Lynch was an underrated pass-catcher in his prime too. 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. 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. 1, Pittsburgh didn't have a top-25 running back. He peculiarly retired after that one campaign with the Cardinals. He also made the Pro Bowl in 2013 and 2016, the last of which with the Titans. With a 3.5 yards per carry average and zero touchdowns, his rookie season was a major disappointment, but Gordon has answered all his doubters since then. In 27 games Hunt has 2,151 rushing yards, 2,984 yards from scrimmage and 25 touchdowns. One return went to the house. He made another Pro Bowl in 1993 but only rushed for half as many yards due to injuries. Took pay cuts, and continued to stay. In 1979, he started 10 games in place of Bleier and ran for 585 yards and six touchdowns. How an 8-year-old inspired Najee Harris' 5-TD performance vs. Ole Miss. 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. Eight players have been recognized as having held the career rushing yards record in the NFL. But Jackson was still one of the best runners of the 2010s. Read on to find out why. 7. 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. 10 on the Steelers' all-time rushing list with 3,549 yards. 2. Both men had the unfortunate circumstance of being behind other great players on the roster, Franco Harris and Terry Bradshaw. Some teams also used them as receivers, and fullbacks like Larry Centers made a living catching passes out of the backfield. Murray is another back who put together three strong seasons during his career and led the league in rushing once. Of course, we all know why. MORE: 2023 Dynasty Rookie Rankings. 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. TODAY: Running backs 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. We present them here for purely educational purposes. Harris disputed that and said he was 240 pounds as a rookie. Ingram's best season came in 2017 when he posted 1,124 yards and 12 touchdowns. Overall, Foster registered 6,270 rushing yards and 8,523 yards from scrimmage playing for the Texans and Dolphins from 2010-16. The 32-year-old has been a bit of a journeyman, playing for five different teams this decade. Rashard Mendenhall only played five seasons with the Steelers but rushed for a respectable 3,549 yards in 57 games. Charles also ran for 1,509 yards in 2012 and 1,033 yards in 2014. From '61 to '64, he was part of a powerful rushing attack along with Hall of Famer John Henry Johnson. He was also an excellent receiver, both out of the backfield and split out as a wide receiver. By 1974, Bleier was weighing in at 212 pounds and he made the team to stay. Morris peaked as a rookie, rushing for 1,613 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2012. Hoak made a Pro Bowl in 1968 and is currently ranked seventh in Steelers' history for all-time rushing yards with 3,965. While Gore has never led the league in rushing or made All-Pro, his consistency lands him at No. Which of these tight ends has left a lasting legacy in the city of Pittsburgh? Not entirely. 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. He's posted 2,987 rushing yards and 28 touchdowns over the last three years. Today, Johnson is one of the former Steelers in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Both backs had to run well with the ball and have the skills to block for the other. Najee Harris warming to Steelers' running back-by-committee approach. Parker ran for 1,200 yards or better in three straight seasons and led the Steelers to two Super Bowl wins. As it is, he has 5,336 rushing yards and nearly 8,000 yards from scrimmage since coming into the league in 2013. name the pittsburgh steelers running back to the last 10 years. 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? Those three men will be bypassed for this article despite Johnson ranking third in the all-time rushing yardage for the Black and Gold. In both seasons, he made All-Pro. The Steelers went 6-10 in his first season, but along with players like Hines Ward, Jerome Bettis, and Alan Faneca . Bell made three Pro Bowls and two All-Pro teams as a Steeler. 20 and retired with that number despite the departure of Pearson to Dallas. 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. The speedy running backs, the classic old power running back, and the mixed, well-rounded, good running back. 1. In Pittsburgh, he was everything but. Mendenhall is currently No. Is the fullback truly gone, banished into the deep recesses of pro football history? During his career, he's averaged 128.9 yards from scrimmage per game. Lists that rank the greatest players and coaches in the history of the NFL franchise. Bettis will be inducted into the Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2015 in August, and the accomplishments to be praised that day are only part of why he was the man during his 10 seasons with the Steelers. Still, I think he is deserving of the number 16 spot on this list of all-time great Steelers backs. Feeling he had to listen to his boss, Kiesling had quarterback Jack Scarbath toss the ball which resulted in a touchdown to Goose McClairen. He has held the all-time rushing yards record since 2002 and is . Playing players out of position in mut will make there overall go down now. It was a hard task to actually rank all of the great running backs . Sproles has nearly as many receptions (460) as carries (516) since 2010, and he has 3,936 receiving yards. 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. 11 because of four straight 1,000-yard seasons to begin the decade. March 1, 2023 2:19 pm PT. In Dick Hoak's 10 years as a Steeler, he only saw two winning seasons. 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 later years Bleier helped pen a book about himself and a movie was made about his story titled Fighting Back.. 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. Postseason. Over the past 50 years, the Steelers have tallied 36 winning seasons . At 244 pounds, Morris was a load running behind the offensive line and his numbers backed up his train rushing efforts. Who Is The Best Wide Receiver In The NFL Right Now? 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. Injuries hurt Foster later in his career, but he did record 1,246 rushing yards in 2014. Franco Harris is not only the best Steelers running back in franchise history, but one of the greatest Steelers of all time. Myles Jack 61 Minkah Fitzpatrick . 