List of NFL annual interceptions leaders

Black and white head shot from the shoulders up of Dick "Night Train" Lane.
Night Train Lane led the league in interceptions as a rookie in 1952.[1] In doing so, he also set the current record for most interceptions in a season.[2]

In American football, an interception (INT), also known as a pick, occurs when a pass intended for a player of the same team is caught by an opposition player, who then gains possession for their team.[3][4] The National Football League (NFL) did not begin keeping official records until the 1932 season and did not begin tracking interceptions until 1940.[5][6] In addition to the NFL interception leaders, league record books recognize the interception leaders of the American Football League (AFL), which operated from 1960 to 1969 before being absorbed into the NFL in 1970.[7][8]

The single-season interception record is held by Night Train Lane, who logged 14 interceptions in 1952 while playing for the Los Angeles Rams as a rookie.[9][10] Prior to that, Dan Sandifer of the Washington Redskins and Spec Sanders of the New York Yanks jointly held the record, earning 13 interceptions in 1948 and 1950 respectively.[11][12] The record for most seasons leading the league in interceptions is three. This was first achieved by Everson Walls, who led the league in interceptions in 1981, 1982, and again in 1985.[13] Ed Reed was later able to match Walls by leading the league in 2004, 2008, and 2010.[13][14] Bill Bradley became the first player to lead the league in interceptions in consecutive seasons (1971 and 1972),[15] with Everson Walls being the only other player to do so (1981 and 1982).[16] The most recent player to lead the league in interceptions is DaRon Bland who finished with 9 interceptions in the 2023 NFL season.[17]

  1. ^ "Dick (Night Train) Lane". Pro Football Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on June 29, 2019. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
  2. ^ "NFL Interceptions Single-Season Leaders (since 1940)". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on May 23, 2024. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
  3. ^ "2023 NFL Rulebook". National Football League. Archived from the original on October 24, 2023. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  4. ^ "Football Interceptions". Rookie Road. Archived from the original on August 18, 2023. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  5. ^ "NFL's Passer Rating". Pro Football Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on October 3, 2015. Retrieved June 19, 2013.
  6. ^ "Football Statistics Data Coverage". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on April 11, 2024. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  7. ^ "2012 NFL Record and Fact Book" (PDF). National Football League. pp. 625–626. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 13, 2012. Retrieved June 19, 2013.
  8. ^ Banks, Don (November 12, 2014). "Forty-five years after last AFL season, rivalry with NFL still resonates". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on December 27, 2022. Retrieved October 12, 2023.
  9. ^ "NFL 100". National Football League. Archived from the original on October 27, 2022. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  10. ^ Hunter, Justin (July 8, 2012). "Why Dick Lane's Interception Record Will Never Fall". Football Nation. Archived from the original on October 16, 2014. Retrieved October 10, 2014.
  11. ^ Holder, Stephen (November 26, 2021). "Making sense of NFL stats in the 17-game era: 'The highest does not mean the best'". The Athletic. Archived from the original on March 31, 2023. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  12. ^ Tramel, Berry (December 12, 2016). "Spec Sanders: a forgotten Oklahoma football hero". The Oklahoman. Archived from the original on November 6, 2023. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  13. ^ a b Brock, Todd (March 18, 2021). "Everson Walls: Cowboys takeaway artist's true legacy lies in what he gave to teammate". USA Today. Archived from the original on December 21, 2023. Retrieved December 21, 2023.
  14. ^ "Texans cut Ed Reed; Foster to IR". ESPN. November 13, 2013. Archived from the original on October 18, 2014. Retrieved October 10, 2014.
  15. ^ Richards, Matt (September 24, 2004). "Bradley's legend starts new chapter at Baylor". Baylor University. Archived from the original on October 16, 2014. Retrieved October 10, 2014.
  16. ^ Spagnola, Mickey (January 12, 2018). "Spagnola: These Everson Walls Facts Certainly Demand Hall Of Fame Inclusion". Dallas Cowboys. Archived from the original on June 29, 2022. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  17. ^ Cite error: The named reference leaders was invoked but never defined (see the help page).