Overall contributions to the Steelers franchise. Parker was perhaps the fastest running back ever to play for the Steelers. Meanwhile, at No. In an era that de-emphasizes the workhorse back, McCoy has nearly amassed 10,000 rushing yards and more than 13,000 yards from scrimmage this decade. Not entirely. Over the past six years, he has covered the NFL, NHL, MLB, fantasy sports, college football and basketball, and New Jersey high school sports for numerous print and online publications. He'll continue to split time with Nick Chubb in the backfield, but the Browns are a run-first team that will use the talents of both. RASHARD MENDENHALL came to the Steelers as a first-round pick in 2008, and after spending the bulk of his rookie season on the injured reserve list, he rushed for 3,309 yards on 812 carries (4.1 average) and 29 touchdowns from 2009-11. The phrase is often proclaimed by an announcer after a Steelers running back plows over a few unlucky defenders. 1. It's an inspiring story, but if Bleier wasn't one of the best running backs in Steelers' history, he wouldn't have made this list. The Steelers have had several players enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame after being a part of the Pittsburghs ground game for most of or all of their entire careers. He was an example of how great players can not only break the rules and succeed, but sometimes even make up their own rules. The quick-footed big guy ran over, through and around defenders for nine years with the Steelers. Dick Hoak: The running backs coach for the Steelers for an incredible 35 years, Hoak was also an excellent player at the position he would spend so many years coaching up. I enjoy the passing game, and I love that Ben Roethlisberger has matured into an elite quarterback, but it is hard for me to imagine there is a better way to play football than Steelers Football. If youve followed the Steelers, you've probably heard the term "Steelers Football." The running back ran for 1,200 yards and seven touchdowns on 307 carries, and caught 74 passes for 467 yards and three touchdowns. In many ways, this style of offense is the polar opposite of the methods the Steelers used to win six Super Bowls. He also was a punt returner, bringing back 20 punts with a 14.0 average per return. Dudley also found himself on kickoff returns where he fielded 11 of those for 298 yards (27.0 average). The Steelers went 6-10 in his first season, but along with players like Hines Ward, Jerome Bettis, and Alan Faneca . One return went to the house. It was a hard task to actually rank all of the great running backs . At the time of the second injury, he was no longer with the Steelers but playing for the Chicago Bears and sued that teams doctor resulting in a $1.55 million judgment in favor of Hoge. The following is the Pittsburgh Steelers all-time roster, browsable by last name or position. [3], List of National Football League career rushing yards leaders, Players with at least 10,000 rushing yards, Players with at least 1,000 postseason rushing yards. He also posted many of his best seasons in the previous decade, which robbed him of a chance at the top 10 on this list. Born Byron Morris, drafted in the third round of the 1994 draft, Morris immediately made an impact with the Pittsburgh Steelers coming to them from Texas Tech University. Williams led the NFL in touchdowns last season with 17. His rookie contract was voided after his fourth season, after just one in Pittsburgh, and there were opportunities to leave. This list of past Steelers tight ends features former greats, current impact players, and even future stars. Pittsburgh Steelers player information and depth chart order. Overall, he ran for 4,731 yards and 28 touchdowns playing for the Rams, Falcons and Patriots from 2010-15. Dick Hoak: The running backs coach for the Steelers for an incredible 35 years, Hoak was also an excellent player at the position he would spend so many years coaching up. TEAM SEASON GP REC W% W L T TD PTS PPG OPP PTS OPP PPG 1DWN 3DWN% 4DWN% Pittsburgh Steelers: 2013: 16: 8-8.500: 8: 8: 0: 41: 379 . Injuries hurt Foster later in his career, but he did record 1,246 rushing yards in 2014. No matter what happens with the evolution of this position, these Pittsburgh tight ends have left a legacy for this that cant be taken away. The controversy surrounds what is called by many as the Greatest play in NFL history. All-time Receiving Leader: Hines Ward 1,000 rec, 12,083 yds, 85 TD . Fran Rogel: For Steelers fans who watched the team in the 1950s they would be