Chances are it is an announcer who remembers some of the great backs in Steelers history and how they dominated the game. Once the Steelers free up a considerable amount of cap space, are eight free agents who could reinvigorate the roster in the 2023 season. Still, Johnson's All-Pro 2016 season was enough to land him on the list. Lists that rank the greatest players and coaches in the history of the NFL franchise. 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 . Who should be on top of the Steelers NFL Free Agency board? The fullback might get the ball once or twice a game in short-yardage situations, but for the most part, he was turned into a blocking specialist. But he still turned in two more 1,000-yard seasons and recorded at least 800 yards from scrimmage in four seasons this decade. Of course we are talking about the Immaculate Reception. 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. Pollard played most of his career at a time when the Steelers struggled. In the previous nine years, however, the Steelers had a top-15 player seven times. 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. During his career, he's averaged 128.9 yards from scrimmage per game. 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. He posted 1,000-yard rushing seasons in each of the first three years of the decade. He's posted 2,987 rushing yards and 28 touchdowns over the last three years. 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. Not entirely. He earned the Super Bowl MVP award after running for 158 yards and a touchdown against the Vikings in Super Bowl IX. Jerome "The Bus" Bettis tops our list as the Steelers best running back of all time. Today, Johnson is one of the former Steelers in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Well, he's worth a lot more now. In 1980, Thornton would average five yards-per-carry while carrying the rock 78 times. Matte took over for another fantastic white running back, former Heisman Trophy winner and 1958 NFL Championship Game hero Alan Ameche. Playing players out of position in mut will make there overall go down now. Injuries hurt Foster later in his career, but he did record 1,246 rushing yards in 2014. Reports this off-season show he weighed in at 244 pounds from 232 last season. Everything in the NFL goes in cycles. He also made the Pro Bowl in 2013 and 2016, the last of which with the Titans. It was a hard task to actually rank all of the great running backs . But it was his story of injury during the war that gave him notoriety at the start of his career. He will be called an innovator or maybe even a genius when his team wins a Super Bowl by smashing its way through flimsy NFL defenses that are designed to stop passing attacks. 8. The Pittsburgh Steelers have had some great tight ends throughout the franchise's history. In 79 games with the Steelers, he carried the ball for 3,343 yards and 22 touchdowns. 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. He peculiarly retired after that one campaign with the Cardinals. 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. In 2016 he had one of the best seasons for a running back in recent memory, accumulating a league-high 2,118 yards from scrimmage, including at least 100 yards in the first 15 games of the year. 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. He has held the all-time rushing yards record since 2002 and is the only player with over 17,000 regular season rushing yards. Franco Harris was a fullback, as was Merril Hoge and John Henry Johnson. The former Heisman Trophy winner is another example of a highly regarded college back getting off to a slow start in the NFL. Harris was a part of four championship team and would be named to the Pro Bowl nine times. 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. Jerome Bettis (1996-2005). 4M; . 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. Steelers running back James Conner (30) runs for a short gain past Titans cornerback Kristian Fulton (26) during the first half at Nissan Stadium. As a Steeler, Bettis crashed his way for 10,571 rushing yards and 78 rushing touchdowns, both second-best in team history. BARRY FOSTER set a Steelers single-season record with 1,690 rushing yards in 1992, and he got there with a 4.3 average while scoring 11 of the offense's 28 touchdowns. Tackles. Really, he will just be doing what teams like the Steelers did for decades. That changed over the last decade or so, due to quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's emergence as an elite . By his second season as a Steeler, he had become the heir apparent to Jerome Bettis. 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. Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. He led the Steelers in rushing from 1961 to 1964 and made three straight Pro Bowls from 1962 to '64. Follow Holcomb on Twitter at @dmholcomb. 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). Najee Harris, Pittsburgh Steelers. In 1944 he led Army to an undefeated record with 12 victories and was named the teams Most Valuable Player. Bleier believed the doctors were wrong and reported to Steelers training camp a year after he left the war. The mid-'80s were a tough time for Steeler Nation. Hoak retired from pro football in 1970 but stuck around to coach Steelers running backs from 1972 to 2007. If he had played in those games, Bell is easily in the top five on this list and maybe close to the top. The running back fell just short of 1,000 yards from scrimmage last season after finishing with 1,414 yards in his rookie campaign. Yes, the Pittsburgh Steelers coach understands the symmetry between Saturday night's 13-10 win over the Las Vegas Raiders and a playoff victory over the same franchise 50 years ago, the one that ended with Steelers running back Franco Harris snagging a deflected . During that year, Peterson won league MVP the last running back to do so. '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. Williams had his first 1,000-yard season and averaged 13.3 ppg. In addition, he got 52 receiving yards, with an average of 10.4. With the Bears and Jets, Forte posted 7,629 rushing yards and 11,353 yards from scrimmage from 2010-17. [2] He led the NFL with 576 yards in 1932 and held on to the record throughout his career. But from 2015-16, he posted more than 1,000 rushing yards, 1,500 yards from scrimmage and at least 13 touchdowns each season. Gordon averaged a career-best 5.1 yards per carry in 2018. 