steelers running backs last 10 years steelers running backs last 10 years

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. By his second season as a Steeler, he had become the heir apparent to Jerome Bettis. He spent his first year in the NFL with the Giants before coming to the Steelers in 1970. Harris was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1990. I could be wrong. But he's rushed for more than 1,000 yards in a season twice, and he led the league with 18 rushing touchdowns in 2016. Ranking the AFC North running backs. In the I-formation, the fullback lines up behind the quarterback, and the halfback (tailback) lines up behind the fullback. 1, Pittsburgh didn't have a top-25 running back. Please see our Contributors and Sources page for data source details. | The Senate passed the bill . Peterson then signed with the . The last two seasons, with now-departed James Conner the No. Amos Zereoue: Another fan favorite was West Virginia University product, Famous Amos Zereoue. Bettis was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2015. Bleier was an outstanding lead blocker as well as being able to run the ball well and also had solid hands as a receiver. Franco Harris arrives during the 2019 Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. Touchdowns. As it is, he has 5,336 rushing yards and nearly 8,000 yards from scrimmage since coming into the league in 2013. In 2012, he made the All-Pro team with 1,590 rushing yards and 1,786 yards from scrimmage. He would retire with 3,965 yards on the ground, second best in history for the Steelers at that time. Steeler running backs Franco Harris, Rocky Bleier, Jerome Bettis, Willie Parker, Sidney Thornton and Rashard Mendenhall all helped bring Lombardi Trophies to Pittsburgh. 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. 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). 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. He would end up moving to the Dallas Cowboys where he would get a chance to face off against his former team in two more Super Bowls (X and XIII). 2013 Steelers 2014 Steelers 2015 Steelers 2016 Steelers 2017 Steelers 2018 Steelers 2019 Steelers 2020 Steelers 2021 Steelers 2022 Steelers 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 8-8 11-5 10-6 11-5 13-3 9-6-1 8-8 12-4 9-7-1 9-8. Morris peaked as a rookie, rushing for 1,613 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2012. MORE: 2023 Dynasty Rookie Rankings. Drafted in the third round by the Steelers, Zereoue would play from 1999 to 2003 in Black and Gold before finishing his career in Oakland for one season and another in New England. OTHERS TO CONSIDER Starting this list chronologically is as good a way as any. 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. name the pittsburgh steelers running back to the last 10 years. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. 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. 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. However, it's not too early to break down the best from the 2010s either. 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. 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. He scored seven touchdowns and caught the ball 22 times for an additional 204 yards and a 9.3 yards-per-reception mark. He earned the Super Bowl MVP award after running for 158 yards and a touchdown against the Vikings in Super Bowl IX. Injuries hurt Foster later in his career, but he did record 1,246 rushing yards in 2014. Meanwhile, Myles Jack's cap hit grows significantly from $4.75 million last year to $11.25 million in 2023. In 2011 Jones-Drew led the league with 1,606 rushing yards and 386 touches. These honorable mentions may not have a place on this list of all-time best Steelers running backs, but if you are a Steelers fan, there is a good chance you'll remember them fondly. Steelers running back James Conner (30) runs for a short gain past Titans cornerback Kristian Fulton (26) during the first half at Nissan Stadium. As a Steelers, he was occasionally brilliant but more often disappointing. Pittsburgh Steelers Career Rushing Leaders. With the Bears and Jets, Forte posted 7,629 rushing yards and 11,353 yards from scrimmage from 2010-17. In just a three-year period, from 2010-12, he posted 5,702 yards from scrimmage and 47 touchdowns. [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 . Keep in mind that accomplishments made only during this decade were considered for these rankings. He's another back who never led the league in rushing and never made All-Pro. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. He is currently the third leading rusher in Steelers history. 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. He was Le'Veon Bell when Bell was at Michigan State. All-time Scoring Leader: Gary Anderson 1,343 points All of that, plus the fact Bettis averaged over 1,000 yards per season with the Steelers (10,571) and scored 78 touchdowns, puts him on the All-Modern Era team, and his partner in the backfield is Le'Veon Bell. Who Is The Best Running Back In The NFL Right Now? Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? It has been said that Rooney responded with the declaration that he would never again attempt to call a play for his team. Join our linker program. Over the past six years, he has covered the NFL, NHL, MLB, fantasy sports, college football and basketball, and New Jersey high school sports for numerous print and online publications. 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. The former Titan had only 28 catches for 294 yards last year . How an 8-year-old inspired Najee Harris' 5-TD performance vs. Ole Miss. But he stayed. 'We'll probably move a little slower than most of our peers, but we don't worry about the Jonses', 28-14 victory caps 7-2 finish, but season ends because Miami's win claims final playoff spot, 'He drinks the Kool-Aid that is Pittsburgh, Pa., he's a Steeler, he teaches it to the young guys', His 111 yards rushing, 10-yard catch for a TD, and physical presence throughout keyed 16-13 win, 'His versatility, his experience allows us to move him and Minkah to diversify our attack', 'The most challenging component of the weather, man, are the poor fans sitting in the stands', Dan Rooney: 'One of the finest, most thoughtful human beings I have ever known', 'I wanted to see Mitch's ability to bounce back from the last game relative to taking care of the ball', Three interceptions, blocked FG prove to be insurmountable mistakes in 16-14 defeat, 'You can take the energy out of an arena on the road when you do some of the things he does', The 19-16 victory represents first winning streak of season and is the third in last four games, The defense made some plays, such as Heyward's sack, but also allowed two 90-yard TD drives, 2023 Pittsburgh Steelers. 2022 AFC North Standings. 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 the man during The Renaissance, and Jerome Bettis was the man in The Modern Era. 2. 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 Pittsburgh Steelers have had some great tight ends throughout the franchises history. 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. Frequently Asked Questions about the NFL and Football, Pro-Football-Reference.com Blog and Articles, Subscribe to Stathead Football: Get your first month FREE. 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. If he had played in those games, Bell is easily in the top five on this list and maybe close to the top. John Fuqua ( 1970-76) Before Franco Harris, there was John "Frenchy" Fuqua. It was a hard task to actually rank all of the great running backs . By the time the fourth quarter rolls around, it is easy to see why opposing defenses would wish they were somewhere else. He is currently a free agent and the third oldest running back in the NFL, as well as the second oldest active running back. More like he will get exposed yet again as being the most overrated running back in the league . In Super Bowl XXX when the Steelers lost to the Dallas Cowboys that many thought that Pittsburgh could have won if not for Neil ODonnells errant interceptions, Morris rushed for 73 yards on 19 carries and scored a touchdown. That changed over the last decade or so, due to quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's emergence as an elite . He peculiarly retired after that one campaign with the Cardinals. Read on to find out why. Having gone through a tough contract negotiation in 1995, the Steelers instead of trying to settle traded Foster over to the Carolina Panthers who then cut the running back in training camp due to a failed physical. Time to profile some of the outstanding and popular running backs to suit up for the Steelers. In one of his final interviews before his . 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 . Today, Johnson is one of the former Steelers in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The trend in the modern NFL is to run the ball out of single-back sets, often from a shotgun or pistol formation. All-time Rushing Leader: Franco Harris 2,881 att, 11,950 yds, 91 TD . Who the heck is this guy, we all wondered aloud, but in much more colorful language. The Tigers picked up their sixth commitment for the 2024 recruiting cycle - and their first running back - Wednesday with the public . That couldn't have been further from the truth. He caught 57 passes for 338 yards as well. It's Le'Veon Bell because there is thought given to picking players who could function as a unit if the position require that. 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. But since then injuries have slowed him, and he's averaging 3.6 yards per attempt. 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. 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. In 2015 he finished second in the league in rushing and earned a spot on the All-Pro Team. That lands him in the top five during the decade. What those teams dont have is a legacy of bullying and dominating opponents, and that is what brought the Steelers six Super Bowl championships. This list of past Steelers tight ends features former greats, current impact players, and even future stars. Matte took over for another fantastic white running back, former Heisman Trophy winner and 1958 NFL Championship Game hero Alan Ameche. Abercrombie played one more season in 1988 with the cross state Philadelphia Eagles before retiring. Took pay cuts, and continued to stay. There have been some running backs in Steelers history who had one or two good seasons in Pittsburgh, then went on their way. Watt is a fullback who saw a lot of snaps during his time with the Chargers.). 