Green Bay Packers: 15 greatest pass rushers of all-time
By John Buhler
49. . DE. (1998-02). Vonnie Holliday. 13. player
Best pass rushers in Green Bay Packers history: 13. Vonnie Holliday
- 1998 NFL All-Rookie Team
- 32.0 career quarterback sacks w/Packers
- 252 career combined tackles w/Packers
- 5 career forced fumbles w/Packers
Vonnie Holliday was a first-round selection by the Packers in the 1998 NFL Draft after being a First-Team All-SEC player while at North Carolina. Holliday shined in his first year in the league. He finished as runner-up to Charles Woodson of the Oakland Raiders for NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Holliday had 8.0 quarterback sacks for the 1998 Packers, making his NFL All-Rookie Team inclusion a no-brainer. He finished with 52 combined tackles and two fumble recoveries during that first year with the Packers.
However, Holliday never matched that season sack total in the final 14 years of his lengthy professional career. Holliday might have played for six different NFL teams, but his best years were his first five in the league with the Packers. He amassed 32.0 career quarterback sacks in Green Bay on 252 combined tackles, forcing five fumbles with the Packers.
Though Holliday never had more than 8.0 quarterback sacks in a season, he was often in that 5.0 to 7.0-range during his first nine seasons in the league. Holliday was never the best pass rusher on any of his six teams, but was consistent at getting after the quarterback nonetheless.
Injuries during his first five years in the league ultimately led to Holliday leaving the Packers in 2003 free agency for the Kansas City Chiefs. He played two years with Kansas City (2003-04), four with the Miami Dolphins (2005-08), one with the Denver Broncos (2009), one with the Washington Redskins (2010) and two with the Arizona Cardinals (2011-12) before retiring.
Overall, Holliday had 62.5 quarterback sacks over his 15-year NFL career out of North Carolina. With more than half of them coming during his time with Green Bay over a five-year span, it’s safe to say his best years were as a member of the Packers.