As a Steelers, he was occasionally brilliant but more often disappointing. Bell rushed for 1,361 yards in 2014, but what turned that into first-team All-Pro recognition were his 83 catches for 854 yards. 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. 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. Teams run RPOs, or run-pass option plays, where the quarterback decides after the snap whether he will hand the ball off or throw a pass. 8. As a punter, he kicked the ball 18 times during his career and averaged 32 yards per punt. 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 . Before Franco Harris, there was John Frenchy Fuqua. Even putting a left end at right end can cause a drop. Those three men will be bypassed for this article despite Johnson ranking third in the all-time rushing yardage for the Black and Gold. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? CHARLESTON, W.Va. . 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 . Let's take a look back at the rest of the Steelers picks since the 2000 season. Watt is a fullback who saw a lot of snaps during his time with the Chargers.). 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. In 2012, he made the All-Pro team with 1,590 rushing yards and 1,786 yards from scrimmage. Jerome Bettis is the latest Steelers running back to become a member in Canton, Ohio. 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. Foster timed his career perfectly for this list, breaking out with 1,616 yards, leading the league in rushing, in 2010. The Steelers went 6-10 in his first season, but along with players like Hines Ward, Jerome Bettis, and Alan Faneca . Once the Steelers free up a considerable amount of cap space, are eight free agents who could reinvigorate the roster in the 2023 season. Dave Holcomb began working as a sports writer in 2013 after graduating from Syracuse University. While one is considered a fullback and the other a halfback, they share more commonalities than differences in their duties. NFL Top 10 Best Running Backs of the 2010s - #8 Arian Foster. He stepped in for a banged-up Willie Parker in 2009 and ran for 1,108 yards and seven touchdowns. James Conner was thrust into the spotlight in 2018 when halfback LeVeon Bell held out for the entire season. Dickerson was traded mid-season in 1987; he played three games for the Rams and nine for the Colts. Fuqua was not an original Steelers having been drafted by the New York Giants and then traded to Pittsburgh. His 6-foot-2, 230 pound frame made it virtually impossible for one defender to take him down. 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. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. In three of his four NFL seasons, Gurley has rushed for more than 1,100 yards and at least 10 touchdowns. 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. West Virginia's Senate passed a bill Monday that would give $25,000 in tax credits to former residents who move back to the state to work. Who Is The Best Running Back In The NFL Right Now? Dudley also found himself on kickoff returns where he fielded 11 of those for 298 yards (27.0 average). The 30-year-old has failed to rush for 500 yards in four of his seven seasons in the NFL. After a slow start (for a seventh overall draft pick from . In 1944 he led Army to an undefeated record with 12 victories and was named the teams Most Valuable Player. 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. He also posted many of his best seasons in the previous decade, which robbed him of a chance at the top 10 on this list. The All-Modern Era team is made up of 26 players 11 on offense, 11 on defense, and four specialists. Williams led the NFL in touchdowns last season with 17. His career ended on a sad note in Minnesota, but Peterson regained his form with another 1,000-yard season with Washington in 2018. For years, the Pittsburgh Steelers were considered a team that dominated with the run. 2. That's Steelers football. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. Peterson missed all but one game in 2014 because of a child abuse case, but he returned to lead the NFL in rushing during 2015. Since missing the last five games of 2010, Gore has sat out just two games over the last eight years. Took pay cuts, and continued to stay. He posted more than 1,900 yards from scrimmage twice, in 2010 and 2013. For the Steelers he would rush for 2,243 yards five seasons. 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. 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. The last two seasons, with now-departed James Conner the No. 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 It's an inspiring story, but if Bleier wasn't one of the best running backs in Steelers' history, he wouldn't have made this list. He'll likely end up with a good chunk of dough in free agency, but it's hard to believe . But Stewart posted 5,366 rushing yards and 31 touchdowns in the decade. This decade, Sproles has also led the league in punt return yardage twice. Player Team Age Total Value Avg./Year Total Guaranteed Fully Guaranteed Free Agency; Christian McCaffrey: 49ers: 27: $64,063,412: $16,015,853: $36,346,412: $30,062,500 Well, he's worth a lot more now. 