The Top-5 Gator Defensive Linemen of All-Time
No. 1 Jack Youngblood (1968-1970)
Taking the top spot is Gator legend Jack Youngblood.
A member of the “Super Sophs” in 1969, he helped lead the Gators to a 9-1-1 record and a 1969 Gator Bowl victory. This would be the best record in Florida football history until the golden era of the 90’s.
In his three years at Florida, Youngblood amassed 148 total tackles and 29 sacks. His 29 sacks remained a Gator record until the late 70’s.
He and Emmitt Smith are the only two Gators from Florida’s Football Ring of Honor to be in both the College Football and NFL Hall of Fame
Besides being a part of the best season of the Ray Graves era, some of Youngblood’s other accolades include:
- First-team All-SEC in 1970
- First-team All-American in 1970
- Named to All-Time Florida Gators team in 1983
- Voted to the Florida Gator All-Century Team in 1991
- College Football Hall of Fame inductee in 1992
- UF Hall of Fame inductee in 2001
- Inducted into Florida Football Ring of Honor in 2006 (with Steve Spurrier, Emmitt Smith, & Danny Wuerffel)
After his senior year, Youngblood entered the 1971 NFL Draft and was picked 20th overall by the Los Angeles Rams.
He played his entire 13-year NFL career with the Rams and would go to seven Pro Bowls. In 2001, he was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame.
He and Emmitt Smith are the only two Gators from Florida’s Football Ring of Honor to be in both the College Football and NFL Hall of Fame.
*All stats accredited to Gatorzone.com, College Football @ Sports-Reference.com, Pro-Football Reference.com, & NFL.com
Next: The Projected Defensive Starters for the Florida Gators in 2015