steelers running backs last 10 years
It is highly recommended that you use the latest versions of a supported browser in order to receive an optimal viewing experience. Harris is my fourth-ranked running back for the 2022 season. The number of games they started during the season is listed to the right of their name: These quarterbacks have the most starts for the Steelers in regular season games. Dickerson was traded mid-season in 1987; he played three games for the Rams and nine for the Colts. February 27, 2023 3 min Watch. Regular season. Chances are it is an announcer who remembers some of the great backs in Steelers history and how they dominated the game. Tracy ran for 2,717 yards and 15 touchdowns in his time with Pittsburgh and caught 96 passes for 1,322 yards and 14 touchdowns. Anderson was traded mid-season in 1986; he played four games for the Cardinals and eight for the Giants. 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. 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. It's hard to rank Sproles. What those teams dont have is a legacy of bullying and dominating opponents, and that is what brought the Steelers six Super Bowl championships. Today he is 68 and still colorful. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? 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. He finished his career in Pittsburgh with 3,115 rushing yards, 241 receptions, and 34 total touchdowns. 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 . In 1966 when the Fighting Irish won the national title, Rocky was a member of that team. He also was a punt returner, bringing back 20 punts with a 14.0 average per return. Preston Pearson: Pearson wore Rocky Bleiers college number of 26 and was a solid football player who was a member of the Steelers first Super Bowl winning team in 1975 when they defeated the Minnesota Vikings 16-6 in Super Bowl IX. In nine seasons all as a Steeler, Pollard scored 20 touchdowns. Player ratings with position rankings. If Lions general manager Brad Holmes follows that plan exactly, Minnesota Golden Gophers' Mohamed Ibrahim would be a great late-round running back prospect for Detroit to target. As a rookie, on a terrible offense, he finished as a top 24 running back in 93% of his games last year. Quite a contrast to kick off this list. But twice he rushed for more than 1,400 yards, and as a rookie in 2012 Martin posted 1,926 yards from scrimmage. A fullback is not required in this type of offensive game plan. All rights reserved. But from 2010-17, Forte averaged 1,419 yards from scrimmage per season. The controversy arose when the ball deflected off of Tatum or Frenchy. name the pittsburgh steelers running back to the last 10 years. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. 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. His best season was in 1985 when he rushed for 991 yards. Sidney Thornton: Another stout running back for Pittsburgh was the bullish Thornton who weighed in at 230 pounds during his play days in Pittsburgh from 1977 to 1982. Barry Foster: Unfortunately for Barry Foster, his career was short in the Burgh. 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. Doctors had told him following the enemy attack that his football days were over. More like he will get exposed yet again as being the most overrated running back in the league . 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. There have been some running backs in Steelers history who had one or two good seasons in Pittsburgh, then went on their way. All-time Scoring Leader: Gary Anderson 1,343 points The team made it to the playoffs ten times ( 1992-1997 , 2001-2002 , 2004-2005 ) and had a 12-9 record under Coach Hoak in playoff games. Without further ado, here are the best 25 NFL running backs of this decade: It will be surprising to some that Johnson isn't a little higher on this list. 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. Bell made three Pro Bowls and two All-Pro teams as a Steeler. He was cut twice but kept up his persistence. The Senate passed the bill . In 1982, he was Pittsburghs first overall pick in the draft coming in at number 12. 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. He led the Steelers in rushing in 1965, 1968, and 1969. The stud running back finished with 3,943 yards which lands him seventh on Pittsburghs all-time list. A dominant defense and an unstoppable running gamethats Steelers Football. Willie Parker: Fast Willie Parker actually lands in third place all-time among Pittsburgh rushers. Is the fullback truly gone, banished into the deep recesses of pro football history? Injuries hurt Foster later in his career, but he did record 1,246 rushing yards in 2014. After a slow start (for a seventh overall draft pick from . Reportedly, a local sportswriter told Rooney that Kiesling purposely made his lineman jump offsides so they could run their bread-and-butter Rogel running play first. He also had three catches in that loss for 18 yards. PITTSBURGH (AP) Mike Tomlin wasn't ready to go there, with all due respect. In one of his final interviews before his . 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. 9-Rocky Bleier. 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. 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. 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. 