3 Greatest Defensive Players in Florida History

The Florida Gators have put some incredibly talented players out on the defensive side of the ball over the years. With so many positions responsible for so many different aspects of the defense, it can tough to rank the best of all-time, but there are a few Gators that stand out ahead of the crowd.

With that in mind, here is the list of the three best Florida Gator defenders ever.

3. Alex Brown

Alex Brown was a defensive end for the Gators under legendary head coach Steve Spurrier. He was a two-time All-American (1999 and 2001), a three-time all-SEC first-teamer (1999 to 2001) and SEC Defensive Player of the Year in 2001. During the Gators 2000 SEC Championship season, Brown was the team captain, a second-team All-American and recorded 10.5 sacks. He was a finalist for the Lombardi Award two times. He was also inducted into the Florida Athletic Hall of Fame and is the program's all-time sack leaders, with 33.0.

2. Jack Youngblood

Maybe best known for his NFL Hall of Fame career, Jack Youngblood was also a monster at defensive end for the Gators. In 1970 he was first-team All-SEC and a first-team All-American. He finished his Gator career with 29 sacks, which included 10 in the 1970 season. He set the school single-season record for sacks with 14 in 1969,

1. Wilber Marshall

Wilber Marshall comes in a No.1 here with an impressive resume. He made three straight All-SEC first teams from 1981-1983. He was a two-time consensus All-American in 1982 and 1983. He ended his career with the Gators with 343 tackles, 58 tackles for a loss, and 23 sacks. In 1999, the Gainesville Sun named him part of the Florida Gators "Team of the Century" as well as the "Defensive Player of the Century." He was elected to the Florida Football and Athletic Hall of Fame as well as the College Football Hall of Fame in 2008.

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David Kaestle is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, David also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username davekaestle. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.