First running back gets drafted in the seventh round. Not entirely. Eight players have been recognized as having held the career rushing yards record in the NFL. The move closes the latest chapter of Wentz's career after just one season in Washington. He made the Pro Bowl three times, from 2014-16. 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. James Conner is at the forefront . Fuqua would have to be the most colorful player in Steelers history as well as the most controversial. 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. 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. Unfortunately for Johnson, his 2,000-yard season came in 2009, so it just missed the cut for counting on this list. All rights reserved. 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. In the end Rocky Bleier rushed for 3,865 yards, 1,294 yards receiving on 136 catches and scored 25 times. Harris was a part of four championship team and would be named to the Pro Bowl nine times. Time to profile some of the outstanding and popular running backs to suit up for the Steelers. Franco Harris was a fullback, as was Merril Hoge and John Henry Johnson. He would play six seasons in Three Rivers Stadium when the Steelers were home and finish with 3,343 yards rushing. He is currently the third leading rusher in Steelers history. John Fuqua: How could any Steelers fan in the Nation of Black and Gold not smile when speaking of John Frenchy Fuqua. 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. All-time Scoring Leader: Gary Anderson 1,343 points Everything in the NFL goes in cycles. He has held the all-time rushing yards record since 2002 and is the only player with over 17,000 regular season rushing yards. Gurley led the NFL in yards from scrimmage and won the Offensive Player of the Year award. 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. 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. Greatest Power Backs in NFL History | Stadium Talk Harris is one of the main reasons the Steelers won four Super Bowls in the 1970s. He's posted 2,987 rushing yards and 28 touchdowns over the last three years. Pittsburgh Steelers All-Time Roster | The Football Database 1, Pittsburgh didn't have a top-25 running back. Picking Le'Veon Bell here might be one of those choices that spurs debate among fans, but it comes down to the belief he's going to become the Steelers' version of Marshall Faulk. March 1, 2023 2:19 pm PT. Postseason. 9-Rocky Bleier. All-time Rushing Leader: Franco Harris 2,881 att, 11,950 yds, 91 TD . Only stats for Regular Season Games have been included. In later years Bleier helped pen a book about himself and a movie was made about his story titled Fighting Back.. The intent is to lean the offensive game plan toward the passing game and open up the defense with complex formations and plays. Conner responded with a Pro Bowl performance and gave Steeler Nation hope that hed become the next great Pittsburgh running back. In his first three seasons, Ingram ran for more than 600 yards in a season just once. In 2012, he made the All-Pro team with 1,590 rushing yards and 1,786 yards from scrimmage. He had the highest usage rate among running backs at 35.8% and was third in red-zone touches with 61. Rashard Mendenhall only played five seasons with the Steelers but rushed for a respectable 3,549 yards in 57 games. After five seasons of never finishing higher than RB34, Williams had a career year in 2022, finishing as the overall RB18. The stud running back finished with 3,943 yards which lands him seventh on Pittsburghs all-time list. Current team members are listed in bold. Sadly, the days of Steelers Football seem to have gone the way of the dropkick. He amassed an incredible 449 touches in 2014 on his way to 1,845 rushing yards and 2,261 yards from scrimmage. Drafted by the Steelers in 1942 and in his rookie season led the NFL in rushing with 696 yards. The 32-year-old has been a bit of a journeyman, playing for five different teams this decade. With the 2019 season, there is still time to influence who lands where among a list of the best running backs of the decade. Power Ranking AFC North Running Backs | Steelers Now All-time Rushing Leader: Franco Harris 2,881 att, 11,950 yds, 91 TD . He was cut twice but kept up his persistence. In 1979, he started 10 games in place of Bleier and ran for 585 yards and six touchdowns. Dudley also scored on a lateraled pass and has kicked point-after-touchdowns as well as making successful field goals. However, from 2010-14 he was the best all-purpose back in the league. Murray is another back who put together three strong seasons during his career and led the league in rushing once. 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 . 