CHARLESTON, W.Va. . Despite the occurrences of injury, Hoge ran for 3,115 yards as a Steeler and rushed for 21 touchdowns. He earned the Super Bowl MVP award after running for 158 yards and a touchdown against the Vikings in Super Bowl IX. His rookie contract was voided after his fourth season, after just one in Pittsburgh, and there were opportunities to leave. Harris was a part of four championship team and would be named to the Pro Bowl nine times. Myles Jack 61 Minkah Fitzpatrick . 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. In 2012 he was just a mere few yards away from the single-season rushing record with 2,097 yards. Today we ranked the Pittsburgh Steeler Running Backs throughout their franchise! 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. He is currently the third leading rusher in Steelers history. With the Redskins, Cowboys and 49ers, Morris has 5,931 rushing yards and 34 touchdowns in the 2010s. The team has selected second overall once, and third overall four times. He spent his first year in the NFL with the Giants before coming to the Steelers in 1970. He made another Pro Bowl in 1993 but only rushed for half as many yards due to injuries. In just a three-year period, from 2010-12, he posted 5,702 yards from scrimmage and 47 touchdowns. Not entirely. Outside linebacker Joey Porter came to Pittsburgh in 1999. Williams recorded at least 730 rushing yards in a season four times during the 2010s, and he ended the decade with 4,246 rushing yards. No NFL team has enjoyed the consistent level of success the Pittsburgh Steelers have enjoyed since the AFL-NFL merger of 1970. Chubb is not the most dangerous or highly . As an undrafted rookie in 2004, Bill Cowher took a chance on the 5-foot-10, 209-pound first-year player and Parker impressed sharing time with The Bus, Jerome Bettis. 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 the Pro Bowl three times, from 2014-16. Player Team Age Total Value Avg./Year Total Guaranteed Fully Guaranteed Free Agency; Christian McCaffrey: 49ers: 27: $64,063,412: $16,015,853: $36,346,412: $30,062,500 Meanwhile, Myles Jack's cap hit grows significantly from $4.75 million last year to $11.25 million in 2023. Rocky Bleier: For some Steelers fans it might be hard to believe that Robert Patrick Bleier, known best in Steelers Nation as Rocky turned 69 years of age this year. In 2011 Jones-Drew led the league with 1,606 rushing yards and 386 touches. Murray is another back who put together three strong seasons during his career and led the league in rushing once. Only stats for Regular Season Games have been included. Clemson gets its running back: 'Something very special at Clemson He also earned the first of two consecutive First-Team All-Pro selections. This decade, Sproles has also led the league in punt return yardage twice. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. For years, the Pittsburgh Steelers were considered a team that dominated with the run. In '94, he ran for 851 yards despite missing five games. He never made a Pro Bowl and never had a 1,000-yard season, but he appeared in 111 games over nine seasons and managed to rack up 3,989 career rushing yards. The mid-'80s were a tough time for Steeler Nation. Le'Veon Bell was one of the best Steelers running backs of all time. In 79 games with the Steelers, he carried the ball for 3,343 yards and 22 touchdowns. Best: Franco Harris. The former Titan had only 28 catches for 294 yards last year . 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 . Winning three Super Bowls helps earn you a spot on this list too. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. Jackson never led the league in rushing and never made the All-Pro team. 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. Year-to-year repeatability among the top fantasy running backs The Tigers picked up their sixth commitment for the 2024 recruiting cycle - and their first running back - Wednesday with the public . Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports. Mapping out the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft: Mendenhall spent five seasons in Pittsburgh and was a member of two Super Bowl teams. Doctors had told him following the enemy attack that his football days were over. His 6-foot-2, 230 pound frame made it virtually impossible for one defender to take him down. From 2010-13, Johnson rushed for 4,731 yards and 27 touchdowns. A dominant defense and an unstoppable running gamethats Steelers Football. 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. Could Steelers solve their LB problem with Trenton Simpson or Drew The controversy arose when the ball deflected off of Tatum or Frenchy. Posted August 12, 2019 The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. The Pittsburgh Steelers have had some great tight ends throughout the franchises history. Bell was a unique back in Steelers history due to both the wide-open offense he played in and his careful, patient running style. In 2016 he had one of the best seasons for a running back in recent memory, accumulating a league-high 2,118 yards from scrimmage, including at least 100 yards in the first 15 games of the year. Here's the final tally of Steelers Now's consensus preseason 2022 power rankings of AFC North running backs. (Note: The Steelers signed Derek Watt during the 2020 offseason and released Nix, who signed with Indianapolis. 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. But there were bright spots, and Walter Abercrombie was one of them. The power running back is a dying breed in football. 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. LeVeon Bell made his mark with the Steelers running in this kind of offense. The 30-year-old has failed to rush for 500 yards in four of his seven seasons in the NFL. He's been named All-Pro and led the NFL in rushing touchdowns during each of the last two years too. 