steelers running backs last 10 years

By the time the fourth quarter rolls around, it is easy to see why opposing defenses would wish they were somewhere else. Harris is my fourth-ranked running back for the 2022 season. But Stewart posted 5,366 rushing yards and 31 touchdowns in the decade. The All-Modern Era team is made up of 26 players - 11 on offense, 11 on defense, and four specialists. The next ingredient is a tough, hard-nosed rushing attack that controls the ball and methodically plows through opposing defenses. In '94, he ran for 851 yards despite missing five games. His best season was in 1985 when he rushed for 991 yards. Took pay cuts, and continued to stay. But Foster ended up as a one-hit wonder because when he was at peak ability he really didn't love the game, and then it became too late. 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. PITTSBURGH (AP) Mike Tomlin wasn't ready to go there, with all due respect. In Dick Hoak's 10 years as a Steeler, he only saw two winning seasons. Harris played 980 offensive snaps during the regular season . 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 . 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. He seemed to violate every rule young players are taught about playing running back, yet he thrived. In Super Bowl XXX when the Steelers lost to the Dallas Cowboys that many thought that Pittsburgh could have won if not for Neil ODonnells errant interceptions, Morris rushed for 73 yards on 19 carries and scored a touchdown. 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. But Jackson was still one of the best runners of the 2010s. 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. He made another Pro Bowl in 1993 but only rushed for half as many yards due to injuries. He came to the Steelers after three seasons with the Rams which had earned him a reputation as a problem player. 7. Fuqua led the Steelers in rushing in 1970 and 1971 and totaled 2,942 yards on the ground during his time in Pittsburgh. The Steelers haven't shied away from targeting lesser-valued positions by the modern standard early in recent drafts, such as running back, linebacker and maybe to a lesser degree, safety. No matter what happens with the evolution of this position, these Pittsburgh tight ends have left a legacy for this that cant be taken away. 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. In 1966 when the Fighting Irish won the national title, Rocky was a member of that team. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. These quarterbacks have started at least one game for the Pittsburgh Steelers. James Conner was thrust into the spotlight in 2018 when halfback LeVeon Bell held out for the entire season. 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. 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 . The trend in the modern NFL is to run the ball out of single-back sets, often from a shotgun or pistol formation. Rob Burns / AP Photo. Those three men will be bypassed for this article despite Johnson ranking third in the all-time rushing yardage for the Black and Gold. Some readers are probably going to argue this is too high for Forte. In 1999 the Chiefs cut him and his life spiraled out of control with drug problems and jail time. 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. The 2016 All-Pro had his own issue staying on the field because of a suspension in 2017, but despite that Elliott has 4,048 rushing yards and led the league in rushing twice in three years. He's another back who never led the league in rushing and never made All-Pro. 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. 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). 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. Near the end of an uneventful rookie season, he was drafted to fight in the Vietnam War. 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. Fullback Franco Harris came to the Steelers in the 1972 draft and made an immediate impact. LeVeon Bell made his mark with the Steelers running in this kind of offense. 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. He amassed an incredible 449 touches in 2014 on his way to 1,845 rushing yards and 2,261 yards from scrimmage. He would play six seasons in Three Rivers Stadium when the Steelers were home and finish with 3,343 yards rushing. All Rights Reserved. '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. In 2011 and 2013, he made All-Pro, and in 2013 he posted 2,146 yards from scrimmage. He spent his first year in the NFL with the Giants before coming to the Steelers in 1970. Jerome Bettis (1996-2005). But he stayed. Fuqua led the . 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. If it was Fuqua who the ball last touched, it would not be a legal catch by Harris according to the rules in 1972. Over the past 50 years, the Steelers have tallied 36 winning seasons . In nine seasons all as a Steeler, Pollard scored 20 touchdowns. Players were considered based on having careers with the Steelers from 1992 until the present. Let's take a look back at the rest of the Steelers picks since the 2000 season. If Lions general manager Brad Holmes follows that plan exactly, Minnesota Golden Gophers' Mohamed Ibrahim would be a great late-round running back prospect for Detroit to target. A fullback is not required in this type of offensive game plan. 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. 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. The Pittsburgh Steelers' 2020 running back room has the assortments of all the skillsets you could find around the NFL. Buffalo 2007-10; Seattle 2010-15, '19; Oakland 2017-18. . He lasted just five seasons but they were filled with success. Who Is The Best Wide Receiver In The NFL Right Now? In 2015 Williams rejuvenated his career with the Steelers, filling in for the suspended and injured Le'Veon Bell for 10 games. 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. 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. 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. Abercrombie played one more season in 1988 with the cross state Philadelphia Eagles before retiring. 3 in NFL history. Some teams also used them as receivers, and fullbacks like Larry Centers made a living catching passes out of the backfield. The controversy surrounds what is called by many as the Greatest play in NFL history. Mendenhall spent five seasons in Pittsburgh and was a member of two Super Bowl teams. 