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Most underrated Steelers

Discussion in 'Steelers Talk' started by lloyddestroy, Mar 3, 2015.

  1. lloyddestroy

    lloyddestroy Well-Known Member

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    These are not household names, and that's the point. These are players who I think we better than they were credited, not stars.

    In no particular order..........

    - Barry Foster. He came within a hair of leading the league in rushing. During his prime, he was among the very best backs of his day (Not Barry Sanders, but just short of the very top.) He wasn't a high draft pick, and Noll said he was "The toughest player I have ever coached" but that being said, Noll didn't play him; it wasn't until Cowher that Barry became the lead horse on offense. It was odd i how he went out (simply quit, 3 times, said he couldn't take the work anymore). When anyone thinks of Steeler running backs, obviously, Franco comes to mind, and then Bettis. But during Barry's brief peak, he was very good. I remember the play off game when he splattered the browns like they were a bug on his windshield.

    - Louie Lipps. A very good WR on a some very bad teams with bad QBs.

    - Greg Lloyd. The loyalists who watched them in his era love him, like me. But over all, I don't think he gets his due. He stood as the leader in many ways during his days, along with Woodson, Lake and Greene. Lloyd was fierce, mean, cat quick, punishing and intimidating.

    - Frankie Pollard. He was on really bad teams, but I thought he was very underrated. Kid could play.

    - John Jackson. Was a top shelf LT and we haven't had LT play like that since he left. Marvel Smith was solid, but Jackson was like moving iron.

    - Deshea Townsend. Never a star, but darn solid.

    - Yancey Thigpen. Short Steeler career, often hurt, but when he was healthy he was a great WR.

    - Derrick Moye.
     
  2. SGSteeler

    SGSteeler Well-Known Member

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    Derek Moye? Lol

    in in all seriousness tho that's a pretty good list. I'd add Chris Hope as well as a newer guy. I thought he was pretty solid. Randle El too. Ike Taylor in his prime could be fairly underrated as well. I'm not old enough to remember earlier than the 90's...
     
  3. thorn058

    thorn058 Well-Known Member

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    Hoge, John L Williams, Whitman, Dan Krieder
     
  4. Lizard72

    Lizard72

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    Hope definitely! The reason he's not seen as a huge drop off was because they basically swapped him out with Ryan Clark and that worked out well.

    Eric Greene? He was the last really good TE before Heath came along. He was a big beast that could catch (IIRC) overshadowed by Okoye (yes I know he was a fullback)
     
  5. JackAttack 5958

    JackAttack 5958 Well-Known Member

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    Donnie Shell, Mike Wagner, Glenn Edwards (yeah, that one), JT Thomas, Dwayne Woodruff, Jim Smith, Bennie Cunningham, Randy Grossman from the 70s teams.
     
  6. mac daddyo

    mac daddyo Well-Known Member

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    Thomas Everett, big play ray seals, bryan hinkle, ernest Jackson, fred mcafee, Leroy Thompson, leon searcy, larry griffen.:cool:
     
  7. blountforcetrauma

    blountforcetrauma Well-Known Member

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    Didn't we do a thread like this a few years ago? I know we did an overrated one for sure. I was thinking we did an underrated also. Not hating on the thread. Just trying to remember if I'm crazy or not. LOL. Then I might have said someone different but now I'm gonna say Casey Hampton. Although it's probably Aaaron Smith. WE know he was great but he's not a guy that comes up in a lot of like "greatest ever" chats and stuff like that.
     
  8. Da Stellars

    Da Stellars Well-Known Member

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    Yancey Thigpen was a great player, and I would take him any day of the weak, but he didn't start or end his career with the Steelers. I remember his skills kind of faded quick too, he only had 2 or 3 truly great years and he was done.

    I think most underrated of all time is Jason Gildon, all time sack leader for the Steelers, but no one puts his name in with the all time great Steelers. He was a solid player for many years, and did everything he was asked to do pretty well.
     
  9. Thigpen82

    Thigpen82 Bitter optimist

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    Underrated is difficult to define.