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. 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. In 2015 Williams rejuvenated his career with the Steelers, filling in for the suspended and injured Le'Veon Bell for 10 games. Hunt offers some stability in the pass-game as he had 44 . From 2010-13, Johnson rushed for 4,731 yards and 27 touchdowns. He posted more than 1,900 yards from scrimmage twice, in 2010 and 2013. Unfortunately, injuries have slowed him over the last couple of years and prevented him from running for more than 865 yards in a season. Pittsburgh Steelers 2022 Stats | NFL.com The quick-footed big guy ran over, through and around defenders for nine years with the Steelers. 11 because of four straight 1,000-yard seasons to begin the decade. 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. | Copyright 2023 YB Media, LLC. LeVeon Bell made his mark with the Steelers running in this kind of offense. But since then injuries have slowed him, and he's averaging 3.6 yards per attempt. Running backs are not the commodities they once were. Many teams even rotate three or more backs throughout the game, with all getting an equal number of carries. 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. In nine seasons all as a Steeler, Pollard scored 20 touchdowns. Bettis was team-first through some questionable demotions and worse decisions as to the direction of the offense, and he welcomed Duce Staley and mentored Willie Parker along the way to a Super Bowl championship to complete a quest his teammates had dedicated to him. All-time Scoring Leader: Gary Anderson 1,343 points 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. But following the Super Bowl Morris was arrested for trafficking marijuana and the Steelers wanted nothing to do with his off-the-field problems and released him. John Fuqua ( 1970-76) Before Franco Harris, there was John "Frenchy" Fuqua. 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. Jackson never led the league in rushing and never made the All-Pro team. Some readers are probably going to argue this is too high for Forte. Born in the Ivory Coast, Zereoue played his high school football in Long Island, New York and then went on to be a star running back for the Mountaineers. 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. Steelers all-time 53-man roster: '70s legends, 'Killer Bs' headline He only spent six seasons with the Steelers, but it was enough to rack up 4,381 rushing yards and land him at number five for all-time leading rushers in Pittsburgh history. The All-Modern Era team is made up of 26 players 11 on offense, 11 on defense, and four specialists. 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. Lynch was an underrated pass-catcher in his prime too. 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. He's been named All-Pro and led the NFL in rushing touchdowns during each of the last two years too. In Pittsburgh, he was everything but. Rashard Mendenhall: Like Barry Foster before him, Rashard Mendenhall was done with professional football by the age of 26. 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. In 2011 Jones-Drew led the league with 1,606 rushing yards and 386 touches. Read on to find out why. He ranks 23rd all-time among Pittsburgh rushers having gained 1,504 yards as a Steeler. 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 top photos of RB Le'Veon Bell throughout 2014 season. 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. James Conner was thrust into the spotlight in 2018 when halfback LeVeon Bell held out for the entire season. The Pittsburgh Steelers have a long history of smash-mouth football dating back to before they ever won their first Super Bowl. Quite a contrast to kick off this list. Steelers Great Franco Harris, In One Of His Last Interviews, Recalled Wanting the jersey number 26 which he wore at Notre Dame, Preston Pearson held those digits so Rocky settled for No. 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. 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. Charles may have to wait awhile to get into the Hall of Fame because despite an 11-year career, his prime was rather short. 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. The real results of who touched it first is still undetermined to this day. Playing players out of position in mut will make there overall go down now. One of the best free agent signings of the Mike Tomlin era, DeAngelo Williams was never thought to be more than a top backup running back. Overall, Foster registered 6,270 rushing yards and 8,523 yards from scrimmage playing for the Texans and Dolphins from 2010-16. The role of the fullback changed dramatically when the I-formation came into vogue in the 1980s. 