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. Pittsburgh Steelers Stats: The official source for Pittsburgh Steelers game statistics . Still, "CJ2K" comes in at No. One return went to the house. DeAngelo Williams Photo by Ronald C. Modra/Getty Images. Drafted in the third round by the Steelers, Zereoue would play from 1999 to 2003 in Black and Gold before finishing his career in Oakland for one season and another in New England. That's Steelers football. Najee Harris warming to Steelers' running back-by-committee approach. The Steelers went 6-10 in his first season, but along with players like Hines Ward, Jerome Bettis, and Alan Faneca . [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 . 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. [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. The quick-footed big guy ran over, through and around defenders for nine years with the Steelers. He also earned the first of two consecutive First-Team All-Pro selections. Touchdowns. It wasn't too long ago that Freeman was regarded as a top-five back in the league. He was cut twice but kept up his persistence. But twice he rushed for more than 1,400 yards, and as a rookie in 2012 Martin posted 1,926 yards from scrimmage. 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. Rashard Mendenhall: Like Barry Foster before him, Rashard Mendenhall was done with professional football by the age of 26. Of course, we all know why. Chubb is not the most dangerous or highly . He tailed off to 928 the following season and then suffered injuries in 2012 playing in just six games before the Steelers cut him loose where he signed with the Arizona Cardinals lasting just one season after 687 yards on the ground. Bleier starred in Super Bowl XIII with a touchdown reception and a recovered onside kick to seal Pittsburghs third NFL title. Really, he will just be doing what teams like the Steelers did for decades. March 1, 2023 2:19 pm PT. Le'Veon Bell was one of the best Steelers running backs of all time. Barry Foster: Unfortunately for Barry Foster, his career was short in the Burgh. The Tigers picked up their sixth commitment for the 2024 recruiting cycle - and their first running back - Wednesday with the public . Outside linebacker Joey Porter came to Pittsburgh in 1999. 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. In two seasons, he is already 18th among all Steelers backs in rushing. 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. It's Le'Veon Bell because there is thought given to picking players who could function as a unit if the position require that. Former season 27 " Dancing With the Stars " competitor John Schneider has returned to social media following the death of his wife, Alicia Allain. Dudley owns 44 touchdowns to his credit. Williams recorded at least 730 rushing yards in a season four times . Matte took over for another fantastic white running back, former Heisman Trophy winner and 1958 NFL Championship Game hero Alan Ameche. The phrase is often proclaimed by an announcer after a Steelers running back plows over a few unlucky defenders. He spent much of 2019 injured, and team injuries across the board made it difficult to judge his performance fairly. This was the age of the feature back, when one superstar halfback got most of the carries. He stepped in for a banged-up Willie Parker in 2009 and ran for 1,108 yards and seven touchdowns. Gordon averaged a career-best 5.1 yards per carry in 2018. Hunt only played eight games with the Browns last season after serving an eight-game suspension. Player ratings with position rankings. 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. In Pittsburgh, he was everything but. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, injured during his tour of duty and told he would never play football again. 22. James Conner finished his career in Pittsburgh as the #17 ranked rusher in Steelers history. 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. 12. Walter Abercrombie: To this day, Abercrombie is Baylor Universitys all-time leading rusher with 3,674 yards while scoring 22 touchdowns. [2] He led the NFL with 576 yards in 1932 and held on to the record throughout his career. Bettis was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2015. He was Le'Veon Bell when Bell was at Michigan State. 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's the equivalent of more than two seasons. In the second concussion he encountered, it resulted in Hoge having to be resuscitated when he stopped breathing. While Gore has never led the league in rushing or made All-Pro, his consistency lands him at No. 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. CHARLESTON, W.Va. . Parker had a shot to lead the NFL in rushing in 2007, but he broke his leg in the regular season's penultimate game and finished with 1,316 yards. Not entirely. 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 Steelers, he was occasionally brilliant but more often disappointing. During this decade, he earned two Pro Bowl nominations and an All-Pro bid. Overall contributions to the Steelers franchise. The Steelers will win 5 games this year, Canada will be fired, and Tomlin will "resign." . In addition, he got 52 receiving yards, with an average of 10.4. 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. 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. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. Murray rushed for 7,174 yards and 49 touchdowns with the Cowboys, Eagles and Titans in the 2010s. In the previous nine years, however, the Steelers had a top-15 player seven times. But there were bright spots, and Walter Abercrombie was one of them. 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 . Former Tulane Green Wave running back Tyjae Spears made a big splash at the Senior Bowl, but that was hardly the first time he put on a show. Hunt offers some stability in the pass-game as he had 44 . Bill Dudley: Bullet Bill was his nickname and a great running back he was. The Pittsburgh Steelers Hall-of-Fame running back Franco Harris died Wednesday, just before the 50-year anniversary of his "Immaculate Reception" play. The controversy arose when the ball deflected off of Tatum or Frenchy. That one instance came in 1956 when Art Rooney Sr. uncharacteristically was frustrated with a head coach and instructed the then Head Coach Walt Kiesling to negate the opening Rogel rush and throw the ball instead. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. As a punter, he kicked the ball 18 times during his career and averaged 32 yards per punt. The 30-year-old has failed to rush for 500 yards in four of his seven seasons in the NFL. 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. 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. 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. It was a hard task to actually rank all of the great running backs . In both seasons, he made All-Pro. During that year, Peterson won league MVP the last running back to do so. Mendenhall is currently No. By 1974, Bleier was weighing in at 212 pounds and he made the team to stay. 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. Today's NFL teams do not use fullbacks as often as they once did, instead favoring spread offenses and dynamic passing attacks featuring three or more wide receivers and multiple tight ends. He posted more than 1,900 yards from scrimmage twice, in 2010 and 2013. This means two backs in the backfield, usually lined up side by side. 2023 ABG-SI LLC. He joins Franco Harris and John Henry Johnson. name the pittsburgh steelers running back to the last 10 years. But Hoak is probably best remembered for his ever-so-long tenure as the Running Backs coach with Chuck Noll and Bill Cowher. The Senate passed the bill . But since then injuries have slowed him, and he's averaging 3.6 yards per attempt. Emailed daily. | Frank Pollard: In the mid-1980s, a stout Frank Pollard became the Steelers primary running back. He ran for 5,378 yards while playing at Heinz Field. Still, I think he is deserving of the number 16 spot on this list of all-time great Steelers backs. 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. 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. He ended his career with only 1,512 rushing yards, but with two Super Bowl rings. Johnson was a bruising fullback who spent time in San Francisco and Detroit before coming to Pittsburgh in 1960. His entire career was with the Steelers and he would finish those six seasons with 1,512 yards and 18 touchdowns. Read on to find out why. 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. 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. NFL Top 10 Best Running Backs of the 2010s - #8 Arian Foster. The Pittsburgh Steelers have had some great tight ends throughout the franchises history. It's a smaller sample size, but Elliott has also posted 131.2 yards from scrimmage per game in his three seasons. Twenty-three slots went by before the Pittsburgh Steelers selected Najee Harris in 2021. See the full player roster for the 2022 Pittsburgh Steelers. Quite a contrast to kick off this list. The days of Jim Brown or John Riggins getting 40 carries a game are gone. Even putting a left end at right end can cause a drop. All rights reserved. However, it's not too early to break down the best from the 2010s either. Today, with the explosion of the passing game, a star running back is a helpful asset but no longer a requirement. 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. As a Steeler, Bettis crashed his way for 10,571 rushing yards and 78 rushing touchdowns, both second-best in team history. Foster's 1,690 yards set a team record that season and earned him Pro Bowl and All-Pro nominations. Across the decade, Martin has posted 5,356 rushing yards and 32 total touchdowns. 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. In 2015 Williams rejuvenated his career with the Steelers, filling in for the suspended and injured Le'Veon Bell for 10 games. He led the Steelers in rushing from 1961 to 1964 and made three straight Pro Bowls from 1962 to '64. 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. The mid-'80s were a tough time for Steeler Nation. 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. 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. He caught 57 passes for 338 yards as well. He signed as an undrafted free agent who had run a 4.23-second 40 at the Scouting Combine the previous spring. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. They got a lot of carries in an era when both the fullback and halfback needed to contribute to the running game. In the end Rocky Bleier rushed for 3,865 yards, 1,294 yards receiving on 136 catches and scored 25 times. Le'veon Bell also earned a reputation as one of the most patient RBs in the NFL. Christian McCaffrey (2019) This past season, McCaffrey became the third running back in NFL history to generate over 1,000 rushing and receiving yards in a single 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. Running backs are not the commodities they once were. 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. Murray made the All-Pro team and Pro Bowl that year. 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. To prepare, we at Chargers Wire are previewing players from every position. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. If youve followed the Steelers, you've probably heard the term "Steelers Football." . John Fuqua: How could any Steelers fan in the Nation of Black and Gold not smile when speaking of John Frenchy Fuqua. The move closes the latest chapter of Wentz's career after just one season in Washington. 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. Bleier believed the doctors were wrong and reported to Steelers training camp a year after he left the war. Former Steelers running back Willie Parker (39) acknowledges the crowd during a 2018 against the Chargers at Heinz Field. The power running back is a dying breed in football. The Steelers had jumped offsides on the play and it was called back. Last season he was in the top five among running backs in several categories. He has held the all-time rushing yards record since 2002 and is . As it is, he has 5,336 rushing yards and nearly 8,000 yards from scrimmage since coming into the league in 2013. 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. 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. Players active with the Pittsburgh .

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