He would retire with 3,965 yards on the ground, second best in history for the Steelers at that time. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. First running back gets drafted in the seventh round. How an 8-year-old inspired Najee Harris' 5-TD performance vs. Ole Miss. 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. Emmitt Smith has held the record since surpassing Walter Payton's long-standing total in 2002. There was a time when almost every NFL offense was predicated on a feature back that got most of the carries and earned a big paycheck. 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. 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. 2022 AFC North Standings. Doctors had told him following the enemy attack that his football days were over. It is tough to guess what the future holds for Connor in the NFL. Starters per season [ edit] These quarterbacks have started at least one game for the Pittsburgh Steelers . Many teams even rotate three or more backs throughout the game, with all getting an equal number of carries. 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. Perhaps one of the most popular and beloved Steelers players of all-time, Bleier became famous before he ever established himself as Franco Harriss partner in crime based on his experiences in the Vietnam War. Reports this off-season show he weighed in at 244 pounds from 232 last season. Over the past 50 years, the Steelers have had three coaches, and each has used a different style of offense. But from 2015-16, he posted more than 1,000 rushing yards, 1,500 yards from scrimmage and at least 13 touchdowns each season. Franco Harris was the man during The Renaissance, and Jerome Bettis was the man in The Modern Era. The role of the fullback changed dramatically when the I-formation came into vogue in the 1980s. Fuqua was not an original Steelers having been drafted by the New York Giants and then traded to Pittsburgh. All rights reserved. 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. Great Pittsburgh Steelers players such as Heath Miller, Bennie Cunningham, and Eric Green, who could count among the best NFL players ever, have gone down as some of the best tight ends in Steelers franchise history. 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. In 1944 he led Army to an undefeated record with 12 victories and was named the teams Most Valuable Player. Mendenhall spent five seasons in Pittsburgh and was a member of two Super Bowl teams. The 23-year-old was on his way to two straight special years to begin his NFL career before the Chiefs cut him following his involvement with a woman in a domestic dispute. For his service in the war, Bleier received the Purple Heart and a Bronze Star. Touchdowns. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. This decade, Sproles has also led the league in punt return yardage twice. Drafted by the Steelers in 1942 and in his rookie season led the NFL in rushing with 696 yards. 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. See the full player roster for the 2022 Pittsburgh Steelers. The following is another in a series that picks a Steelers All-Modern Era Team. Mendenhall provided the following reason for retiring so young: Football was pretty cool, but I dont want to play anymore. For the Steelers he would rush for 2,243 yards five seasons. 1. The Steelers went 6-10 in his first season, but along with players like Hines Ward, Jerome Bettis, and Alan Faneca . James Conner was thrust into the spotlight in 2018 when halfback LeVeon Bell held out for the entire season. Dudley also found himself on kickoff returns where he fielded 11 of those for 298 yards (27.0 average). It has been said that Rooney responded with the declaration that he would never again attempt to call a play for his team. 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. Franco Harris was a fullback, as was Merril Hoge and John Henry Johnson. More like he will get exposed yet again as being the most overrated running back in the league . After a slow start (for a seventh overall draft pick from . 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. As a punter, he kicked the ball 18 times during his career and averaged 32 yards per punt. Fuqua led the Steelers in rushing in 1970 and 1971 and totaled 2,942 yards on the ground during his time in Pittsburgh. Players active with the Pittsburgh . Harris played 980 offensive snaps during the regular season . The official source for NFL news, video highlights, fantasy football, game-day coverage, schedules, stats, scores and more. He scored seven touchdowns and caught the ball 22 times for an additional 204 yards and a 9.3 yards-per-reception mark. He spent much of 2019 injured, and team injuries across the board made it difficult to judge his performance fairly. The All-Modern Era team is made up of 26 players - 11 on offense, 11 on defense, and four specialists. Today we ranked the Pittsburgh Steeler Running Backs throughout their franchise! MORE: 2023 Dynasty Rookie Rankings. Please see our Contributors and Sources page for data source details. Bell was a unique back in Steelers history due to both the wide-open offense he played in and his careful, patient running style. They got a lot of carries in an era when both the fullback and halfback needed to contribute to the running game. Chubb is not the most dangerous or highly . 