Paul Krause has the most interceptions in NFL history with 81 regular-season career picks. Emlen Tunnell ranks second with 79, Rod Woodson is third with 71, and Dick “Night Train” Lane is fourth with 68.
This objective leaderboard tracks defensive interceptions through the 2025 NFL season. It follows the standard all-time totals used for NFL record keeping, including recognized AFL statistics, while excluding playoff and preseason interceptions. The featured graphic covers the top 10 ranks, but ties at No. 5, No. 8 and No. 10 mean 11 players are included.
Table of Contents
Key Facts
- Career interceptions leader: Paul Krause, 81
- Closest challenger: Emlen Tunnell, 79
- Most career interception return yards: Ed Reed, 1,590
- Most career interception return touchdowns: Rod Woodson, 12
- Single-season interceptions record: Night Train Lane, 14 in 1952
How the Career Interceptions List Works
The statistic controlling placement is regular-season career defensive interceptions. These are passes intercepted by defensive players, not interceptions thrown by quarterbacks.
Every player’s full career total counts, even when he played for multiple teams. Ties use standard competition ranking, so Ken Riley and Charles Woodson share fifth place, Ronnie Lott and Darren Sharper share eighth, and Dave Brown and Dick LeBeau share 10th. The next rank is skipped after each tie.
The individual sections cover the top 10 ranks shown in the graphic. The complete table near the bottom expands the leaderboard to the top 20 players through the 2025 season.
Top 10 Career Interception Leaders
T-10. Dave Brown — 62 Interceptions
Career interception line: 62 interceptions, 698 return yards and 5 interception return touchdowns from 1975 to 1989.
Dave Brown shares 10th place after producing 62 interceptions across 15 seasons. Most of his career was spent with the Seattle Seahawks, where his durability and ability to finish plays made him a long-term fixture in the secondary.
Brown sits only one interception behind the two players tied for eighth. That narrow gap shows how tightly packed the leaderboard becomes after the top four.
T-10. Dick LeBeau — 62 Interceptions
Career interception line: 62 interceptions, 762 return yards and 3 interception return touchdowns from 1959 to 1972.
Dick LeBeau matched Brown’s total while spending his entire playing career with the Detroit Lions. He recorded his 62 interceptions in 185 games, giving him the same place on the leaderboard despite taking a different path to the total.
LeBeau later became far better known as a defensive coach, but his playing résumé stands on its own. Finishing tied for 10th in career interceptions is not a footnote to his coaching career.
T-8. Ronnie Lott — 63 Interceptions
Career interception line: 63 interceptions, 730 return yards and 5 interception return touchdowns from 1981 to 1994.
Ronnie Lott finished with 63 picks while moving between cornerback and safety during his career. He is remembered first for the physical side of his game, but his place among the best safeties of all-time was also built on range, recognition and consistent ball production.
Lott is only one interception ahead of the players tied for 10th and one behind Ed Reed at No. 7. His ranking is a reminder that the gap between several all-time defensive backs is extremely small when measured by raw takeaways.
T-8. Darren Sharper — 63 Interceptions
Career interception line: 63 interceptions, 1,412 return yards and 11 interception return touchdowns from 1997 to 2010.
Darren Sharper shares eighth place with Lott, but his return production is what separates the two statistical profiles. His 1,412 interception return yards rank third in NFL history, while his 11 return touchdowns are tied for second.
His inclusion here reflects an objective on-field statistic only. It should not be read as a broader endorsement of his personal legacy or off-field conduct.
7. Ed Reed — 64 Interceptions
Career interception line: 64 interceptions, an NFL-record 1,590 return yards and 7 interception return touchdowns from 2002 to 2013.
Ed Reed ranks seventh by total interceptions, but no player created more career yardage after taking the ball away. His 1,590 return yards are the most in NFL history, and his 24.8 yards per interception are the highest average among the players in the top 20.
Reed’s film study and willingness to disguise his intentions allowed him to bait quarterbacks into throws that looked open. Once he secured the ball, he immediately became a scoring threat rather than a defender simply ending the possession.
T-5. Ken Riley — 65 Interceptions
Career interception line: 65 interceptions, 596 return yards and 5 interception return touchdowns from 1969 to 1983.
Ken Riley shares fifth place after spending all 15 of his NFL seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals. His 65 interceptions remain the highest total in franchise history and place him only three picks behind Night Train Lane for fourth overall.