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. Rashard Mendenhall only played five seasons with the Steelers but rushed for a respectable 3,549 yards in 57 games. 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. Bullet Bill Dudley is also in the record books for the National Football League as the only man to run for a touchdown, catch a touchdown pass, return a punt for a score, run to the end zone on a kickoff return, intercept a pass for a pick-six, pick up a fumble and reach pay dirt, and throw a touchdown pass. In the following AFC title game against Miami, Pollard was held to just 48 yards rushing. Great Pittsburgh Steelers players such as Heath Miller, Bennie Cunningham, and Eric Green, who could count among the best NFL players ever, have gone down as some of the best tight ends in Steelers franchise history. 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. Subscribe to Stathead Football: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Pro Football Reference Database. 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. 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. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. 2023 ABG-SI LLC. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. Pittsburgh Steelers Career Rushing Leaders. The Steelers had a reputation of big bruising backs but Parker spelled that philosophy with speed and elusiveness. . He joins Franco Harris and John Henry Johnson. Unfortunately, injuries have slowed him over the last couple of years and prevented him from running for more than 865 yards in a season. 4. Do you have a blog? Pittsburgh has fielded plenty of those defensive units over the years, and there are more than a few Steelers defenders in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. 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. 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. Until recently, the fullback was an important player in the Steelers' offense. 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. Dudley could do it all on the field as he was just not a back but a defensive back, punter, and place kicker. Who the heck is this guy, we all wondered aloud, but in much more colorful language. Adrian Peterson is a running back with over thirteen years in the NFL. Watt is a fullback who saw a lot of snaps during his time with the Chargers.). Including last season when Bell sat out because of a contract dispute, the two-time All-Pro has missed 34 games in his six-year career. Still, Bleier became a starter in the backfield with Harris and shined. It is highly recommended that you use the latest versions of a supported browser in order to receive an optimal viewing experience. 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. Today we ranked the Pittsburgh Steeler Running Backs throughout their franchise! Barry Foster: Unfortunately for Barry Foster, his career was short in the Burgh. Before Franco Harris, there was John Frenchy Fuqua. First running back gets drafted in the seventh round. See the full player roster for the 2022 Pittsburgh Steelers. 10 on the Steelers' all-time rushing list with 3,549 yards. 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 The 34-year-old made All-Pro twice, in 2008 and 2009, but he added two more All-Pro nominations during 2012 and 2015. West Virginia's Senate passed a bill Monday that would give $25,000 in tax credits to former residents who move back to the state to work. Join our linker program. Some readers are probably going to argue this is too high for Forte. but every NFL team has talented players. 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. Included are player stats for the Pittsburgh Steelers (NFL) from 1945-2022, the Pittsburgh Steelers (NFL) from 1940-1942 and the Pittsburgh Pirates (NFL) from 1933-1939. As it is, he has 5,336 rushing yards and nearly 8,000 yards from scrimmage since coming into the league in 2013. The on-field portion of the NFL Combine begins on Thursday, marking the start of the testing circuit that propels some prospects into the stratosphere while ruining the stock of others. Chubb is not the most dangerous or highly . NICK CHUBB, CLEVELAND BROWNS. 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. In the I-formation, the fullback lines up behind the quarterback, and the halfback (tailback) lines up behind the fullback. He was also an excellent receiver, both out of the backfield and split out as a wide receiver. Both backs had to run well with the ball and have the skills to block for the other. Fuqua led the Steelers in rushing in 1970 and 1971 and totaled 2,942 yards on the ground during his time in Pittsburgh. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. He made the Pro Bowl three times, from 2014-16. 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. This list of past Steelers tight ends features former greats, current impact players, and even future stars. Or write about sports? 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 . 