Lists that rank the greatest players and coaches in the history of the NFL franchise. As a Steeler running back, Hoak would spend his entire career with Pittsburgh that began in 1961 as a seventh round draft pick after running for the Penn State Nittany Lions. In the end Rocky Bleier rushed for 3,865 yards, 1,294 yards receiving on 136 catches and scored 25 times. He joins Franco Harris and John Henry Johnson. In 2007, Fuqua created a candy and marketed it as The Immaculate Confection. But aside from that 1972 playoff game with the Oakland Raiders, Fuqua could be seen off the field wearing the flashiest of clothes that included shoes with see-through heals and live fish in them. He also earned the first of two consecutive First-Team All-Pro selections. Who the heck is this guy, we all wondered aloud, but in much more colorful language. Chances are it is an announcer who remembers some of the great backs in Steelers history and how they dominated the game. The 33rd Team. Gurley has rushed for 4,547 rushing yards and recorded 6,430 yards from scrimmage with 56 touchdowns. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. There have been some running backs in Steelers history who had one or two good seasons in Pittsburgh, then went on their way. Ranking every player on the Steelers free agency board A bullet pierced his left thigh in Vietnam and further injuries occurred when a grenade exploded near him putting shrapnel in his lower right leg. The Steelers have always had great defensive playersand that hasn't changedbut the Steelers of today have fallen into the trendy traps of modern offenses with little use for a fullback. He's posted 2,987 rushing yards and 28 touchdowns over the last three years. Last year's offensive rookie of the year award winner, Barkley was close to perfect for fantasy owners. Frank Pollard: In the mid-1980s, a stout Frank Pollard became the Steelers primary running back. In 2012, he made the All-Pro team with 1,590 rushing yards and 1,786 yards from scrimmage. Find out more. Preston Pearson: Pearson wore Rocky Bleiers college number of 26 and was a solid football player who was a member of the Steelers first Super Bowl winning team in 1975 when they defeated the Minnesota Vikings 16-6 in Super Bowl IX. He'll likely end up with a good chunk of dough in free agency, but it's hard to believe . Sadly, the days of Steelers Football seem to have gone the way of the dropkick. Murray made the All-Pro team and Pro Bowl that year. To no ones surprise, Art Rooney Sr. mailed a post card to his running back while in recovery that said, Rock We need you. That was the kind of man The Chief was. Both men had the unfortunate circumstance of being behind other great players on the roster, Franco Harris and Terry Bradshaw. 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. He posted 1,000-yard rushing seasons in each of the first three years of the decade. Parker ran for 1,200 yards or better in three straight seasons and led the Steelers to two Super Bowl wins. Tracy ran for 2,717 yards and 15 touchdowns in his time with Pittsburgh and caught 96 passes for 1,322 yards and 14 touchdowns. Parker was perhaps the fastest running back ever to play for the Steelers. The former Titan had only 28 catches for 294 yards last year . But Harris and the Steelers' rushing attack were just getting started. In 2005, speedy Willie Parker took advantage of paths cleared by Kreider, and the Steelers won the Super Bowl. He was Le'Veon Bell when Bell was at Michigan State. As an undrafted rookie in 2004, Bill Cowher took a chance on the 5-foot-10, 209-pound first-year player and Parker impressed sharing time with The Bus, Jerome Bettis. Los Angeles' running backs are in a bit of a limbo right . It was thought by the Steelers coaching staff and fans alike that Pittsburgh had found their new star running back. Quite a contrast to kick off this list. Steelers all-time 53-man roster: '70s legends, 'Killer Bs' headline 2022 AFC North Standings. In addition, he got 52 receiving yards, with an average of 10.4. Christian McCaffrey (2019) This past season, McCaffrey became the third running back in NFL history to generate over 1,000 rushing and receiving yards in a single season. Current team members are listed in bold. Le'Veon Bell was one of the best Steelers running backs of all time. Vote below for who you think is the best Pittsburgh Steelers tight end of all time, then head over and check out the top Pittsburgh Steelers players ever. Steelers GM confirms extension negotiations with key defender have started Tackles. He would eventually become the feature back, but in 2009 he suffered Jack Lamberts injury, turf toe and was replaced by Rashard Mendenhall in the process. Murray is another back who put together three strong seasons during his career and led the league in rushing once. [5] Through 2021, eight Steeler first-round picks have gone on to have playing careers deemed worthy of enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame: Bill Dudley, Len Dawson, Joe Greene, Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris, Lynn Swann, Rod Woodson, Troy Polamalu, and Alan . This decade, Sproles has also led the league in punt return yardage twice. Franco Harris was a fullback, as was Merril Hoge and John Henry Johnson. As the tight end position increasingly becomes more of a focal point in offensive schemes , one can only imagine what this list will look like in years down the road. Lynch was an underrated pass-catcher in his prime too. The last Steelers running back taken in the first round before Najee Harris, Mendenhall won a Super Bowl as a rookie despite spending most of the season on injured reserve. 