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. 1, Pittsburgh didn't have a top-25 running back. Charles also ran for 1,509 yards in 2012 and 1,033 yards in 2014. Parker was perhaps the fastest running back ever to play for the Steelers. 10 on the Steelers' all-time rushing list with 3,549 yards. (Fullback Roosevelt Nix spent most of 2019 injured and did not appear to have a viable replacement.) He made four Pro Bowls and one All-Pro team as a Steeler and inspired a Pittsburgh Super Bowl victory in Super Bowl XLone of the greatest wins in Steelers history. Nick Chubb finished first the AFC North in 2021 with 1,259 rushing yards, despite finishing third with 228 carries. Jerome Bettis was a 250-pound battering ram with incredible quickness for a man his size. [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 . There was a time when almost every NFL offense was predicated on a feature back that got most of the carries and earned a big paycheck. But since then he has a pair of 1,000-yard rushing years and 4,545 yards on the ground in five years. In the second concussion he encountered, it resulted in Hoge having to be resuscitated when he stopped breathing. The Steelers had jumped offsides on the play and it was called back. The days of Jim Brown or John Riggins getting 40 carries a game are gone. 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. 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 . Ranking the AFC North running backs. Willie Parker: Fast Willie Parker actually lands in third place all-time among Pittsburgh rushers. The Tigers picked up their sixth commitment for the 2024 recruiting cycle - and their first running back - Wednesday with the public . If he had played in those games, Bell is easily in the top five on this list and maybe close to the top. Bell will pay the price this season with a three-game suspension to start the 2015 season. Player ratings with position rankings. Franco Harris gets most of the credit for that infamous incident, but Terry Bradshaws passing attempt on that play was originally intended for Fuqua who was decleated by Jack Tatum. Dudley also scored on a lateraled pass and has kicked point-after-touchdowns as well as making successful field goals. In Dick Hoak's 10 years as a Steeler, he only saw two winning seasons. 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. He'll go down as one of the best power backs in history, and in this decade Lynch has carried the ball 1,791 times for 7,778 yards. It was a hard task to actually rank all of the great running backs . Jerome Bettis (1996-2005). 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. By Ross Kelly and Tony Adame, updated on October 18, 2022. Allain died on February 21, 2023, following a . For his service in the war, Bleier received the Purple Heart and a Bronze Star. The team has selected second overall once, and third overall four times. With the 2019 season, there is still time to influence who lands where among a list of the best running backs of the decade. Still, "CJ2K" comes in at No. In 2012, the Steelers found themselves with JONATHAN DWYER as their leading rusher, which is what led to the spending of a second-round pick in the following draft on Le'Veon Bell. Only other is safeties at sub lb and doesn't change their ratings just where they are on the field. Best: Franco Harris. John Fuqua ( 1970-76) Before Franco Harris, there was John "Frenchy" Fuqua. 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. . Always free! Both men had the unfortunate circumstance of being behind other great players on the roster, Franco Harris and Terry Bradshaw. Drafted by the Steelers in 1942 and in his rookie season led the NFL in rushing with 696 yards. Unfortunately for Johnson, his 2,000-yard season came in 2009, so it just missed the cut for counting on this list. It is tough to guess what the future holds for Connor in the NFL. He ran for over 1,000 yards in his first season and scored 10 rushing touchdowns on his way to winning the Offensive Rookie of the Year award. Other teams (like the Steelers) have one but rarely use him. He lasted just five seasons but they were filled with success. But he stayed. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. As a Steeler, Famous Amos ran the ball 434 times for 1,698 yards and was a powerful running back at 205 pounds on a 58 frame. Quite a contrast to kick off this list. Barkley was a huge reason why the Giants returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2016. By 1974, Bleier was weighing in at 212 pounds and he made the team to stay. From the time Fran Rogel became the teams starting running back in 1950 until his retirement in 1957, Pittsburghs first play from scrimmage in every game Rogel was in the backfield began with a handoff to the California State Teachers College and Penn State University product with a rush into the middle of the offensive line. He peculiarly retired after that one campaign with the Cardinals. He ended his career with only 1,512 rushing yards, but with two Super Bowl rings. Who Is The Best Wide Receiver In The NFL Right Now? 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. 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. Conner responded with a Pro Bowl performance and gave Steeler Nation hope that hed become the next great Pittsburgh running back. Fuqua to this day refuses to give his take on what actually took place. Most Steelers fans think of Rocky Bleier as Franco Harris running mate throughout the 70s, and rightly so. Lynch was an underrated pass-catcher in his prime too. Today he is 68 and still colorful. Eight players have been recognized as having held the career rushing yards record in the NFL. The controversy arose when the ball deflected off of Tatum or Frenchy. 9-Rocky Bleier. Players active with the Pittsburgh . The stud running back finished with 3,943 yards which lands him seventh on Pittsburghs all-time list. 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. 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. He had the highest usage rate among running backs at 35.8% and was third in red-zone touches with 61. Outside linebacker Joey Porter came to Pittsburgh in 1999. 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. 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. A dominant defense and an unstoppable running gamethats Steelers Football. Fuqua led the . Amos Zereoue: Another fan favorite was West Virginia University product, Famous Amos Zereoue. Across the decade, Martin has posted 5,356 rushing yards and 32 total touchdowns. NICK CHUBB, CLEVELAND BROWNS. Last season he was in the top five among running backs in several categories. In his rookie season, Morris rushed for 836 yards and a 4.2 yards-per-carry average. Starters per season [ edit] These quarterbacks have started at least one game for the Pittsburgh Steelers . The former Heisman Trophy winner is another example of a highly regarded college back getting off to a slow start in the NFL. Maybe I am just nostalgic for the days when Steelers backs carried the ball 30 times and took total control over a game by the fourth quarter. 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. As a Steeler, Bettis crashed his way for 10,571 rushing yards and 78 rushing touchdowns, both second-best in team history. Morris peaked as a rookie, rushing for 1,613 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2012. Here's the final tally of Steelers Now's consensus preseason 2022 power rankings of AFC North running backs. 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. In 1992, we found out who the heck that guy was: the man who would run for more yards in one season than any Steelers running back in team history. Both backs had to run well with the ball and have the skills to block for the other. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. He earned the Super Bowl MVP award after running for 158 yards and a touchdown against the Vikings in Super Bowl IX. 3 in NFL history. While the team continued to utilize the same rushing attack that had earned them four Lombardi Trophies in the '70s, the cast of characters and the results were not the same. 6:02; See All. name the pittsburgh steelers running back to the last 10 years. He spent his first year in the NFL with the Giants before coming to the Steelers in 1970. Which of these tight ends has left a lasting legacy in the city of Pittsburgh? During the decade, he has posted 9,187 yards five 1,000-yard seasons and 56 touchdowns. Some readers are probably going to argue this is too high for Forte. Copyright 2023 YB Media, LLC. After five seasons of never finishing higher than RB34, Williams had a career year in 2022, finishing as the overall RB18. 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. The Steelers will win 5 games this year, Canada will be fired, and Tomlin will "resign." . 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. From '61 to '64, he was part of a powerful rushing attack along with Hall of Famer John Henry Johnson. Posted August 12, 2019 All-time Receiving Leader: Hines Ward 1,000 rec, 12,083 yds, 85 TD . Bell was a unique back in Steelers history due to both the wide-open offense he played in and his careful, patient running style. But from 2010-17, Forte averaged 1,419 yards from scrimmage per season. The Steelers ran out the pro set for most of the 1970s and 1980s under head coach Chuck Noll. He would end up moving to the Dallas Cowboys where he would get a chance to face off against his former team in two more Super Bowls (X and XIII). Jackson never led the league in rushing and never made the All-Pro team. Buffalo 2007-10; Seattle 2010-15, '19; Oakland 2017-18. All-time Rushing Leader: Franco Harris 2,881 att, 11,950 yds, 91 TD . 