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. The next ingredient is a tough, hard-nosed rushing attack that controls the ball and methodically plows through opposing defenses. Sowhos the greatest tight end in Pittsburgh Steelers history? The former Titan had only 28 catches for 294 yards last year . Dickerson was traded mid-season in 1987; he played three games for the Rams and nine for the Colts. If youve followed the Steelers, you've probably heard the term "Steelers Football." But twice he rushed for more than 1,400 yards, and as a rookie in 2012 Martin posted 1,926 yards from scrimmage. Dudley owns 44 touchdowns to his credit. Dudley could do it all on the field as he was just not a back but a defensive back, punter, and place kicker. Let's take a look back at the rest of the Steelers picks since the 2000 season. The Steelers had a reputation of big bruising backs but Parker spelled that philosophy with speed and elusiveness. But you cant throw just any ball carrier out there and hope to have success; it takes a certain kind of player to fit into a power running offensive scheme. The 33rd Team. 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. [3], List of National Football League career rushing yards leaders, Players with at least 10,000 rushing yards, Players with at least 1,000 postseason rushing yards. Nick Chubb finished first the AFC North in 2021 with 1,259 rushing yards, despite finishing third with 228 carries. It was a hard task to actually rank all of the great running backs . 12. He finished his career in Pittsburgh with 3,115 rushing yards, 241 receptions, and 34 total touchdowns. The Steelers ran out the pro set for most of the 1970s and 1980s under head coach Chuck Noll. 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. It is tough to guess what the future holds for Connor in the NFL. Dudley also found himself on kickoff returns where he fielded 11 of those for 298 yards (27.0 average). Ranking the Top 10 Steelers running backs of the Mike Tomlin era Is the fullback truly gone, banished into the deep recesses of pro football history? He ranks fourth all-time in franchise history for rushing yards and eighth all-time in receptions. Ingram's best season came in 2017 when he posted 1,124 yards and 12 touchdowns. 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. Steelers running back James Conner (30) runs for a short gain past Titans cornerback Kristian Fulton (26) during the first half at Nissan Stadium. 'Top 10, he would not get laughs' Thirty-five picks elapsed before a team drafted a running back last year. Switched Tyler Lockett the Running Back and it Jacked Him to 99 overall In 2005, speedy Willie Parker took advantage of paths cleared by Kreider, and the Steelers won the Super Bowl. By Ross Kelly and Tony Adame, updated on October 18, 2022. Former season 27 " Dancing With the Stars " competitor John Schneider has returned to social media following the death of his wife, Alicia Allain. Washington Commanders Release QB Carson Wentz | The 33rd Team Still, "CJ2K" comes in at No. 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. With the Redskins, Cowboys and 49ers, Morris has 5,931 rushing yards and 34 touchdowns in the 2010s. He has six 1,000-yard seasons and six Pro Bowl nominations with the Eagles and Bills during the 2010s. 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. He made another Pro Bowl in 1993 but only rushed for half as many yards due to injuries. Jerome Bettis was a 250-pound battering ram with incredible quickness for a man his size. 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. 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. In 2011 and 2013, he made All-Pro, and in 2013 he posted 2,146 yards from scrimmage. These quarterbacks have started at least one game for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He came to the Steelers after three seasons with the Rams which had earned him a reputation as a problem player. name the pittsburgh steelers running back to the last 10 years. The official source for NFL news, video highlights, fantasy football, game-day coverage, schedules, stats, scores and more. NFL Top 10 Best Running Backs of the 2010s - SOG Sports Let us know your thoughts down in the comments!For Business Inquiries: insid. Chubb is not the most dangerous or highly . Which of these tight ends has left a lasting legacy in the city of Pittsburgh? It has been said that Rooney responded with the declaration that he would never again attempt to call a play for his team. Prior to being drafted by the Army for service, Bleier was a University of Notre Dame product graduating in 1968 earning a degree in Business Management. The speedy running backs, the classic old power running back, and the mixed, well-rounded, good running back. r/steelers on Reddit: Najee Harris will have a 100yd game against the As a Steelers, he was occasionally brilliant but more often disappointing. The Tigers picked up their sixth commitment for the 2024 recruiting cycle - and their first running back - Wednesday with the public . Bettis was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2015. 