Riley did not generate the same return yardage as several nearby names, but that does not weaken the stat controlling this list. He repeatedly finished the play by securing the interception, which is why he owns a top-five career total.
T-5. Charles Woodson — 65 Interceptions
Career interception line: 65 interceptions, 966 return yards and 11 interception return touchdowns from 1998 to 2015.
Charles Woodson matched Riley’s 65 interceptions while playing cornerback, slot defender and safety. That versatility helped extend his career and allowed him to keep creating turnovers as his role changed.
Woodson’s 11 interception return touchdowns are tied for second in league history. He also has the latest career endpoint of anyone in the top 20, having played through 2015. His longevity and positional flexibility strengthen his case among the best cornerbacks of all-time.
4. Dick “Night Train” Lane — 68 Interceptions
Career interception line: 68 interceptions, 1,207 return yards and 5 interception return touchdowns from 1952 to 1965.
Night Train Lane ranks fourth with 68 career interceptions. He created immediate separation from the rest of the leaderboard by recording 14 picks as a rookie in 1952, a single-season record that still stands through 2025.
Lane combined unusual ball production with a punishing style of play. His career total is three ahead of Riley and Charles Woodson, making him the clear dividing line between the top four and the tightly grouped pack below them.
3. Rod Woodson — 71 Interceptions
Career interception line: 71 interceptions, 1,483 return yards and an NFL-record 12 interception return touchdowns from 1987 to 2003.
Rod Woodson is the only player outside the top two to surpass 70 interceptions. He remained productive while transitioning from cornerback to safety and playing for four franchises across 17 seasons.
Woodson also owns the career record with 12 interception return touchdowns and ranks second with 1,483 return yards. That combination of volume, versatility and scoring value is why he also belongs near the top of any list of the best defensive players in NFL history.
2. Emlen Tunnell — 79 Interceptions
Career interception line: 79 interceptions, 1,282 return yards and 4 interception return touchdowns from 1948 to 1961.
Emlen Tunnell ranks second with 79 interceptions, only two behind Krause. He reached that total in 167 games, far fewer than most of the other players near the top of the career leaderboard.
Tunnell retired as the record holder before Krause eventually passed him. His 79 picks remain comfortably ahead of third-place Rod Woodson and make this a two-player race at the very top.
1. Paul Krause — 81 Interceptions
Career interception line: NFL-record 81 interceptions, 1,185 return yards and 3 interception return touchdowns from 1964 to 1979.
Paul Krause owns the career record because he paired high-end ball production with 16 seasons of durability. He recorded 28 interceptions in four seasons with Washington, then added 53 more during 12 seasons with the Minnesota Vikings.
Krause also intercepted 12 passes as a rookie, tying the third-highest single-season total in league history. His range and timing allowed him to play the position like a deep center fielder, but the defining feature of his record is how long he sustained that production.
The math explains the difficulty. A defender could average five interceptions for 16 consecutive seasons and still finish one short of Krause.
Why Paul Krause’s Record Is So Difficult to Break
Krause’s record demands both peak production and exceptional longevity. Interceptions fluctuate from year to year, quarterbacks can avoid throwing toward dangerous defenders, and many defensive backs change roles as they age. A player must stay healthy, remain on the field and continue receiving takeaway opportunities for well over a decade.
The modern gap is enormous. Harrison Smith, the career leader among players who appeared during the 2025 season, finished the year with 39 interceptions. That left him 16 short of the top-20 cutoff and 42 behind Krause.
The top 20 also contains no player whose career extended beyond Charles Woodson’s final season in 2015. More passing attempts have not translated into modern defensive backs approaching the all-time record.
What Career Interception Totals Do Not Show
Career interceptions measure takeaway production, not complete coverage ability. A shutdown corner may receive fewer targets, while a deep safety can have more chances to read the quarterback and break on the ball. Scheme, position, era and surrounding talent all shape interception opportunities.
Return production also changes how an interception affects a game. Krause owns the most picks, Ed Reed owns the most return yards, and Rod Woodson owns the most return touchdowns. Those are three different records because securing the ball and creating value after the catch are related but separate skills.
Night Train Lane offers the clearest peak-versus-longevity comparison. His 14-interception rookie season remains unmatched, but Krause built a 13-pick advantage over Lane across their full careers. One record rewards the greatest single-season surge; the other rewards sustained production.
