MY TOP 25 PITTSBURGH STEELERS OF ALL TIME

It feels fitting that a team called the Steelers, from Pittsburgh, would be one of the greatest franchises in the history of the rough-and-tumble, smashmouth NFL. From the 1970s until today, the Steelers have had some of the best teams in the annals of the league. From the defensive players who made up the Steel Curtain to a couple of iconic running backs, there have been many great players to don the black and gold. Here are the top 25 Pittsburgh Steelers, ranked in order.

25. CASEY HAMPTON

At 6-foot-1 and 320 pounds, Hampton was the perfect bowling ball of a man to play nose tackle in Pittsburgh’s 3-4 defense. He didn’t get a ton of sacks, but he could stuff the run, and he made things miserable for opposing offensive lines. That helped him make five Pro Bowls and win two Super Bowl rings.

24. JOEY PORTER

Porter was an intense player and a great pass rusher in his prime. In 122 games with the Steelers, he picked up 60 sacks and 17 forced fumbles. In eight seasons, he was an All-Pro once, his 2002 season when he had nine sacks, nine tackles for loss and four interceptions.

23. LYNN SWANN

Swann is a Pittsburgh legend and a Hall of Famer, but he’s one of those players whose numbers don’t quite live up to the memory. He never had a 1,000-yard season, though it was a different era, but he twice had 11 receiving touchdowns in a year. Swann played his entire career with the Steelers, had some great highlight-reel catches, and, of course, played for four Super Bowl winners.

22. JOHN STALLWORTH

Unlike Swann, Stallworth did get over 1,000 yards in a season. He did it three times, in fact, and he had 63 career touchdowns. Stallworth was a career-long Steeler, and his tenure lasted from 1974 until 1987, although there were some injury-shortened seasons in there. That didn’t keep him from making the Hall of Fame though.

21. JAMES FARRIOR

Farrior wasn’t the flashiest player — he played inside linebacker quite a bit — but he was a vital part of some great Steelers defenses. He made only two Pro Bowls and one All-Pro team, but from 2002 until 2011 he notched 104 points in Approximate Value, Pro Football Reference’s version of WARP. That’s more than a lot of his contemporaries.

20. HINES WARD

Ward doesn’t get the same love of a Stallworth or a Swann, but he was a better receiver than either of them. His 1,000 career receptions, all of which came with Pittsburgh, ranks 14th all time, and he’s 25th in career receiving yards. Ward was also known for the enthusiasm with which he blocked, which certainly endeared him to Steelers fans.

19. L.C. GREENWOOD

Greenwood was not the most famous name on the Steel Curtain defense, but he was a key cog. He played in a time before sacks were an official stat, but we do know he made six Pro Bowls and two All-Pro teams. Plus, anybody who was a major contributor to the ‘70s Steelers teams is bound to make this top 25 ranking.

18. ERNIE STAUTNER

The Steelers didn’t spring into existence in the ‘70s; they had many years of existence before then. Stautner was probably their best player in that time. The defensive lineman, and offensive guard, played for Pittsburgh from 1950 through 1963. He made nine Pro Bowls and is in the Hall of Fame.

17. GREG LLOYD

Lloyd played for 11 years, but for seven of those seasons he was a true beast. Digging down further, there were five years in a row where he made the Pro Bowl, made three All-Pro teams and racked up a whopping 27 forced fumbles. Every season from 1991 through 1995 he had at least five forced fumbles. That’s impressive.

16. JAMES HARRISON

Harrison could arguably make this list solely for his 2008 season. He picked up 16 sacks, seven forced fumbles and was named Defensive Player of the Year. That year he also helped lead the Steelers to the Super Bowl. Harrison was intense and loved to work out like a maniac, but he had a tense departure from the franchise. Nevertheless, his time with Pittsburgh was incredibly prolific.

15. JEROME BETTIS

The Bus may be famously from Detroit, as you heard when the Steelers played a Super Bowl in the Motor City, but he spent almost his entire NFL career in Pittsburgh. It’s there where he picked up most of his yards and rushing attempts, and he ranks seventh all time in the former and fourth in the latter. By the end of his career, he was a bit of a touchdown vulture, but in his prime, Bettis was a tremendous mix of size and athleticism.

14. ANTONIO BROWN

There’s a little projection to this, as Brown is still at the tail end of his prime, but he’s earned a lofty spot on this list. When Brown was drafted in the sixth round out of Central Michigan, nobody had big expectations for him. Now, there are those who consider him the best wide receiver in the NFL. He’s been an All-Pro for four straight seasons, and he’s twice led the league in receptions and receiving yards.

