By 1974, Bleier was weighing in at 212 pounds and he made the team to stay. The following is the Pittsburgh Steelers all-time roster, browsable by last name or position. Each offense makes its own set of demands on running backs, and every back mentioned in this article needed a specific set of attributes to succeed. Who Is The Best Wide Receiver In The NFL Right Now? Today he is 68 and still colorful. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. 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. [2] He led the NFL with 576 yards in 1932 and held on to the record throughout his career. 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. Even putting a left end at right end can cause a drop. However, it's not too early to break down the best from the 2010s either. His rookie contract was voided after his fourth season, after just one in Pittsburgh, and there were opportunities to leave. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. 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. He returned to put . 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. 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. 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? We present them here for purely educational purposes. 4. All-time Passing Leader: Ben Roethlisberger 5,440/8,443, 64,088 yds, 418 TD, All-time Rushing Leader: Franco Harris 2,881 att, 11,950 yds, 91 TD, All-time Receiving Leader: Hines Ward 1,000 rec, 12,083 yds, 85 TD, All-time Scoring Leader: Gary Anderson 1,343 points, All-time AV Leader: Ben Roethlisberger 208 AV, Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Friday, March 3, 2:32PM. He also was a punt returner, bringing back 20 punts with a 14.0 average per return. Keep in mind that accomplishments made only during this decade were considered for these rankings. With teams shifting more to the passing game, these old-school running backs are becoming obsolete. Overall, he ran for 4,731 yards and 28 touchdowns playing for the Rams, Falcons and Patriots from 2010-15. Many argued that when Gore suffered a season-ending injury at the beginning of December in 2010, his best days were behind him. 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 . In the end Rocky Bleier rushed for 3,865 yards, 1,294 yards receiving on 136 catches and scored 25 times. Lucrative opportunities to leave. He ran for over 1,000 yards in his first season and scored 10 rushing touchdowns on his way to winning the Offensive Rookie of the Year award. In many ways, this style of offense is the polar opposite of the methods the Steelers used to win six Super Bowls. 11 because of four straight 1,000-yard seasons to begin the decade. For years, the Pittsburgh Steelers were considered a team that dominated with the run. When it comes to this room, the Steelers are indeed looking for them to step up. Since there are only 11 players on offense, the running backs have to be able to function as a unit, and Le'Veon Bell could play halfback to Bettis' fullback. Parker ran for 1,200 yards or better in three straight seasons and led the Steelers to two Super Bowl wins. 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. 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. The real results of who touched it first is still undetermined to this day. Tackles. 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. It is highly recommended that you use the latest versions of a supported browser in order to receive an optimal viewing experience. 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. 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. Fuqua was not an original Steelers having been drafted by the New York Giants and then traded to Pittsburgh. Teams like the 49ers, Packers, and Chargers still have plenty of use for thembut many organizations dont carry a fullback on their roster at all. Harris is my fourth-ranked running back for the 2022 season. LeVeon Bell: Finally we have our current star in the making. In the second concussion he encountered, it resulted in Hoge having to be resuscitated when he stopped breathing. During the decade, he has posted 9,187 yards five 1,000-yard seasons and 56 touchdowns. Chubb is not the most dangerous or highly . Since reliable yardage statistics were not recorded prior to 1932, the first NFL player recognized as the career leader in rushing yards was Cliff Battles, who played from 1932 to 1937 for the Boston Braves / Boston Redskins / Washington Redskins. 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 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. LeVeon Bell made his mark with the Steelers running in this kind of offense. 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. 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 . Greatest Power Backs in NFL History. Allain died on February 21, 2023, following a . Parker had a shot to lead the NFL in rushing in 2007, but he broke his leg in the regular season's penultimate game and finished with 1,316 yards. Rob Burns / AP Photo. Bleier was an outstanding lead blocker as well as being able to run the ball well and also had solid hands as a receiver. It's Le'Veon Bell because there is thought given to picking players who could function as a unit if the position require that. Over the past 50 years, the Steelers have had three coaches, and each has used a different style of offense. In just a three-year period, from 2010-12, he posted 5,702 yards from scrimmage and 47 touchdowns. He stepped in for a banged-up Willie Parker in 2009 and ran for 1,108 yards and seven touchdowns. He also posted at least 1,500 yards from scrimmage during 2013 and 2014 when the Seahawks went to two Super Bowls. He also had three catches in that loss for 18 yards. All rights reserved. It's hard to believe, but the second decade of the 21st century is nearly complete. LeVeon Bell got off to a late start in his rookie season due to injuries but then proved he was worthy of his second round draft selection. Quite a contrast to kick off this list. Most Steelers fans think of Rocky Bleier as Franco Harris running mate throughout the 70s, and rightly so. Find out more. 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. The power running back is a dying breed in football. In fact, no back has even finished top-two in consecutive years, and only Adrian Peterson (second in 2009 and 2015; first in 2012) and Le'Veon Bell (first in 2014; second in 2017) have even had more than one top-two year in a decade. 