He came to the Steelers after three seasons with the Rams which had earned him a reputation as a problem player. Starters per season [ edit] These quarterbacks have started at least one game for the Pittsburgh Steelers . Fuqua led the . 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. 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. The Steelers have had some incredibly talented players over the years . While Gore has never led the league in rushing or made All-Pro, his consistency lands him at No. In 2015 Williams rejuvenated his career with the Steelers, filling in for the suspended and injured Le'Veon Bell for 10 games. Emmitt Smith has held the record since surpassing Walter Payton's long-standing total in 2002. More like he will get exposed yet again as being the most overrated running back in the league . . 1 1. Gurley has rushed for 4,547 rushing yards and recorded 6,430 yards from scrimmage with 56 touchdowns. The All-Modern Era team is made up of 26 players - 11 on offense, 11 on defense, and four specialists. If youve followed the Steelers, you've probably heard the term "Steelers Football." The former Titan had only 28 catches for 294 yards last year . Lynch was an underrated pass-catcher in his prime too. In fact, no back has even finished top-two in consecutive years, and only Adrian Peterson (second in 2009 and 2015; first in 2012) and Le'Veon Bell (first in 2014; second in 2017) have even had more than one top-two year in a decade. Playing players out of position in mut will make there overall go down now. The phrase is often proclaimed by an announcer after a Steelers running back plows over a few unlucky defenders. 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. Find out more. Bleier believed the doctors were wrong and reported to Steelers training camp a year after he left the war. Overall, he ran for 4,731 yards and 28 touchdowns playing for the Rams, Falcons and Patriots from 2010-15. In 1999 the Chiefs cut him and his life spiraled out of control with drug problems and jail time. Ingram's best season came in 2017 when he posted 1,124 yards and 12 touchdowns. Many teams even rotate three or more backs throughout the game, with all getting an equal number of carries. 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. It's hard to believe, but the second decade of the 21st century is nearly complete. 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. Franco Harris is not only the best Steelers running back in franchise history, but one of the greatest Steelers of all time. He also earned the first of two consecutive First-Team All-Pro selections. Bleier was an outstanding lead blocker as well as being able to run the ball well and also had solid hands as a receiver. He earned the Super Bowl MVP award after running for 158 yards and a touchdown against the Vikings in Super Bowl IX. His professional career started in 2007 when he decided to skip the last year of college and enter the NFL Draft. 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. Myles Jack 61 Minkah Fitzpatrick . 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. 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. 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. (Note: The Steelers signed Derek Watt during the 2020 offseason and released Nix, who signed with Indianapolis. He spent his first year in the NFL with the Giants before coming to the Steelers in 1970. He'll get the chance to continue his career with the Browns, but he'll miss the first eight games of 2019 because of a suspension. In 1980, Thornton would average five yards-per-carry while carrying the rock 78 times. Mendenhall is currently No. 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. It wasn't too long ago that Freeman was regarded as a top-five back in the league. By, Tom Rothenberg/Zuma Press/Icon Sportswire, This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google. Other teams (like the Steelers) have one but rarely use him. 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. Another big bruising back that also has surprising quickness, Bell at 244 pounds is turning into a super star in the NFL. It's an inspiring story, but if Bleier wasn't one of the best running backs in Steelers' history, he wouldn't have made this list. Harris was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1990. Le'veon Bell also earned a reputation as one of the most patient RBs in the NFL. The controversy surrounds what is called by many as the Greatest play in NFL history. But twice he rushed for more than 1,400 yards, and as a rookie in 2012 Martin posted 1,926 yards from scrimmage. Read on to find out why. 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. He sill holds the single season record for rushing for Pittsburgh with 1,690 yards gained in 1992. 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. 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. Or write about sports? The role of the fullback changed dramatically when the I-formation came into vogue in the 1980s. In later years Bleier helped pen a book about himself and a movie was made about his story titled Fighting Back.. 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. In 1982, he was Pittsburghs first overall pick in the draft coming in at number 12. He joins Franco Harris and John Henry Johnson. OTHERS TO CONSIDER Starting this list chronologically is as good a way as any. The former Heisman Trophy winner is another example of a highly regarded college back getting off to a slow start in the NFL. He has held the all-time rushing yards record since 2002 and is . 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-time Scoring Leader: Gary Anderson 1,343 points Johnson was a bruising fullback who spent time in San Francisco and Detroit before coming to Pittsburgh in 1960. If it was Fuqua who the ball last touched, it would not be a legal catch by Harris according to the rules in 1972. In his first three seasons, Ingram ran for more than 600 yards in a season just once. The next ingredient is a tough, hard-nosed rushing attack that controls the ball and methodically plows through opposing defenses. 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. In the I-formation, the fullback lines up behind the quarterback, and the halfback (tailback) lines up behind the fullback. List of Pittsburgh Steelers starting quarterbacks, "1933 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1934 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1935 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1936 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1937 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1938 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1939 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1940 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1941 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1942 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1943 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1944 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1945 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1946 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1947 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1948 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1949 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1950 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1951 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1952 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1953 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1954 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1955 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1956 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1957 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1958 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1959 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1960 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1961 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1962 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1963 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1964 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1965 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1966 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1967 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1968 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1969 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1970 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1971 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1972 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1973 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1974 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1975 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1976 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1977 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1978 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1979 