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. This was the age of the feature back, when one superstar halfback got most of the carries. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? 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. He joins Franco Harris and John Henry Johnson. Rashard Mendenhall only played five seasons with the Steelers but rushed for a respectable 3,549 yards in 57 games. Do you have a blog? Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. In 1999 the Chiefs cut him and his life spiraled out of control with drug problems and jail time. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. One return went to the house. In '94, he ran for 851 yards despite missing five games. But Jackson was still one of the best runners of the 2010s. Or write about sports? 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. However, from 2010-14 he was the best all-purpose back in the league. The controversy arose when the ball deflected off of Tatum or Frenchy. He finished his career in Pittsburgh with 3,115 rushing yards, 241 receptions, and 34 total touchdowns. That changed over the last decade or so, due to quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's emergence as an elite . Jerome "The Bus" Bettis tops our list as the Steelers best running back of all time. Most Steelers fans think of Rocky Bleier as Franco Harris running mate throughout the 70s, and rightly so. 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. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. 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. In later years Bleier helped pen a book about himself and a movie was made about his story titled Fighting Back.. PITTSBURGH (AP) Mike Tomlin wasn't ready to go there, with all due respect. 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. 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. He has held the all-time rushing yards record since 2002 and is the only player with over 17,000 regular season rushing yards. All-time Rushing Leader: Franco Harris 2,881 att, 11,950 yds, 91 TD . Hoak retired from pro football in 1970 but stuck around to coach Steelers running backs from 1972 to 2007. The move closes the latest chapter of Wentz's career after just one season in Washington. Do you have a sports website? Charles may have to wait awhile to get into the Hall of Fame because despite an 11-year career, his prime was rather short. Hoak made a Pro Bowl in 1968 and is currently ranked seventh in Steelers' history for all-time rushing yards with 3,965. 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. But Stewart posted 5,366 rushing yards and 31 touchdowns in the decade. A bruising Hall of Famer running back, Franco Harris was the perfect embodiment of the Pittsburgh Steelers offense during their championship runs in the 1970s. He made the Pro Bowl three times, from 2014-16. Harris was a part of four championship team and would be named to the Pro Bowl nine times. 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. Drafted by the Steelers in 1942 and in his rookie season led the NFL in rushing with 696 yards. In the following AFC title game against Miami, Pollard was held to just 48 yards rushing. In 2005, speedy Willie Parker took advantage of paths cleared by Kreider, and the Steelers won the Super Bowl. 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. The following is another in a series that picks a Steelers All-Modern Era Team. 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. The mid-'80s were a tough time for Steeler Nation. In three of his four NFL seasons, Gurley has rushed for more than 1,100 yards and at least 10 touchdowns. 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. Subscribe to Stathead Football: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Pro Football Reference Database. Overall, Charles recorded 8,110 yards from scrimmage during the decade with the Chiefs, Broncos and Jaguars from 2010-18. All Rights Reserved. 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. 3 in NFL history. To no ones surprise, Art Rooney Sr. mailed a post card to his running back while in recovery that said, Rock We need you. That was the kind of man The Chief was. The 32-year-old has been a bit of a journeyman, playing for five different teams this decade. 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. John Fuqua: How could any Steelers fan in the Nation of Black and Gold not smile when speaking of John Frenchy Fuqua. After a slow start (for a seventh overall draft pick from . Harris is one of the main reasons the Steelers won four Super Bowls in the 1970s. In 1982, he was Pittsburghs first overall pick in the draft coming in at number 12. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. Sowhos the greatest tight end in Pittsburgh Steelers history? A fullback is not required in this type of offensive game plan. See the full player roster for the 2022 Pittsburgh Steelers. 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. In many ways, this style of offense is the polar opposite of the methods the Steelers used to win six Super Bowls. The former Heisman Trophy winner is another example of a highly regarded college back getting off to a slow start in the NFL. 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. That lands him in the top five during the decade. Jackson never led the league in rushing and never made the All-Pro team. DeAngelo Williams Photo by Ronald C. Modra/Getty Images. But from 2015-16, he posted more than 1,000 rushing yards, 1,500 yards from scrimmage and at least 13 touchdowns each season. What those teams dont have is a legacy of bullying and dominating opponents, and that is what brought the Steelers six Super Bowl championships. From 2010-13, Johnson rushed for 4,731 yards and 27 touchdowns. 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. 