13. TROY POLAMALU

Polamalu, his wild hair flowing behind him, was a force to be reckoned with at safety. For years, it was a battle between him and Ed Reed to be declared the top safety in the NFL. Polamalu definitely got the nod in 2010, when he was Defensive Player of the Year. He was a four-time All-Pro and eight-time Pro Bowler — and a ton of fun to watch.

12. DONNIE SHELL

Polamalu was great, but Shell, another safety, actually has a higher career Approximate Value. In his career, all with the Steelers, he picked up 51 interceptions and was an All-Pro three times. He got overlooked — on those ‘70s Steelers defenses that wasn’t hard — but Shell was a true great in the secondary.

11. ROD WOODSON

Woodson played 17 seasons in his Hall of Fame career, and he had some great years after he left the Steelers. But he played the bulk of his career in Pittsburgh. This includes when he won Defensive Player of the Year and his several All-Pro recognitions and Pro Bowl appearances. In addition to being a great defensive back, Woodson was a stellar kick returner. He’s 25th all-time in career kick- and punt-return yards.

10. DERMONTTI DAWSON

Being a center isn’t glamorous, but Dawson did it as well as anybody. The Hall of Famer was the focal point of the Steelers offensive line for 13 seasons, including an incredible run before injuries started to hit. For six straight years in the ‘90s, he was an All-Pro. You could make the argument that he was the best center in the NFL in that decade.

9. ALAN FANECA

Then there’s Faneca, who was perhaps the best guard in the NFL in the 2000s. He was also a six-time All-Pro and made the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s All-2000s team. Faneca isn’t in the Hall of Fame yet, but he should be.

8. MEL BLOUNT

Blount started his career a little before the glory days of the Steelers, but he was there for the four Super Bowl wins. He had a truly transcendent season in 1975 when he had 11 picks and won Defensive Player of the Year. In his career, Blount had 57 interceptions, 13th most of all time.

7. FRANCO HARRIS

Harris was an All-Pro just once, but for the first nine years of his career he made the Pro Bowl. The running back racked up the yards and touchdowns for 12 seasons with Pittsburgh, and he once led the league with 14 rushing touchdowns. Also, there’s the Immaculate Reception. Let’s not forget that.

6. JACK LAMBERT

In the middle of the Steel Curtain defense, there was Lambert. He was Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1974, Defensive Player of the Year in 1976 and was an All-Pro six times. As any offensive player of the ‘70s could have told you, you didn’t want to mess with Lambert. He was the beast who patrolled the middle of the field for some legendary defenses.

5. JACK HAM

And yet somehow Lambert isn’t even the best Jack in Pittsburgh Steelers history. That’s how many great defensive players this franchise has had. Ham preceded Lambert, as he debuted as a Steeler in 1971, but eventually they would play together on four Super Bowl-winning teams. They were Pro Bowlers together and All-Pros together, but Ham, who made the Hall of Fame’s All-1970s Team, had the slightly better career.

4. MIKE WEBSTER

Webster was one of the first guys to be recognized as a casualty of the ravages of the NFL on a body, and a brain, which has made remembering him a somber thing. However, he was truly a great player. The center made the second team for the Hall of Fame’s All-1970s AND All-1980s teams. He’s a Hall of Famer and a true Pittsburgh legend. He’s second in career Approximate Value for the Steelers. Webster “dropped” to fourth because of the relative value of his position.

3. JOE GREENE

“Mean” Joe Greene is more than just the guy from the Coke ads. He was a great defensive player, arguably the best on the Steel Curtain defense. In addition to being the Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1969, he was named Defensive Player of the Year not once, but twice. He’s the one Steeler who can say that.

2. TERRY BRADSHAW

Bradshaw threw only two more touchdowns than interceptions in his career. This was in a different era, however. He never led the NFL in interceptions, but he did lead in touchdowns and yards per attempt, right? In the end, though, here’s the main argument for Bradshaw: He was the starting quarterback for FOUR Super Bowl winners, and he was the Super Bowl MVP twice. Checkmate.

1. BEN ROETHLISBERGER

However, it’s Big Ben who leads the way for the Steelers. Sure, he doesn’t have as many rings as Bradshaw, but he does have two. He’s thrown for 355 touchdowns against 187 interceptions. Roethlisberger has led the NFL in passing yards twice in an era when that’s much more impressive. He is, by a wide margin, the franchise leader in Approximate Value, and he’s still going. Bradshaw may be the guy for a generation of Steelers fans, but for this generation, and frankly the one prior, it’s Big Ben.