Alabama Roots: Top 10 in NFL tackles for loss

DeMarcus Ware will be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Aug. 5 in Canton, Ohio, for an NFL career that included 171 tackles for loss.
That’s the most on record for a player from an Alabama high school or college.
The tackles-for-loss statistic has been around as an official number in the NFL since only 1999, so many of the league’s great defensive disruptors don’t have a figure to quantify their ability.
But for the seasons where the tackle-for-loss statistic has been in use, Ware was one of the best at creating them and is tied for fourth on the NFL’s official list.
Ware led the NFL in tackles for loss in three seasons. His 27 in 2008 and 26 in 2011 for the Dallas Cowboys rank sixth and seventh, respectively, on the league’s single-season list.
Washington Commanders defensive tackle Daron Payne (Shades Valley, Alabama) had the most tackles for loss among players with Alabama football roots in the 2022 season with 18.
With 68, Cleveland Browns defensive end Za’Darius Smith (Greenville) has the most tackles for loss among the active NFL players from Alabama high schools and colleges. He’s four out of the state’s top 10.
The 10 players with Alabama football roots who have the most NFL tackles for loss include:
1. DeMarcus Ware, Auburn High School, Troy: 171 tackles for loss
Dallas Cowboys 2005-2013, Denver Broncos 2014-2016: The outside linebacker led the NFL in tackles for loss with 27 in 2008, 21 in 2010 and 26 in 2011. Ware was a Pro Bowler nine times and a first-team All-Pro four times and is joining the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2023.
2. Karlos Dansby, Woodlawn High School in Birmingham, Auburn: 127 tackles for loss
Arizona Cardinals 2004-2009, 2013, 2017, Miami Dolphins 2010-2012, Cleveland Browns 2014-2015, Cincinnati Bengals 2016: The linebacker had at least six tackles for loss in every season of his 14-year career, with a high of 14 in 2006.
3. Robert Mathis, Alabama A&M: 108 tackles for loss
Indianapolis Colts 2003-2016: The defensive end/outside linebacker reached a high of 15 tackles for loss in 2013. Mathis was a Pro Bowler five times and a first-team All-Pro once.
4. Justin Tuck, Central High School in Rockford: 102 tackles for loss
New York Giants 2005-2013, Oakland Raiders 2014-2015: The defensive end had 62 of his tackles for loss in a four-season span, highlighted by 20 in 2008. Tuck was a Pro Bowler twice and a first-team All-Pro once.
5. Grady Jackson, Greensboro High School: 93 tackles for loss
Oakland Raiders 1997-2001, New Orleans Saints 2002-2003, Green Bay Packers 2003-2005, Atlanta Falcons 2006-2007, 2008, Jacksonville Jaguars 2007, Detroit Lions 2009: The defensive tackle had 15 tackles for loss in 2000, but he’s missing the stat for the first two seasons of his career. In Jackson’s first three recorded seasons, he had 39 tackles for loss.
6. Adalius Thomas, Central High School in Rockford: 82 tackles for loss
Baltimore Ravens 2000-2006, New England Patriots 2007-2009: The outside linebacker reached a high of 14 tackles for loss in 2006. Thomas was a Pro Bowler once and a first-team All-Pro once.
7. Takeo Spikes, Auburn: 79 tackles for loss
Cincinnati Bengals 1998-2002, Buffalo Bills 2003-2006, Philadelphia Eagles 2007, San Francisco 49ers 2008-2010, San Diego Chargers 2011-2012: The linebacker reached a high of 15 tackles for loss in 2001, although the total for his rookie season is unrecorded. Spikes was a Pro Bowler twice and a first-team All-Pro once.
8. Osi Umenyiora, Auburn High School, Troy: 78 tackles for loss
New York Giants 2003-2012, Atlanta Falcons 2013-2014: The defensive end reached a high of 13 tackles for loss in 2005. Umenyiora was a Pro Bowler twice and a first-team All-Pro once.
9. Cornelius Griffin, Pike County High School, Alabama: 73 tackles for loss
New York Giants 2000-2003, Washington Redskins 2004-2009: The defensive tackle led the NFL in tackles for loss with 21 in 2004, a total that exceeds his next two best seasons put together.
10. DeMeco Ryans, Jess Lanier High School in Bessemer, Alabama: 72
Houston Texans 2006-2011, Philadelphia Eagles 2012-2015: The linebacker reached a high of 15 tackles for loss in 2012.