familiar with a famous nursery rhyme with a Pittsburgh Steelers twist. Gurley has rushed for 4,547 rushing yards and recorded 6,430 yards from scrimmage with 56 touchdowns. All rights reserved. The Steelers have had some incredibly talented players over the years . In 1966 when the Fighting Irish won the national title, Rocky was a member of that team. Franco Harris is not only the best Steelers running back in franchise history, but one of the greatest Steelers of all time. 4M; . Frequently Asked Questions about the NFL and Football, Pro-Football-Reference.com Blog and Articles, Subscribe to Stathead Football: Get your first month FREE. Adrian Peterson is a running back with over thirteen years in the NFL. Damien Harris (New England Patriots) The 2021 season will only be Damien Harris' second full season with the Patriots as a running back, but he's shown his level of skill. Maybe I am just nostalgic for the days when Steelers backs carried the ball 30 times and took total control over a game by the fourth quarter. How an 8-year-old inspired Najee Harris' 5-TD performance vs. Ole Miss. Foster's 1,690 yards set a team record that season and earned him Pro Bowl and All-Pro nominations. Seasons: 90 (1933 to 2022) Record (W-L-T): 666-585-23 Playoff Record: 36-27 Super Bowls Won: 6 (8 Appearances) Championships Won *: 6 . He would play six seasons in Three Rivers Stadium when the Steelers were home and finish with 3,343 yards rushing. Emmitt Smith leads with 18,365 yards and is also the postseason leader with 1,586. The official source for NFL news, video highlights, fantasy football, game-day coverage, schedules, stats, scores and more. Meanwhile, Myles Jack's cap hit grows significantly from $4.75 million last year to $11.25 million in 2023. After a slow start (for a seventh overall draft pick from . Willie Parker: Fast Willie Parker actually lands in third place all-time among Pittsburgh rushers. Chubb is not the most dangerous or highly . Player Team Age Total Value Avg./Year Total Guaranteed Fully Guaranteed Free Agency; Christian McCaffrey: 49ers: 27: $64,063,412: $16,015,853: $36,346,412: $30,062,500 He'll get the chance to continue his career with the Browns, but he'll miss the first eight games of 2019 because of a suspension. Fuqua led the . 4. Time to profile some of the outstanding and popular running backs to suit up for the Steelers. He is more famously known for his post-retirement with ESPN as an analyst which he has excelled at and has become one of that networks finest announcers. This was the age of the feature back, when one superstar halfback got most of the carries. Weve reviewed the most popular quarterbacks to play for the Pittsburgh Steelers, but among those signal callers, who are some of the players they were handing the ball off to when not throwing the rock? Unfortunately, his tenure with the Steelers came to a dramatic end with a contract dispute in 2018, but during his time with the team, he was one of the greatest. The 32-year-old has yet to post a 1,000-yard season this decade, and judging by the fact he had only six rushing attempt last season, he's probably going to end the 2010s without one. Emmitt Smith has held the record since surpassing Walter Payton's long-standing total in 2002. Nick Chubb finished first the AFC North in 2021 with 1,259 rushing yards, despite finishing third with 228 carries. He only spent six seasons with the Steelers, but it was enough to rack up 4,381 rushing yards and land him at number five for all-time leading rushers in Pittsburgh history. Bell will pay the price this season with a three-game suspension to start the 2015 season. 22. The only exception in madden 22 was a glitched out ray Lewis that was 97 at mlb but 99 at r/lolb. James Conner was thrust into the spotlight in 2018 when halfback LeVeon Bell held out for the entire season. He peculiarly retired after that one campaign with the Cardinals. Harris disputed that and said he was 240 pounds as a rookie. Advertisement In some form or fashion, the Steelers will need to add quality depth to . Joey Porter. Fuqua led the Steelers in rushing in 1970 and 1971 and totaled 2,942 yards on the ground during his time in Pittsburgh. Last year's offensive rookie of the year award winner, Barkley was close to perfect for fantasy owners. Barkley was a huge reason why the Giants returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2016. He made the Pro Bowl three times, from 2014-16. The Tigers picked up their sixth commitment for the 2024 recruiting cycle - and their first running back - Wednesday