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

Pittsburgh Steelers Career Rushing Leaders. The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. Los Angeles' running backs are in a bit of a limbo right . Landry Jones (2015-2017) Tommy Maddox (2002-2005) Terry Bradshaw (1970-1983) The number of games they started during the season is listed to the right of their name: Season. Once the Steelers free up a considerable amount of cap space, are eight free agents who could reinvigorate the roster in the 2023 season. He'll likely end up with a good chunk of dough in free agency, but it's hard to believe . [2] He led the NFL with 576 yards in 1932 and held on to the record throughout his career. Copyright 2023 YB Media, LLC. But there were bright spots, and Walter Abercrombie was one of them. Najee Harris, Pittsburgh Steelers. With teams shifting more to the passing game, these old-school running backs are becoming obsolete. James Conner was thrust into the spotlight in 2018 when halfback LeVeon Bell held out for the entire season. This was the age of the feature back, when one superstar halfback got most of the carries. Nick Chubb finished first the AFC North in 2021 with 1,259 rushing yards, despite finishing third with 228 carries. Please see our Contributors and Sources page for data source details. But Hoak is probably best remembered for his ever-so-long tenure as the Running Backs coach with Chuck Noll and Bill Cowher. From '61 to '64, he was part of a powerful rushing attack along with Hall of Famer John Henry Johnson. Harris disputed that and said he was 240 pounds as a rookie. All-time Rushing Leader: Franco Harris 2,881 att, 11,950 yds, 91 TD . Today we ranked the Pittsburgh Steeler Running Backs throughout their franchise! Joey Porter. All Rights Reserved. Last year's offensive rookie of the year award winner, Barkley was close to perfect for fantasy owners. They will be joined by this year's selection, making six for the 2022 season. Steelers running back James Conner (30) runs for a short gain past Titans cornerback Kristian Fulton (26) during the first half at Nissan Stadium. His entire career was with the Steelers and he would finish those six seasons with 1,512 yards and 18 touchdowns. 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. 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. Still, "CJ2K" comes in at No. His professional career started in 2007 when he decided to skip the last year of college and enter the NFL Draft. Just look back to last year when he was able to make cuts and find holes. He finished his career in Pittsburgh with 3,115 rushing yards, 241 receptions, and 34 total touchdowns. That's the equivalent of more than two seasons. 9, we . In 2006 he tried to make a comeback in the Arena Football League and the National Indoor Football League but that last just part of one season. But you cant throw just any ball carrier out there and hope to have success; it takes a certain kind of player to fit into a power running offensive scheme. For the Steelers he would rush for 2,243 yards five seasons. Photos from the career of former Steelers running back and Hall of Fame finalist Jerome Bettis. In Pittsburgh, he was everything but. Jerome Bettis (1996-2005). 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. Rashard Mendenhall only played five seasons with the Steelers but rushed for a respectable 3,549 yards in 57 games. Williams led the NFL in touchdowns last season with 17. 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. Hopefully the Christmas edition of DraftKings top performers and busts finds you warm among family and friends as we unwrap the matchups in daily fantasy football for Week 16.The difficulty and uneasiness of lineup construction is increasing as more and more players we havent heard of become viable DFS starters in 2015s closing act.Use the list below to fill your roster with glad tidings while . In 2011 and 2013, he made All-Pro, and in 2013 he posted 2,146 yards from scrimmage. He led the Steelers in rushing in 1965, 1968, and 1969. In 1966 when the Fighting Irish won the national title, Rocky was a member of that team. He posted 1,000-yard rushing seasons in each of the first three years of the decade. 3 in NFL history. He's another back who never led the league in rushing and never made All-Pro. 4M; . Current team members are listed in bold. The Steelers have had some incredibly talented players over the years . 20 and retired with that number despite the departure of Pearson to Dallas. 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. Barry Foster first came to the attention of Steeler Nation in 1990 when he treated a kickoff as a punt, stood aside, and watched the ball bounce along the ground until the opposing team recovered it. Frequently Asked Questions about the NFL and Football, Pro-Football-Reference.com Blog and Articles, Subscribe to Stathead Football: Get your first month FREE. In 1944 he led Army to an undefeated record with 12 victories and was named the teams Most Valuable Player. does st martin parish have school tomorrow. The last Steelers running back taken in the first round before Najee Harris, Mendenhall won a Super Bowl as a rookie despite spending most of the season on injured reserve. 'Top 10, he would not get laughs' Thirty-five picks elapsed before a team drafted a running back last year. Sutton not only enjoyed the best year of his career, but he also arguably played like a top-10 cornerback. 1 1. 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. Standing 5-foot-11 and 195-pounds, Spears passes the . A dominant defense and an unstoppable running gamethats Steelers Football. 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. But Harris and the Steelers' rushing attack were just getting started. Let's take a look back at the rest of the Steelers picks since the 2000 season. He was cut twice but kept up his persistence. 4. In 79 games with the Steelers, he carried the ball for 3,343 yards and 22 touchdowns. In the second concussion he encountered, it resulted in Hoge having to be resuscitated when he stopped breathing. He spent much of 2019 injured, and team injuries across the board made it difficult to judge his performance fairly. Gordon averaged a career-best 5.1 yards per carry in 2018. Fuqua led the . In Dick Hoak's 10 years as a Steeler, he only saw two winning seasons. Still, Johnson's All-Pro 2016 season was enough to land him on the list. Franco Harris was the man during The Renaissance, and Jerome Bettis was the man in The Modern Era. Murray made the All-Pro team and Pro Bowl that year. Unfortunately, injuries have slowed him over the last couple of years and prevented him from running for more than 865 yards in a 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. LeVeon Bell: Finally we have our current star in the making. 