Their statistics rarely jump off the page like those of a linebacker or defensive end. They my never litter the rankings among sack and tackle leaders, but you would have to look hard to find a successful, stingy defense that did not have good play from their defensive tackles.
The great Miami Hurricane teams of the 1980s and 90s always had outstanding defensive tackles like Russell Maryland or Warren Sapp. Today, No. 1 LSU has a ferocious defense led by one of the nation's best players, defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey. He is not ranked higher than 40th in the nation in either sacks or tackles for loss, but his presence makes the players around him better. Dorsey can fire off on the snap of the ball and disrupt plays before they get started, clog up running lanes or even collapse the pocket to terrorize quarterbacks. Offenses need to account for him with an extra blocker, allowing other defensive players to get one-on-one matchups or run free.
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