On the NFL's Pro Bowl weekend, we highlighted yesterday our 23-man All-Time All NFL lineup — starters and alternates — from Notre Dame on offense. It has nothing to do with what they did in college and everything about what they achieved in the pros.

Defensive lineman Alan Page and receiver Tim Brown hold the Fighting Irish record for most Pro Bowl appearances with nine selections apiece, while quarterback Joe Montana and offensive tackle George Kunz had eight each.

In Part II, here is our 22-man Notre Dame all-time NFL team — starters and alternates — on defense and special teams.

In a 3-4 alignment, Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Trafton — who also was a center — is our nose guard, with Page and Young flanking him.

Trafton, who played for Knute Rockne’s 1919 unbeaten team that received national title recognition, was an original “Monster of the Midway” for the Chicago Bears from 1922-32 and made the 1920s All-Decade Team. Legendary running back Red Grange referred to him as “the meanest, toughest player alive.”

Page finished with 215 consecutive starts after not starting the first three games of his 1967 rookie season. He was selected to nine straight Pro Bowls while recording 148 1/2 career sacks, and was the league’s MVP in 1971, a first for a defender.

Young was the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year for the 1994 Super Bowl champion San Francisco 49ers and a four-time Pro Bowl pick during a 14-year career. Selected to the NFL’s 1990s All-Decade team, Young recorded 605 tackles, with 89.5 sacks, while often facing double teams. Like Page, he also was remarkably durable, although he did have to come back from a severe knee injury, and started all 208 games he played.

Tuck played 11 seasons and made two Pro Bowls (and was an alternate two other times). The four-time New Giants captain made the franchise’s Ring of Honor. He recorded 66.5 sacks, 510 tackles and an argument could have been made for him to be Super Bowl MVP in both titles won by the New York Giants during his time while registering two sacks apiece of Tom Brady in upset wins.

In a 4-3 alignment, we would have Tuck in for a linebacker.

Alternates: Leon Hart, Bob Golic, Bob Toneff, Ross Browner

Hart was All-Pro on offense and defense in his second season during his eight-year career with the Detroit Lions. He was productive on offense, where he caught 174 passes and scored 26 TDs, and he later lined up at fullback, but he was a force on defense as well. Hart could also be positioned at receiver, if needed.

Toneff played six years apiece at San Francisco and Washington and was a four-time Pro Bowl pick from 1952-64.

Golic played 14 years at nose guard (1979-92) and made the Pro Bowl three consecutive seasons with the Cleveland Browns. He made 160 career starts in the NFL and could rotate with Trafton at nose guard.

Browner never was selected to the Pro Bowl but had a strong 10-year career in which he recorded 516 tackles with 59 sacks (second in Cincinnati Bengals franchise history) despite getting moved to the inside. He also holds the Super Bowl record for most solo tackles by a lineman (10, including a sack of 1977 national title teammate Montana) in the 1982 Super Bowl won by San Francisco, 26-21.

Connor made All-Pro at three different positions — including linebacker — on offense and defense. Although Connor was a lineman in college, his bust in the Pro Football Hall of Fame refers to him as “first of the big, fast linebackers” in the league’s history. Paul Hornung referred to him as the greatest football player who graduated from Notre Dame. Connor helped revolutionize the linebacker position.

Buoniconti (1962-76) was the ringleader of the Miami Dolphins’ vaunted “No Name” defenses, highlighted by the perfect 17-0 team in 1972. He was chosen first team on the All-Time AFL/AFC team and could play both the run and pass (32 career interceptions). Buoniconti made the AFL All-Pro teams six times and was twice in the NFL Pro Bowl.

Lynch played in 142 consecutive games for the Kansas City Chiefs, helping them to the 1970 Super Bowl title. He was overshadowed by linebacker teammates Willie Lanier and Bobby Bell, both in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but Lynch also made it to the Pro Bowl by his second season of an 11-year career.

Pottios played 14 years in the league and was a Pro Bowl selection three times in the 1960s.

Alternate: Jim Martin.

A 14-year pro, Martin started at left tackle and left guard before moving to linebacker and, later in his career, at kicker. He made the Pro Bowl in 1960 when he was 38 years old.

Duerson played in four straight Pro Bowls from 1985-88 and was a cog at safety on one of the most fearsome defenses ever, the 1985 Chicago Bears.

Cornerback Waymer’s 48 career interceptions in 13 years (1980-92) are the most by an Irish alumnus. He and fellow corner Lyght both played 13 years in the league, and both made the Pro Bowl once.

Lyght made 132 consecutive starts, picked off 37 passes and made the Pro Bowl in 1999, the year his St. Louis Rams won the Super Bowl.

The lone captain at Notre Dame in 2011, Smith — our other safety — made his fifth consecutive Pro Bowl in 2020, and also has been an All-Pro selection. He has recorded 747 career tackles, 66 passes defended and 28 interceptions, four returned for scores, for the Minnesota Vikings.

Alternates/Nickel: Jeff Burris, Dick Lynch, Bobby Taylor

Burris had 120 starts during a 10-year NFL career that saw him record 536 tackles and 19 interceptions.

Lynch, best remembered for his 1957 TD sweep on fourth down that ended Oklahoma’s NCAA record 47-game winning streak, led the league in interceptions twice (nine apiece in 1961 and 1963) during a stellar career with the New York Giants. Like Lyght, he had 37 career interceptions in the NFL.

Taylor played 10 years from 1995-2004 and made the Pro Bowl in 2002 with the Philadelphia Eagles. He recorded 19 career interceptions in 109 starts.

Carney ranks fifth on the all-time NFL scoring chart with 2,062 points and made the Pro Bowl at age 44 in 2008 before retiring.

Hentrich, the NFL’s first million-dollar punter. completed his 17th NFL season in 2009 while on injured reserve. He played in 241 games, was on Green Bay’s Super Bowl champs in 1996 and fell just short of 50,000 career yards punting.

One of the fastest players ever to suit up for Notre Dame, or anywhere, Rossum was a Pro Bowl pick as a return man. He had six career TDs off of returns, and another in the playoffs.

----

• Talk about it inside Rockne’s Roundtable.

• Learn more about our print and digital publication, Blue & Gold Illustrated.

• Watch our videos and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

• Sign up for Blue & Gold's news alerts and daily newsletter.

• Subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts.

• Follow us on Twitter: @BGINews, @BGI_LouSomogyi, @Rivals_Singer, @PatrickEngel_, @MasonPlummer_ and @AndrewMentock.

• Like us on Facebook.