Franco Harris is not only the best Steelers running back in franchise history, but one of the greatest Steelers of all time. Franco Harris was a fullback, as was Merril Hoge and John Henry Johnson. OTHERS TO CONSIDER Starting this list chronologically is as good a way as any. The 34-year-old made All-Pro twice, in 2008 and 2009, but he added two more All-Pro nominations during 2012 and 2015. 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. James Conner was thrust into the spotlight in 2018 when halfback LeVeon Bell held out for the entire season. That changed over the last decade or so, due to quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's emergence as an elite . He would retire with 3,965 yards on the ground, second best in history for the Steelers at that time. The 30-year-old has failed to rush for 500 yards in four of his seven seasons in the NFL. All-time Scoring Leader: Gary Anderson 1,343 points These quarterbacks have started at least one game for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Najee Harris warming to Steelers' running back-by-committee approach. By, Tom Rothenberg/Zuma Press/Icon Sportswire, This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google. 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. Hoak made a Pro Bowl in 1968 and is currently ranked seventh in Steelers' history for all-time rushing yards with 3,965. All Rights Reserved. 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. 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. Bettis will be inducted into the Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2015 in August, and the accomplishments to be praised that day are only part of why he was the man during his 10 seasons with the Steelers. Do you have a blog? Vote below for who you think is the best Pittsburgh Steelers tight end of all time, then head over and check out the top Pittsburgh Steelers players ever. Some teams also used them as receivers, and fullbacks like Larry Centers made a living catching passes out of the backfield. 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. But Jackson was still one of the best runners of the 2010s. He is currently the third leading rusher in Steelers history. The All-Modern Era team is made up of 26 players 11 on offense, 11 on defense, and four specialists. He amassed an incredible 449 touches in 2014 on his way to 1,845 rushing yards and 2,261 yards from scrimmage. He came to the Steelers after three seasons with the Rams which had earned him a reputation as a problem player. 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. The running back said that he was only trying to stimulate conversation about the topic but because of it he lost an endorsement deal with Champion Sports. 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). The role of the fullback changed dramatically when the I-formation came into vogue in the 1980s. 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. Franco Harris was the man during The Renaissance, and Jerome Bettis was the man in The Modern Era. All-time Scoring Leader: Gary Anderson 1,343 points Rocky Bleier came to the Steelers in 1968. He'll likely end up with a good chunk of dough in free agency, but it's hard to believe . In Dick Hoak's 10 years as a Steeler, he only saw two winning seasons. Le'Veon Bell was one of the best Steelers running backs of all time. The next season, he racked up 1,273 yards and 13 touchdowns on the way to an AFC Championship win. 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. For years, the Pittsburgh Steelers were considered a team that dominated with the run. His performance in the 1989 playoffs, when he turned in back-to-back 100-yard games against Houston and Denver, is the stuff of Steelers' legend. 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. Emailed daily. Jerome Bettis was a 250-pound battering ram with incredible quickness for a man his size. Former Steelers running back Willie Parker (39) acknowledges the crowd during a 2018 against the Chargers at Heinz Field. 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. The former Heisman Trophy winner is another example of a highly regarded college back getting off to a slow start in the NFL. His entire career was with the Steelers and he would finish those six seasons with 1,512 yards and 18 touchdowns. He caught 57 passes for 338 yards as well. The only exception in madden 22 was a glitched out ray Lewis that was 97 at mlb but 99 at r/lolb. Doctors had told him following the enemy attack that his football days were over. 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. Year Top Defense. Before Franco Harris, there was John Frenchy Fuqua. They got a lot of carries in an era when both the fullback and halfback needed to contribute to the running game. His teammate Terry Hanratty, the QB at Notre Dame during that tenure became a Steeler as well. Former season 27 " Dancing With the Stars " competitor John Schneider has returned to social media following the death of his wife, Alicia Allain. 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. 20 and retired with that number despite the departure of Pearson to Dallas. 