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. 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. All Rights Reserved. The trend in the modern NFL is to run the ball out of single-back sets, often from a shotgun or pistol formation. Bettis was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2015. 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. He was also an excellent receiver, both out of the backfield and split out as a wide receiver. Unfortunately, injuries have slowed him over the last couple of years and prevented him from running for more than 865 yards in a season. 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Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. During that year, Peterson won league MVP the last running back to do so. The quick-footed big guy ran over, through and around defenders for nine years with the Steelers. There have been some running backs in Steelers history who had one or two good seasons in Pittsburgh, then went on their way. 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. 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. When it comes to this room, the Steelers are indeed looking for them to step up. But he's rushed for more than 1,000 yards in a season twice, and he led the league with 18 rushing touchdowns in 2016. In nine seasons all as a Steeler, Pollard scored 20 touchdowns. 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. Doctors had told him following the enemy attack that his football days were over. That's the equivalent of more than two seasons. He finished with 585 yards and scored six touchdowns including a 75-yard run. Until recently, the fullback was an important player in the Steelers' offense. (Note: The Steelers signed Derek Watt during the 2020 offseason and released Nix, who signed with Indianapolis. Thornton was also a member of the Super Bowl winning teams for Pittsburgh in 1979 and 1980. In the previous nine years, however, the Steelers had a top-15 player seven times. Follow Holcomb on Twitter at @dmholcomb. All Rights Reserved. Keep in mind that accomplishments made only during this decade were considered for these rankings. Najee Harris warming to Steelers' running back-by-committee approach. In just a three-year period, from 2010-12, he posted 5,702 yards from scrimmage and 47 touchdowns. Feeling he had to listen to his boss, Kiesling had quarterback Jack Scarbath toss the ball which resulted in a touchdown to Goose McClairen. He finished his career in Pittsburgh with 3,115 rushing yards, 241 receptions, and 34 total touchdowns. 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. The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. Still, Johnson's All-Pro 2016 season was enough to land him on the list. 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. Rashard Mendenhall only played five seasons with the Steelers but rushed for a respectable 3,549 yards in 57 games. He was cut twice but kept up his persistence. Another big bruising back that also has surprising quickness, Bell at 244 pounds is turning into a super star in the NFL. The power running back is a dying breed in football. Today, with the explosion of the passing game, a star running back is a helpful asset but no longer a requirement. In 2005, speedy Willie Parker took advantage of paths cleared by Kreider, and the Steelers won the Super Bowl. He was an example of how great players can not only break the rules and succeed, but sometimes even make up their own rules. Tackles. Harris is my fourth-ranked running back for the 2022 season. The Pittsburgh Steelers have had some great tight ends throughout the franchise's history. 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. Hoak retired from pro football in 1970 but stuck around to coach Steelers running backs from 1972 to 2007. Included are players that played for the Pittsburgh Steelers (NFL) from 1945-2022, the Pittsburgh Steelers (NFL) from 1940-1942 and the Pittsburgh Pirates (NFL) from 1933-1939. The Pittsburgh Steelers Hall-of-Fame running back Franco Harris died Wednesday, just before the 50-year anniversary of his "Immaculate Reception" play. Williams recorded at least 730 rushing yards in a season four times . 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. Yes, that was his average. Many argued that when Gore suffered a season-ending injury at the beginning of December in 2010, his best days were behind him. 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 . Last season he rushed for only 885 yards, but that came in 12 games. Hoak made a Pro Bowl in 1968 and is currently ranked seventh in Steelers' history for all-time rushing yards with 3,965. 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.