with the public . He was also an excellent receiver, both out of the backfield and split out as a wide receiver. Steelers running back James Conner (30) runs for a short gain past Titans cornerback Kristian Fulton (26) during the first half at Nissan Stadium. Amos Zereoue: Another fan favorite was West Virginia University product, Famous Amos Zereoue. The Pittsburgh Steelers' 2020 running back room has the assortments of all the skillsets you could find around the NFL. Barkley reminded the NFL world this past season that he's one of the best running backs in the league by rushing for a career-high 1,312 yards and 10 touchdowns. WILLIE PARKER had difference-making speed at the NFL level, but because he wasn't built physically to withstand the 913 carries he got from 2005-07, he got worn down and then his speed wasn't as difference-making at the NFL level. But since then he has a pair of 1,000-yard rushing years and 4,545 yards on the ground in five years. The number of games they started during the season is listed to the right of their name: These quarterbacks have the most starts for the Steelers in regular season games. Tackles. The days of Jim Brown or John Riggins getting 40 carries a game are gone. It worked perfectly with the maulers he had in front of him in Pittsburgh as he has some Xbox like highlight reels to show for it. March 1, 2023 2:19 pm PT. During the decade, he has posted 9,187 yards five 1,000-yard seasons and 56 touchdowns. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. Abercrombie played one more season in 1988 with the cross state Philadelphia Eagles before retiring. The move closes the latest chapter of Wentz's career after just one season in Washington. Allain died on February 21, 2023, following a . Over the entire decade, he posted 6,417 rushing yards and 7,909 yards from scrimmage with the Titans, Jets and Cardinals from 2010-17. But from 2015-16, he posted more than 1,000 rushing yards, 1,500 yards from scrimmage and at least 13 touchdowns each season. From '61 to '64, he was part of a powerful rushing attack along with Hall of Famer John Henry Johnson. Hunt offers some stability in the pass-game as he had 44 . Ibrahim, who . Bell made three Pro Bowls and two All-Pro teams as a Steeler. Four of those were LeVeon Bell, but three were different players who stepped up in those seasons: Mendenhall (Pittsburgh's last first-round running back), Williams, Conner. Drafted in the third round by the Steelers, Zereoue would play from 1999 to 2003 in Black and Gold before finishing his career in Oakland for one season and another in New England. Bettis was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2015. In nine seasons all as a Steeler, Pollard scored 20 touchdowns. Lists that rank the greatest players and coaches in the history of the NFL franchise. Subscribe to Stathead Football: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Pro Football Reference Database. Pittsburgh Steelers Draft History. This led to fans chanting Hey Diddle Diddle, Rogel Up the Middle. There was just one occasion that the Steelers failed to use Rogel on the games first play. This means two backs in the backfield, usually lined up side by side. In one of his final interviews before his . Peterson missed all but one game in 2014 because of a child abuse case, but he returned to lead the NFL in rushing during 2015. Fullback Franco Harris came to the Steelers in the 1972 draft and made an immediate impact. His entire career was with the Steelers and he would finish those six seasons with 1,512 yards and 18 touchdowns. During recent years, he's become somewhat forgotten in Buffalo, but McCoy has both All-Pro seasons and multiple 1,000-yard campaigns to his credit this decade. Foster made one attempt to come out of retirement with the Cincinnati Bengals that same year but after just a few days with the club he decided on retirement at the tender age of 26. If it was Fuqua who the ball last touched, it would not be a legal catch by Harris according to the rules in 1972. LeVeon Bell made his mark with the Steelers running in this kind of offense. He is currently the third leading rusher in Steelers history. 