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The dream of any NFL player is to be remembered as one of the best on their team, setting the highest bar and creating a legacy for years to come. Over the years, players from different franchises have become the best they can be on their team, regardless of their position. It’s not easy to be considered one of the best to play since you’ll need to showcase high-quality football for years of consistency, which is why only a few players on each team can be on top.
In this article, we’ll outline five of the greatest Pittsburgh Steelers players to ever play in the franchise, including when they played, their position and how impactful they were on the Steelers.
Ben Roethlisberger is the epitome of dedication, and with 18 straight years played for Pittsburgh, he goes down as one of the greatest Steelers players in existence and one of two of the most famed Steelers QBs.
Starting his long-lived career at 22 in 2004 for the Steelers, Big Ben would tally 249 total career games in his 18 seasons. He’d pass for 64,088 yards (418 passing TDs) and rush for 1,373 yards (20 rushing TDs). Not only would his yardage show how involved he was, but he’d also make the Pro Bowl on six separate occasions and earn Offensive Rookie of the Year in his first 2004 season.
Another dedicated Steelers player, Joe Greene, would play as the team’s starting left defensive tackle for 13 straight years. For Steelers DEs, there’s virtually no one as good as Greene, with 181 total games to his name under the Steelers.
His stats alone show he made the Pro Bowl every year of his career until 1980 (except for 1 year in 1977), with 77.5 total sacks to his name in addition to 16 fumble recoveries. In addition, he made the All Pros first team in 1972, 1973, 1974 and 1977, proving he was one of the most valuable Steelers players of all time.
Much like his teammates on this list of greatest Steelers players in history, Jack Ham would work with Pittsburgh for a solid 12 seasons straight as one of the starting linebackers. For reliable linebackers, Jack Ham certainly comes to mind, as experienced as he is with 162 NFL games under his belt.
Over those 162 games, he’d intercept 32 passes, returning 1 for a TD, while recovering 21 total fumbles and committing 25.5 career sacks. In addition, he made the Pro Bowl for eight straight years from 1973-1979, as well as making the All Pros 1st team from 1974-1979, so it’s no question that Jack Ham is considered one of the greatest players in Pittsburgh history.
It’s hard to pick a winner for the most dedicated Steelers player on this list, as Terry Bradshaw would commit 14 years of service to only the Steelers, much like his fellow teammates. Starting his career at 22 in 1970 as Pittsburgh’s main QB, he’d play 168 total career games.
In those games, Bradshaw would throw 27,989 total yards with 212 touchdowns to show for. He’d also beat Roethlisberger in rushing yards, with 2,257 and 32 rushing touchdowns. He’d only make the Pro Bowl three times, but he would make the All-Pros back-to-back in 1978 and 1979 and win the All-Pro MVP trophy in 1978.
Our number one pick for the greatest Pittsburgh Steelers to ever play the game is safety Troy Polamalu, a Steelers player for 12 straight years and 158 total games. Throughout his career, he’d intercept a total of 32 passes, with 3 of those ending in a touchdown, along with 7 fumble recoveries, and 583 total solo tackles.
To seal the deal, Polamalu made the Pro Bowl from 2004-2008 in 2010, 2011 and 2013. Not only that, but he’d make the All Pros first team in 2005, 2008, 2010 and 2011, rubber-stamping his legacy as the greatest player to ever wear the black and gold.
Liam has been a major sports fan and soccer player for over a decade, with a particular focus on major top-level soccer leagues, including the EPL, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga and MLS. He has written numerous promotional articles for various top sportsbooks and continues to publish historical and factual sports articles covering the NFL, MLS, NHL, MLB, EPL and more.