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 the I-formation, the fullback lines up behind the quarterback, and the halfback (tailback) lines up behind the fullback. Until recently, the fullback was an important player in the Steelers' offense. Ingram's best season came in 2017 when he posted 1,124 yards and 12 touchdowns. Fullback Franco Harris came to the Steelers in the 1972 draft and made an immediate impact. Outside linebacker Joey Porter came to Pittsburgh in 1999. Hoak retired from pro football in 1970 but stuck around to coach Steelers running backs from 1972 to 2007. Pittsburgh Steelers player information and depth chart order. Others were blocking fullbacks who spent their careers opening holes for star backs. 4M; . The controversy arose when the ball deflected off of Tatum or Frenchy. List of Pittsburgh Steelers starting quarterbacks, "1933 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1934 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1935 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1936 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1937 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1938 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1939 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1940 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1941 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1942 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1943 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1944 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1945 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1946 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1947 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1948 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1949 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1950 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1951 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1952 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1953 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1954 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1955 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1956 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1957 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1958 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1959 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1960 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1961 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1962 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1963 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1964 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1965 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1966 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1967 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1968 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1969 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1970 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1971 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1972 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1973 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1974 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1975 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1976 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1977 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1978 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1979 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1980 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1981 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1982 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1983 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1984 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1985 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1986 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1987 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1988 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1989 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1990 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1991 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1992 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1993 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1994 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1995 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1996 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1997 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1998 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1999 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "2000 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "2001 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "2002 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "2003 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "2004 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "2005 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "2006 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "2007 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "2008 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "2009 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "2010 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "2011 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "2012 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "2013 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "2014 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "2015 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "2016 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "2017 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "2018 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "2019 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "2020 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "2021 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "2022 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", Pittsburgh Steelers Franchise Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_Pittsburgh_Steelers_starting_quarterbacks&oldid=1132399114, This page was last edited on 8 January 2023, at 18:18. Overall, Foster registered 6,270 rushing yards and 8,523 yards from scrimmage playing for the Texans and Dolphins from 2010-16. To prepare, we at Chargers Wire are previewing players from every position. 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. 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. 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. In 1980, Thornton would average five yards-per-carry while carrying the rock 78 times. 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 In Pittsburgh, he was everything but. Rocky Bleier came to the Steelers in 1968. In 1944 he led Army to an undefeated record with 12 victories and was named the teams Most Valuable Player. Bam Morris: Morris story is a sad, tragic, and unfulfilled one. 