8. This list of past Steelers tight ends features former greats, current impact players, and even future stars. Rocky Bleier came to the Steelers in 1968. Fuqua will be forever remembered by Steelers fans as the intended receiver of Terry Bradshaws Immaculate Reception pass, which ricocheted into the arms of Franco Harris. The running back said that he was only trying to stimulate conversation about the topic but because of it he lost an endorsement deal with Champion Sports. It's hard to believe, but the second decade of the 21st century is nearly complete. Keep in mind that accomplishments made only during this decade were considered for these rankings. Today, Abercrombie spends his days atsthe Executive Director for his alma mater leading the Baylor B Association which is an organization of previous letter winners for the university. By 1974, Bleier was weighing in at 212 pounds and he made the team to stay. 2023 ABG-SI LLC. It is unfortunate, and I would guess I am not alone in wishing the Steelers would return to their roots and play power football again. Ingram's best season came in 2017 when he posted 1,124 yards and 12 touchdowns. On a better team, Jones-Drew may have been able to flourish for longer than three seasons, but from 2009-11, he was one of the best backs in the league. In 1992, we found out who the heck that guy was: the man who would run for more yards in one season than any Steelers running back in team history. If I were to ask you to name the sixth-leading rusher in Steelers history, I bet youd say a lot of names before you got to Frank Pollard. The mid-'80s were a tough time for Steeler Nation. The Pittsburgh Steelers have had some great tight ends throughout the franchise's history. Clemson running backs coach CJ Spiller got his man. During that year, Peterson won league MVP the last running back to do so. He ended his career with only 1,512 rushing yards, but with two Super Bowl rings. Sowhos the greatest tight end in Pittsburgh Steelers history? He spent his first year in the NFL with the Giants before coming to the Steelers in 1970. James Conner is at the forefront . They got a lot of carries in an era when both the fullback and halfback needed to contribute to the running game. Mendenhall is currently No. Matte took over for another fantastic white running back, former Heisman Trophy winner and 1958 NFL Championship Game hero Alan Ameche. Mendenhall provided the following reason for retiring so young: Football was pretty cool, but I dont want to play anymore. Near the end of an uneventful rookie season, he was drafted to fight in the Vietnam War. Bell rushed for 1,361 yards in 2014, but what turned that into first-team All-Pro recognition were his 83 catches for 854 yards. LeVeon Bell: Finally we have our current star in the making. Bleier was an outstanding lead blocker as well as being able to run the ball well and also had solid hands as a receiver. Who Is The Best Wide Receiver In The NFL Right Now? Parker never regained his starting job and was released only to make on attempt at staying in the NFL with the Washington Redskins in 2010 where he spent his time on the practice squad before retiring. Winning three Super Bowls helps earn you a spot on this list too. Bill Dudley was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1966 and 10 year prior was inducted into College Footballs Hall of Fame. Included are players that played for the Pittsburgh Steelers (NFL) from 1945-2022, the Pittsburgh Steelers (NFL) from 1940-1942 and the Pittsburgh Pirates (NFL) from 1933-1939. Bill Dudley: Bullet Bill was his nickname and a great running back he was. Regular season. He came to the Steelers after three seasons with the Rams which had earned him a reputation as a problem player. Doctors had told him following the enemy attack that his football days were over. Visit ESPN to view the Pittsburgh Steelers team depth chart for the current season Jerome "The Bus" Bettis tops our list as the Steelers best running back of all time. Is the fullback truly gone, banished into the deep recesses of pro football history? During this decade, he earned two Pro Bowl nominations and an All-Pro bid. What those teams dont have is a legacy of bullying and dominating opponents, and that is what brought the Steelers six Super Bowl championships. With the Bears and Jets, Forte posted 7,629 rushing yards and 11,353 yards from scrimmage from 2010-17. He lasted just five seasons but they were filled with success. It's Le'Veon Bell because there is thought given to picking players who could function as a unit if the position require that. Players active with the Pittsburgh . but every NFL team has talented players. The power running back is a dying breed in football. Of course, we all know why. Hoak's record as the team's running backs coach was 149-90-1, making him the third-most successful running backs coach in Pittsburgh Steelers history.
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