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. Just look back to last year when he was able to make cuts and find holes. Having gone through a tough contract negotiation in 1995, the Steelers instead of trying to settle traded Foster over to the Carolina Panthers who then cut the running back in training camp due to a failed physical. A bruising Hall of Famer running back, Franco Harris was the perfect embodiment of the Pittsburgh Steelers offense during their championship runs in the 1970s. In 79 games with the Steelers, he carried the ball for 3,343 yards and 22 touchdowns. If he had played in those games, Bell is easily in the top five on this list and maybe close to the top. The on-field portion of the NFL Combine begins on Thursday, marking the start of the testing circuit that propels some prospects into the stratosphere while ruining the stock of others. 1 1. Touchdowns. Beast Mode's freakish combination of power and finesse was unlike any running back that came before him. During the decade, he has posted 9,187 yards five 1,000-yard seasons and 56 touchdowns. Ranking the AFC North running backs. Last year's offensive rookie of the year award winner, Barkley was close to perfect for fantasy owners. Keep in mind that accomplishments made only during this decade were considered for these rankings. He amassed an incredible 449 touches in 2014 on his way to 1,845 rushing yards and 2,261 yards from scrimmage. Bill Dudley was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1966 and 10 year prior was inducted into College Footballs Hall of Fame. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. 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. Born Byron Morris, drafted in the third round of the 1994 draft, Morris immediately made an impact with the Pittsburgh Steelers coming to them from Texas Tech University. Frank Pollard: In the mid-1980s, a stout Frank Pollard became the Steelers primary running back. Once the Steelers free up a considerable amount of cap space, are eight free agents who could reinvigorate the roster in the 2023 season. The quick-footed big guy ran over, through and around defenders for nine years with the Steelers. Jerome Bettis was a 250-pound battering ram with incredible quickness for a man his size. Even putting a left end at right end can cause a drop. Najee Harris warming to Steelers' running back-by-committee approach. Yes, the Pittsburgh Steelers coach understands the symmetry between Saturday night's 13-10 win over the Las Vegas Raiders and a playoff victory over the same franchise 50 years ago, the one that ended with Steelers running back Franco Harris snagging a deflected . 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. 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. In 2012 he was just a mere few yards away from the single-season rushing record with 2,097 yards. In the previous nine years, however, the Steelers had a top-15 player seven times. In 2012, he made the All-Pro team with 1,590 rushing yards and 1,786 yards from scrimmage. In 1944 he led Army to an undefeated record with 12 victories and was named the teams Most Valuable Player. The next ingredient is a tough, hard-nosed rushing attack that controls the ball and methodically plows through opposing defenses. Williams led the NFL in touchdowns last season with 17. James Conner is at the forefront . As a punter, he kicked the ball 18 times during his career and averaged 32 yards per punt. On a better team, Jones-Drew may have been able to flourish for longer than three seasons, but from 2009-11, he was one of the best backs in the league. Today, Johnson is one of the former Steelers in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Fuqua to this day refuses to give his take on what actually took place. Please see our Contributors and Sources page for data source details. 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. Some teams also used them as receivers, and fullbacks like Larry Centers made a living catching passes out of the backfield. 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. 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. Others were blocking fullbacks who spent their careers opening holes for star backs. Lucrative opportunities to leave. He is currently the third leading rusher in Steelers history. The power running back is a dying breed in football. 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. These quarterbacks have started at least one game for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Merril Hoge: Lasting until the 10th round in the 1987 NFL draft, Merril Hoge was a tough as nails runner for the Steelers who suffered a rash of concussion injuries that would cost him his career. Until recently, the fullback was an important player in the Steelers' offense. With the 2019 season, there is still time to influence who lands where among a list of the best running backs of the decade. Le'Veon Bell was one of the best Steelers running backs of all time. While those numbers may not seem impressive by todays standards, they were good enough to earn Tracy Pro Bowl appearances with the Steelers in 1958 and 1960. 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 . Visit ESPN to view the Pittsburgh Steelers team depth chart for the current season Of course, we all know why. Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports. Dave Holcomb began working as a sports writer in 2013 after graduating from Syracuse University. His career ended on a sad note in Minnesota, but Peterson regained his form with another 1,000-yard season with Washington in 2018. He stepped in for a banged-up Willie Parker in 2009 and ran for 1,108 yards and seven touchdowns. 