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 . Including last season when Bell sat out because of a contract dispute, the two-time All-Pro has missed 34 games in his six-year career. Well, he's worth a lot more now. Lucrative opportunities to leave. 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. LeVeon Bell got off to a late start in his rookie season due to injuries but then proved he was worthy of his second round draft selection. 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? He made another Pro Bowl in 1993 but only rushed for half as many yards due to injuries. He would retire with 3,965 yards on the ground, second best in history for the Steelers at that time. 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. He was also an excellent receiver, both out of the backfield and split out as a wide receiver. Seasons: 90 (1933 to 2022) Record (W-L-T): 666-585-23 Playoff Record: 36-27 Super Bowls Won: 6 (8 Appearances) Championships Won *: 6 . 1. Despite the occurrences of injury, Hoge ran for 3,115 yards as a Steeler and rushed for 21 touchdowns. He signed as an undrafted free agent who had run a 4.23-second 40 at the Scouting Combine the previous spring. 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. When it comes to this room, the Steelers are indeed looking for them to step up. 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. Many argued that when Gore suffered a season-ending injury at the beginning of December in 2010, his best days were behind him. Really, he will just be doing what teams like the Steelers did for decades. All-time Scoring Leader: Gary Anderson 1,343 points 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. For his service in the war, Bleier received the Purple Heart and a Bronze Star. (Fullback Roosevelt Nix spent most of 2019 injured and did not appear to have a viable replacement.) 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.). 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 . The Pittsburgh Steelers' 2020 running back room has the assortments of all the skillsets you could find around the NFL. Gurley led the NFL in yards from scrimmage and won the Offensive Player of the Year award. During recent years, he's become somewhat forgotten in Buffalo, but McCoy has both All-Pro seasons and multiple 1,000-yard campaigns to his credit this decade. For the purposes of this article, I will be considering the following: Its tricky to piece it all together, but I think these are the best Steelers running backs of all time. name the pittsburgh steelers running back to the last 10 years. 2. Only other is safeties at sub lb and doesn't change their ratings just where they are on the field. As a rookie, on a terrible offense, he finished as a top 24 running back in 93% of his games last year. He ran for 5,378 yards while playing at Heinz Field. Most Steelers fans think of Rocky Bleier as Franco Harris running mate throughout the 70s, and rightly so. Bleier believed the doctors were wrong and reported to Steelers training camp a year after he left the war. The Pittsburgh Steelers have had some great tight ends throughout the franchises history. By Ross Kelly and Tony Adame, updated on October 18, 2022. March 1, 2023 2:19 pm PT. By his second season as a Steeler, he had become the heir apparent to Jerome Bettis. The Pittsburgh Steelers have had some great tight ends throughout the franchise's history. In many ways, this style of offense is the polar opposite of the methods the Steelers used to win six Super Bowls. Across the decade, Martin has posted 5,356 rushing yards and 32 total touchdowns. Rocky Bleier: For some Steelers fans it might be hard to believe that Robert Patrick Bleier, known best in Steelers Nation as Rocky turned 69 years of age this year. 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. 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. Harris was a part of four championship team and would be named to the Pro Bowl nine times. Trump can be sued by cops United States 11:10 am - 10,090 views; Train crash toll now 57 Greece 9:38 am - 3,746 views; Snow, rain end drought California 9:32 am - 1,290 views; More World News But Foster ended up as a one-hit wonder because when he was at peak ability he really didn't love the game, and then it became too late. Steeler running backs Franco Harris, Rocky Bleier, Jerome Bettis, Willie Parker, Sidney Thornton and Rashard Mendenhall all helped bring Lombardi Trophies to Pittsburgh. 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. Meanwhile, at No. Running backs are not the commodities they once were. He sill holds the single season record for rushing for Pittsburgh with 1,690 yards gained in 1992. We present them here for purely educational purposes. Fuqua to this day refuses to give his take on what actually took place. In 2011 Jones-Drew led the league with 1,606 rushing yards and 386 touches. In the last 10 years, 10 different backs have led the league in PPR scoring. 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. Both men had the unfortunate circumstance of being behind other great players on the roster, Franco Harris and Terry Bradshaw. Harris is my fourth-ranked running back for the 2022 season. . All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. He never made a Pro Bowl and never had a 1,000-yard season, but he appeared in 111 games over nine seasons and managed to rack up 3,989 career rushing yards. Since there are only 11 players on offense, the running backs have to be able to function as a unit, and Le'Veon Bell could play halfback to Bettis' fullback. Gurley has rushed for 4,547 rushing yards and recorded 6,430 yards from scrimmage with 56 touchdowns. That couldn't have been further from the truth. Johnson was a bruising fullback who spent time in San Francisco and Detroit before coming to Pittsburgh in 1960. PITTSBURGH (AP) Mike Tomlin wasn't ready to go there, with all due respect. Overall, he ran for 4,731 yards and 28 touchdowns playing for the Rams, Falcons and Patriots from 2010-15. In 27 games Hunt has 2,151 rushing yards, 2,984 yards from scrimmage and 25 touchdowns. Barkley was a huge reason why the Giants returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2016. He spent his first year in the NFL with the Giants before coming to the Steelers in 1970. 