In 2011 and 2013, he made All-Pro, and in 2013 he posted 2,146 yards from scrimmage. Johnson was a bruising fullback who spent time in San Francisco and Detroit before coming to Pittsburgh in 1960. Greatest Power Backs in NFL History. Running Back Contracts and Salaries | Over The Cap The All-Modern Era team is made up of 26 players - 11 on offense, 11 on defense, and four specialists. 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. Parker ran for 1,200 yards or better in three straight seasons and led the Steelers to two Super Bowl wins. They got a lot of carries in an era when both the fullback and halfback needed to contribute to the running game. Rashard Mendenhall: Like Barry Foster before him, Rashard Mendenhall was done with professional football by the age of 26. Steeler running backs Franco Harris, Rocky Bleier, Jerome Bettis, Willie Parker, Sidney Thornton and Rashard Mendenhall all helped bring Lombardi Trophies to Pittsburgh. However, it's not too early to break down the best from the 2010s either. A fullback is not required in this type of offensive game plan. 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. 2. The real results of who touched it first is still undetermined to this day. Others were blocking fullbacks who spent their careers opening holes for star backs. Franco Harris is not only the best Steelers running back in franchise history, but one of the greatest Steelers of all time. All Rights Reserved. Looking at an NFL game today, something seems to be missing. More like he will get exposed yet again as being the most overrated running back in the league . In his first three seasons, Ingram ran for more than 600 yards in a season just once. He was an example of how great players can not only break the rules and succeed, but sometimes even make up their own rules. 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. Only other is safeties at sub lb and doesn't change their ratings just where they are on the field. 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. Drafted by the Steelers in 1942 and in his rookie season led the NFL in rushing with 696 yards. 'Top 10, he would not get laughs' Thirty-five picks elapsed before a team drafted a running back last year. Photos from the career of former Steelers running back and Hall of Fame finalist Jerome Bettis. In addition, he got 52 receiving yards, with an average of 10.4. But since then he has a pair of 1,000-yard rushing years and 4,545 yards on the ground in five years. James Conner is at the forefront . Steelers 2020 Training Camp Preview: Running Backs - Pro Football Network DWTS Alum Shares Heartbreaking Posts Following Wife's Death Harris managed to get 691 rushing yards, with an average of five yards. 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. He also had three catches in that loss for 18 yards. He finished with 585 yards and scored six touchdowns including a 75-yard run. Took pay cuts, and continued to stay. Is the fullback truly gone, banished into the deep recesses of pro football history? All Rights Reserved. As a punter, he kicked the ball 18 times during his career and averaged 32 yards per punt. 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. Instagram Twitter Facebook Snapchat Shop Icon Profile Overlay Avatar Add Airplay Arrow Left Arrow Right Arrow Up Arrow Down Audio Back 5s Back 10s Back 30s Calendar Chart Check Down Left . He finished his career in Pittsburgh with 3,115 rushing yards, 241 receptions, and 34 total touchdowns. In 2012 he was just a mere few yards away from the single-season rushing record with 2,097 yards. Twenty-three slots went by before the Pittsburgh Steelers selected Najee Harris in 2021. 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 . Fuqua was not an original Steelers having been drafted by the New York Giants and then traded to Pittsburgh. 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. name the pittsburgh steelers running back to the last 10 years. The former Heisman Trophy winner is another example of a highly regarded college back getting off to a slow start in the NFL. 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. 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. 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. He peculiarly retired after that one campaign with the Cardinals. The running back fell just short of 1,000 yards from scrimmage last season after finishing with 1,414 yards in his rookie campaign. The Steelers went 6-10 in his first season, but along with players like Hines Ward, Jerome Bettis, and Alan Faneca . 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. Still, I think he is deserving of the number 16 spot on this list of all-time great Steelers backs. That meant Bell joined Marshall Faulk as the only players in NFL history with 1,350-plus yards rushing and 850-plus yards receiving in the same season. By, Tom Rothenberg/Zuma Press/Icon Sportswire, This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google. In Pittsburgh, he was everything but. Players were considered based on having careers with the Steelers from 1992 until the present. In three of his four NFL seasons, Gurley has rushed for more than 1,100 yards and at least 10 touchdowns. He lasted just five seasons but they were filled with success. The running back ran for 1,200 yards and seven touchdowns on 307 carries, and caught 74 passes for 467 yards and three touchdowns. In many ways, this style of offense is the polar opposite of the methods the Steelers used to win six Super Bowls. Reports this off-season show he weighed in at 244 pounds from 232 last season. In 2012, he made the All-Pro team with 1,590 rushing yards and 1,786 yards from scrimmage. 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. Well, he's worth a lot more now. Charles also ran for 1,509 yards in 2012 and 1,033 yards in 2014. He spent his first year in the NFL with the Giants before coming to the Steelers in 1970. 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. He posted 1,000-yard rushing seasons in each of the first three years of the decade. He made another Pro Bowl in 1993 but only rushed for half as many yards due to injuries. 