The Steelers will win 5 games this year, Canada will be fired, and Tomlin will "resign." . In 27 games Hunt has 2,151 rushing yards, 2,984 yards from scrimmage and 25 touchdowns. And that's with missing the 2016 season because of retirement. Dudley could do it all on the field as he was just not a back but a defensive back, punter, and place kicker. From the time Fran Rogel became the teams starting running back in 1950 until his retirement in 1957, Pittsburghs first play from scrimmage in every game Rogel was in the backfield began with a handoff to the California State Teachers College and Penn State University product with a rush into the middle of the offensive line. However, from 2010-14 he was the best all-purpose back in the league. After five seasons of never finishing higher than RB34, Williams had a career year in 2022, finishing as the overall RB18. 22. Myles Jack 61 Minkah Fitzpatrick . This list of past Steelers tight ends features former greats, current impact players, and even future stars. Franco Harris arrives during the 2019 Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. He caught 57 passes for 338 yards as well. He has held the all-time rushing yards record since 2002 and is . While Gore has never led the league in rushing or made All-Pro, his consistency lands him at No. Looking at an NFL game today, something seems to be missing. Morris signed with Baltimore Ravens where he lasted just two seasons before the Chicago Bears and Kansas City Chiefs took a chance on him in 1998. He led the Steelers in rushing from 1961 to 1964 and made three straight Pro Bowls from 1962 to '64. The 23-year-old was on his way to two straight special years to begin his NFL career before the Chiefs cut him following his involvement with a woman in a domestic dispute. Ingram's best season came in 2017 when he posted 1,124 yards and 12 touchdowns. Fuqua led the . The Pittsburgh Steelers have had some great tight ends throughout the franchises history. Fuqua would have to be the most colorful player in Steelers history as well as the most controversial. 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 former Heisman Trophy winner is another example of a highly regarded college back getting off to a slow start in the NFL. 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. Frank Pollard: In the mid-1980s, a stout Frank Pollard became the Steelers primary running back. When it comes to this room, the Steelers are indeed looking for them to step up. Willie Parker: Fast Willie Parker actually lands in third place all-time among Pittsburgh rushers. But from 2010-17, Forte averaged 1,419 yards from scrimmage per season. Bam Morris: Morris story is a sad, tragic, and unfulfilled one. Today, Johnson is one of the former Steelers in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He ran for 5,378 yards while playing at Heinz Field. That couldn't have been further from the truth. In 2015 Williams rejuvenated his career with the Steelers, filling in for the suspended and injured Le'Veon Bell for 10 games. The stud running back finished with 3,943 yards which lands him seventh on Pittsburghs all-time list. Pittsburgh Steelers Career Rushing Leaders. He spent his first year in the NFL with the Giants before coming to the Steelers in 1970. Abercrombie played one more season in 1988 with the cross state Philadelphia Eagles before retiring. Sutton not only enjoyed the best year of his career, but he also arguably played like a top-10 cornerback. Despite the occurrences of injury, Hoge ran for 3,115 yards as a Steeler and rushed for 21 touchdowns. 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. Sep 20, 1992; San Diego, CA, USA; FILE PHOTO; Pittsburgh Steelers running back Barry Foster (29) in action against San Diego Chargers defenders Junior Seau (55) and George Thornton (93) at Jack . 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. . By 1974, Bleier was weighing in at 212 pounds and he made the team to stay. It's hard to believe, but the second decade of the 21st century is nearly complete. In his first three seasons, Ingram ran for more than 600 yards in a season just once. Only stats for Regular Season Games have been included. BAM MORRIS followed Foster, but after a couple of promising seasons, he was released after pleading guilty to felony possession of marijuana in June 1996. Bleier starred in Super Bowl XIII with a touchdown reception and a recovered onside kick to seal Pittsburghs third NFL title. Sproles has nearly as many receptions (460) as carries (516) since 2010, and he has 3,936 receiving yards. His performance in the 1989 playoffs, when he turned in back-to-back 100-yard games against Houston and Denver, is the stuff of Steelers' legend. Near the end of an uneventful rookie season, he was drafted to fight in the Vietnam War. However, it's not too early to break down the best from the 2010s either. The following is the Pittsburgh Steelers all-time roster, browsable by last name or position. Some teams also used them as receivers, and fullbacks like Larry Centers made a living catching passes out of the backfield. He would end up moving to the Dallas Cowboys where he would get a chance to face off against his former team in two more Super Bowls (X and XIII). Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, injured during his tour of duty and told he would never play football again. He spent much of 2019 injured, and team injuries across the board made it difficult to judge his performance fairly. He stepped in for a banged-up Willie Parker in 2009 and ran for 1,108 yards and seven touchdowns. He peculiarly retired after that one campaign with the Cardinals. 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. The team made it to the playoffs ten times ( 1992-1997 , 2001-2002 , 2004-2005 ) and had a 12-9 record under Coach Hoak in playoff games. Franco Harris is the Pittsburgh Steelers career leader in rushing yards with 11,950. DeAngelo Williams Photo by Ronald C. Modra/Getty Images. Perhaps one of the most popular and beloved Steelers players of all-time, Bleier became famous before he ever established himself as Franco Harriss partner in crime based on his experiences in the Vietnam War. Dudley also scored on a lateraled pass and has kicked point-after-touchdowns as well as making successful field goals. Bettis was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2015. His teammate Terry Hanratty, the QB at Notre Dame during that tenure became a Steeler as well. But since then injuries have slowed him, and he's averaging 3.6 yards per attempt. 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. Over the past 50 years, the Steelers have tallied 36 winning seasons . All-time Rushing Leader: Franco Harris 2,881 att, 11,950 yds, 91 TD . In 79 games with the Steelers, he carried the ball for 3,343 yards and 22 touchdowns. The 2016 All-Pro had his own issue staying on the field because of a suspension in 2017, but despite that Elliott has 4,048 rushing yards and led the league in rushing twice in three years. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? It was thought by the Steelers coaching staff and fans alike that Pittsburgh had found their new star running back. By the time the fourth quarter rolls around, it is easy to see why opposing defenses would wish they were somewhere else. 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. As a Steeler, Famous Amos ran the ball 434 times for 1,698 yards and was a powerful running back at 205 pounds on a 58 frame. Over the past 50 years, the Steelers have had three coaches, and each has used a different style of offense. Photos from the career of former Steelers running back and Hall of Fame finalist Jerome Bettis. Still young at 38 years of age, Zereoue stays in shape these days by playing soccer for a New York amateur club called the Central Park Rangers FC. He tailed off to 928 the following season and then suffered injuries in 2012 playing in just six games before the Steelers cut him loose where he signed with the Arizona Cardinals lasting just one season after 687 yards on the ground. 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. In 2012, the Steelers found themselves with JONATHAN DWYER as their leading rusher, which is what led to the spending of a second-round pick in the following draft on Le'Veon Bell. It is highly recommended that you use the latest versions of a supported browser in order to receive an optimal viewing experience. NAME GP RUSH YDS ATT YPC RUSH YDS/G RUSH TD REC YDS REC TRG AVG REC YDS/G REC TD; Felix Jones: 16: 184: 48: 3.8: 11.5: 0: 63: 9: 13: 7.0: 3.9: 0: Isaac Redman: 3: 12: 10: 1.2 . In 2015 Williams rejuvenated his career with the Steelers, filling in for the suspended and injured Le'Veon Bell for 10 games. 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. 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 . Pittsburgh Steelers Draft History. Bell made three Pro Bowls and two All-Pro teams as a Steeler. Chubb is not the most dangerous or highly . The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. Steelers running back James Conner (30) runs for a short gain past Titans cornerback Kristian Fulton (26) during the first half at Nissan Stadium. Draft Henry with absolute confidence this season if you have a top-five pick. Harris disputed that and said he was 240 pounds as a rookie. The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. He was intensive care for 48 hours and this forced his retirement. The Steelers won a lot of games in the late-90s to mid-2000s by lining up 250-pound running back Jerome Bettis behind 250-pound fullback Dan Kreider and bulldozing any defense that came before them. 6:02; See All. In two seasons, he is already 18th among all Steelers backs in rushing. 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. This list of past Steelers tight ends features former greats, current impact players, and even future stars. While those numbers may not seem impressive by todays standards, they were good enough to earn Tracy Pro Bowl appearances with the Steelers in 1958 and 1960. 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. Time to profile some of the outstanding and popular running backs to suit up for the Steelers. Postseason. Other teams (like the Steelers) have one but rarely use him. 1, Pittsburgh didn't have a top-25 running back. Los Angeles' running backs are in a bit of a limbo right . But during the Super Bowl seasons of 1978 and 1979, Sidney Thornton played a significant role in the Steelers' rushing attack. He came to the Steelers after three seasons with the Rams which had earned him a reputation as a problem player. His 4.3 yards-per-carry average for his career is second only to John Henry Johnsons 4.4 and ties him with Wille Parker among Pittsburghs top ten rushers in history for yardage. 