Without question, the Pittsburgh Steelers organization is an outstanding NFL franchise — on the sidelines, in the front office, but more importantly, on the field.
As the fifth oldest franchise in the National Football League, founded in 1933, the Steelers were initially known has the Pirates — until Arthur Joseph Rooney, the team’s owner and founder, changed the name five years later to the Steelers. And the rest, so to speak, is history.
Picture of Greatness
Having won more Super Bowls than any other team in the history of the National Football League, the Steelers are often remembered solely for the great skilled position players such as Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris and Lynn Swann to name a few. But, as with most NFL teams, there are some outstanding players in the less-popular positions. For the Steelers, centers Ray Mansfield and Mike Webster were seldom discussed except among the most-diehard of Steelers fans. Linebacker John Henry Johnson and FB Andy Russell quietly pounded their way into the hearts of the older, more seasoned Steelers fans.
The Steelers of the 1970s, during the Steel Curtain/Terry Bradshaw era were arguable the best team in Pittsburgh’s storied history. A fight could be had for them being the best football squad ever, too! But for the purpose of determining the greatest Pittsburgh Steelers of all-time, we’ll only discuss individual accomplishments.
Top Talent
The best Pittsburgh players will continue to be debated and scrutinized for many years to come. For me and the Steelers fans I consulted, at the top of the heap are Steelers legends Terry Bradshaw, “Mean Joe” Green, Mel Blount, Jack Lambert, Troy Polamalu and Franco Harris. Others to be considered are Jerome Bettis, John Stallworth and head coaches Chuck Noll and Bill Coher. I took a deeper look into the Steeler organization and organized a truthful list of the greatest Pittsburgh players of all-time:
1. Terry Bradshaw
One of the most successful quarterbacks to ever have his cleats in between the lines and touch a football for the NFL is none other than QB Terry Bradshaw. The country bumpkin wore the no.12 jersey with pride and performed on the field with a serious amount of skill and enthusiasm.
The kid from Shreveport, Louisana didn’t exactly enter the NFL and play like a number 1 draft choice. In Bradshaw’s rookie season (1970), Terry tossed 24 lead pumpkins compared to 6 TDs. His QB rating was an embarrassing 30.4! Arriving from Louisana Tech, his route to greatness was painfully slow to say the least.
Nowadays, Terry Bradshaw is one of the most colorful sports commentators in America. He’s funny and a joy to watch as he and his co-host tongue wrestle. Some of Terry Bradshaw’s major accomplishments on the gridiron are:
College: Louisana Tech Years in the NFL: 14 seasons (1970-1983) NFL MVP: 1978 Pro Bowls (3): 1975, 1978, 1979 Super Bowl MVP: 1979, 1980 212 TDs Career year (1978):16 games, 2,915 passing yds, 28 TDs Career passing yards: 27, 989
Fun fact: In 2006, at the age of 57, Bradshaw signed with the Daytona Beach Thunder of the Indoor Football League.
2. Franco Harris
The words Franco Harris can’t be spoken without mentioning the dramatic finish to the AFC divisional playoff against the Oakland Raiders on December 23, 1972. The Immaculate Reception, as it is forever known, is synonymous with Franco Harris’ career, as well as Terry Bradshaw’s. The entire city of Pittsburgh knows all about it, regardless of age.
In addition to the Immaculate Reception, a mere speed bump in the career of this prized running back, Franco had 14,622 all-purpose yards — 12,120 yds coming from rushing at the end of his career. Franco Harris retired in 1984 after 13 seasons. Franco Harris was one of the few successful running backs to emerge from the linebacker-heavy Penn State Nitney Lions football farm. Here is a partial list of Franco Harris’ stats:
College: Penn State Years in the NFL: 13 years (12 with Pitt, 1 with Seattle) from 1972-1984 Career 100-yard games: 47 Pro Bowls (9): 1972-1979 91 career TDs Super Bowl MVP: 1975 NFL Rookie of the Year: 1975
3. Jack Lambert
Just reading the name stirs memories of the snaggle-toothed linebacker wrestling the opposing player to the ground in a cloud of dust. Drafted from Kent State, Lambert earned NFL Defensive MVP honors in 1976 and was the Rookie Defensive Player of the Year in 1974. The 1974 NFL draft also produced Steelers legends Lynn Swann (21st overall), John Stallworth (82nd), and Mike Webster (125th). Lambert was drafted 46th overall.
The defense of 1976, anchored by Lambert, was one of the greatest defenses in the history of the NFL. Dominating opposing offensives with regularity, the ’76 Steelers defense recorded five shutouts and only allowed two touchdowns in nine games.
“Jack had the image of a wild-man, but he killed opponents with his perfection,” said linebacking partner Andy Russell. “His greatness had nothing to do with his popular image.”
Highlights from Jack Lambert’s career:
College: Kent State Years in the League: 1974 – 1984, all with the Steelers played in 146 games Pro Bowls (9): 1975-1983 more than 1,400 tackles 28 INTs
Honorable mentions
Mel Blount tops my list of honorable mentions. From 1970 to 1983, DB Mel Blount dominated the field and protected the end zone with tremendous skill. Other honorable mentions for top Steelers are:
Head Coach Chuck Noll Safety Troy Polamolu Running back Jerome Bettis Defensive lineman “Mean Joe” Green Wide receiver John Stallworth Wide receiver Lynn Swann Center Mike Webster
Read more from this contributor:
“Which Team Has the Best Linebacking Corps in the NFL?”
“The Rise of Unnecessary Roughness in the NFL”
Sources:
Pittsburgh Steelers, “History: Awards & Honors”
Allan Maki, “Football’s Greatest Stars” (2008)
Pro-football-reference, “Jack Lambert NFL & AFL Statistics”
Pro-football-reference, “Terry Bradshaw NFL &AFL Statistics”
Pro-football-reference, “Franco Harris NFL & AFL Statistics”