    There are a lot of guys from the 80s who miss out on the 'all-time great' list simply because we weren't winning superbowls. A better game against Miami in 84 and maybe it's a different story. But anyways, those are the guys who usually get my vote.

    Mike Merriweather, for example. People have mentioned Hoge. Mac's list is pretty good, in my view.

    I'm not sure Louis Lipps is underrated - he was pretty much a lock for 3rd all-time best Steelers receiver until Ward came along. But he was unlucky to come along when he did.

    Moving into the 90s, Barry Foster was awesome in his day, just didn't stick around long enough.

    And Thigpen... well, people may be able to guess my views on that one.
     
  10. Thigpen82

    Thigpen82 Bitter optimist

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    /Thread.
     
  11. steel1031

    steel1031 Well-Known Member

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    I have always thought woodruff was one of the best we had. I loved watching him. I would add Merriweather and robin cole as well
     
  12. Blast Furnace

    Blast Furnace Staff Member Mod Team

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    Meril Hodge. Good hard runner that could catch too.
     
  13. 86WardsWay

    86WardsWay Well-Known Member

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    Maybe not really underrated but we all loved watching that Ma'afala run.

    Fuamatu-Ma'afala
     
  14. 86WardsWay

    86WardsWay Well-Known Member

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    Does Johnny Unitas make this list?
     
  15. Steel_in_DC

    Steel_in_DC Well-Known Member

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  16. Thigpen82

    Thigpen82 Bitter optimist

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    In what way is Johnny Unitas underrated?
     
  17. 86WardsWay

    86WardsWay Well-Known Member

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    My thinking was that the Steelers thought that he was not very good and therefore underrated him to a degree so he didn't make the cut. He then went to Baltimore and became a star. Hope that explained my rationale.
     
  18. Steel_in_DC

    Steel_in_DC Well-Known Member

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    My serious answer is as follows:

    70's Donnie Shell, Randy Grossman, LC Greenwood
    80's Louis Lipps, Bryan Hinkle
    90's Levon Kirkland, Neil O'Donnell, Merril Hoge
    00's Aaron Smith, Brett Keisel, Clark Haggans
    Current: Steve McClendon, William Gay
     
  19. blackandgoldpatrol

    blackandgoldpatrol Well-Known Member

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    in no particular order:
    keith willis
    aaron smith
    bryan hinkle
    jerry olsavsky
    mike merryweather
    Darren perry
    Thomas Everett
    dj Johnson
    tunch ilkin
    Orpheus roye
    chris hoke
    jerame tuman
    robin cole
    david little
     
  20. lloyddestroy

    lloyddestroy Well-Known Member

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    These are all good ones; I thought about mentioning both Seals and Earnest Jackson. Didn't Buddy Ryan say he would trade him for a 6-pack of beer, and it didn't have to be cold? By the time we had to resort to Jackson, we were a really had team, but Earnest himself played pretty well, I thought. I actually had beers with Hinkle. He was a real no nonsense type of dude. He reminded me of Randal Tex Cobb.
     
  21. lloyddestroy

    lloyddestroy Well-Known Member

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    Good list, but I thought Aaron Smith got some kudos at one point. Merriweather made multiple probowls, I think.
     
  22. lloyddestroy

    lloyddestroy Well-Known Member

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    LC....had to change to the bright yellow shoes so statitions and commentators would stop giving all his sack credits to Mean Joe.
     
  23. Blast Furnace

    Blast Furnace Staff Member Mod Team

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    I thought about mentioning N.O., too much of a lightening rod though :lolol:
     
  24. blackandgoldpatrol

    blackandgoldpatrol Well-Known Member

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    Aaron smith got some props, but never the type of appreciation that he really deserved, and I always felt that merryweather was a bit under appreciated around the burgh
     
  25. lloyddestroy

    lloyddestroy Well-Known Member

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    I think part of the reason Merriweather is under appreciated is because he bolted while still under contract. He threw a fit for a new deal early, and the Rooneys told him to pound salt.
     

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