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Published: Saturday, Nov. 17, 2012 / Updated: Saturday, Nov. 17, 2012 05:21 PM

The list: NFL’s top tackler

The NFL does not recognize tackles as an official stat, but provides a list of the top tacklers on NFL.com based on game-day statistics. The top five:

1 Chad Greenway, Minnesota, 99: All the Vikings linebacker does is make tackles. Fans and peers are starting to notice: Greenway made his first Pro Bowl last season after finishing with a career-high 174 stops.

2 Jerod Mayo, New England, 91: Mayo, the 2008 Defensive Rookie of the Year, always seems to be around the ball. Besides his tackles, Mayo has three forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and a sack.

3 Luke Kuechly, Carolina, 87: Kuechly’s season took off after he replaced the injured Jon Beason at middle linebacker. Kuechly is averaging 15 tackles a game since taking over for Beason. Based on coaches’ film review, Kuechly is on pace to break James Anderson’s single-season tackles record, set last year.

4T Lavonte David, Tampa Bay, 81: David, a second-round pick from Nebraska, led the Bucs with six tackles in his debut against the Panthers. He set a Bucs’ rookie record with a career-high 16 tackles, including two for loss, in a Week 9 win at Oakland.

4T Four others with 81: San Francisco LB NaVorro Bowman, St. Louis LB James Laurinaitis, New Orleans LB Curtis Lofton, Seattle LB Bobby Wagner. Joseph Person