Full NFL Career Interceptions Leaderboard
This table includes every player in the supplied leaderboard with at least 38 regular-season career interceptions through the 2025 season. Shared ranks are preserved, so the next rank is skipped after each tie.
| Rank | Player | Interceptions | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paul Krause | 81 | 1964-1979 |
| 2 | Emlen Tunnell | 79 | 1948-1961 |
| 3 | Rod Woodson | 71 | 1987-2003 |
| 4 | Night Train Lane | 68 | 1952-1965 |
| 5 | Ken Riley | 65 | 1969-1983 |
| 5 | Charles Woodson | 65 | 1998-2015 |
| 7 | Ed Reed | 64 | 2002-2013 |
| 8 | Ronnie Lott | 63 | 1981-1994 |
| 8 | Darren Sharper | 63 | 1997-2010 |
| 10 | Dave Brown | 62 | 1975-1989 |
| 10 | Dick LeBeau | 62 | 1959-1972 |
| 12 | Emmitt Thomas | 58 | 1966-1978 |
| 13 | Mel Blount | 57 | 1970-1983 |
| 13 | Bobby Boyd | 57 | 1960-1968 |
| 13 | Eugene Robinson | 57 | 1985-2000 |
| 13 | Johnny Robinson | 57 | 1960-1971 |
| 13 | Everson Walls | 57 | 1981-1993 |
| 18 | Lem Barney | 56 | 1967-1977 |
| 18 | Pat Fischer | 56 | 1961-1977 |
| 20 | Aeneas Williams | 55 | 1991-2004 |
| 21 | Eric Allen | 54 | 1988-2001 |
| 21 | Willie Brown | 54 | 1963-1978 |
| 21 | Darrell Green | 54 | 1983-2002 |
| 24 | Ty Law | 53 | 1995-2009 |
| 24 | Deion Sanders | 53 | 1989-2005 |
| 26 | Champ Bailey | 52 | 1999-2013 |
| 26 | Jack Butler | 52 | 1951-1959 |
| 26 | Bobby Dillon | 52 | 1952-1959 |
| 26 | Jimmy Patton | 52 | 1955-1966 |
| 26 | Mel Renfro | 52 | 1964-1977 |
| 26 | Larry Wilson | 52 | 1960-1972 |
| 32 | Bobby Bryant | 51 | 1968-1980 |
| 32 | Asante Samuel | 51 | 2003-2013 |
| 32 | Donnie Shell | 51 | 1974-1987 |
| 35 | Terrell Buckley | 50 | 1992-2005 |
| 35 | Don Burroughs | 50 | 1955-1964 |
| 35 | Deron Cherry | 50 | 1981-1991 |
| 35 | John Harris | 50 | 1978-1988 |
| 35 | Yale Lary | 50 | 1952-1964 |
| 40 | Ken Houston | 49 | 1967-1980 |
| 40 | Jake Scott | 49 | 1970-1978 |
| 42 | Herb Adderley | 48 | 1961-1972 |
| 42 | Dave Grayson | 48 | 1961-1970 |
| 42 | Richie Petitbon | 48 | 1959-1972 |
| 42 | Dave Waymer | 48 | 1980-1992 |
| 42 | Willie Wood | 48 | 1960-1971 |
| 47 | Ronde Barber | 47 | 1997-2012 |
| 47 | Ray Buchanan | 47 | 1993-2004 |
| 47 | Jimmy Johnson | 47 | 1961-1976 |
| 47 | Lemar Parrish | 47 | 1970-1982 |
| 47 | Troy Vincent | 47 | 1992-2006 |
| 52 | Jack Christiansen | 46 | 1951-1958 |
| 52 | Goose Gonsoulin | 46 | 1960-1967 |
| 52 | Mike Haynes | 46 | 1976-1989 |
| 52 | Eddie Meador | 46 | 1959-1970 |
| 52 | Dave Whitsell | 46 | 1958-1969 |
| 57 | Erich Barnes | 45 | 1958-1971 |
| 57 | Thom Darden | 45 | 1972-1981 |
| 57 | James Hasty | 45 | 1988-2001 |
| 57 | Jim Norton | 45 | 1960-1968 |
| 61 | Steve Foley | 44 | 1976-1986 |
| 61 | Warren Lahr | 44 | 1949-1959 |
| 63 | Kermit Alexander Jr. | 43 | 1963-1973 |
| 63 | Dre’ Bly | 43 | 1999-2009 |
| 63 | Cris Dishman | 43 | 1988-2000 |
| 63 | DeAngelo Hall | 43 | 2004-2017 |
| 67 | Ashley Ambrose | 42 | 1992-2004 |
| 67 | Gill Byrd | 42 | 1983-1992 |
| 67 | Bobby Hunt | 42 | 1962-1969 |
| 67 | Sammy Knight | 42 | 1997-2008 |
| 67 | Albert Lewis | 42 | 1983-1998 |
| 67 | Terence Newman | 42 | 2003-2017 |
| 73 | Don Doll | 41 | 1949-1954 |
| 73 | Aaron Glenn | 41 | 1994-2008 |
| 73 | Spider Lockhart | 41 | 1965-1975 |
| 73 | Johnny Sample | 41 | 1958-1968 |
