By the time the fourth quarter rolls around, it is easy to see why opposing defenses would wish they were somewhere else. 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. Best: Franco Harris. All rights reserved. 2022 AFC North Standings. His 4.3 yards-per-carry average for his career is second only to John Henry Johnsons 4.4 and ties him with Wille Parker among Pittsburghs top ten rushers in history for yardage. His teammate Terry Hanratty, the QB at Notre Dame during that tenure became a Steeler as well. In the following AFC title game against Miami, Pollard was held to just 48 yards rushing. He started alongside Franco Harris in four Super Bowl victories and both backs ran for over 1,000 yards in 1976. The real results of who touched it first is still undetermined to this day. 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 also made the Pro Bowl in 2013 and 2016, the last of which with the Titans. Over the past six years, he has covered the NFL, NHL, MLB, fantasy sports, college football and basketball, and New Jersey high school sports for numerous print and online publications. Najee Harris warming to Steelers' running back-by-committee approach. 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. NAME GP RUSH YDS ATT YPC RUSH YDS/G RUSH TD REC YDS REC TRG AVG REC YDS/G REC TD; Felix Jones: 16: 184: 48: 3.8: 11.5: 0: 63: 9: 13: 7.0: 3.9: 0: Isaac Redman: 3: 12: 10: 1.2 . 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. 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 . DeAngelo Williams Photo by Ronald C. Modra/Getty Images. His best season was in 1985 when he rushed for 991 yards. In his rookie season, Morris rushed for 836 yards and a 4.2 yards-per-carry average. 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. . Jerome Bettis is the latest Steelers running back to become a member in Canton, Ohio. Franco Harris is the Pittsburgh Steelers career leader in rushing yards with 11,950. In 1979, he started 10 games in place of Bleier and ran for 585 yards and six touchdowns. With the 2019 season, there is still time to influence who lands where among a list of the best running backs of the decade. Standing 5-foot-11 and 195-pounds, Spears passes the . His professional career started in 2007 when he decided to skip the last year of college and enter the NFL Draft. He spent his first year in the NFL with the Giants before coming to the Steelers in 1970. 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. Year Top Defense. Photos from the career of former Steelers running back and Hall of Fame finalist Jerome Bettis. In 2012 he was just a mere few yards away from the single-season rushing record with 2,097 yards. Bam Morris: Morris story is a sad, tragic, and unfulfilled one. He made nine straight Pro Bowls and one All-Pro team and finished his career as the leading rusher in team history and No. Join our linker program. Who Is The Best Wide Receiver In The NFL Right Now? 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. (Fullback Roosevelt Nix spent most of 2019 injured and did not appear to have a viable replacement.) It has been said that Rooney responded with the declaration that he would never again attempt to call a play for his team. In the I-formation, the fullback lines up behind the quarterback, and the halfback (tailback) lines up behind the fullback. 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. 11 because of four straight 1,000-yard seasons to begin the decade. Visit ESPN to view the Pittsburgh Steelers team depth chart for the current season Today he is 68 and still colorful. 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. In 1982, he was Pittsburghs first overall pick in the draft coming in at number 12. Hunt only played eight games with the Browns last season after serving an eight-game suspension. Bill Dudley also played with the Detroit Lions and Washington Redskins after leaving the Steelers, and finished his career with 3,057 yards rushing, 1,383 yards receiving, punted the ball for a total of 7,304 yards, and on defense intercepted 23 passes. [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 . The 32-year-old has been a bit of a journeyman, playing for five different teams this decade. After a slow start (for a seventh overall draft pick from . 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. 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 1999 the Chiefs cut him and his life spiraled out of control with drug problems and jail time. 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. 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. CHARLESTON, W.Va. . In the end Rocky Bleier rushed for 3,865 yards, 1,294 yards receiving on 136 catches and scored 25 times. He had the highest usage rate among running backs at 35.8% and was third in red-zone touches with 61. 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. Chubb is not the most dangerous or highly . Is the fullback truly gone, banished into the deep recesses of pro football history? 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. He's been named All-Pro and led the NFL in rushing touchdowns during each of the last two years too. The Steelers have always had great defensive playersand that hasn't changedbut the Steelers of today have fallen into the trendy traps of modern offenses with little use for a fullback. 