3 in NFL history. The Steelers ran out the pro set for most of the 1970s and 1980s under head coach Chuck Noll. 1. Christian McCaffrey (2019) This past season, McCaffrey became the third running back in NFL history to generate over 1,000 rushing and receiving yards in a single season. 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. Over the past 50 years, the Steelers have had three coaches, and each has used a different style of offense. 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. He seemed to violate every rule young players are taught about playing running back, yet he thrived. 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. Current team members are listed in bold. Posted August 12, 2019 He made another Pro Bowl in 1993 but only rushed for half as many yards due to injuries. 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. In his first three seasons, Ingram ran for more than 600 yards in a season just once. 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. Myles Jack 61 Minkah Fitzpatrick . Ingram's best season came in 2017 when he posted 1,124 yards and 12 touchdowns. Over the past 50 years, the Steelers have tallied 36 winning seasons . Insider insists Tom Brady could sign with 49ers in 2023, The 'Most recent first-round NFL quarterbacks' quiz, Seven Cubs pitchers combine for spring no-hitter vs. Padres, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones comments on Tony Pollard rumor, Ben Simmons suffers back injury while rehabilitating, Insider: It's Packers, Jets 'or bust' for Aaron Rodgers, QB Anthony Richardson doesn't understand his 'project' label, Vikings HC reveals 'crazy' thoughts about star WR, XFL player released for giving another team plays from own playbook. Of course we are talking about the Immaculate Reception. 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. Looking at an NFL game today, something seems to be missing. How an 8-year-old inspired Najee Harris' 5-TD performance vs. Ole Miss. In a move many in the NFL community felt was inevitable, the Washington Commanders released quarterback Carson Wentz on Monday in a move that will save the team $26.12 million against their 2023 salary cap. If it was Fuqua who the ball last touched, it would not be a legal catch by Harris according to the rules in 1972. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. Of course, we all know why. Today we ranked the Pittsburgh Steeler Running Backs throughout their franchise! MORE: 2023 Dynasty Rookie Rankings. As a punter, he kicked the ball 18 times during his career and averaged 32 yards per punt. In 2011 and 2013, he made All-Pro, and in 2013 he posted 2,146 yards from scrimmage. Parker had a shot to lead the NFL in rushing in 2007, but he broke his leg in the regular season's penultimate game and finished with 1,316 yards. 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 . The controversy arose when the ball deflected off of Tatum or Frenchy. 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. All rights reserved. Jerome Bettis (1996-2005). Jerome "The Bus" Bettis tops our list as the Steelers best running back of all time. does st martin parish have school tomorrow. Bettis was team-first through some questionable demotions and worse decisions as to the direction of the offense, and he welcomed Duce Staley and mentored Willie Parker along the way to a Super Bowl championship to complete a quest his teammates had dedicated to him. Gurley led the NFL in yards from scrimmage and won the Offensive Player of the Year award. Overall, Charles recorded 8,110 yards from scrimmage during the decade with the Chiefs, Broncos and Jaguars from 2010-18. Le'veon Bell also earned a reputation as one of the most patient RBs in the NFL. 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. For his service in the war, Bleier received the Purple Heart and a Bronze Star. In 1980, Thornton would average five yards-per-carry while carrying the rock 78 times. Which of these tight ends has left a lasting legacy in the city of Pittsburgh? The Senate passed the bill . By the time the fourth quarter rolls around, it is easy to see why opposing defenses would wish they were somewhere else. He's posted 2,987 rushing yards and 28 touchdowns over the last three years. But he stayed. Los Angeles' running backs are in a bit of a limbo right . Today, with the explosion of the passing game, a star running back is a helpful asset but no longer a requirement. Last season he was in the top five among running backs in several categories. Last edited on 19 February 2023, at 18:43, Boston Braves / Boston Redskins / Washington Redskins, List of National Football League records (individual), List of National Football League rushing champions, List of National Football League career rushing touchdowns leaders, List of National Football League annual rushing touchdowns leaders, "NFL Rushing Yards Career Playoffs Leaders", "History of the Career Rushing Yards Record", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_National_Football_League_career_rushing_yards_leaders&oldid=1140354500, This page was last edited on 19 February 2023, at 18:43.
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