| 73 | Charlie Waters | 41 | 1970-1981 |
| 78 | Butch Byrd | 40 | 1964-1971 |
| 78 | W.K. Hicks | 40 | 1964-1972 |
| 78 | Tom Keane | 40 | 1948-1955 |
| 78 | Tim McDonald | 40 | 1987-1999 |
| 78 | Ed Sharockman | 40 | 1961-1972 |
| 78 | Bill Thompson | 40 | 1969-1981 |
| 78 | Roger Wehrli | 40 | 1969-1982 |
| 85 | Gary Barbaro | 39 | 1976-1982 |
| 85 | Glen Edwards | 39 | 1971-1981 |
| 85 | Lester Hayes | 39 | 1977-1986 |
| 85 | Tory James | 39 | 1996-2006 |
| 85 | Rolland Lawrence | 39 | 1973-1980 |
| 85 | Clarence Scott | 39 | 1971-1983 |
| 85 | Harrison Smith | 39 | 2012-2025 |
| 92 | Donnie Abraham | 38 | 1996-2004 |
| 92 | Ray Brown | 38 | 1971-1980 |
| 92 | LeRoy Butler | 38 | 1990-2001 |
| 92 | Lindon Crow | 38 | 1955-1964 |
| 92 | Eugene Daniel | 38 | 1984-1997 |
| 92 | Eric Davis | 38 | 1990-2002 |
| 92 | Gary Fencik | 38 | 1976-1987 |
| 92 | Mike Harden | 38 | 1980-1990 |
| 92 | Sam Madison | 38 | 1997-2008 |
| 92 | Reggie Nelson | 38 | 2007-2018 |
| 92 | Kevin Ross | 38 | 1984-1997 |
| 92 | Charles Tillman | 38 | 2003-2015 |
| 92 | Rick Volk | 38 | 1967-1978 |
FAQ: Most Interceptions in NFL History
Who has the most defensive interceptions in NFL history?
Paul Krause has the most defensive interceptions in NFL history with 81 regular-season career interceptions.
Does this list count interceptions thrown by quarterbacks?
No. This list ranks defensive players by passes intercepted. Quarterback interceptions thrown are a separate statistic.
Are playoff interceptions included?
No. The ranking uses regular-season career interceptions only. Playoff and preseason interceptions are excluded.
Who has the most interception return touchdowns in NFL history?
Rod Woodson holds the career record with 12 interception return touchdowns. Charles Woodson and Darren Sharper are tied for second with 11 each.
Why does the top 10 include 11 players?
The top 10 ranks include 11 players because three positions contain ties. Two players share fifth, two share eighth and two share 10th.
Scope: Regular-season career defensive interceptions through the 2025 season, including recognized AFL statistics. Playoff and preseason totals are excluded.
Last reviewed: July 23, 2026.
Conclusion: Paul Krause Still Owns the NFL Interceptions Record
Paul Krause remains the NFL’s career interceptions leader with 81, two ahead of Emlen Tunnell and 10 ahead of Rod Woodson. His record has survived because it requires a rare combination of early production, durability and takeaway consistency across 16 seasons.
The career total is only part of the story. Ed Reed owns the return-yard record, Rod Woodson owns the pick-six record, and Night Train Lane still owns the single-season mark. Krause, however, remains alone at the top of the statistic that controls this leaderboard.
More NFL Rankings
Several players on this list also appear on franchise interception leaderboards. Compare the Pittsburgh Steelers all-time interceptions leaders, Green Bay Packers all-time interceptions leaders, San Francisco 49ers all-time interceptions leaders and Kansas City Chiefs all-time interceptions leaders.
For a broader franchise-by-franchise view, browse the NFL team all-time player rankings hub.
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