surgery and rehab, he would have had a 15 year NFL career.

Imagine Takeo Spikes with something in the neighborhood of Bo Jackson's speed.

What he said.

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Fast Freddie Smith, Mike Kolen, Dontarious Thomas, Takeo Spikes, Greg Carr, Karlos Dansby, Curt Crain, Jackie Burkette, Bill Newton, and Q. Riggins. I also thought Ken Bernich was a really good lb in his time.

+1 - this is almost the exact list that my dad just rattled off

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Capt. Crunch...Mike Kolen. Not sure of the spelling, but I think it is correct. Takeo Spikes is right there at the top. I think a walk-on who turned into an all SEC player, Jason Miska should be in the mix as well.

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  • 3 months later...

Reposting from #23 SCBusPilot

Posted 21 August 2013 - 03:15 PM:

A useful link on the general topic:

http://www.collegean...inzy-kris-frost

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

As of Post #66 this alphabetized list that was started at Post #29 by IronMan70

Posted 21 August 2013 - 07:58 PM

has approximate counts (excluding the quoted portions) of the number of times each name was mentioned in this thread:

I have not verified the spellings of names.

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

Ken Bernich (7)

Trey Blackmon (2)

Mark Brown (3)

Aundray Bruce (4)

Jimmy Brumbaugh

Jackie Burkett (4)

Josh Bynes (4)

Greg Carr (8)

Leonardo Carson

Wade Christopher (2)

Bill Cody

Kurt Crain (11)

Darrel Crawford (2)

Karlos Dansby (17)

Charles Dorsey

Jeff Dunlap

Ed Dyas (2)

Dave Edwards (3)

Kevin Greene (5)

Smokey Hodge (2)

Mike "Capt. Crunch" Kolen (21)

Alex Lincoln (2)

Jason Miska (9)

Marcellus Mostella

Ricky Neal (2)

Bill Newton (3)

Craig Ogletree (3)

Quintin Reese

Quentin Riggins (9)

Danny Skutack (3)

Freddie Smith (9)

Takeo Spikes (22)

Bobby Strickland (3)

Dontarious Thomas (12)

Marcus Washington (3)

Travis Williams (7)

Larry Willingham

James Willis

Gusty Yearout

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

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Fast Freddie Smith, Mike Kolen, Dontarious Thomas, Takeo Spikes, Greg Carr, Karlos Dansby, Curt Crain, Jackie Burkette, Bill Newton, and Q. Riggins. I also thought Ken Bernich was a really good lb in his time.

+1 - this is almost the exact list that my dad just rattled off

Stop after this list. Bought a # 53 after seeing the picture with Bernich with his nose broken (Bernich was an All-American).
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Fast Freddie Smith, Mike Kolen, Dontarious Thomas, Takeo Spikes, Greg Carr, Karlos Dansby, Curt Crain, Jackie Burkette, Bill Newton, and Q. Riggins. I also thought Ken Bernich was a really good lb in his time.

+1 - this is almost the exact list that my dad just rattled off

Stop after this list. Bought a # 53 after seeing the picture with Bernich with his nose broken (Bernich was an All-American).

I was at Auburn when Bernich played; one of the meanest SOBs of all time (and I mean that in a good way).
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I can tell you guys are young. For one Bill Newton was a defensive tackle. Mike Flynn was pretty good linebacker. Him and Ken Bernich were a force.

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Aundray Bruce

Karlos Dansby

Takeo Spikes

Greg Carr

Dontarius Thomas

Quentin Riggins

Kurt Crain

Mike "Capt. Crunch" Kolen (I never saw him play so grain of salt here)

Marcellus Mostella (the best of what was probably the best foursome any college 3-4 ever saw)

Jason Miska

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Trey Blackmon had one great game against Florida. He isn't an all time great but that may be the best game for an AU LB.

Second best:

Aundray Bruce gave what might be Auburn's best defensive performance ever against Georgia Tech in 1987, intercepting three passes, returning one 45 yards for a touchdown, causing a fumble that was recovered in the end zone for another Auburn touchdown, recording three quarterback sacks, recovering one fumble and accounting for an additional nine tackles.

LINK

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