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. Harris disputed that and said he was 240 pounds as a rookie. Buffalo 2007-10; Seattle 2010-15, '19; Oakland 2017-18. Today we ranked the Pittsburgh Steeler Running Backs throughout their franchise! Top-15 NFL Seasons by Running Backs in the 2010s Williams led the NFL in touchdowns last season with 17. Or write about sports? Bleier was an outstanding lead blocker as well as being able to run the ball well and also had solid hands as a receiver. Pittsburgh Steelers - Pro-Football-Reference.com Parker was perhaps the fastest running back ever to play for the Steelers. Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports. 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. Instagram Twitter Facebook Snapchat Shop Icon Profile Overlay Avatar Add Airplay Arrow Left Arrow Right Arrow Up Arrow Down Audio Back 5s Back 10s Back 30s Calendar Chart Check Down Left . 9, we . He peculiarly retired after that one campaign with the Cardinals. Insider insists Tom Brady could sign with 49ers in 2023, The 'Most recent first-round NFL quarterbacks' quiz, Seven Cubs pitchers combine for spring no-hitter vs. Padres, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones comments on Tony Pollard rumor, Ben Simmons suffers back injury while rehabilitating, Insider: It's Packers, Jets 'or bust' for Aaron Rodgers, QB Anthony Richardson doesn't understand his 'project' label, Vikings HC reveals 'crazy' thoughts about star WR, XFL player released for giving another team plays from own playbook. James Conner finished his career in Pittsburgh as the #17 ranked rusher in Steelers history. Willie Parker: Fast Willie Parker actually lands in third place all-time among Pittsburgh rushers. A fullback is not required in this type of offensive game plan. 2023 NFL draft: 4 running backs for Chargers to watch at Combine 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 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. Joey Porter. In '94, he ran for 851 yards despite missing five games. Ibrahim, who . In 79 games with the Steelers, he carried the ball for 3,343 yards and 22 touchdowns. Morris peaked as a rookie, rushing for 1,613 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2012. Drafted by the Steelers in the first round with the 23rd pick in 2008, Mendenhall replaced Willie Parker and had successive years of 1,000 or more yards rushing in 2009 and 2010 with a high of 1,273 in 10. For the Steelers he would rush for 2,243 yards five seasons. Well, he's worth a lot more now. steelers running backs last 10 years Barry Foster: Unfortunately for Barry Foster, his career was short in the Burgh. As a Steeler, Bettis crashed his way for 10,571 rushing yards and 78 rushing touchdowns, both second-best in team history. Parker ran for 1,200 yards or better in three straight seasons and led the Steelers to two Super Bowl wins. 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. 2022 AFC North Standings. 16 Best Pittsburgh Steelers Running Backs of All Time 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. Mendenhall spent five seasons in Pittsburgh and was a member of two Super Bowl teams. He made four Pro Bowls and one All-Pro team as a Steeler and inspired a Pittsburgh Super Bowl victory in Super Bowl XLone of the greatest wins in Steelers history. 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. Really, he will just be doing what teams like the Steelers did for decades. Fran Rogel was also a local product having grown up in North Braddock, Pennsylvania. CHARLESTON, W.Va. . Pittsburgh Steelers player information and depth chart order. Beast Mode's freakish combination of power and finesse was unlike any running back that came before him. During his career, he's averaged 128.9 yards from scrimmage per game. Clemson gets its running back: 'Something very special at Clemson Harris played 980 offensive snaps during the regular season . 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. He also earned the first of two consecutive First-Team All-Pro selections. Always free! List of Pittsburgh Steelers first-round draft picks - Wikipedia NFL Draft: 10 best running backs available in 2023 - Page 6 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.
Canadian Made Wool Clothing,
George M Whitesides Net Worth,
Articles S