Without doubt, for me it was Jack Lambert, linebacker for the great Pittsburgh Steeler team of the seventies and eighties. One of the hardest tacklers in the game, and if some of you think Suarez is a crazy genius, you should have seen Jack in his prime. (The only reason he didn't bite opponents was that he had no front teeth, and just his trademark snarl used to ensure widespread soiling of the opposition uniforms). In my view, the best linebacker of all time (I was just too young to really appreciate Butkus in his prime).
Barely missed a game, despite being considered small for a linebacker, mad as hell and an immensely passionate leader. Strong as hell and tackled so hard your fillings came out in the stands, let alone on the field. Some of you oldies might remember the Coke advert where Mean Joe Green gave his shirt to a starstruck young fan - well, Jack once gave me a personal snarl as a young one at Three Rivers and I still treasure the memory.