Thirty Sundays to NFL football: 30 reasons why we love the Green Bay Packers

Brian Noble

A tackling machine whose numbers in that department were never recorded, Brian Noble was a tough guy in the same vein as Ray Nitschke.

As the Packers inside linebacker during the mid- to early-1980s, Noble was always fighting for tackles, blowing up piles of players and making an impact on the field.

In a little over eight years in Green Bay – until he tore up his knee two games into the 1993 season (his last) – Noble played in 117 games, starting 110.

Again, Noble played during an era when tackles weren’t recorded – who knows how many the guy made during his career. He was always around the ball, with his 11 fumble recoveries a testament to that fact.

He wasn’t much of a cover guy either, intercepting only three passes in nine years – his best season being the two he snagged in that magical season of 1989.

But Noble was a workingman’s linebacker. His motor never quit. That’s why he was so likable. He earned every penny he was paid and if the team was filled with 50 Brian Nobles, they would have been champions every year.

Next: LeRoy Butler