He signed as an undrafted free agent who had run a 4.23-second 40 at the Scouting Combine the previous spring. Unfortunately, injuries have slowed him over the last couple of years and prevented him from running for more than 865 yards in a season. First running back gets drafted in the seventh round. In two seasons, he is already 18th among all Steelers backs in rushing. Running backs are not the commodities they once were. 2023 NFL draft: 4 running backs for Chargers to watch at Combine 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. DeAngelo Williams Photo by Ronald C. Modra/Getty Images. Keep in mind that accomplishments made only during this decade were considered for these rankings. He made nine straight Pro Bowls and one All-Pro team and finished his career as the leading rusher in team history and No. The role of the fullback changed dramatically when the I-formation came into vogue in the 1980s. Ibrahim, who . All-time Rushing Leader: Franco Harris 2,881 att, 11,950 yds, 91 TD . Who should be on top of the Steelers NFL Free Agency board? All-time Scoring Leader: Gary Anderson 1,343 points The controversy surrounds what is called by many as the Greatest play in NFL history. 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 2005, speedy Willie Parker took advantage of paths cleared by Kreider, and the Steelers won the Super Bowl. Peterson then signed with the . 12. That's Steelers football. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team has selected second overall once, and third overall four times. Anderson was traded mid-season in 1986; he played four games for the Cardinals and eight for the Giants. Fuqua was not an original Steelers having been drafted by the New York Giants and then traded to Pittsburgh. Hoak made a Pro Bowl in 1968 and is currently ranked seventh in Steelers' history for all-time rushing yards with 3,965. 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. 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. 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. 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. During that year, Peterson won league MVP the last running back to do so. Let us know your thoughts down in the comments!For Business Inquiries: insid. 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. He would retire with 3,965 yards on the ground, second best in history for the Steelers at that time. Every Steelers First-Round Draft Pick Since 2000 In just a three-year period, from 2010-12, he posted 5,702 yards from scrimmage and 47 touchdowns. He has six 1,000-yard seasons and six Pro Bowl nominations with the Eagles and Bills during the 2010s. Franco Harris was the man during The Renaissance, and Jerome Bettis was the man in The Modern Era. Current team members are listed in bold. Join our linker program. We present them here for purely educational purposes. Only stats for Regular Season Games have been included. I want to travel the world and write. If that wasnt strange enough, Mendenhall got himself into hot water in 2011 as a Steeler when he tweeted a controversial reaction to the United States elimination of Osama bin Laden. 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. His professional career started in 2007 when he decided to skip the last year of college and enter the NFL Draft. 6:02; See All. Breaking down the 10 best running backs in Steelers' history 5. Every Tight End In Pittsburgh Steelers History, Ranked By Fans Mendenhall spent five seasons in Pittsburgh and was a member of two Super Bowl teams. Players active with the Pittsburgh . John Fuqua ( 1970-76) Before Franco Harris, there was John "Frenchy" Fuqua. 2023 NFL free agent running backs: Ranking top 10 seeking new deals He finished his career in Pittsburgh with 3,115 rushing yards, 241 receptions, and 34 total touchdowns. The Greatest Running Backs In The NFL Right Now (2021) Williams recorded at least 730 rushing yards in a season four times during the 2010s, and he ended the decade with 4,246 rushing yards. PITTSBURGH (AP) Mike Tomlin wasn't ready to go there, with all due respect. Despite suffering continuing pain and losing weight down to 180 pounds, Rocky spent the next two years putting on weight and fighting for a roster spot. Once the Steelers free up a considerable amount of cap space, are eight free agents who could reinvigorate the roster in the 2023 season. 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. 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. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. But Hoak is probably best remembered for his ever-so-long tenure as the Running Backs coach with Chuck Noll and Bill Cowher. Watt is a fullback who saw a lot of snaps during his time with the Chargers.). 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. 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. 2022 Offseason Positional Review - Running Back - Steelers Depot 3 in NFL history. To prepare, we at Chargers Wire are previewing players from every position. 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 . Fullback Franco Harris came to the Steelers in the 1972 draft and made an immediate impact. The Steelers ran out the pro set for most of the 1970s and 1980s under head coach Chuck Noll. Before Franco Harris, there was John Frenchy Fuqua. It has been said that Rooney responded with the declaration that he would never again attempt to call a play for his team. 10 potential bargains NFL teams should target in free agency 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. As a Steelers, he was occasionally brilliant but more often disappointing. There was a time when almost every NFL offense was predicated on a feature back that got most of the carries and earned a big paycheck. The first requirement is an intimidating defense that dominates opponents and makes it tough for them to put points on the board. Others were blocking fullbacks who spent their careers opening holes for star backs. 