1. In 1966 when the Fighting Irish won the national title, Rocky was a member of that team. Really, he will just be doing what teams like the Steelers did for decades. By 1995, Foster was out of Pittsburgh and out of the NFL, thus ending his short, dramatic, and bizarre pro football career. 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. 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. Let's take a look back at the rest of the Steelers picks since the 2000 season. He started alongside Franco Harris in four Super Bowl victories and both backs ran for over 1,000 yards in 1976. Well, he's worth a lot more now. Mendenhall provided the following reason for retiring so young: Football was pretty cool, but I dont want to play anymore. In 1982, he was Pittsburghs first overall pick in the draft coming in at number 12. TODAY: Running backs. Jackson never led the league in rushing and never made the All-Pro team. Murray rushed for 7,174 yards and 49 touchdowns with the Cowboys, Eagles and Titans in the 2010s. As a punter, he kicked the ball 18 times during his career and averaged 32 yards per punt. Chances are it is an announcer who remembers some of the great backs in Steelers history and how they dominated the game. But Jackson was still one of the best runners of the 2010s. He would play six seasons in Three Rivers Stadium when the Steelers were home and finish with 3,343 yards rushing. Morris peaked as a rookie, rushing for 1,613 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2012. From 2010-13, Johnson rushed for 4,731 yards and 27 touchdowns. In the following AFC title game against Miami, Pollard was held to just 48 yards rushing. Parker was perhaps the fastest running back ever to play for the Steelers. Anderson was traded mid-season in 1986; he played four games for the Cardinals and eight for the Giants. John Fuqua: How could any Steelers fan in the Nation of Black and Gold not smile when speaking of John Frenchy Fuqua. His best season was in 1985 when he rushed for 991 yards. March 1, 2023 2:19 pm PT. The All-Modern Era team is made up of 26 players - 11 on offense, 11 on defense, and four specialists. Bleier was an outstanding lead blocker as well as being able to run the ball well and also had solid hands as a receiver. One return went to the house. He's averaged 101.2 rushing yards per game during his career and led the NFL in that category each of the last three years. While that trio may be the best-best-of-the best to run behind Pittsburghs all-time offensive lines, there have been more than a handful of outstanding running backs for Pittsburgh since they began play in 1933. Who Is The Best Wide Receiver In The NFL Right Now? Best: Franco Harris. 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. Former Steelers running back Willie Parker (39) acknowledges the crowd during a 2018 against the Chargers at Heinz Field. 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. 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. In many ways, this style of offense is the polar opposite of the methods the Steelers used to win six Super Bowls. Reports this off-season show he weighed in at 244 pounds from 232 last season. Adrian Peterson is a running back with over thirteen years in the NFL. In 2012 he was just a mere few yards away from the single-season rushing record with 2,097 yards. The Steelers had jumped offsides on the play and it was called back. But he's rushed for more than 1,000 yards in a season twice, and he led the league with 18 rushing touchdowns in 2016. Touchdowns. When running the ball, they often do so out of one-back sets and shotgun and pistol formations. Merril Hoge was a versatile fullback who could carry the ball, catch passes, and block. Peterson then signed with the . Dudley owns 44 touchdowns to his credit. The next season, he racked up 1,273 yards and 13 touchdowns on the way to an AFC Championship win. In 2012, he made the All-Pro team with 1,590 rushing yards and 1,786 yards from scrimmage. He scored seven touchdowns and caught the ball 22 times for an additional 204 yards and a 9.3 yards-per-reception mark. 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. All rights reserved. The Steelers have had some incredibly talented players over the years . Murray is another back who put together three strong seasons during his career and led the league in rushing once. 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. Williams led the NFL in touchdowns last season with 17. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. Sidney Thornton: Another stout running back for Pittsburgh was the bullish Thornton who weighed in at 230 pounds during his play days in Pittsburgh from 1977 to 1982. Wanting the jersey number 26 which he wore at Notre Dame, Preston Pearson held those digits so Rocky settled for No. Bleier was injured during his tour of duty and told he would never play football again, but he returned to the Steelers and fought his way back into football shape, eventually playing 10 more seasons in the NFL. Dudley also served his country during World War II as a member of the Army and played for that team while away from the NFL. He joins Franco Harris and John Henry Johnson. With the 2019 season, there is still time to influence who lands where among a list of the best running backs of the decade. He was an example of how great players can not only break the rules and succeed, but sometimes even make up their own rules. As it is, he has 5,336 rushing yards and nearly 8,000 yards from scrimmage since coming into the league in 2013. He was Le'Veon Bell when Bell was at Michigan State. He returned to put . Rob Burns / AP Photo. The concussion was so bad that Hoge had to learn to read again and suffered from memory loss as well as encountering headaches and confusion. 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. Ibrahim, who . In 2011 Jones-Drew led the league with 1,606 rushing yards and 386 touches. His rookie contract was voided after his fourth season, after just one in Pittsburgh, and there were opportunities to leave. Bleier only ranks ninth in all-time rushing yards for the franchise, and he never made the Pro Bowl, but there is no denying the impact this gutsy running back had in winning four Steelers' Super Bowl championships. Many argued that when Gore suffered a season-ending injury at the beginning of December in 2010, his best days were behind him. This was the age of the feature back, when one superstar halfback got most of the carries. Of course we are talking about the Immaculate Reception. In 1979, he started 10 games in place of Bleier and ran for 585 yards and six touchdowns. 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. Harris is my fourth-ranked running back for the 2022 season. Today we ranked the Pittsburgh Steeler Running Backs throughout their franchise! Teams run RPOs, or run-pass option plays, where the quarterback decides after the snap whether he will hand the ball off or throw a pass. 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. He already has as many touchdowns rushing as Bam Morris Unfortunately, before the season began last year, Bell was arrested with LeGarrette Blount for a DWI and possession of marijuana. Until recently, the fullback was an important player in the Steelers' offense. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. In the second concussion he encountered, it resulted in Hoge having to be resuscitated when he stopped breathing. He would retire with 3,965 yards on the ground, second best in history for the Steelers at that time. . Jerome "The Bus" Bettis tops our list as the Steelers best running back of all time. James Conner finished his career in Pittsburgh as the #17 ranked rusher in Steelers history. Williams recorded at least 730 rushing yards in a season four times . I predict that sometime in the next decade, an offensive coordinator will go back to power football and line up with a tight end, a fullback, and a tailback in an I-formation for most of the game. The Pittsburgh Steelers have had some great tight ends throughout the franchise's history. But he stayed. It was a hard task to actually rank all of the great running backs . During this decade, he earned two Pro Bowl nominations and an All-Pro bid. In the I-formation, the fullback lines up behind the quarterback, and the halfback (tailback) lines up behind the fullback. The Pittsburgh Steelers' 2020 running back room has the assortments of all the skillsets you could find around the NFL. The Pittsburgh Steelers are loaded with high-end fantasy talent, and Mike Tomlin's team has been producing every week.The Steelers have scored 30 or more points in six straight games, and they are in a position to earn a spot in the AFC playoffs if they can win their final two games of the season.It's all lining up to be a happy holiday season in Pittsburgh because they close the year with . He ended his career with only 1,512 rushing yards, but with two Super Bowl rings. All-time Rushing Leader: Franco Harris 2,881 att, 11,950 yds, 91 TD . The Steelers had a reputation of big bruising backs but Parker spelled that philosophy with speed and elusiveness. Charles may have to wait awhile to get into the Hall of Fame because despite an 11-year career, his prime was rather short. In a move many in the NFL community felt was inevitable, the Washington Commanders released quarterback Carson Wentz on Monday in a move that will save the team $26.12 million against their 2023 salary cap. The Steelers went 6-10 in his first season, but along with players like Hines Ward, Jerome Bettis, and Alan Faneca . 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. Harris was a part of four championship team and would be named to the Pro Bowl nine times. The intent is to lean the offensive game plan toward the passing game and open up the defense with complex formations and plays. LISTEN: Hounds, world soccer, PGA with Mike Grau, Steelers: Need for QB of the Future is More Apparent than Ever, Steelers: Defense Needs to Take Advantage of Inconsistent Bills Passing Attack, Steelers: Devlin Hodges Has Chance to Make Lasting Impression in Week 14, Steelers: James Washingtons Emergence Could Make Offense Dangerous.

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