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. The following is another in a series that picks a Steelers All-Modern Era Team. No matter what happens with the evolution of this position, these Pittsburgh tight ends have left a legacy for this that cant be taken away. All-time Receiving Leader: Hines Ward 1,000 rec, 12,083 yds, 85 TD . James Conner finished his career in Pittsburgh as the #17 ranked rusher in Steelers history. The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. Pollard played most of his career at a time when the Steelers struggled. In 2015 Williams rejuvenated his career with the Steelers, filling in for the suspended and injured Le'Veon Bell for 10 games. In 2007, Fuqua created a candy and marketed it as The Immaculate Confection. But aside from that 1972 playoff game with the Oakland Raiders, Fuqua could be seen off the field wearing the flashiest of clothes that included shoes with see-through heals and live fish in them. They got a lot of carries in an era when both the fullback and halfback needed to contribute to the running game. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? In 2016 he had one of the best seasons for a running back in recent memory, accumulating a league-high 2,118 yards from scrimmage, including at least 100 yards in the first 15 games of the year. In three of his four NFL seasons, Gurley has rushed for more than 1,100 yards and at least 10 touchdowns. 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. He'll get the chance to continue his career with the Browns, but he'll miss the first eight games of 2019 because of a suspension. In 1980, Thornton would average five yards-per-carry while carrying the rock 78 times. He returned to put . Dudley also found himself on kickoff returns where he fielded 11 of those for 298 yards (27.0 average). . Parker never regained his starting job and was released only to make on attempt at staying in the NFL with the Washington Redskins in 2010 where he spent his time on the practice squad before retiring. 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. but every NFL team has talented players. Read on to find out why. 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. He also earned the first of two consecutive First-Team All-Pro selections. It's a smaller sample size, but Elliott has also posted 131.2 yards from scrimmage per game in his three seasons. Still, I think he is deserving of the number 16 spot on this list of all-time great Steelers backs. As an undrafted rookie in 2004, Bill Cowher took a chance on the 5-foot-10, 209-pound first-year player and Parker impressed sharing time with The Bus, Jerome Bettis. 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. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. He has held the all-time rushing yards record since 2002 and is the only player with over 17,000 regular season rushing yards. Parker set the record for longest rushing touchdown from scrimmage in a Super Bowl (XL) with a romp of 75 yards which still stands today. But he stayed. Le'veon Bell also earned a reputation as one of the most patient RBs in the NFL. The All-Modern Era team is made up of 26 players 11 on offense, 11 on defense, and four specialists. The top photos of RB Le'Veon Bell throughout 2014 season. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. The following is the Pittsburgh Steelers all-time roster, browsable by last name or position. But twice he rushed for more than 1,400 yards, and as a rookie in 2012 Martin posted 1,926 yards from scrimmage. This decade, Sproles has also led the league in punt return yardage twice. The 32-year-old has been a bit of a journeyman, playing for five different teams this decade. Chances are it is an announcer who remembers some of the great backs in Steelers history and how they dominated the game. Bleier starred in Super Bowl XIII with a touchdown reception and a recovered onside kick to seal Pittsburghs third NFL title. The team has selected second overall once, and third overall four times. Hunt only played eight games with the Browns last season after serving an eight-game suspension. During his career, he's averaged 128.9 yards from scrimmage per game. Emmitt Smith has held the record since surpassing Walter Payton's long-standing total in 2002. | 6:02; See All. By 1974, Bleier was weighing in at 212 pounds and he made the team to stay. He lasted just five seasons but they were filled with success. But since then he has a pair of 1,000-yard rushing years and 4,545 yards on the ground in five years. While Gore has never led the league in rushing or made All-Pro, his consistency lands him at No. The last two seasons, with now-departed James Conner the No. 1. TODAY: Running backs Since the merger in 1970, the Pittsburgh Steelers have rushed for more yards than any other team in the National Football League, and this commitment got two of their running backs elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. But from 2015-16, he posted more than 1,000 rushing yards, 1,500 yards from scrimmage and at least 13 touchdowns each season. List of Pittsburgh Steelers starting quarterbacks, "1933 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1934 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1935 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1936 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1937 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1938 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1939 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1940 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1941 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1942 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1943 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1944 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1945 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1946 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1947 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1948 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1949 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1950 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1951 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1952 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1953 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1954 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1955 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1956 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1957 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1958 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1959 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1960 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1961 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1962 