In the 1960s and '70s, defensive tackles were the stars of the NFL., with stars like Bob Lilly and "Mean" Joe Greene leading their teams to Super Bowl victories. In 1990, the Seattle Seahawks unveiled Cortez Kennedy, a brillaint defensive tackle from the University of Miami, who later became one of the best tackles in the league. Kennedy appeared in eight Pro Bowl and finished his career on a high with 58 sacks.
In 1991, Kennedy's fellow defensive tackle Russell Maryland was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys. Maryland debuted in 1993 Pro Bowl and was a part of two Super Bowl-winning teams.
Since then, the position of defensive tackles has started losing its sheen as the first five overall picks fell short of expectations.The tackle is an important player as he guards the centre of the defensive line. The NFL draft for this season will begin today and sports pundits are expecting that a pair of All-Americans would redefine the position this year.
Nebraska's Ndamukong Suh and Oklahoma's Gerald McCoy are expected to find a place this year. Leading American sports analysts Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay are confident that Detroit will select Suh, while McCoy will be picked by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
As the position has become less and less imporant, the defensive tackles, who were once a feared entity, have became more comical than charismatic. Greene, widely regarded as the most famous defensive tackle of all time, is better remebered by the public for his Coke commercial than his spoilts on the field. The best tackle of the last decade, Warren Sapp, has become more famous for his dancing abilities in the popular dance-based reality show, "Dancing With the Stars".