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. Pittsburgh Steelers player information and depth chart order. For his service in the war, Bleier received the Purple Heart and a Bronze Star. Fullback Franco Harris came to the Steelers in the 1972 draft and made an immediate impact. By the time the fourth quarter rolls around, it is easy to see why opposing defenses would wish they were somewhere else. 7. All Rights Reserved. But Harris and the Steelers' rushing attack were just getting started. This is a list of National Football League running backs by total career rushing yards, and includes the 31 running backs who have rushed for at least 10,000 yards, for which sixteen of them have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He finished his career in Pittsburgh with 3,115 rushing yards, 241 receptions, and 34 total touchdowns. Most Steelers fans think of Rocky Bleier as Franco Harris running mate throughout the 70s, and rightly so. Teams run RPOs, or run-pass option plays, where the quarterback decides after the snap whether he will hand the ball off or throw a pass. His performance in the 1989 playoffs, when he turned in back-to-back 100-yard games against Houston and Denver, is the stuff of Steelers' legend. Fran Rogel was also a local product having grown up in North Braddock, Pennsylvania. He finished with 585 yards and scored six touchdowns including a 75-yard run. All Rights Reserved. Keep in mind that accomplishments made only during this decade were considered for these rankings. 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 Steelers have had several players enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame after being a part of the Pittsburghs ground game for most of or all of their entire careers. Bleier starred in Super Bowl XIII with a touchdown reception and a recovered onside kick to seal Pittsburghs third NFL title. This was the age of the feature back, when one superstar halfback got most of the carries. Ranking every NFL running back drafted in Round 1 since 2000: LaDainian His teammate Terry Hanratty, the QB at Notre Dame during that tenure became a Steeler as well. The Best Pittsburgh Steelers Tight Ends Of All Time, Vote up the players who had the most success playing tight end for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Since missing the last five games of 2010, Gore has sat out just two games over the last eight years. 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. 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. 2022 Fantasy Football - Top 10 RBs - Faceoff Sports Network Sowhos the greatest tight end in Pittsburgh Steelers history? In many ways, this style of offense is the polar opposite of the methods the Steelers used to win six Super Bowls. This means two backs in the backfield, usually lined up side by side. Lucrative opportunities to leave. 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. He sill holds the single season record for rushing for Pittsburgh with 1,690 yards gained in 1992. Copyright 2023 YB Media, LLC. But Hoak is probably best remembered for his ever-so-long tenure as the Running Backs coach with Chuck Noll and Bill Cowher. Fantasy Football Mock Draft: Zero Running Back Strategy Williams led the NFL in touchdowns last season with 17. Players were considered based on having careers with the Steelers from 1992 until the present. They will be joined by this year's selection, making six for the 2022 season. Franco Harris was a fullback, as was Merril Hoge and John Henry Johnson. March 1, 2023 2:19 pm PT. NFL combine: CB prospect hoping for on-field family reunion Williams recorded at least 730 rushing yards in a season four times . All-time Receiving Leader: Hines Ward 1,000 rec, 12,083 yds, 85 TD . 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. And that's with missing the 2016 season because of retirement. He joins Franco Harris and John Henry Johnson. 1. The controversy surrounds what is called by many as the Greatest play in NFL history. The phrase is often proclaimed by an announcer after a Steelers running back plows over a few unlucky defenders. It's Le'Veon Bell because there is thought given to picking players who could function as a unit if the position require that. Meanwhile, at No. Steelers all-time 53-man roster: '70s legends, 'Killer Bs' headline [2] He led the NFL with 576 yards in 1932 and held on to the record throughout his career. Barkley reminded the NFL world this past season that he's one of the best running backs in the league by rushing for a career-high 1,312 yards and 10 touchdowns. Adrian Peterson is a running back with over thirteen years in the NFL. 1 1. 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. See the full player roster for the 2022 Pittsburgh Steelers. During recent years, he's become somewhat forgotten in Buffalo, but McCoy has both All-Pro seasons and multiple 1,000-yard campaigns to his credit this decade. 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. 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. ALL-MODERN ERA: Running backs - Pittsburgh Steelers r/steelers on Reddit: Najee Harris will have a 100yd game against the Just look back to last year when he was able to make cuts and find holes. But from 2010-17, Forte averaged 1,419 yards from scrimmage per season. Pollard played most of his career at a time when the Steelers struggled. Matte took over for another fantastic white running back, former Heisman Trophy winner and 1958 NFL Championship Game hero Alan Ameche. 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. OTHERS TO CONSIDER Starting this list chronologically is as good a way as any. He signed as an undrafted free agent who had run a 4.23-second 40 at the Scouting Combine the previous spring. Advertisement In some form or fashion, the Steelers will need to add quality depth to . These quarterbacks have started at least one game for the Pittsburgh Steelers. As a Steeler, Bettis crashed his way for 10,571 rushing yards and 78 rushing touchdowns, both second-best in team history. 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. For the Steelers he would rush for 2,243 yards five seasons. Dudley also served his country during World War II as a member of the Army and played for that team while away from the NFL.