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 . Who should be on top of the Steelers NFL Free Agency board? The All-Modern Era team is made up of 26 players - 11 on offense, 11 on defense, and four specialists. But Stewart posted 5,366 rushing yards and 31 touchdowns in the decade. 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. The controversy arose when the ball deflected off of Tatum or Frenchy. But he still turned in two more 1,000-yard seasons and recorded at least 800 yards from scrimmage in four seasons this decade. During the 2021 offseason, Pittsburgh declined to re-sign Conner, making him a free agent and creating an opportunity for the Arizona Cardinals to scoop him up. Los Angeles' running backs are in a bit of a limbo right . The Pittsburgh Steelers Hall-of-Fame running back Franco Harris died Wednesday, just before the 50-year anniversary of his "Immaculate Reception" play. He has six 1,000-yard seasons and six Pro Bowl nominations with the Eagles and Bills during the 2010s. Bleier was an outstanding lead blocker as well as being able to run the ball well and also had solid hands as a receiver. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. The 30-year-old has failed to rush for 500 yards in four of his seven seasons in the NFL. The former Heisman Trophy winner is another example of a highly regarded college back getting off to a slow start in the NFL. 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. In 2015 Williams rejuvenated his career with the Steelers, filling in for the suspended and injured Le'Veon Bell for 10 games. But he stayed. Conner responded with a Pro Bowl performance and gave Steeler Nation hope that hed become the next great Pittsburgh running back. 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. Rashard Mendenhall only played five seasons with the Steelers but rushed for a respectable 3,549 yards in 57 games. He finished with 585 yards and scored six touchdowns including a 75-yard run. For his service in the war, Bleier received the Purple Heart and a Bronze Star. Unfortunately, injuries have slowed him over the last couple of years and prevented him from running for more than 865 yards in a season. 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. He is currently a free agent and the third oldest running back in the NFL, as well as the second oldest active running back. The Senate passed the bill . Murray made the All-Pro team and Pro Bowl that year. 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. Last season he was in the top five among running backs in several categories. MORE: 2023 Dynasty Rookie Rankings. Gordon averaged a career-best 5.1 yards per carry in 2018. Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports. 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. Bleier believed the doctors were wrong and reported to Steelers training camp a year after he left the war. Both backs had to run well with the ball and have the skills to block for the other. Last season he rushed for only 885 yards, but that came in 12 games. He also earned the first of two consecutive First-Team All-Pro selections. Postseason. Williams had his first 1,000-yard season and averaged 13.3 ppg. Others were blocking fullbacks who spent their careers opening holes for star backs. 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. But since then injuries have slowed him, and he's averaging 3.6 yards per attempt. He has held the all-time rushing yards record since 2002 and is . Many argued that when Gore suffered a season-ending injury at the beginning of December in 2010, his best days were behind him. Do you have a sports website? In Dick Hoak's 10 years as a Steeler, he only saw two winning seasons. Meanwhile, at No. Over the entire decade, he posted 6,417 rushing yards and 7,909 yards from scrimmage with the Titans, Jets and Cardinals from 2010-17. The phrase is often proclaimed by an announcer after a Steelers running back plows over a few unlucky defenders. In three of his four NFL seasons, Gurley has rushed for more than 1,100 yards and at least 10 touchdowns. 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. He would play six seasons in Three Rivers Stadium when the Steelers were home and finish with 3,343 yards rushing. Unfortunately for Johnson, his 2,000-yard season came in 2009, so it just missed the cut for counting on this list. Mendenhall spent five seasons in Pittsburgh and was a member of two Super Bowl teams. 1 1. The Pittsburgh Steelers' 2020 running back room has the assortments of all the skillsets you could find around the NFL. In 2012, he made the All-Pro team with 1,590 rushing yards and 1,786 yards from scrimmage. Allain died on February 21, 2023, following a . At 244 pounds, Morris was a load running behind the offensive line and his numbers backed up his train rushing efforts. His entire career was with the Steelers and he would finish those six seasons with 1,512 yards and 18 touchdowns. He spent much of 2019 injured, and team injuries across the board made it difficult to judge his performance fairly. 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.
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