1 1. 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. 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. Let us know your thoughts down in the comments!For Business Inquiries: insid. 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 . 2022 AFC North Standings. Photos from the career of former Steelers running back and Hall of Fame finalist Jerome Bettis. He scored seven touchdowns and caught the ball 22 times for an additional 204 yards and a 9.3 yards-per-reception mark. Hopefully the Christmas edition of DraftKings top performers and busts finds you warm among family and friends as we unwrap the matchups in daily fantasy football for Week 16.The difficulty and uneasiness of lineup construction is increasing as more and more players we havent heard of become viable DFS starters in 2015s closing act.Use the list below to fill your roster with glad tidings while . He posted 1,000-yard rushing seasons in each of the first three years of the decade. Regular season. Williams recorded at least 730 rushing yards in a season four times . He joins Franco Harris and John Henry Johnson. Draft Henry with absolute confidence this season if you have a top-five pick. The Pittsburgh Steelers have had some great tight ends throughout the franchise's history. In the previous nine years, however, the Steelers had a top-15 player seven times. Across the decade, Martin has posted 5,356 rushing yards and 32 total touchdowns. Emmitt Smith has held the record since surpassing Walter Payton's long-standing total in 2002. Bell was a unique back in Steelers history due to both the wide-open offense he played in and his careful, patient running style. 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. This list of past Steelers tight ends features former greats, current impact players, and even future stars. Jerome "The Bus" Bettis tops our list as the Steelers best running back of all time. All rights reserved. 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. As a Steeler, Bettis crashed his way for 10,571 rushing yards and 78 rushing touchdowns, both second-best in team history. 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. Well, he's worth a lot more now. 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. 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. 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. [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. Fuqua would have to be the most colorful player in Steelers history as well as the most controversial. Many teams even rotate three or more backs throughout the game, with all getting an equal number of carries. 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. Find out more. Pittsburgh Steelers Draft History. Everything in the NFL goes in cycles. Amos Zereoue: Another fan favorite was West Virginia University product, Famous Amos Zereoue. The last two seasons, with now-departed James Conner the No. The 33rd Team. Fuqua led the Steelers in rushing in 1970 and 1971 and totaled 2,942 yards on the ground during his time in Pittsburgh. 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 nine seasons all as a Steeler, Pollard scored 20 touchdowns. The next season, he racked up 1,273 yards and 13 touchdowns on the way to an AFC Championship win. Bill Dudley: Bullet Bill was his nickname and a great running back he was. does st martin parish have school tomorrow. Najee Harris, Pittsburgh Steelers. 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. Today he is 68 and still colorful. 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. 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. Let's take a look back at the rest of the Steelers picks since the 2000 season. Other teams (like the Steelers) have one but rarely use him. What those teams dont have is a legacy of bullying and dominating opponents, and that is what brought the Steelers six Super Bowl championships. 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. Most Steelers fans think of Rocky Bleier as Franco Harris running mate throughout the 70s, and rightly so. In 2015 Williams rejuvenated his career with the Steelers, filling in for the suspended and injured Le'Veon Bell for 10 games. 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 . When it comes to this room, the Steelers are indeed looking for them to step up. The Pittsburgh Steelers Hall-of-Fame running back Franco Harris died Wednesday, just before the 50-year anniversary of his "Immaculate Reception" play. All-time Rushing Leader: Franco Harris 2,881 att, 11,950 yds, 91 TD . However, it's not too early to break down the best from the 2010s either. 2. That couldn't have been further from the truth. The mid-'80s were a tough time for Steeler Nation. A dominant defense and an unstoppable running gamethats Steelers Football. He ranks 23rd all-time among Pittsburgh rushers having gained 1,504 yards as a Steeler. With teams shifting more to the passing game, these old-school running backs are becoming obsolete. 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. However, from 2010-14 he was the best all-purpose back in the league. The move closes the latest chapter of Wentz's career after just one season in Washington. 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. 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. He'll go down as one of the best power backs in history, and in this decade Lynch has carried the ball 1,791 times for 7,778 yards. 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. 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. During that year, Peterson won league MVP the last running back to do so. Winning three Super Bowls helps earn you a spot on this list too. In 1992, we found out who the heck that guy was: the man who would run for more yards in one season than any Steelers running back in team history. In his rookie season, Morris rushed for 836 yards and a 4.2 yards-per-carry average. The Tigers picked up their sixth commitment for the 2024 recruiting cycle - and their first running back - Wednesday with the public . Adrian Peterson is a running back with over thirteen years in the NFL. Barry Foster: Unfortunately for Barry Foster, his career was short in the Burgh. 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.