9, we . The only exception in madden 22 was a glitched out ray Lewis that was 97 at mlb but 99 at r/lolb. Jerome Bettis (1996-2005). Despite the occurrences of injury, Hoge ran for 3,115 yards as a Steeler and rushed for 21 touchdowns. Eight players have been recognized as having held the career rushing yards record in the NFL. That couldn't have been further from the truth. The mid-'80s were a tough time for Steeler Nation. It's a smaller sample size, but Elliott has also posted 131.2 yards from scrimmage per game in his three seasons. Pittsburgh Steelers Stats: The official source for Pittsburgh Steelers game statistics . As a Steeler, Bettis crashed his way for 10,571 rushing yards and 78 rushing touchdowns, both second-best in team history. OTHERS TO CONSIDER Starting this list chronologically is as good a way as any. Near the end of an uneventful rookie season, he was drafted to fight in the Vietnam War. Cameron Heyward (2011), T.J. Watt (2017), Terrell Edmunds (2018), Devin Bush Jr. (2019), and Najee Harris (2022) are the five remaining first-rounders still on the Steelers roster. His 6-foot-2, 230 pound frame made it virtually impossible for one defender to take him down. 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. When it comes to this room, the Steelers are indeed looking for them to step up. Dudley also served his country during World War II as a member of the Army and played for that team while away from the NFL. Today we ranked the Pittsburgh Steeler Running Backs throughout their franchise! Abercrombie played one more season in 1988 with the cross state Philadelphia Eagles before retiring. Subscribe to Stathead Football: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Pro Football Reference Database. 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. Murray made the All-Pro team and Pro Bowl that year. Included are player stats for the Pittsburgh Steelers (NFL) from 1945-2022, the Pittsburgh Steelers (NFL) from 1940-1942 and the Pittsburgh Pirates (NFL) from 1933-1939. 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. Clemson running backs coach CJ Spiller got his man. The All-Modern Era team is made up of 26 players 11 on offense, 11 on defense, and four specialists. Fuqua will be forever remembered by Steelers fans as the intended receiver of Terry Bradshaws Immaculate Reception pass, which ricocheted into the arms of Franco Harris. [3], List of National Football League career rushing yards leaders, Players with at least 10,000 rushing yards, Players with at least 1,000 postseason rushing yards. In his first three seasons, Ingram ran for more than 600 yards in a season just once. . He's another back who never led the league in rushing and never made All-Pro. Other teams (like the Steelers) have one but rarely use him. In 2005, speedy Willie Parker took advantage of paths cleared by Kreider, and the Steelers won the Super Bowl. Meanwhile, Myles Jack's cap hit grows significantly from $4.75 million last year to $11.25 million in 2023. Overall contributions to the Steelers franchise. He was intensive care for 48 hours and this forced his retirement. He also made the Pro Bowl in 2013 and 2016, the last of which with the Titans. Bam Morris: Morris story is a sad, tragic, and unfulfilled one. Last season he was in the top five among running backs in several categories. Always free! 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. (Fullback Roosevelt Nix spent most of 2019 injured and did not appear to have a viable replacement.) Buffalo 2007-10; Seattle 2010-15, '19; Oakland 2017-18. Ingram's best season came in 2017 when he posted 1,124 yards and 12 touchdowns. [2] He led the NFL with 576 yards in 1932 and held on to the record throughout his career. The 23-year-old was on his way to two straight special years to begin his NFL career before the Chiefs cut him following his involvement with a woman in a domestic dispute. Franco Harris was the man during The Renaissance, and Jerome Bettis was the man in The Modern Era. Mendenhall spent five seasons in Pittsburgh and was a member of two Super Bowl teams. In both seasons, he made All-Pro. 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. 2013 Steelers 2014 Steelers 2015 Steelers 2016 Steelers 2017 Steelers 2018 Steelers 2019 Steelers 2020 Steelers 2021 Steelers 2022 Steelers 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 8-8 11-5 10-6 11-5 13-3 9-6-1 8-8 12-4 9-7-1 9-8. He spent much of 2019 injured, and team injuries across the board made it difficult to judge his performance fairly. In 1980, Thornton would average five yards-per-carry while carrying the rock 78 times. Franco Harris is the Pittsburgh Steelers career leader in rushing yards with 11,950. 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. The next season, he racked up 1,273 yards and 13 touchdowns on the way to an AFC Championship win. [5] Through 2021, eight Steeler first-round picks have gone on to have playing careers deemed worthy of enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame: Bill Dudley, Len Dawson, Joe Greene, Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris, Lynn Swann, Rod Woodson, Troy Polamalu, and Alan . Offseason Strategy: Already having their starting running back for the immediate future, the offseason as it concerns the running back position will be dedicated solely toward seeking out quality . In an era that de-emphasizes the workhorse back, McCoy has nearly amassed 10,000 rushing yards and more than 13,000 yards from scrimmage this decade. All-time Rushing Leader: Franco Harris 2,881 att, 11,950 yds, 91 TD . Over the past 50 years, the Steelers have had three coaches, and each has used a different style of offense. 