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 sill holds the single season record for rushing for Pittsburgh with 1,690 yards gained in 1992. Steelers running backs - Fantasy Index The Steelers had a reputation of big bruising backs but Parker spelled that philosophy with speed and elusiveness. How an 8-year-old inspired Najee Harris' 5-TD performance vs. Ole Miss. Players were considered based on having careers with the Steelers from 1992 until the present. If youve followed the Steelers, you've probably heard the term "Steelers Football." He spent his first year in the NFL with the Giants before coming to the Steelers in 1970. When running the ball, they often do so out of one-back sets and shotgun and pistol formations. 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. 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. Emmitt Smith leads with 18,365 yards and is also the postseason leader with 1,586. Ranking every NFL running back drafted in Round 1 since 2000: LaDainian 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. Pittsburgh Steelers player information and depth chart order. List of Pittsburgh Steelers starting quarterbacks - Wikipedia Every Steelers First-Round Draft Pick Since 2000 Fuqua will be forever remembered by Steelers fans as the intended receiver of Terry Bradshaws Immaculate Reception pass, which ricocheted into the arms of Franco Harris. 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. 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. 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. 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. At 244 pounds, Morris was a load running behind the offensive line and his numbers backed up his train rushing efforts. In 2015 he finished second in the league in rushing and earned a spot on the All-Pro Team. In 2007, Fuqua created a candy and marketed it as The Immaculate Confection. But aside from that 1972 playoff game with the Oakland Raiders, Fuqua could be seen off the field wearing the flashiest of clothes that included shoes with see-through heals and live fish in them. Lists that rank the greatest players and coaches in the history of the NFL franchise. In 79 games with the Steelers, he carried the ball for 3,343 yards and 22 touchdowns. Last season he rushed for only 885 yards, but that came in 12 games. After five seasons of never finishing higher than RB34, Williams had a career year in 2022, finishing as the overall RB18. In the I-formation, the fullback lines up behind the quarterback, and the halfback (tailback) lines up behind the fullback. All-time Rushing Leader: Franco Harris 2,881 att, 11,950 yds, 91 TD . He also earned the first of two consecutive First-Team All-Pro selections. 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. 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. 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. Regular season. 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 . 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. 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. The last two seasons, with now-departed James Conner the No. Hoak made a Pro Bowl in 1968 and is currently ranked seventh in Steelers' history for all-time rushing yards with 3,965. As a Steelers, he was occasionally brilliant but more often disappointing. BAM MORRIS followed Foster, but after a couple of promising seasons, he was released after pleading guilty to felony possession of marijuana in June 1996. The power running back is a dying breed in football. Read on to find out why. Unfortunately, injuries have slowed him over the last couple of years and prevented him from running for more than 865 yards in a season. Unfortunately for Johnson, his 2,000-yard season came in 2009, so it just missed the cut for counting on this list. All-time Receiving Leader: Hines Ward 1,000 rec, 12,083 yds, 85 TD . Other teams (like the Steelers) have one but rarely use him. 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. I could be wrong. Which of these tight ends has left a lasting legacy in the city of Pittsburgh? Charles may have to wait awhile to get into the Hall of Fame because despite an 11-year career, his prime was rather short. Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Week 16: Latest Fantasy Lock and Flop Predictions Pollard played most of his career at a time when the Steelers struggled. 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. I predict that sometime in the next decade, an offensive coordinator will go back to power football and line up with a tight end, a fullback, and a tailback in an I-formation for most of the game. 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. But since then injuries have slowed him, and he's averaging 3.6 yards per attempt. name the pittsburgh steelers running back to the last 10 years. Bettis was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2015. Frank Pollard: In the mid-1980s, a stout Frank Pollard became the Steelers primary running back. Steeler running backs Franco Harris, Rocky Bleier, Jerome Bettis, Willie Parker, Sidney Thornton and Rashard Mendenhall all helped bring Lombardi Trophies to Pittsburgh. 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. 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. 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. Peterson then signed with the . OTHERS TO CONSIDER Starting this list chronologically is as good a way as any. He posted 1,000-yard rushing seasons in each of the first three years of the decade. Bleier starred in Super Bowl XIII with a touchdown reception and a recovered onside kick to seal Pittsburghs third NFL title. Those three men will be bypassed for this article despite Johnson ranking third in the all-time rushing yardage for the Black and Gold. Dudley also scored on a lateraled pass and has kicked point-after-touchdowns as well as making successful field goals. With teams shifting more to the passing game, these old-school running backs are becoming obsolete. His career ended on a sad note in Minnesota, but Peterson regained his form with another 1,000-yard season with Washington in 2018. 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. In 2015 Williams rejuvenated his career with the Steelers, filling in for the suspended and injured Le'Veon Bell for 10 games. [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 . But he stayed. 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. Touchdowns. 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. Twenty-three slots went by before the Pittsburgh Steelers selected Najee Harris in 2021. Pittsburgh Steelers Depth Chart | ESPN Franco Harris was the man during The Renaissance, and Jerome Bettis was the man in The Modern Era. In nine seasons all as a Steeler, Pollard scored 20 touchdowns. Chances are it is an announcer who remembers some of the great backs in Steelers history and how they dominated the game. 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. The former Titan had only 28 catches for 294 yards last year . It's Le'Veon Bell because there is thought given to picking players who could function as a unit if the position require that. Ranking the AFC North running backs. But it was his story of injury during the war that gave him notoriety at the start of his career. 2023 ABG-SI LLC. In just a three-year period, from 2010-12, he posted 5,702 yards from scrimmage and 47 touchdowns. In 2012 he was just a mere few yards away from the single-season rushing record with 2,097 yards. Quite a contrast to kick off this list. 16 Best Pittsburgh Steelers Running Backs of All Time More like he will get exposed yet again as being the most overrated running back in the league . Across the decade, Martin has posted 5,356 rushing yards and 32 total touchdowns. Many argued that when Gore suffered a season-ending injury at the beginning of December in 2010, his best days were behind him. It has been said that Rooney responded with the declaration that he would never again attempt to call a play for his team. ALL-MODERN ERA: Running backs - Pittsburgh Steelers The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. The Tigers picked up their sixth commitment for the 2024 recruiting cycle - and their first running back - Wednesday with the public . Time to profile some of the outstanding and popular running backs to suit up for the Steelers. By the time the fourth quarter rolls around, it is easy to see why opposing defenses would wish they were somewhere else.