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 . 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. 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. Sowhos the greatest tight end in Pittsburgh Steelers history? The trend in the modern NFL is to run the ball out of single-back sets, often from a shotgun or pistol formation. In 1999 the Chiefs cut him and his life spiraled out of control with drug problems and jail time. Williams recorded at least 730 rushing yards in a season four times . Always free! He was an example of how great players can not only break the rules and succeed, but sometimes even make up their own rules. Conner responded with a Pro Bowl performance and gave Steeler Nation hope that hed become the next great Pittsburgh running back. He's another back who never led the league in rushing and never made All-Pro. This decade, Sproles has also led the league in punt return yardage twice. Last edited on 19 February 2023, at 18:43, Boston Braves / Boston Redskins / Washington Redskins, List of National Football League records (individual), List of National Football League rushing champions, List of National Football League career rushing touchdowns leaders, List of National Football League annual rushing touchdowns leaders, "NFL Rushing Yards Career Playoffs Leaders", "History of the Career Rushing Yards Record", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_National_Football_League_career_rushing_yards_leaders&oldid=1140354500, This page was last edited on 19 February 2023, at 18:43. He is currently the third leading rusher in Steelers history. Only stats for Regular Season Games have been included. DeAngelo Williams Photo by Ronald C. Modra/Getty Images. He lasted just five seasons but they were filled with success. 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'll likely end up with a good chunk of dough in free agency, but it's hard to believe . The next season, he racked up 1,273 yards and 13 touchdowns on the way to an AFC Championship win. While the team continued to utilize the same rushing attack that had earned them four Lombardi Trophies in the '70s, the cast of characters and the results were not the same. Visit ESPN to view the Pittsburgh Steelers team depth chart for the current season Bam Morris: Morris story is a sad, tragic, and unfulfilled one. He is currently a free agent and the third oldest running back in the NFL, as well as the second oldest active running back. The team has selected second overall once, and third overall four times. 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. The Steelers have had some incredibly talented players over the years . The Steelers went 6-10 in his first season, but along with players like Hines Ward, Jerome Bettis, and Alan Faneca . PITTSBURGH (AP) Mike Tomlin wasn't ready to go there, with all due respect. Morris peaked as a rookie, rushing for 1,613 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2012. He also had three catches in that loss for 18 yards. 2. Even putting a left end at right end can cause a drop. He had the highest usage rate among running backs at 35.8% and was third in red-zone touches with 61. During this decade, he earned two Pro Bowl nominations and an All-Pro bid. Clemson running backs coach CJ Spiller got his man. That couldn't have been further from the truth. 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. Today he is 68 and still colorful. 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. 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. 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. Merril Hoge: Lasting until the 10th round in the 1987 NFL draft, Merril Hoge was a tough as nails runner for the Steelers who suffered a rash of concussion injuries that would cost him his career. Parker ran for 1,200 yards or better in three straight seasons and led the Steelers to two Super Bowl wins. Best: Franco Harris. February 27, 2023 3 min Watch. Despite the occurrences of injury, Hoge ran for 3,115 yards as a Steeler and rushed for 21 touchdowns. The official source for NFL news, video highlights, fantasy football, game-day coverage, schedules, stats, scores and more. From '61 to '64, he was part of a powerful rushing attack along with Hall of Famer John Henry Johnson. 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. He amassed an incredible 449 touches in 2014 on his way to 1,845 rushing yards and 2,261 yards from scrimmage. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. His best season came in 2015, which was the year after Williams departed, when he rushed for 989 yards and six touchdowns for the 15-1 Panthers. TODAY: Running backs. Unfortunately for Johnson, his 2,000-yard season came in 2009, so it just missed the cut for counting on this list. 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 led the Steelers in rushing in 1965, 1968, and 1969. CHARLESTON, W.Va. . Doctors had told him following the enemy attack that his football days were over. Barry Foster first came to the attention of Steeler Nation in 1990 when he treated a kickoff as a punt, stood aside, and watched the ball bounce along the ground until the opposing team recovered it. 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. During the 2021 offseason, Pittsburgh declined to re-sign Conner, making him a free agent and creating an opportunity for the Arizona Cardinals to scoop him up. If it was Fuqua who the ball last touched, it would not be a legal catch by Harris according to the rules in 1972. 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. While Gore has never led the league in rushing or made All-Pro, his consistency lands him at No. 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.