92 #DaysToFootball

Arguably the two greatest defensive ends in football history both wore 92, they feature prominently in today's list:

5. Shaun Ellis, DE
2000-2010 (NY Jets); Two Pro Bowls; 72.5 career sacks




Shaun Ellis was the first player the New York Jets selected in the 2000 NFL draft. For 11 years, the dependable defensive end led the Jets for better (back-to-back AFC championship game appearances in 2009 and 2010) or worse (4-12 finishes in 2005 and 2007). Ellis was most dominant in 2003, when he earned his first Pro Bowl berth with a 12-sack performance. His second all-star invitation came after the 2009 campaign, in which he led New York to its first of two straight AFC championship games. No Jets defender during the Tom Brady era is likely to ever make the Hall of Fame, but Ellis at least deserves consideration to be inducted into the Jets Ring of Honor.

4. James Harrison, LB
2004-Present (Pittsburgh, Cincinnati); Five Pro Bowls, Two First-Team All-Pro; 567 career tackles

(Justin K. Aller/Getty)

It wasn't until his second season that undrafted free agent James Harrison played any significant football for the Steelers. After switching numbers from 93 to 92 the Kent State alum played a contributing role on the 2004-06 Steelers squads, winning a Super Bowl XL ring as a backup. Harrison finally took over the starting right linebacker role for Pittsburgh in 2007, his fifth pro season. He spent the next five seasons as one of the most productive and concussive linebackers in football. In one notable 2010 game against Cleveland, Harrison knocked out two Browns receivers in the same quarter and was fined $75,000 for the second of the two tackles. In his finest moment as a Steeler, Harrison returned a Super Bowl XLIII interception 100 yards for a score. The controversial linebacker spent 2013 in Cincinnati before returning to Pittsburgh, where the 39-year-old is now preparing for his 15th year in the NFL.

3. Haloti Ngata, DT
2006-Present (Baltimore, Detroit); Five Pro Bowls; Two First-Team All-Pro; 308 career tackles

(Tom Hauck/Associated Press)

Unlike Harrison, his former AFC North rival Haloti Ngata was a first-round draft pick out of Oregon who has been a full-time starting NFL defensive tackle since his first game in Baltimore. The 335-pound behemoth has spent 11 seasons among the league's premiere run stuffers, including a five-year stretch from 2009-2013 in which the nose tackle earned five Pro Bowl invitations, two first-team all-pro honors and a Super Bowl ring for his efforts in helping the Ravens win their second Lombardi. While his production has decreased somewhat since signing with the Lions in 2015, Ngata is still a dependable part of Detroit's defensive line. In addition Ngata, who is of Tongan lineage, has one of my more favorite NFL names.

2. Michael Strahan, DE
1993-2007 (NY Giants); Seven Pro Bowls; Four First-Team All-Pro; 2001 Defensive POY; NFL All-2000s Team; Pro Football HOF class of 2014; NFL Single Season Sack Record (22.5 in 2001)

(Doug Mills/The New York Times)

Michael Strahan was a 30-year-old seasoned vet when Brett Favre became the final victim of his historic 22.5-sack season in 2001. By the time he was named the league's best defensive player that year Strahan had already earned his fourth Pro Bowl nod and third all-pro recognition, as well as having helped his Giants win the George S. Halas Trophy as 2000 NFC Champions. Another all-pro season came for the second-round draft pick from Texas Southern after Strahan led the league again in sacks in 2003, this time with 18.5 quarterback takedowns. The gap-toothed defensive end with a personality made for television finally earned his elusive championship ring in his 15th season, when the Giants completed one of the most improbable upsets ever over the 18-0 Patriots. Currently ranked sixth all-time in sacks, Strahan achieved football immortality in just his second year of Canton eligibility.

1. Reggie White, DL
1986-2000 (Philadelphia, Green Bay, Carolina); 13 Pro Bowls; Eight First-Team All Pro; Two-time Defensive POY; NFL All-1980s Team; NFL All-1990s Team; Pro Football HOF class of 2006; 198 career sacks (second all-time)



Tennessee defensive end Reggie White was a supplemental draft selection in 1984; by 1994 his spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame was already cemented. Playing primarily at left end, The Minister of Defense notched double-digit sack totals in all but three of his 15 NFL seasons. He was named to the Pro Bowl in all but his rookie and final seasons. White singlehandedly brought the Green Bay Packers back into relevance for the first time in two decades when he joined the team as a free agent in 1993. Four years later, he was hoisting the only Super Bowl trophy he ever won. This highlight reel of a description barely scratches the surface of Reggie's impact on the NFL landscape; for my money White was the best defensive lineman to ever play the game.