In 1944 he led Army to an undefeated record with 12 victories and was named the teams Most Valuable Player. Regular season. 9, we . Former Steelers running back Willie Parker (39) acknowledges the crowd during a 2018 against the Chargers at Heinz Field. All-time Receiving Leader: Hines Ward 1,000 rec, 12,083 yds, 85 TD . 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. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports. Let's take a look back at the rest of the Steelers picks since the 2000 season. This decade, Sproles has also led the league in punt return yardage twice. He was an example of how great players can not only break the rules and succeed, but sometimes even make up their own rules. Always free! In 2005, speedy Willie Parker took advantage of paths cleared by Kreider, and the Steelers won the Super Bowl. 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. If he had played in those games, Bell is easily in the top five on this list and maybe close to the top. The stud running back finished with 3,943 yards which lands him seventh on Pittsburghs all-time list. 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 . He also had three catches in that loss for 18 yards. The move closes the latest chapter of Wentz's career after just one season in Washington. But twice he rushed for more than 1,400 yards, and as a rookie in 2012 Martin posted 1,926 yards from scrimmage. Rocky Bleier came to the Steelers in 1968. Others were blocking fullbacks who spent their careers opening holes for star backs. Bettis was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2015. He returned to put . 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. After five seasons of never finishing higher than RB34, Williams had a career year in 2022, finishing as the overall RB18. Injuries hurt Foster later in his career, but he did record 1,246 rushing yards in 2014. Najee Harris warming to Steelers' running back-by-committee approach. 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. During that year, Peterson won league MVP the last running back to do so. Who Is The Best Wide Receiver In The NFL Right Now? But Jackson was still one of the best runners of the 2010s. He had the highest usage rate among running backs at 35.8% and was third in red-zone touches with 61. Bell was a unique back in Steelers history due to both the wide-open offense he played in and his careful, patient running style. 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. 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. Playing players out of position in mut will make there overall go down now. Charles may have to wait awhile to get into the Hall of Fame because despite an 11-year career, his prime was rather short. He ended his career with only 1,512 rushing yards, but with two Super Bowl rings. It wasn't too long ago that Freeman was regarded as a top-five back in the league. Until recently, the fullback was an important player in the Steelers' offense. By his second season as a Steeler, he had become the heir apparent to Jerome Bettis. The Steelers will win 5 games this year, Canada will be fired, and Tomlin will "resign." . The All-Modern Era team is made up of 26 players - 11 on offense, 11 on defense, and four specialists. Teams like the 49ers, Packers, and Chargers still have plenty of use for thembut many organizations dont carry a fullback on their roster at all. Some readers are probably going to argue this is too high for Forte. Steeler running backs Franco Harris, Rocky Bleier, Jerome Bettis, Willie Parker, Sidney Thornton and Rashard Mendenhall all helped bring Lombardi Trophies to Pittsburgh. Insider insists Tom Brady could sign with 49ers in 2023, The 'Most recent first-round NFL quarterbacks' quiz, Seven Cubs pitchers combine for spring no-hitter vs. Padres, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones comments on Tony Pollard rumor, Ben Simmons suffers back injury while rehabilitating, Insider: It's Packers, Jets 'or bust' for Aaron Rodgers, QB Anthony Richardson doesn't understand his 'project' label, Vikings HC reveals 'crazy' thoughts about star WR, XFL player released for giving another team plays from own playbook. He made nine straight Pro Bowls and one All-Pro team and finished his career as the leading rusher in team history and No. 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. Dudley also found himself on kickoff returns where he fielded 11 of those for 298 yards (27.0 average). It's a smaller sample size, but Elliott has also posted 131.2 yards from scrimmage per game in his three seasons. All Rights Reserved. Bell will pay the price this season with a three-game suspension to start the 2015 season. They got a lot of carries in an era when both the fullback and halfback needed to contribute to the running 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. 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. He's rushed for only 2,599 yards this decade, but everyone knows he's far more than just a running back. Pollard played most of his career at a time when the Steelers struggled. It is tough to guess what the future holds for Connor in the NFL. Those three men will be bypassed for this article despite Johnson ranking third in the all-time rushing yardage for the Black and Gold. Even putting a left end at right end can cause a drop. When it comes to this room, the Steelers are indeed looking for them to step up. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. 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. 9-Rocky Bleier. The concussion was so bad that Hoge had to learn to read again and suffered from memory loss as well as encountering headaches and confusion. Harris is my fourth-ranked running back for the 2022 season. 