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. Of course we are talking about the Immaculate Reception. He led the Steelers in rushing from 1961 to 1964 and made three straight Pro Bowls from 1962 to '64. Conner responded with a Pro Bowl performance and gave Steeler Nation hope that hed become the next great Pittsburgh running back. The days of Jim Brown or John Riggins getting 40 carries a game are gone. However, from 2010-14 he was the best all-purpose back in the league. Harris was a part of four championship team and would be named to the Pro Bowl nine times. Most Steelers fans think of Rocky Bleier as Franco Harris running mate throughout the 70s, and rightly so. That one instance came in 1956 when Art Rooney Sr. uncharacteristically was frustrated with a head coach and instructed the then Head Coach Walt Kiesling to negate the opening Rogel rush and throw the ball instead. 4M; . Nick Chubb finished first the AFC North in 2021 with 1,259 rushing yards, despite finishing third with 228 carries. 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 returned to put . All-time Receiving Leader: Hines Ward 1,000 rec, 12,083 yds, 85 TD . A bullet pierced his left thigh in Vietnam and further injuries occurred when a grenade exploded near him putting shrapnel in his lower right leg. 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. Running backs are not the commodities they once were. March 1, 2023 2:19 pm PT. Pittsburgh Steelers player information and depth chart order. 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. Rob Burns / AP Photo. Outside linebacker Joey Porter came to Pittsburgh in 1999. But during the Super Bowl seasons of 1978 and 1979, Sidney Thornton played a significant role in the Steelers' rushing attack. Dudley could do it all on the field as he was just not a back but a defensive back, punter, and place kicker. Current team members are listed in bold. In 2011 Jones-Drew led the league with 1,606 rushing yards and 386 touches. It was thought by the Steelers coaching staff and fans alike that Pittsburgh had found their new star running back. Sproles has nearly as many receptions (460) as carries (516) since 2010, and he has 3,936 receiving yards. John Fuqua ( 1970-76) Before Franco Harris, there was John "Frenchy" Fuqua. Still, Johnson's All-Pro 2016 season was enough to land him on the list. With the Bears and Jets, Forte posted 7,629 rushing yards and 11,353 yards from scrimmage from 2010-17. Jackson never led the league in rushing and never made the All-Pro team. Let us know your thoughts down in the comments!For Business Inquiries: insid. However, it's not too early to break down the best from the 2010s either. In the second concussion he encountered, it resulted in Hoge having to be resuscitated when he stopped breathing. Rocky Bleier came to the Steelers in 1968. Who the heck is this guy, we all wondered aloud, but in much more colorful language. Four of those were LeVeon Bell, but three were different players who stepped up in those seasons: Mendenhall (Pittsburgh's last first-round running back), Williams, Conner. He'll continue to split time with Nick Chubb in the backfield, but the Browns are a run-first team that will use the talents of both. Myles Jack 61 Minkah Fitzpatrick . BAM MORRIS followed Foster, but after a couple of promising seasons, he was released after pleading guilty to felony possession of marijuana in June 1996. In just a three-year period, from 2010-12, he posted 5,702 yards from scrimmage and 47 touchdowns. 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. Adrian Peterson is a running back with over thirteen years in the NFL. Williams recorded at least 730 rushing yards in a season four times during the 2010s, and he ended the decade with 4,246 rushing yards. But since then injuries have slowed him, and he's averaging 3.6 yards per attempt. Barkley was a huge reason why the Giants returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2016. LeVeon Bell: Finally we have our current star in the making. 2. In 2015 Williams rejuvenated his career with the Steelers, filling in for the suspended and injured Le'Veon Bell for 10 games. 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 . They got a lot of carries in an era when both the fullback and halfback needed to contribute to the running game. Another big bruising back that also has surprising quickness, Bell at 244 pounds is turning into a super star in the NFL. 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. During that year, Peterson won league MVP the last running back to do so. Chubb is not the most dangerous or highly . Still, Bleier became a starter in the backfield with Harris and shined. Bleier believed the doctors were wrong and reported to Steelers training camp a year after he left the war. Dudley also scored on a lateraled pass and has kicked point-after-touchdowns as well as making successful field goals. During his career, he's averaged 128.9 yards from scrimmage per game. Only stats for Regular Season Games have been included.