9-Rocky Bleier. He's rushed for only 2,599 yards this decade, but everyone knows he's far more than just a running back. He was also an excellent receiver, both out of the backfield and split out as a wide receiver. Let us know your thoughts down in the comments!For Business Inquiries: insid. Both backs had to run well with the ball and have the skills to block for the other. 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. 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. That lands him in the top five during the decade. All-time Receiving Leader: Hines Ward 1,000 rec, 12,083 yds, 85 TD . 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. There have been some running backs in Steelers history who had one or two good seasons in Pittsburgh, then went on their way. LeVeon Bell: Finally we have our current star in the making. With a 3.5 yards per carry average and zero touchdowns, his rookie season was a major disappointment, but Gordon has answered all his doubters since then. Gurley has rushed for 4,547 rushing yards and recorded 6,430 yards from scrimmage with 56 touchdowns. 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. 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. 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. 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. 8. 4. Franco Harris was a fullback, as was Merril Hoge and John Henry Johnson. 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. 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. 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. He scored seven touchdowns and caught the ball 22 times for an additional 204 yards and a 9.3 yards-per-reception mark. Today, Johnson is one of the former Steelers in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. [2] He led the NFL with 576 yards in 1932 and held on to the record throughout his career. He came to the Steelers after three seasons with the Rams which had earned him a reputation as a problem player. Today, with the explosion of the passing game, a star running back is a helpful asset but no longer a requirement. 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. Who the heck is this guy, we all wondered aloud, but in much more colorful language. The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. The stud running back finished with 3,943 yards which lands him seventh on Pittsburghs all-time list. He has held the all-time rushing yards record since 2002 and is . During the decade, he has posted 9,187 yards five 1,000-yard seasons and 56 touchdowns. He led the Steelers in rushing from 1961 to 1964 and made three straight Pro Bowls from 1962 to '64. But Jackson was still one of the best runners of the 2010s. He earned the Super Bowl MVP award after running for 158 yards and a touchdown against the Vikings in Super Bowl IX. 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. 4M; . Despite the occurrences of injury, Hoge ran for 3,115 yards as a Steeler and rushed for 21 touchdowns. Willie Parker: Fast Willie Parker actually lands in third place all-time among Pittsburgh rushers. He already has as many touchdowns rushing as Bam Morris Unfortunately, before the season began last year, Bell was arrested with LeGarrette Blount for a DWI and possession of marijuana. The next ingredient is a tough, hard-nosed rushing attack that controls the ball and methodically plows through opposing defenses. 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. List of National Football League career rushing yards leaders 1, Pittsburgh didn't have a top-25 running back. In 2015 he finished second in the league in rushing and earned a spot on the All-Pro Team. Emmitt Smith leads with 18,365 yards and is also the postseason leader with 1,586. The Steelers will win 5 games this year, Canada will be fired, and Tomlin will "resign." . He spent much of 2019 injured, and team injuries across the board made it difficult to judge his performance fairly. 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. 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 controversy arose when the ball deflected off of Tatum or Frenchy. Adrian Peterson is a running back with over thirteen years in the NFL. But since then injuries have slowed him, and he's averaging 3.6 yards per attempt. Harris is one of the main reasons the Steelers won four Super Bowls in the 1970s. This decade, Sproles has also led the league in punt return yardage twice. In one of his final interviews before his . March 1, 2023 2:19 pm PT. 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. Le'Veon Bell was one of the best Steelers running backs of all time. He holds the team record for most rushing yards in a career (11,950) as well as most rushing touchdowns (91) and total touchdowns (100). Players active with the Pittsburgh . By his second season as a Steeler, he had become the heir apparent to Jerome Bettis. By 1995, Foster was out of Pittsburgh and out of the NFL, thus ending his short, dramatic, and bizarre pro football career. Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. 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. It was a hard task to actually rank all of the great running backs . By 1974, Bleier was weighing in at 212 pounds and he made the team to stay. Last season he rushed for only 885 yards, but that came in 12 games. Year-to-year repeatability among the top fantasy running backs 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. Please see our Contributors and Sources page for data source details. Of course we are talking about the Immaculate Reception. The 33rd Team. In the previous nine years, however, the Steelers had a top-15 player seven times. The Pittsburgh Steelers have had some great tight ends throughout the franchises history. But he stayed. 2022 AFC North Standings. ALL-MODERN ERA: Running backs - Pittsburgh Steelers It has been said that Rooney responded with the declaration that he would never again attempt to call a play for his team. However, from 2010-14 he was the best all-purpose back in the league. His 6-foot-2, 230 pound frame made it virtually impossible for one defender to take him down. 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. Year Top Defense. W. Va. bill would give tax credits to ex-residents to move back 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 . But there were bright spots, and Walter Abercrombie was one of them.