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. Najee Harris warming to Steelers' running back-by-committee approach. 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. For years, the Pittsburgh Steelers were considered a team that dominated with the run. James Conner finished his career in Pittsburgh as the #17 ranked rusher in Steelers history. From the time Fran Rogel became the teams starting running back in 1950 until his retirement in 1957, Pittsburghs first play from scrimmage in every game Rogel was in the backfield began with a handoff to the California State Teachers College and Penn State University product with a rush into the middle of the offensive line. He also was a punt returner, bringing back 20 punts with a 14.0 average per return. Regular season. But Jackson was still one of the best runners of the 2010s. 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 . He finished with 585 yards and scored six touchdowns including a 75-yard run. Jerome "The Bus" Bettis tops our list as the Steelers best running back of all time. The All-Modern Era team is made up of 26 players - 11 on offense, 11 on defense, and four specialists. As a Steeler, Bettis crashed his way for 10,571 rushing yards and 78 rushing touchdowns, both second-best in team history. 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. For his service in the war, Bleier received the Purple Heart and a Bronze Star. But Stewart posted 5,366 rushing yards and 31 touchdowns in the decade. 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. Everything in the NFL goes in cycles. In 79 games with the Steelers, he carried the ball for 3,343 yards and 22 touchdowns. Anderson was traded mid-season in 1986; he played four games for the Cardinals and eight for the Giants. All rights reserved. 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. He stepped in for a banged-up Willie Parker in 2009 and ran for 1,108 yards and seven touchdowns. Since missing the last five games of 2010, Gore has sat out just two games over the last eight years. Posted August 12, 2019 Find out more. In 1980, Thornton would average five yards-per-carry while carrying the rock 78 times. It's hard to rank Sproles. Only stats for Regular Season Games have been included. 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. March 1, 2023 2:19 pm PT. He has six 1,000-yard seasons and six Pro Bowl nominations with the Eagles and Bills during the 2010s. The on-field portion of the NFL Combine begins on Thursday, marking the start of the testing circuit that propels some prospects into the stratosphere while ruining the stock of others. The running back ran for 1,200 yards and seven touchdowns on 307 carries, and caught 74 passes for 467 yards and three touchdowns. Murray made the All-Pro team and Pro Bowl that year. The phrase is often proclaimed by an announcer after a Steelers running back plows over a few unlucky defenders. This list of past Steelers tight ends features former greats, current impact players, and even future stars. . 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. Jerome Bettis is the latest Steelers running back to become a member in Canton, Ohio. Well, he's worth a lot more now. 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. Fuqua would have to be the most colorful player in Steelers history as well as the most controversial. 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? Franco Harris was a fullback, as was Merril Hoge and John Henry Johnson. But twice he rushed for more than 1,400 yards, and as a rookie in 2012 Martin posted 1,926 yards from scrimmage. Others were blocking fullbacks who spent their careers opening holes for star backs. Jackson never led the league in rushing and never made the All-Pro team. TODAY: Running backs. If youve followed the Steelers, you've probably heard the term "Steelers Football." The Pittsburgh Steelers have a long history of smash-mouth football dating back to before they ever won their first Super Bowl. 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. 2. Overall, Foster registered 6,270 rushing yards and 8,523 yards from scrimmage playing for the Texans and Dolphins from 2010-16. The former Heisman Trophy winner is another example of a highly regarded college back getting off to a slow start in the NFL. Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. The Steelers won a lot of games in the late-90s to mid-2000s by lining up 250-pound running back Jerome Bettis behind 250-pound fullback Dan Kreider and bulldozing any defense that came before them. 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 a rookie, on a terrible offense, he finished as a top 24 running back in 93% of his games last year. Sidney Thornton: Another stout running back for Pittsburgh was the bullish Thornton who weighed in at 230 pounds during his play days in Pittsburgh from 1977 to 1982. Conner responded with a Pro Bowl performance and gave Steeler Nation hope that hed become the next great Pittsburgh running back. 