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. John Fuqua ( 1970-76) Before Franco Harris, there was John "Frenchy" Fuqua. Many teams even rotate three or more backs throughout the game, with all getting an equal number of carries. Well, he's worth a lot more now. [2] He led the NFL with 576 yards in 1932 and held on to the record throughout his career. 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 . But during the Super Bowl seasons of 1978 and 1979, Sidney Thornton played a significant role in the Steelers' rushing attack. As it is, he has 5,336 rushing yards and nearly 8,000 yards from scrimmage since coming into the league in 2013. With teams shifting more to the passing game, these old-school running backs are becoming obsolete. If it was Fuqua who the ball last touched, it would not be a legal catch by Harris according to the rules in 1972. Williams led the NFL in touchdowns last season with 17. 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. After five seasons of never finishing higher than RB34, Williams had a career year in 2022, finishing as the overall RB18. Gurley led the NFL in yards from scrimmage and won the Offensive Player of the Year award. Frequently Asked Questions about the NFL and Football, Pro-Football-Reference.com Blog and Articles, Subscribe to Stathead Football: Get your first month FREE. Meanwhile, at No. 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. The former Titan had only 28 catches for 294 yards last year . In 2011 Jones-Drew led the league with 1,606 rushing yards and 386 touches. The All-Modern Era team is made up of 26 players - 11 on offense, 11 on defense, and four specialists. The Pittsburgh Steelers have a long history of smash-mouth football dating back to before they ever won their first Super Bowl. The next season, he racked up 1,273 yards and 13 touchdowns on the way to an AFC Championship win. Le'veon Bell also earned a reputation as one of the most patient RBs in the NFL. Foster's 1,690 yards set a team record that season and earned him Pro Bowl and All-Pro nominations. If youve followed the Steelers, you've probably heard the term "Steelers Football." 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. He was an example of how great players can not only break the rules and succeed, but sometimes even make up their own rules. During his career, he's averaged 128.9 yards from scrimmage per game. Another big bruising back that also has surprising quickness, Bell at 244 pounds is turning into a super star in the NFL. The power running back is a dying breed in football. Williams had his first 1,000-yard season and averaged 13.3 ppg. In his first three seasons, Ingram ran for more than 600 yards in a season just once. CHARLESTON, W.Va. . The All-Modern Era team is made up of 26 players 11 on offense, 11 on defense, and four specialists. Fran Rogel was also a local product having grown up in North Braddock, Pennsylvania. All-time Scoring Leader: Gary Anderson 1,343 points 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. Only stats for Regular Season Games have been included. Posted August 12, 2019 1. They will be joined by this year's selection, making six for the 2022 season. By 1995, Foster was out of Pittsburgh and out of the NFL, thus ending his short, dramatic, and bizarre pro football career. but every NFL team has talented players. Really, he will just be doing what teams like the Steelers did for decades. Others were blocking fullbacks who spent their careers opening holes for star backs. Let's take a look back at the rest of the Steelers picks since the 2000 season. Chubb is not the most dangerous or highly . 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. 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. Who Is The Best Wide Receiver In The NFL Right Now? He also made the Pro Bowl in 2013 and 2016, the last of which with the Titans. MORE: 2023 Dynasty Rookie Rankings. In 1979, he started 10 games in place of Bleier and ran for 585 yards and six touchdowns. The role of the fullback changed dramatically when the I-formation came into vogue in the 1980s. The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. Williams didn't post a 1,000-yard season in this decade mostly due to the fact he shared the backfield with another player on our list. Once the Steelers free up a considerable amount of cap space, are eight free agents who could reinvigorate the roster in the 2023 season. Copyright 2023 YB Media, LLC. 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. Cameron Heyward (2011), T.J. Watt (2017), Terrell Edmunds (2018), Devin Bush Jr. (2019), and Najee Harris (2022) are the five remaining first-rounders still on the Steelers roster. LeVeon Bell: Finally we have our current star in the making. Los Angeles' running backs are in a bit of a limbo right . If he had played in those games, Bell is easily in the top five on this list and maybe close to the top. (Fullback Roosevelt Nix spent most of 2019 injured and did not appear to have a viable replacement.) Jerome Bettis is the latest Steelers running back to become a member in Canton, Ohio. 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. The Senate passed the bill . Read on to find out why. 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. Murray is another back who put together three strong seasons during his career and led the league in rushing once. . In 2012 he was just a mere few yards away from the single-season rushing record with 2,097 yards. does st martin parish have school tomorrow. In just a three-year period, from 2010-12, he posted 5,702 yards from scrimmage and 47 touchdowns. Everything in the NFL goes in cycles. 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 . For the purposes of this article, I will be considering the following: Its tricky to piece it all together, but I think these are the best Steelers running backs of all time. Landry Jones (2015-2017) Tommy Maddox (2002-2005) Terry Bradshaw (1970-1983) The number of games they started during the season is listed to the right of their name: Season. 