22. Dudley also found himself on kickoff returns where he fielded 11 of those for 298 yards (27.0 average). Today's NFL teams do not use fullbacks as often as they once did, instead favoring spread offenses and dynamic passing attacks featuring three or more wide receivers and multiple tight ends. Trump can be sued by cops United States 11:10 am - 10,090 views; Train crash toll now 57 Greece 9:38 am - 3,746 views; Snow, rain end drought California 9:32 am - 1,290 views; More World News Landry Jones (2015-2017) Tommy Maddox (2002-2005) Terry Bradshaw (1970-1983) The number of games they started during the season is listed to the right of their name: Season. Only other is safeties at sub lb and doesn't change their ratings just where they are on the field. By the time the fourth quarter rolls around, it is easy to see why opposing defenses would wish they were somewhere else. The controversy surrounds what is called by many as the Greatest play in NFL history. Ranking every NFL running back drafted in Round 1 since 2000: LaDainian LeVeon Bell made his mark with the Steelers running in this kind of offense. In the following AFC title game against Miami, Pollard was held to just 48 yards rushing. During his career, he's averaged 128.9 yards from scrimmage per game. Players were considered based on having careers with the Steelers from 1992 until the present. A bruising Hall of Famer running back, Franco Harris was the perfect embodiment of the Pittsburgh Steelers offense during their championship runs in the 1970s. In Dick Hoak's 10 years as a Steeler, he only saw two winning seasons. By 1995, Foster was out of Pittsburgh and out of the NFL, thus ending his short, dramatic, and bizarre pro football career. The Best Pittsburgh Steelers Tight Ends Of All Time, Vote up the players who had the most success playing tight end for the Pittsburgh Steelers. At 244 pounds, Morris was a load running behind the offensive line and his numbers backed up his train rushing efforts. He also posted at least 1,500 yards from scrimmage during 2013 and 2014 when the Seahawks went to two Super Bowls. 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. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. By his second season as a Steeler, he had become the heir apparent to Jerome Bettis. Pittsburgh Steelers Career Rushing Leaders | The Football Database Franco Harris was the man during The Renaissance, and Jerome Bettis was the man in The Modern Era. He ran for 5,378 yards while playing at Heinz Field. Williams didn't post a 1,000-yard season in this decade mostly due to the fact he shared the backfield with another player on our list. The Tigers picked up their sixth commitment for the 2024 recruiting cycle - and their first running back - Wednesday with the public . Pittsburgh Steelers All-Time Draft History - Pro-Football-Reference.com 2013 Steelers 2014 Steelers 2015 Steelers 2016 Steelers 2017 Steelers 2018 Steelers 2019 Steelers 2020 Steelers 2021 Steelers 2022 Steelers 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 8-8 11-5 10-6 11-5 13-3 9-6-1 8-8 12-4 9-7-1 9-8. List of Pittsburgh Steelers first-round draft picks - Wikipedia However, it's not too early to break down the best from the 2010s either. In one of his final interviews before his . 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. 'We'll probably move a little slower than most of our peers, but we don't worry about the Jonses', 28-14 victory caps 7-2 finish, but season ends because Miami's win claims final playoff spot, 'He drinks the Kool-Aid that is Pittsburgh, Pa., he's a Steeler, he teaches it to the young guys', His 111 yards rushing, 10-yard catch for a TD, and physical presence throughout keyed 16-13 win, 'His versatility, his experience allows us to move him and Minkah to diversify our attack', 'The most challenging component of the weather, man, are the poor fans sitting in the stands', Dan Rooney: 'One of the finest, most thoughtful human beings I have ever known', 'I wanted to see Mitch's ability to bounce back from the last game relative to taking care of the ball', Three interceptions, blocked FG prove to be insurmountable mistakes in 16-14 defeat, 'You can take the energy out of an arena on the road when you do some of the things he does', The 19-16 victory represents first winning streak of season and is the third in last four games, The defense made some plays, such as Heyward's sack, but also allowed two 90-yard TD drives, 2023 Pittsburgh Steelers. Foster's 1,690 yards set a team record that season and earned him Pro Bowl and All-Pro nominations. Having gone through a tough contract negotiation in 1995, the Steelers instead of trying to settle traded Foster over to the Carolina Panthers who then cut the running back in training camp due to a failed physical. NFL Top 10 Best Running Backs of the 2010s - #8 Arian Foster. Bettis came to the team at a time of free agency where the franchise didn't have the financial wherewithal that since has been created by Heinz Field, and yet he stayed. Conner responded with a Pro Bowl performance and gave Steeler Nation hope that hed become the next great Pittsburgh running back. Offseason Strategy: Already having their starting running back for the immediate future, the offseason as it concerns the running back position will be dedicated solely toward seeking out quality .