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1963 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1964 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1965 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1966 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1967 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1968 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1969 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1970 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1971 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1972 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1973 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1974 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1975 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1976 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1977 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1978 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1979 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1980 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1981 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1982 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1983 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1984 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1985 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1986 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1987 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1988 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1989 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1990 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1991 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1992 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1993 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1994 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1995 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1996 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1997 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1998 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "1999 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "2000 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "2001 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "2002 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "2003 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "2004 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "2005 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "2006 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "2007 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "2008 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "2009 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "2010 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "2011 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "2012 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "2013 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "2014 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "2015 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "2016 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "2017 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "2018 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "2019 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "2020 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "2021 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", "2022 Pittsburgh Steelers Statistics & Players", Pittsburgh Steelers Franchise Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_Pittsburgh_Steelers_starting_quarterbacks&oldid=1132399114, This page was last edited on 8 January 2023, at 18:18. Buffalo 2007-10; Seattle 2010-15, '19; Oakland 2017-18. In 1979, he started 10 games in place of Bleier and ran for 585 yards and six touchdowns. By the time the fourth quarter rolls around, it is easy to see why opposing defenses would wish they were somewhere else. In 1982, he was Pittsburghs first overall pick in the draft coming in at number 12. He's posted 2,987 rushing yards and 28 touchdowns over the last three years. Morris peaked as a rookie, rushing for 1,613 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2012. This means two backs in the backfield, usually lined up side by side. Find out more. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. 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. 2023 ABG-SI LLC. Beast Mode's freakish combination of power and finesse was unlike any running back that came before him. Who the heck is this guy, we all wondered aloud, but in much more colorful language. Harris is one of the main reasons the Steelers won four Super Bowls in the 1970s. The stud running back finished with 3,943 yards which lands him seventh on Pittsburghs all-time list. 5. 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. RASHARD MENDENHALL came to the Steelers as a first-round pick in 2008, and after spending the bulk of his rookie season on the injured reserve list, he rushed for 3,309 yards on 812 carries (4.1 average) and 29 touchdowns from 2009-11. The days of Jim Brown or John Riggins getting 40 carries a game are gone. 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. 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. 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. 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. Clemson running backs coach CJ Spiller got his man. In '94, he ran for 851 yards despite missing five games. He is currently a free agent and the third oldest running back in the NFL, as well as the second oldest active running back. Rocky Bleier came to the Steelers in 1968. Tackles. He had the highest usage rate among running backs at 35.8% and was third in red-zone touches with 61. Franco Harris is not only the best Steelers running back in franchise history, but one of the greatest Steelers of all time. 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. In 1984 while beating the Denver Broncos in the playoffs, Pollard ran for 99 yards and two scores, a game won by Pittsburgh 24-17. Bettis came to the team at a time of free agency where the franchise didn't have the financial wherewithal that since has been created by Heinz Field, and yet he stayed. The Steelers had jumped offsides on the play and it was called back. Jerome "The Bus" Bettis tops our list as the Steelers best running back of all time. All rights reserved. These quarterbacks have started at least one game for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Charles also ran for 1,509 yards in 2012 and 1,033 yards in 2014. Rob Burns / AP Photo.