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1980 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1981 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1982 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1983 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1984 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1985 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1986 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1987 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1988 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1989 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1990 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1991 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1992 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1993 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1994 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1995 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1996 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1997 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1998 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1999 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "2000 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "2001 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "2002 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "2003 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "2004 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "2005 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "2006 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "2007 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "2008 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "2009 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "2010 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "2011 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "2012 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "2013 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "2014 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "2015 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "2016 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "2017 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "2018 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "2019 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "2020 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "2021 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "2022 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", Pittsburgh Steelers Franchise Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_Pittsburgh_Steelers_starting_quarterbacks&oldid=1132399114, This page was last edited on 8 January 2023, at 18:18. He has six 1,000-yard seasons and six Pro Bowl nominations with the Eagles and Bills during the 2010s. See the full player roster for the 2022 Pittsburgh Steelers. 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. 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. Dickerson was traded mid-season in 1987; he played three games for the Rams and nine for the Colts. Fuqua led the Steelers in rushing in 1970 and 1971 and totaled 2,942 yards on the ground during his time in Pittsburgh. Outside linebacker Joey Porter came to Pittsburgh in 1999. Picking Le'Veon Bell here might be one of those choices that spurs debate among fans, but it comes down to the belief he's going to become the Steelers' version of Marshall Faulk. February 27, 2023 3 min Watch. Harris disputed that and said he was 240 pounds as a rookie. Lists that rank the greatest players and coaches in the history of the NFL franchise. The Pittsburgh Steelers' 2020 running back room has the assortments of all the skillsets you could find around the NFL. Los Angeles' running backs are in a bit of a limbo right . 11 because of four straight 1,000-yard seasons to begin the decade. Pittsburgh Steelers Stats: The official source for Pittsburgh Steelers game statistics . In the second concussion he encountered, it resulted in Hoge having to be resuscitated when he stopped breathing. Pittsburgh Steelers Career Rushing Leaders. By 1995, Foster was out of Pittsburgh and out of the NFL, thus ending his short, dramatic, and bizarre pro football career. In 2005, speedy Willie Parker took advantage of paths cleared by Kreider, and the Steelers won the Super Bowl. 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. It worked perfectly with the maulers he had in front of him in Pittsburgh as he has some Xbox like highlight reels to show for it. 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. Time to profile some of the outstanding and popular running backs to suit up for the Steelers. The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He ranks fourth all-time in franchise history for rushing yards and eighth all-time in receptions. Bell will pay the price this season with a three-game suspension to start the 2015 season. Bell made three Pro Bowls and two All-Pro teams as a Steeler. The first requirement is an intimidating defense that dominates opponents and makes it tough for them to put points on the board. Former season 27 " Dancing With the Stars " competitor John Schneider has returned to social media following the death of his wife, Alicia Allain. During the 2021 offseason, Pittsburgh declined to re-sign Conner, making him a free agent and creating an opportunity for the Arizona Cardinals to scoop him up. No NFL team has enjoyed the consistent level of success the Pittsburgh Steelers have enjoyed since the AFL-NFL merger of 1970. 5. Just look back to last year when he was able to make cuts and find holes. They got a lot of carries in an era when both the fullback and halfback needed to contribute to the running game. Over the past 50 years, the Steelers have tallied 36 winning seasons . 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. 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. That couldn't have been further from the truth. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. He also made the Pro Bowl in 2013 and 2016, the last of which with the Titans. Today, with the explosion of the passing game, a star running back is a helpful asset but no longer a requirement. 9, we . 4M; . In the following AFC title game against Miami, Pollard was held to just 48 yards rushing. He signed as an undrafted free agent who had run a 4.23-second 40 at the Scouting Combine the previous spring. He's been named All-Pro and led the NFL in rushing touchdowns during each of the last two years too. 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. 7. 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. From 1974 to 1979, Harris topped the 1,000-yard milestone every season and carried the Steelers to four Super Bowl victories. The running back fell just short of 1,000 yards from scrimmage last season after finishing with 1,414 yards in his rookie campaign. Mendenhall spent five seasons in Pittsburgh and was a member of two Super Bowl teams. It's hard to rank Sproles. By 1974, Bleier was weighing in at 212 pounds and he made the team to stay. As a rookie, on a terrible offense, he finished as a top 24 running back in 93% of his games last year. 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. He stepped in for a banged-up Willie Parker in 2009 and ran for 1,108 yards and seven touchdowns. Yes, the Pittsburgh Steelers coach understands the symmetry between Saturday night's 13-10 win over the Las Vegas Raiders and a playoff victory over the same franchise 50 years ago, the one that ended with Steelers running back Franco Harris snagging a deflected . 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. However, from 2010-14 he was the best all-purpose back in the league. Murray is another back who put together three strong seasons during his career and led the league in rushing once. 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. Fullback Franco Harris came to the Steelers in the 1972 draft and made an immediate impact. The team has selected second overall once, and third overall four times. Do you have a sports website? 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. Feeling he had to listen to his boss, Kiesling had quarterback Jack Scarbath toss the ball which resulted in a touchdown to Goose McClairen. Ibrahim, who . The move closes the latest chapter of Wentz's career after just one season in Washington. He ran for 5,378 yards while playing at Heinz Field. 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. Please see our Contributors and Sources page for data source details. Despite the occurrences of injury, Hoge ran for 3,115 yards as a Steeler and rushed for 21 touchdowns. 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.. Emmitt Smith leads with 18,365 yards and is also the postseason leader with 1,586. He ended his career with only 1,512 rushing yards, but with two Super Bowl rings. John Fuqua: How could any Steelers fan in the Nation of Black and Gold not smile when speaking of John Frenchy Fuqua.