Top 10 Best Safeties in NFL History – #7 Larry Wilson
#7 – Larry Wilson
Another history lesson for those who don’t know the name. Much like in the movie Semi-Pro when they completed the first Alley-Oop, Larry Wilson was the first to master the safety blitz. Is that even legal?
This is one of the most complete safeties ever that nobody talks about. He wasn’t the biggest guy, but rock solid when it came to tackling the ball carrier. You could add him in the box as a sure tackler and he has 52 career interceptions including 10 in a single 14 game season to prove his impact in the passing game.
Best Safeties Ever – #6 Ken Houston
#6 – Ken Houston
People called Ken Houston a dirty hitter, but it couldn’t be further from the truth. This was a little guy who was under 200 pounds who understood the importance of striking first. Ken Houston played much bigger than anyone could imagine. He was so good that the Redskins traded 5 players to acquire Ken Houston and that was a bargain. He then helped transform that defense.
His signature play was in a Monday night game against the Cowboys. They dumped the ball down to their powerful fullback who was a yard shy of the endzone and Ken Houston came out of nowhere and out-muscled the big man dragging him backwards to save the touchdown and win the Redskins the game. The Fullback was literally a Cowboy in the off-season who wrestled steers, but Ken Houston was just that good.
Best Safeties Ever – #5 Paul Krause
#5 – Paul Krause
The casual fan usually thinks of big names like Deion Sanders, Ed Reed, Rod Woodson or Ronnie Lott when it comes to the players with the most interceptions. Nobody mentions Paul Krause as one of the best, but his all-time interception record of 81 has held strong for over 40 seasons.
When the Redskins got a new coaching staff, they didn’t think there would be a fit for a “center fielder” like Krause and what a mistake. The Vikings acquired Krause and told him to keep playing the exact same way he has been and it payed off tenfold. He continued to rack up the interceptions making his record even more impossible to overcome.
