Jack Lambert (football player)

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Jack Lambert
Date of birth	July 8, 1952
Place of birth	Mantua, Ohio
Position(s)	Middle linebacker
College	Kent State
NFL Draft	1974 / Round 2
Pro Bowls	9
Awards	1976 AP Defensive Player of the Year 1974 AP Defensive Rookie of the Year
Honors	NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team NFL 1980s All-Decade Team NFL 1970s All-Decade Team
Statistics	Pro Football Reference DatabaseFootball
Team(s)
1974-1984	Pittsburgh Steelers
Pro Football Hall of Fame, 1990

John Harold "Jack" Lambert (July 8, 1952, Mantua, Ohio, United States) is a former NFL linebacker in American football. He played football with Kent State, winning two-year All-Mid-American Conference linebacker honors.

[edit] Playing career

He was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the second round of the 1974 NFL Draft. In the 1974 draft, many pro football coaches and scouts thought Lambert was too small to play linebacker in the NFL (Lambert played quarterback at Crestwood HS and at Kent State). The Steelers drafted him anyway. Lambert won a starting position as a rookie, supplanting Pro Bowl middle linebacker Henry Davis, and went on to earn the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award as the Steelers went to and won their first Super Bowl Super Bowl IX over the Minnesota Vikings. Lambert played like a veteran. He then went on to revolutionize the middle linebacker position . He had 28 career interceptions.

He played with the Steelers for 11 years, starting at linebacker for all eleven years. In his second season, the Steelers again won the Super Bowl and Lambert was named All-NFL and to the Pro Bowl. In the Super Bowl X against the Dallas Cowboys, Lambert came to the aid of kicker Roy Gerela who had missed a field goal and was being taunted by Cowboys' all-pro safety Cliff Harris. In a famous scene that has been played by NFL Films many times, Lambert saw Harris mugging Gerela, and went over and threw Harris to the ground in one quick motion. One needs to keep in mind that Harris was a five-year veteran and Pro Bowler, but that didn't stop Lambert from defending his teammate and the Steelers' honor. He was the Steelers' enforcer. They beat the Cowboys 21-17.

In 1976, Lambert became the leader of the Steelers as defensive tackle "Mean Joe" Greene missed several games due to a chronic back injury. The Steelers 1976 defense is often considered the greatest defense of all time. See [1]. After quarterback Terry Bradshaw went down with an injury, and the Steelers struggling with a record of 1-4, the Steelers defense led by Jack Lambert just took over. Over a nine-game span, the Steelers defense allowed only two touchdowns. They shut out opponents five times. In fact, opponents were held to an average of just 3 points per games. The Steelers won all of their remaining regular season games and finished at 10-4. The defense gave up only 138 points for the entire season. Eight of the eleven defensive starters on the Steelers made the Pro Bowl that year, and ten of the eleven starters made the Pro Bowl at some point in their careers (all except DT Ernie Holmes, and he led the team in sacks that year). And Lambert was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year following in the footsteps of his teammates Joe Greene (1972 and 1974) and Mel Blount (1975). In other words, from 1972-1976, the NFL defensive player of the year was a Steeler for four of five years. The Steelers crushed the Baltimore Colts in the opening round of the playoffs but lost to Oakland Raiders in the AFC Championship game as both of their starting running backs Franco Harris and Rocky Bleier and kicker Roy Gerela were unable to play.

He was the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1974. In a nine year span, he was named to nine straight Pro Bowls and was NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1976. He led the Steelers' "Steel Curtain" defense to four Super Bowls, all won by the Steelers. He was also known for having a gap where his two front teeth should be and his gritty defensive style.

Lambert played until 1984 when a severe toe injury sidelined him, after which he retired. He played in four Super Bowls, was selected to nine Pro Bowls, and was widely considered the best middle linebacker of his time, if not the history of the NFL. Lambert was an integral part of the famed "Steel Curtain" defense, which included defensive NFL Hall of Famers: Jack Ham, Mean Joe Greene, Mel Blount, and Hall of Fame finalist L.C. Greenwood. Offensive Hall of Famers from that team include: Terry Bradshaw, Mike Webster, Franco Harris, John Stallworth, and Lynn Swann.

[edit] Honors

Lambert wore number 58 during his career -- which, though the Steelers do not officially retire numbers, has not been reissued since his retirement -- and was one of the most popular Steelers. His fans called themselves "Lambert's Lunatics." In 1990, Lambert was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame In Canton, Ohio. In 1999, he was ranked number 30 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Football Players.

Lambert was also chosen as one of only seven linebackers during the NFL's 75th Anniversary All Time Team in 1994, along with fellow linebacker Jack Ham.

Jack Lambert used to phsyc himself up by banging his head against the lockers until the point where you see him on the field dripping with blood. Lambert came to epitomize the blue collar hard work and staunch defense of the Steelers for years to come. He also loved the franchise, and stated in his Hall of Fame induction speech:

"I was so fortunate to have played on some of the greatest teams of all time and arguably the greatest defense ever assembled. And finally, how fortunate I was to play for the Pittsburgh fans... a proud and hard-working people who love their football and their players. If I could start my life all over again, I would be a professional football player, and you damn well better believe I would be a Pittsburgh Steeler!"

Currently, Lambert lives in suburban Pittsburgh with his wife and 4 children and leads a private life, though he does make occasional appearances. For a time, he served as a game warden for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He also occasionally does commentary for Westwood One's NFL coverage.