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. His best season was in 1985 when he rushed for 991 yards. The 32-year-old has yet to post a 1,000-yard season this decade, and judging by the fact he had only six rushing attempt last season, he's probably going to end the 2010s without one. But it was his story of injury during the war that gave him notoriety at the start of his career. Over the past 50 years, the Steelers have tallied 36 winning seasons . Born Byron Morris, drafted in the third round of the 1994 draft, Morris immediately made an impact with the Pittsburgh Steelers coming to them from Texas Tech University. '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. I could be wrong. It's hard to believe, but the second decade of the 21st century is nearly complete. Anderson was traded mid-season in 1986; he played four games for the Cardinals and eight for the Giants. The stud running back finished with 3,943 yards which lands him seventh on Pittsburghs all-time list. The next ingredient is a tough, hard-nosed rushing attack that controls the ball and methodically plows through opposing defenses. Sutton not only enjoyed the best year of his career, but he also arguably played like a top-10 cornerback. The phrase is often proclaimed by an announcer after a Steelers running back plows over a few unlucky defenders. Last year's offensive rookie of the year award winner, Barkley was close to perfect for fantasy owners. Fuqua to this day refuses to give his take on what actually took place. All-time Receiving Leader: Hines Ward 1,000 rec, 12,083 yds, 85 TD . Bam Morris: Morris story is a sad, tragic, and unfulfilled one. 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. Harris managed to get 691 rushing yards, with an average of five yards. The intent is to lean the offensive game plan toward the passing game and open up the defense with complex formations and plays. In the I-formation, the fullback lines up behind the quarterback, and the halfback (tailback) lines up behind the fullback. steelers running backs last 10 years 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. He spent his first year in the NFL with the Giants before coming to the Steelers in 1970. Join our linker program. 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. Those three men will be bypassed for this article despite Johnson ranking third in the all-time rushing yardage for the Black and Gold. Today, Johnson is one of the former Steelers in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. 11 because of four straight 1,000-yard seasons to begin the decade. 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. During that year, Peterson won league MVP the last running back to do so. 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 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. Yes, that was his average. Many NFL teams used a pro-style offense during the same period, and this was an age when the fullback was a vital ball carrier. His professional career started in 2007 when he decided to skip the last year of college and enter the NFL Draft. His career ended on a sad note in Minnesota, but Peterson regained his form with another 1,000-yard season with Washington in 2018. Harris disputed that and said he was 240 pounds as a rookie. The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. Took pay cuts, and continued to stay. The Tigers picked up their sixth commitment for the 2024 recruiting cycle - and their first running back - Wednesday with the public . Fuqua would have to be the most colorful player in Steelers history as well as the most controversial. 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. The speedy running backs, the classic old power running back, and the mixed, well-rounded, good running back. name the pittsburgh steelers running back to the last 10 years. He led the Steelers in rushing in 1965, 1968, and 1969. In 79 games with the Steelers, he carried the ball for 3,343 yards and 22 touchdowns. Players were considered based on having careers with the Steelers from 1992 until the present. He ranks fourth all-time in franchise history for rushing yards and eighth all-time in receptions. In 27 games Hunt has 2,151 rushing yards, 2,984 yards from scrimmage and 25 touchdowns. 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. 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. Who should be on top of the Steelers NFL Free Agency board? By the time the fourth quarter rolls around, it is easy to see why opposing defenses would wish they were somewhere else. Despite the occurrences of injury, Hoge ran for 3,115 yards as a Steeler and rushed for 21 touchdowns. It's Le'Veon Bell because there is thought given to picking players who could function as a unit if the position require that. 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. The 30-year-old has failed to rush for 500 yards in four of his seven seasons in the NFL. Fuqua led the . In 1944 he led Army to an undefeated record with 12 victories and was named the teams Most Valuable Player. The Pittsburgh Steelers' 2020 running back room has the assortments of all the skillsets you could find around the NFL. In 1966 when the Fighting Irish won the national title, Rocky was a member of that team. February 27, 2023 3 min Watch. In nine seasons all as a Steeler, Pollard scored 20 touchdowns. Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports. 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. Not entirely. All-time Scoring Leader: Gary Anderson 1,343 points Lucrative opportunities to leave. More like he will get exposed yet again as being the most overrated running back in the league . Bill Dudley: Bullet Bill was his nickname and a great running back he was. The controversy surrounds what is called by many as the Greatest play in NFL history. Over the past six years, he has covered the NFL, NHL, MLB, fantasy sports, college football and basketball, and New Jersey high school sports for numerous print and online publications.

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