Beasts of the Northeast or Monsters of the Midwest?

Linebacker... it's a ferocious position in which it takes a REAL football player to play. Hard-hitting backers across the NFL such as Ray Lewis, Brian Urlacher, and Patrick Willis are some of the most exciting and fun to watch players in the league. Super Bowl XLV boasts six more of the best linebackers in the NFL.

Pittsburgh is led by defensive coordinator Dick Lebeau's 3-4 scheme that features four stud backers. Leading the charge is James Harrison. Harrison is a huge, but athletic linebacker that is notorious for delivering big hits and for receiving big penalties for those hits. Nevertheless, Harrison is feared by all teams when throwing over the middle.

Alongside Harrison, is Lamarr Woodley, James Farrior, and Lawrence TImmons. Woodley out of Michigan excels in the pass rush and run stopping areas of defense. Timmons is more of a coverage linebacker with excellent speed and athleticism. Farrior is the old man of the bunch. He was drafted by the New York Jets in 1996 and played before signing with Pittsburgh as a free agent in 2004.

The Green Bay Packers defense will look to match the fearsome foursome of Pittsburgh with one of their own. The Packer parade is led by NFL defensive player of the year runner-up Clay Matthews. Matthews has been a force all season for the NFC champs. Matthews isn't alone in leading the Packers "D" though as he has more than viable helpers alongside him in A.J. Hawk, Dezmon Bishop, and Nick Barnett.

Bishop has really raised his level of play this season and has earned a full-time starting job at outside linebacker. Hawk hasn't quite showed the promise that made him Green Bay's No. 5 overall pick in 2006 but is gradually increasing his play as well.

This Super Bowl should feature numerous big hits from these linebackers as well as big plays. If you remember, Harrison made "the play" of Super Bowl XLIII when he picked off Arizona's Kurt Warner in the endzone and took off streaking down the sideline.

Harrison later scored on the 100 plus yard interception return just before halftime and helped the Steelers secure the victory. I look for "the play" of this year's Super Bowl to also come from a linebacker, though I don't know which one... could be Harrison, Matthews, Farrior, Haw or one of the up-and-comers.