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. Read on to find out why. Williams recorded at least 730 rushing yards in a season four times . Since missing the last five games of 2010, Gore has sat out just two games over the last eight years. He was an example of how great players can not only break the rules and succeed, but sometimes even make up their own rules. Parker was perhaps the fastest running back ever to play for the Steelers. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. By the time the fourth quarter rolls around, it is easy to see why opposing defenses would wish they were somewhere else. Advertisement In some form or fashion, the Steelers will need to add quality depth to . 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. Without further ado, here are the best 25 NFL running backs of this decade: It will be surprising to some that Johnson isn't a little higher on this list. The last two seasons, with now-departed James Conner the No. Dickerson was traded mid-season in 1987; he played three games for the Rams and nine for the Colts. Morris peaked as a rookie, rushing for 1,613 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2012. He was also an excellent receiver, both out of the backfield and split out as a wide receiver. All-time Scoring Leader: Gary Anderson 1,343 points Last year's offensive rookie of the year award winner, Barkley was close to perfect for fantasy owners. Once the Steelers free up a considerable amount of cap space, are eight free agents who could reinvigorate the roster in the 2023 season. The Steelers had a reputation of big bruising backs but Parker spelled that philosophy with speed and elusiveness. In the previous nine years, however, the Steelers had a top-15 player seven times. 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. Feeling he had to listen to his boss, Kiesling had quarterback Jack Scarbath toss the ball which resulted in a touchdown to Goose McClairen. 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. Regular season. 1, Pittsburgh didn't have a top-25 running back. He was Le'Veon Bell when Bell was at Michigan State. In 2012, he made the All-Pro team with 1,590 rushing yards and 1,786 yards from scrimmage. Since the merger in 1970, the Pittsburgh Steelers have rushed for more yards than any other team in the National Football League, and this commitment got two of their running backs elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. 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. But it was his story of injury during the war that gave him notoriety at the start of his career. The Steelers went 6-10 in his first season, but along with players like Hines Ward, Jerome Bettis, and Alan Faneca . Pittsburgh Steelers Career Rushing Leaders. 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. Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports. does st martin parish have school tomorrow. Sutton not only enjoyed the best year of his career, but he also arguably played like a top-10 cornerback. Standing 5-foot-11 and 195-pounds, Spears passes the . Lists that rank the greatest players and coaches in the history of the NFL franchise. In the last 10 years, 10 different backs have led the league in PPR scoring. All of that, plus the fact Bettis averaged over 1,000 yards per season with the Steelers (10,571) and scored 78 touchdowns, puts him on the All-Modern Era team, and his partner in the backfield is Le'Veon Bell. Fran Rogel was also a local product having grown up in North Braddock, Pennsylvania. Foster's 1,690 yards set a team record that season and earned him Pro Bowl and All-Pro nominations. The team has selected second overall once, and third overall four times. A good scoring drive based on running plays eats up the clock and keeps the ball out of the hands of the other team's offense. All-time Receiving Leader: Hines Ward 1,000 rec, 12,083 yds, 85 TD . 1 1. After a slow start (for a seventh overall draft pick from . In 1979, he started 10 games in place of Bleier and ran for 585 yards and six touchdowns. OTHERS TO CONSIDER Starting this list chronologically is as good a way as any. 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. 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. 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. That meant Bell joined Marshall Faulk as the only players in NFL history with 1,350-plus yards rushing and 850-plus yards receiving in the same season. 8. In one of his final interviews before his . Unfortunately, injuries have slowed him over the last couple of years and prevented him from running for more than 865 yards in a season. Meanwhile, at No. Always free! In 27 games Hunt has 2,151 rushing yards, 2,984 yards from scrimmage and 25 touchdowns. Fuqua led the Steelers in rushing in 1970 and 1971 and totaled 2,942 yards on the ground during his time in Pittsburgh. His professional career started in 2007 when he decided to skip the last year of college and enter the NFL Draft. Postseason. March 1, 2023 2:19 pm PT. 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. Reports this off-season show he weighed in at 244 pounds from 232 last season. Really, he will just be doing what teams like the Steelers did for decades. These honorable mentions may not have a place on this list of all-time best Steelers running backs, but if you are a Steelers fan, there is a good chance you'll remember them fondly. Franco Harris was a fullback, as was Merril Hoge and John Henry Johnson. The Steelers have had some incredibly talented players over the years . When a running back like Jerome Bettis, Franco Harris, or John Henry Johnson tramples linebackers and safeties all game, it grinds opponents down and destroys their will to compete. He'll likely end up with a good chunk of dough in free agency, but it's hard to believe . There have been some running backs in Steelers history who had one or two good seasons in Pittsburgh, then went on their way. Still, Johnson's All-Pro 2016 season was enough to land him on the list. The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. Injuries hurt Foster later in his career, but he did record 1,246 rushing yards in 2014. 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. He earned the Super Bowl MVP award after running for 158 yards and a touchdown against the Vikings in Super Bowl IX. Posted August 12, 2019 He has six 1,000-yard seasons and six Pro Bowl nominations with the Eagles and Bills during the 2010s. Is the fullback truly gone, banished into the deep recesses of pro football history? Do you have a sports website? In 1984 while beating the Denver Broncos in the playoffs, Pollard ran for 99 yards and two scores, a game won by Pittsburgh 24-17. 2022 AFC North Standings. 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.

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