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. Over the past 50 years, the Steelers have had three coaches, and each has used a different style of offense. 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. While one is considered a fullback and the other a halfback, they share more commonalities than differences in their duties. Near the end of an uneventful rookie season, he was drafted to fight in the Vietnam War. In 79 games with the Steelers, he carried the ball for 3,343 yards and 22 touchdowns. 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. Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports. All Rights Reserved. His rookie contract was voided after his fourth season, after just one in Pittsburgh, and there were opportunities to leave. 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. steelers running backs last 10 years - shantisrl.com 4. Please see our Contributors and Sources page for data source details. Harris managed to get 691 rushing yards, with an average of five yards. A dominant defense and an unstoppable running gamethats Steelers Football. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. 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. Ranking every player on the Steelers free agency board In 1966 when the Fighting Irish won the national title, Rocky was a member of that team. Pittsburgh Steelers All-Time Roster | The Football Database Reportedly, a local sportswriter told Rooney that Kiesling purposely made his lineman jump offsides so they could run their bread-and-butter Rogel running play first. In 2015 he finished second in the league in rushing and earned a spot on the All-Pro Team. Rocky Bleier came to the Steelers in 1968. Ranking the 6 best running backs in Steelers history Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. [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 . Joey Porter. NFL combine: How elite draft prospect Bijan Robinson represents league Williams led the NFL in touchdowns last season with 17. Of course, we all know why. Fantasy Football Mock Draft: Zero Running Back Strategy Rocky Bleier: For some Steelers fans it might be hard to believe that Robert Patrick Bleier, known best in Steelers Nation as Rocky turned 69 years of age this year. Feeling he had to listen to his boss, Kiesling had quarterback Jack Scarbath toss the ball which resulted in a touchdown to Goose McClairen. Best: Franco Harris. Bleier believed the doctors were wrong and reported to Steelers training camp a year after he left the war. Williams recorded at least 730 rushing yards in a season four times . If he had played in those games, Bell is easily in the top five on this list and maybe close to the top. This list of past Steelers tight ends features former greats, current impact players, and even future stars. Hunt only played eight games with the Browns last season after serving an eight-game suspension. Here's the final tally of Steelers Now's consensus preseason 2022 power rankings of AFC North running backs. 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. 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. Late-Round Running Back Lions Should Target in 2023 NFL Draft Dudley owns 44 touchdowns to his credit. Not entirely. Foster's 1,690 yards set a team record that season and earned him Pro Bowl and All-Pro nominations. 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. Still, I think he is deserving of the number 16 spot on this list of all-time great Steelers backs. Najee Harris Stats, News, Bio | ESPN In 1980, Thornton would average five yards-per-carry while carrying the rock 78 times. He was cut twice but kept up his persistence. Let's take a look back at the rest of the Steelers picks since the 2000 season. 9, we . 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. Draft criticism still fuels Steelers' Najee Harris - New York Post 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. By Ross Kelly and Tony Adame, updated on October 18, 2022. Pittsburgh Steelers Stats: The official source for Pittsburgh Steelers game statistics . The next season, he racked up 1,273 yards and 13 touchdowns on the way to an AFC Championship win. 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. Bill Dudley: Bullet Bill was his nickname and a great running back he was. With the Redskins, Cowboys and 49ers, Morris has 5,931 rushing yards and 34 touchdowns in the 2010s. 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. In the following AFC title game against Miami, Pollard was held to just 48 yards rushing. Williams had his first 1,000-yard season and averaged 13.3 ppg. He peculiarly retired after that one campaign with the Cardinals. 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. Jerome Bettis (1996-2005). Year Top Defense. This means two backs in the backfield, usually lined up side by side. Other teams (like the Steelers) have one but rarely use him. 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. Dudley could do it all on the field as he was just not a back but a defensive back, punter, and place kicker. 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. NFL Draft: 10 best running backs available in 2023 - Page 6 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. 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.