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. Dudley also found himself on kickoff returns where he fielded 11 of those for 298 yards (27.0 average). Bill Dudley also played with the Detroit Lions and Washington Redskins after leaving the Steelers, and finished his career with 3,057 yards rushing, 1,383 yards receiving, punted the ball for a total of 7,304 yards, and on defense intercepted 23 passes. Fuqua led the Steelers in rushing in 1970 and 1971 and totaled 2,942 yards on the ground during his time in Pittsburgh. Starters per season [ edit] These quarterbacks have started at least one game for the Pittsburgh Steelers . Bill Dudley: Bullet Bill was his nickname and a great running back he was. In 1999 the Chiefs cut him and his life spiraled out of control with drug problems and jail time. He also earned the first of two consecutive First-Team All-Pro selections. Williams had his first 1,000-yard season and averaged 13.3 ppg. Former Steelers running back Willie Parker (39) acknowledges the crowd during a 2018 against the Chargers at Heinz Field. 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. The real results of who touched it first is still undetermined to this day. Walter Abercrombie: To this day, Abercrombie is Baylor Universitys all-time leading rusher with 3,674 yards while scoring 22 touchdowns. The quick-footed big guy ran over, through and around defenders for nine years with the Steelers. 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. Before Franco Harris, there was John Frenchy Fuqua. Twenty-three slots went by before the Pittsburgh Steelers selected Najee Harris in 2021. He was cut twice but kept up his persistence. In two seasons, he is already 18th among all Steelers backs in rushing. Williams didn't post a 1,000-yard season in this decade mostly due to the fact he shared the backfield with another player on our list. 9, we . In 27 games Hunt has 2,151 rushing yards, 2,984 yards from scrimmage and 25 touchdowns. CHARLESTON, W.Va. . The official source for NFL news, video highlights, fantasy football, game-day coverage, schedules, stats, scores and more. The controversy arose when the ball deflected off of Tatum or Frenchy. When running the ball, they often do so out of one-back sets and shotgun and pistol formations. 'Top 10, he would not get laughs' Thirty-five picks elapsed before a team drafted a running back last year. Today he is 68 and still colorful. 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. 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. He returned to put . Bill Dudley was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1966 and 10 year prior was inducted into College Footballs Hall of Fame. 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. He lasted just five seasons but they were filled with success. 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. Fuqua to this day refuses to give his take on what actually took place. 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. Gurley has rushed for 4,547 rushing yards and recorded 6,430 yards from scrimmage with 56 touchdowns. In the end Rocky Bleier rushed for 3,865 yards, 1,294 yards receiving on 136 catches and scored 25 times. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. Today, with the explosion of the passing game, a star running back is a helpful asset but no longer a requirement. As the tight end position increasingly becomes more of a focal point in offensive schemes , one. . Still, Bleier became a starter in the backfield with Harris and shined. This decade, Sproles has also led the league in punt return yardage twice. 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. Still, Johnson's All-Pro 2016 season was enough to land him on the list. . He signed as an undrafted free agent who had run a 4.23-second 40 at the Scouting Combine the previous spring. In Pittsburgh, he was everything but. The following is the Pittsburgh Steelers all-time roster, browsable by last name or position. Who should be on top of the Steelers NFL Free Agency board? Player ratings with position rankings. 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. The only exception in madden 22 was a glitched out ray Lewis that was 97 at mlb but 99 at r/lolb. Buffalo 2007-10; Seattle 2010-15, '19; Oakland 2017-18. He will be called an innovator or maybe even a genius when his team wins a Super Bowl by smashing its way through flimsy NFL defenses that are designed to stop passing attacks. 8. By, Tom Rothenberg/Zuma Press/Icon Sportswire, This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google. Lynch was an underrated pass-catcher in his prime too. In the second concussion he encountered, it resulted in Hoge having to be resuscitated when he stopped breathing. 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. He was intensive care for 48 hours and this forced his retirement. Reports this off-season show he weighed in at 244 pounds from 232 last season. After five seasons of never finishing higher than RB34, Williams had a career year in 2022, finishing as the overall RB18. In addition, he got 52 receiving yards, with an average of 10.4. 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.