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. 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. 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. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. The trend in the modern NFL is to run the ball out of single-back sets, often from a shotgun or pistol formation. He signed as an undrafted free agent who had run a 4.23-second 40 at the Scouting Combine the previous spring. Another big bruising back that also has surprising quickness, Bell at 244 pounds is turning into a super star in the NFL. WILLIE PARKER had difference-making speed at the NFL level, but because he wasn't built physically to withstand the 913 carries he got from 2005-07, he got worn down and then his speed wasn't as difference-making at the NFL level. Last year's offensive rookie of the year award winner, Barkley was close to perfect for fantasy owners. Harris managed to get 691 rushing yards, with an average of five yards. Still, I think he is deserving of the number 16 spot on this list of all-time great Steelers backs. Wanting the jersey number 26 which he wore at Notre Dame, Preston Pearson held those digits so Rocky settled for No. 2023 ABG-SI LLC. does st martin parish have school tomorrow. Williams had his first 1,000-yard season and averaged 13.3 ppg. 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. Franco Harris is the Pittsburgh Steelers career leader in rushing yards with 11,950. Ingram's best season came in 2017 when he posted 1,124 yards and 12 touchdowns. It's a smaller sample size, but Elliott has also posted 131.2 yards from scrimmage per game in his three seasons. The real results of who touched it first is still undetermined to this day. name the pittsburgh steelers running back to the last 10 years. The Steelers had a reputation of big bruising backs but Parker spelled that philosophy with speed and elusiveness. As it is, he has 5,336 rushing yards and nearly 8,000 yards from scrimmage since coming into the league in 2013. Player ratings with position rankings. Williams recorded at least 730 rushing yards in a season four times . . 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. Former season 27 " Dancing With the Stars " competitor John Schneider has returned to social media following the death of his wife, Alicia Allain. Since reliable yardage statistics were not recorded prior to 1932, the first NFL player recognized as the career leader in rushing yards was Cliff Battles, who played from 1932 to 1937 for the Boston Braves / Boston Redskins / Washington Redskins. 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. Dickerson was traded mid-season in 1987; he played three games for the Rams and nine for the Colts. Sutton not only enjoyed the best year of his career, but he also arguably played like a top-10 cornerback. Chances are it is an announcer who remembers some of the great backs in Steelers history and how they dominated the game. The Pittsburgh Steelers have had some great tight ends throughout the franchise's history. Morris peaked as a rookie, rushing for 1,613 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2012. He'll continue to split time with Nick Chubb in the backfield, but the Browns are a run-first team that will use the talents of both. He posted 1,000-yard rushing seasons in each of the first three years of the decade. Only other is safeties at sub lb and doesn't change their ratings just where they are on the field. In the end Rocky Bleier rushed for 3,865 yards, 1,294 yards receiving on 136 catches and scored 25 times. 11 because of four straight 1,000-yard seasons to begin the decade. Who Is The Best Wide Receiver In The NFL Right Now? Sep 20, 1992; San Diego, CA, USA; FILE PHOTO; Pittsburgh Steelers running back Barry Foster (29) in action against San Diego Chargers defenders Junior Seau (55) and George Thornton (93) at Jack . Born in the Ivory Coast, Zereoue played his high school football in Long Island, New York and then went on to be a star running back for the Mountaineers. Both backs had to run well with the ball and have the skills to block for the other. Visit ESPN to view the Pittsburgh Steelers team depth chart for the current season (Note: The Steelers signed Derek Watt during the 2020 offseason and released Nix, who signed with Indianapolis. With the 2019 season, there is still time to influence who lands where among a list of the best running backs of the decade. This means two backs in the backfield, usually lined up side by side. In his first three seasons, Ingram ran for more than 600 yards in a season just once. 