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. Bleier believed the doctors were wrong and reported to Steelers training camp a year after he left the war. Keep in mind that accomplishments made only during this decade were considered for these rankings. In 1999 the Chiefs cut him and his life spiraled out of control with drug problems and jail time. Dudley also found himself on kickoff returns where he fielded 11 of those for 298 yards (27.0 average). The only exception in madden 22 was a glitched out ray Lewis that was 97 at mlb but 99 at r/lolb. Let's take a look back at the rest of the Steelers picks since the 2000 season. Bleier was an outstanding lead blocker as well as being able to run the ball well and also had solid hands as a receiver. Reports this off-season show he weighed in at 244 pounds from 232 last season. Rob Burns / AP Photo. During that year, Peterson won league MVP the last running back to do so. All-time Rushing Leader: Franco Harris 2,881 att, 11,950 yds, 91 TD . Still, Bleier became a starter in the backfield with Harris and shined. This led to fans chanting Hey Diddle Diddle, Rogel Up the Middle. There was just one occasion that the Steelers failed to use Rogel on the games first play. We present them here for purely educational purposes. In 2011 Jones-Drew led the league with 1,606 rushing yards and 386 touches. In 2015 he finished second in the league in rushing and earned a spot on the All-Pro Team. By the time the fourth quarter rolls around, it is easy to see why opposing defenses would wish they were somewhere else. 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. 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. TEAM SEASON GP REC W% W L T TD PTS PPG OPP PTS OPP PPG 1DWN 3DWN% 4DWN% Pittsburgh Steelers: 2013: 16: 8-8.500: 8: 8: 0: 41: 379 . Still, Johnson's All-Pro 2016 season was enough to land him on the list. Players active with the Pittsburgh . 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. There have been some running backs in Steelers history who had one or two good seasons in Pittsburgh, then went on their way. Lists that rank the greatest players and coaches in the history of the NFL franchise. Yes, that was his average. Ranking the AFC North running backs. Hunt only played eight games with the Browns last season after serving an eight-game suspension. 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. Most Steelers fans think of Rocky Bleier as Franco Harris running mate throughout the 70s, and rightly so. That changed over the last decade or so, due to quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's emergence as an elite . 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. In Pittsburgh, he was everything but. Which of these tight ends has left a lasting legacy in the city of Pittsburgh? However, from 2010-14 he was the best all-purpose back in the league. Fullback Franco Harris came to the Steelers in the 1972 draft and made an immediate impact. 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. 1, Pittsburgh didn't have a top-25 running back. As the tight end position increasingly becomes more of a focal point in offensive schemes , one. His entire career was with the Steelers and he would finish those six seasons with 1,512 yards and 18 touchdowns. Do you have a sports website? (Note: The Steelers signed Derek Watt during the 2020 offseason and released Nix, who signed with Indianapolis. He'll likely end up with a good chunk of dough in free agency, but it's hard to believe . Former Steelers running back Willie Parker (39) acknowledges the crowd during a 2018 against the Chargers at Heinz Field. He returned to put . Los Angeles' running backs are in a bit of a limbo right . Steeler running backs Franco Harris, Rocky Bleier, Jerome Bettis, Willie Parker, Sidney Thornton and Rashard Mendenhall all helped bring Lombardi Trophies to Pittsburgh. Postseason. Amos Zereoue: Another fan favorite was West Virginia University product, Famous Amos Zereoue. Dudley could do it all on the field as he was just not a back but a defensive back, punter, and place kicker. Former Tulane Green Wave running back Tyjae Spears made a big splash at the Senior Bowl, but that was hardly the first time he put on a show. The 34-year-old made All-Pro twice, in 2008 and 2009, but he added two more All-Pro nominations during 2012 and 2015. In 1944 he led Army to an undefeated record with 12 victories and was named the teams Most Valuable Player. As it is, he has 5,336 rushing yards and nearly 8,000 yards from scrimmage since coming into the league in 2013. But Hoak is probably best remembered for his ever-so-long tenure as the Running Backs coach with Chuck Noll and Bill Cowher. Emailed daily. Williams recorded at least 730 rushing yards in a season four times . The first requirement is an intimidating defense that dominates opponents and makes it tough for them to put points on the board. 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. John Fuqua: How could any Steelers fan in the Nation of Black and Gold not smile when speaking of John Frenchy Fuqua. In 2011 and 2013, he made All-Pro, and in 2013 he posted 2,146 yards from scrimmage. The former Titan had only 28 catches for 294 yards last year . It's a smaller sample size, but Elliott has also posted 131.2 yards from scrimmage per game in his three seasons. Sadly, the days of Steelers Football seem to have gone the way of the dropkick. 6:02; See All. Conner responded with a Pro Bowl performance and gave Steeler Nation hope that hed become the next great Pittsburgh running back. In two seasons, he is already 18th among all Steelers backs in rushing. He amassed an incredible 449 touches in 2014 on his way to 1,845 rushing yards and 2,261 yards from scrimmage. He posted 1,000-yard rushing seasons in each of the first three years of the decade. 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. 8. name the pittsburgh steelers running back to the last 10 years. Peterson then signed with the . 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. Subscribe to Stathead Football: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Pro Football Reference Database. 22. It's hard to rank Sproles. But since then he has a pair of 1,000-yard rushing years and 4,545 yards on the ground in five years. His best season was in 1985 when he rushed for 991 yards. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. 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. 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. Find out more. From '61 to '64, he was part of a powerful rushing attack along with Hall of Famer John Henry Johnson. Harris was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1990. He started alongside Franco Harris in four Super Bowl victories and both backs ran for over 1,000 yards in 1976. 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. 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. He earned the Super Bowl MVP award after running for 158 yards and a touchdown against the Vikings in Super Bowl IX. Over the past 50 years, the Steelers have tallied 36 winning seasons . Matte took over for another fantastic white running back, former Heisman Trophy winner and 1958 NFL Championship Game hero Alan Ameche. His 6-foot-2, 230 pound frame made it virtually impossible for one defender to take him down. Emmitt Smith has held the record since surpassing Walter Payton's long-standing total in 2002. He stepped in for a banged-up Willie Parker in 2009 and ran for 1,108 yards and seven touchdowns. He was an example of how great players can not only break the rules and succeed, but sometimes even make up their own rules. Before Franco Harris, there was John Frenchy Fuqua. LeVeon Bell made his mark with the Steelers running in this kind of offense. The following is the Pittsburgh Steelers all-time roster, browsable by last name or position. 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. Tackles. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. In '94, he ran for 851 yards despite missing five games. He came to the Steelers after three seasons with the Rams which had earned him a reputation as a problem player. The Steelers haven't shied away from targeting lesser-valued positions by the modern standard early in recent drafts, such as running back, linebacker and maybe to a lesser degree, safety. The Tigers picked up their sixth commitment for the 2024 recruiting cycle - and their first running back - Wednesday with the public . Starters per season [ edit] These quarterbacks have started at least one game for the Pittsburgh Steelers . 3 in NFL history. Regular season. I want to travel the world and write. If that wasnt strange enough, Mendenhall got himself into hot water in 2011 as a Steeler when he tweeted a controversial reaction to the United States elimination of Osama bin Laden. Murray rushed for 7,174 yards and 49 touchdowns with the Cowboys, Eagles and Titans in the 2010s. He ranks fourth all-time in franchise history for rushing yards and eighth all-time in receptions. During the decade, he has 8,834 rushing yards five 1,000-yard seasons and 71 touchdowns.