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. Jerome Bettis was a 250-pound battering ram with incredible quickness for a man his size. Still, Bleier became a starter in the backfield with Harris and shined. However, from 2010-14 he was the best all-purpose back in the league. Photos from the career of former Steelers running back and Hall of Fame finalist Jerome Bettis. Sproles has nearly as many receptions (460) as carries (516) since 2010, and he has 3,936 receiving yards. He posted more than 1,900 yards from scrimmage twice, in 2010 and 2013. Merril Hoge was a versatile fullback who could carry the ball, catch passes, and block. Dudley also scored on a lateraled pass and has kicked point-after-touchdowns as well as making successful field goals. In 2011 Jones-Drew led the league with 1,606 rushing yards and 386 touches. Still, "CJ2K" comes in at No. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. 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. Well, he's worth a lot more now. TODAY: Running backs. It is unfortunate, and I would guess I am not alone in wishing the Steelers would return to their roots and play power football again. During the decade, he has 8,834 rushing yards five 1,000-yard seasons and 71 touchdowns. In both seasons, he made All-Pro. 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 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. Emmitt Smith leads with 18,365 yards and is also the postseason leader with 1,586. Bam Morris: Morris story is a sad, tragic, and unfulfilled one. The last two seasons, with now-departed James Conner the No. For the Steelers he would rush for 2,243 yards five seasons. James Conner is at the forefront . Bleier believed the doctors were wrong and reported to Steelers training camp a year after he left the war. Trump can be sued by cops United States 11:10 am - 10,090 views; Train crash toll now 57 Greece 9:38 am - 3,746 views; Snow, rain end drought California 9:32 am - 1,290 views; More World News Once the Steelers free up a considerable amount of cap space, are eight free agents who could reinvigorate the roster in the 2023 season. 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. 2022 AFC North Standings. Starters per season [ edit] These quarterbacks have started at least one game for the Pittsburgh Steelers . He's another back who never led the league in rushing and never made All-Pro. By, Tom Rothenberg/Zuma Press/Icon Sportswire, This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google. PITTSBURGH (AP) Mike Tomlin wasn't ready to go there, with all due respect. Prior to being drafted by the Army for service, Bleier was a University of Notre Dame product graduating in 1968 earning a degree in Business Management. Allain died on February 21, 2023, following a . 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 Touchdowns. 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. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? One of the best free agent signings of the Mike Tomlin era, DeAngelo Williams was never thought to be more than a top backup running back. Fuqua would have to be the most colorful player in Steelers history as well as the most controversial. Chubb is not the most dangerous or highly . 2023 ABG-SI LLC. NICK CHUBB, CLEVELAND BROWNS. Parker set the record for longest rushing touchdown from scrimmage in a Super Bowl (XL) with a romp of 75 yards which still stands today. He was cut twice but kept up his persistence. (Note: The Steelers signed Derek Watt during the 2020 offseason and released Nix, who signed with Indianapolis. 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. They will be joined by this year's selection, making six for the 2022 season. He also posted at least 1,500 yards from scrimmage during 2013 and 2014 when the Seahawks went to two Super Bowls. In 2006 he tried to make a comeback in the Arena Football League and the National Indoor Football League but that last just part of one season. Franco Harris was the man during The Renaissance, and Jerome Bettis was the man in The Modern Era. In later years Bleier helped pen a book about himself and a movie was made about his story titled Fighting Back.. 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. Walter Abercrombie: To this day, Abercrombie is Baylor Universitys all-time leading rusher with 3,674 yards while scoring 22 touchdowns. How an 8-year-old inspired Najee Harris' 5-TD performance vs. Ole Miss. OTHERS TO CONSIDER Starting this list chronologically is as good a way as any. The trend in the modern NFL is to run the ball out of single-back sets, often from a shotgun or pistol formation. 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 last Steelers running back taken in the first round before Najee Harris, Mendenhall won a Super Bowl as a rookie despite spending most of the season on injured reserve. He finished with 585 yards and scored six touchdowns including a 75-yard run. 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. Bleier starred in Super Bowl XIII with a touchdown reception and a recovered onside kick to seal Pittsburghs third NFL title. Of course, we all know why. 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. 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. His career ended on a sad note in Minnesota, but Peterson regained his form with another 1,000-yard season with Washington in 2018. A bruising Hall of Famer running back, Franco Harris was the perfect embodiment of the Pittsburgh Steelers offense during their championship runs in the 1970s. 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. | Is the fullback truly gone, banished into the deep recesses of pro football history? As it is, he has 5,336 rushing yards and nearly 8,000 yards from scrimmage since coming into the league in 2013. 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). It is highly recommended that you use the latest versions of a supported browser in order to receive an optimal viewing experience. Doctors had told him following the enemy attack that his football days were over. Time to profile some of the outstanding and popular running backs to suit up for the Steelers. With the Bears and Jets, Forte posted 7,629 rushing yards and 11,353 yards from scrimmage from 2010-17. 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 argued that when Gore suffered a season-ending injury at the beginning of December in 2010, his best days were behind him. He's posted 2,987 rushing yards and 28 touchdowns over the last three years.
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