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. 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. He came to the Steelers after three seasons with the Rams which had earned him a reputation as a problem player. Emailed daily. Bill Dudley: Bullet Bill was his nickname and a great running back he was. 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. From 1974 to 1979, Harris topped the 1,000-yard milestone every season and carried the Steelers to four Super Bowl victories. All-time Rushing Leader: Franco Harris 2,881 att, 11,950 yds, 91 TD . Watt is a fullback who saw a lot of snaps during his time with the Chargers.). His 6-foot-2, 230 pound frame made it virtually impossible for one defender to take him down. Barkley was a huge reason why the Giants returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2016. Looking at an NFL game today, something seems to be missing. Charles also ran for 1,509 yards in 2012 and 1,033 yards in 2014. Dudley could do it all on the field as he was just not a back but a defensive back, punter, and place kicker. 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. Rashard Mendenhall only played five seasons with the Steelers but rushed for a respectable 3,549 yards in 57 games. 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. 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. Overall, he ran for 4,731 yards and 28 touchdowns playing for the Rams, Falcons and Patriots from 2010-15. 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. 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. He has six 1,000-yard seasons and six Pro Bowl nominations with the Eagles and Bills during the 2010s. All Rights Reserved. Unfortunately, his tenure with the Steelers came to a dramatic end with a contract dispute in 2018, but during his time with the team, he was one of the greatest. Current team members are listed in bold. He lasted just five seasons but they were filled with success. Read on to find out why. He was an example of how great players can not only break the rules and succeed, but sometimes even make up their own rules. 9, we . 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 . Fran Rogel: For Steelers fans who watched the team in the 1950s they would be familiar with a famous nursery rhyme with a Pittsburgh Steelers twist. The Pittsburgh Steelers Hall-of-Fame running back Franco Harris died Wednesday, just before the 50-year anniversary of his "Immaculate Reception" play. 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. The days of Jim Brown or John Riggins getting 40 carries a game are gone. All-time Receiving Leader: Hines Ward 1,000 rec, 12,083 yds, 85 TD . 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. (Fullback Roosevelt Nix spent most of 2019 injured and did not appear to have a viable replacement.) Franco Harris gets most of the credit for that infamous incident, but Terry Bradshaws passing attempt on that play was originally intended for Fuqua who was decleated by Jack Tatum. He is more famously known for his post-retirement with ESPN as an analyst which he has excelled at and has become one of that networks finest announcers. Before Franco Harris, there was John Frenchy Fuqua. 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. Franco Harris is not only the best Steelers running back in franchise history, but one of the greatest Steelers of all time. Harris is my fourth-ranked running back for the 2022 season. Harris was a part of four championship team and would be named to the Pro Bowl nine times. He was Le'Veon Bell when Bell was at Michigan State. That lands him in the top five during the decade. 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. 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. 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. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Despite the occurrences of injury, Hoge ran for 3,115 yards as a Steeler and rushed for 21 touchdowns. Well, he's worth a lot more now. He was intensive care for 48 hours and this forced his retirement. Let's take a look back at the rest of the Steelers picks since the 2000 season. His rookie contract was voided after his fourth season, after just one in Pittsburgh, and there were opportunities to leave. It was thought by the Steelers coaching staff and fans alike that Pittsburgh had found their new star running back. However, it's not too early to break down the best from the 2010s either. He's averaged 101.2 rushing yards per game during his career and led the NFL in that category each of the last three years. 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. All-time Scoring Leader: Gary Anderson 1,343 points 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. 