Syracuse Football Top 25 Players of All-Time: No. 23 Keith Bulluck
By Josh Peelman
Syracuse Football has had a long history of success. We look back at some of the best players to play at Syracuse University. Up next, No. 23: Keith Bulluck.
Syracuse Football has had multiple defensive stars in its’ long storied history. Though many Syracuse fans may not remember the name Keith Bulluck, a linebacker from the late 1990s, he played an integral role for the Orange defense at that time. Though never really a star per se, his consistency both in college as well as in the pros led him to be one of the most successful players ever to wear Orange.
Originally he played safety for the Orange as a freshman in 1995 as that was the position he wanted to play. However, Coach Pasqualoni and the coaching staff felt Bulluck would be better off playing linebacker and switched him there his sophomore year in 1996, according to the Rockland County Sports Hall of Fame.
The switch immediately paid dividends as he totaled 104 tackles. He would become the starting linebacker that year, and would keep that role the rest of his time at Syracuse.
What’s more impressive is that during his three-year tenure as a starter for Syracuse he helped the program win three Big East Championships as well as led the Big East in tackles his senior year with 138 in 1998.
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He would also win the Bill Horr award that year given to Syracuse’s Most Valuable Player, which is quite an accomplishment considering star quarterback Donovan McNabb was on the team. In his Syracuse career he totaled:
- 375 tackles
- 3 forced fumbles
- 6 fumble recoveries
- 6 sacks
- 3 interceptions
In a tough Big East conference in the late 1990s, Bulluck was a force to be reckoned with at linebacker and then would follow that up with a decent NFL career as well. He would be drafted 30th overall in the first round of the 2000 NFL Draft by the Tennessee Titans.
Like most athletes in the 2000s, Keith Bulluck chose to remain in one place most of his career in The NFL with the Tennessee Titans which allowed him to become one of their best defensive players of all-time. He did play one year with the New York Giants before retiring, but other than that, retired as a member of the Titans.
During his tenure with the Titans, he led the team in tackles five times, and led the NFL as a whole in tackles with 152 in 2004. In addition, he would also set a Titans linebacker record of five interceptions in 2007 as well.
He would finish his NFL career with 1,109 combined tackles (of which 811 were solo), 21 interceptions (one touchdown), 18.0 sacks, 15 forced fumbles, and 13 fumble recoveries, according to Pro-FootballReference.com. In addition, Bulluck was named an All-Pro and Pro Bowl selection in 2003.
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Though not as flashy as some players on this list, Bulluck’s career as a whole earns him the right to be considered among the Top 25 Syracuse Football players of All-Time. Sometimes you don’t have to be a huge star to make a huge impact. Sometimes just hard work and consistency can be more than enough to have a good career, and in Bulluck’s case, that is most definitely true.