22. He only spent six seasons with the Steelers, but it was enough to rack up 4,381 rushing yards and land him at number five for all-time leading rushers in Pittsburgh history. The former Heisman Trophy winner is another example of a highly regarded college back getting off to a slow start in the NFL. The 33rd Team. 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. 1 1. His entire career was with the Steelers and he would finish those six seasons with 1,512 yards and 18 touchdowns. Included are players that played for the Pittsburgh Steelers (NFL) from 1945-2022, the Pittsburgh Steelers (NFL) from 1940-1942 and the Pittsburgh Pirates (NFL) from 1933-1939. Fran Rogel was also a local product having grown up in North Braddock, Pennsylvania. Who should be on top of the Steelers NFL Free Agency board? 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. Weve reviewed the most popular quarterbacks to play for the Pittsburgh Steelers, but among those signal callers, who are some of the players they were handing the ball off to when not throwing the rock? In Pittsburgh, he was everything but. All-time Rushing Leader: Franco Harris 2,881 att, 11,950 yds, 91 TD . He ended his career with only 1,512 rushing yards, but with two Super Bowl rings. At 244 pounds, Morris was a load running behind the offensive line and his numbers backed up his train rushing efforts. But it was his story of injury during the war that gave him notoriety at the start of his career. The former Titan had only 28 catches for 294 yards last year . Morris signed with Baltimore Ravens where he lasted just two seasons before the Chicago Bears and Kansas City Chiefs took a chance on him in 1998. 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. 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. Do you have a blog? steelers running backs last 10 years He's posted 2,987 rushing yards and 28 touchdowns over the last three years. Beast Mode's freakish combination of power and finesse was unlike any running back that came before him. LeVeon Bell: Finally we have our current star in the making. In just a three-year period, from 2010-12, he posted 5,702 yards from scrimmage and 47 touchdowns. Copyright 2023 YB Media, LLC. He made the Pro Bowl three times, from 2014-16. 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 . 4M; . Dudley owns 44 touchdowns to his credit. Time to profile some of the outstanding and popular running backs to suit up for the Steelers. In 2012, he made the All-Pro team with 1,590 rushing yards and 1,786 yards from scrimmage. The top photos of RB Le'Veon Bell throughout 2014 season. Parker was perhaps the fastest running back ever to play for the Steelers. Is the fullback truly gone, banished into the deep recesses of pro football history? LeVeon Bell made his mark with the Steelers running in this kind of offense. Dudley also scored on a lateraled pass and has kicked point-after-touchdowns as well as making successful field goals. 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. Najee Harris warming to Steelers' running back-by-committee approach. Sproles has nearly as many receptions (460) as carries (516) since 2010, and he has 3,936 receiving yards. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. Once the Steelers free up a considerable amount of cap space, are eight free agents who could reinvigorate the roster in the 2023 season. Players were considered based on having careers with the Steelers from 1992 until the present. Murray made the All-Pro team and Pro Bowl that year. But following the Super Bowl Morris was arrested for trafficking marijuana and the Steelers wanted nothing to do with his off-the-field problems and released him. With the Bears and Jets, Forte posted 7,629 rushing yards and 11,353 yards from scrimmage from 2010-17. He has held the all-time rushing yards record since 2002 and is the only player with over 17,000 regular season rushing yards. By Ross Kelly and Tony Adame, updated on October 18, 2022. During the decade, he has posted 9,187 yards five 1,000-yard seasons and 56 touchdowns. The running back ran for 1,200 yards and seven touchdowns on 307 carries, and caught 74 passes for 467 yards and three touchdowns. Allain died on February 21, 2023, following a . Other teams (like the Steelers) have one but rarely use him. Many argued that when Gore suffered a season-ending injury at the beginning of December in 2010, his best days were behind him. The team has selected second overall once, and third overall four times. Tackles. 7. After five seasons of never finishing higher than RB34, Williams had a career year in 2022, finishing as the overall RB18. Today, Johnson is one of the former Steelers in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Mendenhall is currently No. James Conner is at the forefront . In the I-formation, the fullback lines up behind the quarterback, and the halfback (tailback) lines up behind the fullback.