The top 50 Steelers of all time

Here is a list of my top 50 Steelers of all time since the AFL-NFL merger.
The rankings are based on three criteria. Relative performance to their peers 50%, key to winning a championship for the Steelers 30% ,and longevity on the Steelers. 20%

1. Chuck Noll - Coach
2. Joe Greene – DT
3. Terry Bradshaw - QB
4. Jack Lambert – MLB
5. Ben Roethlisberger - QB
6. Franco Harris - RB
7. Mel Blount - CB
8. Jack Ham – OLB
9. Mike Webster –C
10. Hines Ward –WR
11. Troy Polamalu –SS
12. Rod Woodson – CB * Woodson would rate higher if he played more seasons
13. John Stallworth – WR
14. Lynn Swann – Wr
15. James Harrison – OLB
16. Jon Kolb – OT
17. Donnie Shell – SS
18. LC Greenwood – DE
19. Bill Cowher – Head Coach
20. Alan Faneca
21. Dermontii Dawson –C * lack of a ring makes him fall a bit
22. Aaron Smith – DL
23. Joey Porter –OLB
24. Cameron Heyward - DL: * Retiring soon.
25. Casey Hampton- NT
26 Greg Lloyd – OLB
27 Carnell Lake – S
28. Mike Tomlin - Head coach
29. Jerome Bettis – RB
30 Levon Kirkland – ILB
31. TJ Watt * active player can rate higher
32. Chris Boswell * active player can rate higher
33. John Jackson – LT
34 James Farrior – ILB
35 Andy Russell – OLB
36 Ike Taylor – CB
37 Jason Gildon – OLB
39. Gary Anderson – K
40. Ernie Holmes – DT
41. Heath Miller - TE
42. Willie Parker – RB
43. Lawerence Timmons
44 Keith Willis – DE
45. Mike Wagner – FS
46. Dick Lebeau – Defensive coordinator
47. Joel Steed – NT
48 Dewayne Woodruff – CB
49. Darren Perry - FS
50. Dwight White – DE

Honrable metntion:

Louis Lipps – WR, Tunch Ilkin - OT, Larry Brown, Max Starks – LT. DT Ernie Stauner


-JB

 

Definitely would have Ernie Stautner on that list before Holmes. Would have Jeff Hartings there as well (C on a Super Bowl team), along with Larry Brown.

 

I know people don't like the guy, but Antonio Brown needs to be on the list. He was the best receiver in the NFL for five or six seasons and is arguably the best at his position in team history.

Stautner needs to be on the list. Roy Jefferson might be worth consideration. Maurkice Pouncey belongs, too.

 

Nice work Joel. These things are always pretty personal and can't really argue much. There are no "right answers" (although I would personally say MJG at #1 is the "right" answer).

I'd put Mr. Joe Greene at 1, but Noll isn't unreasonable.

I'd probably also be more biased toward newer era guys than you are here (e.g., I'd put Ben ahead of Terry...and Troy higher but not sure where...above Ward for sure). In general, I think it's hard to compare pre UFA/Cap to post. And I saw the young guys in real-time and only saw the 70s guys in highlight videos.

If you have Cowher on the list, I think you need to also put Tomlin there [edit: missed this the first time, can't read...still think it's hard to compare coach impact to players]. They basically have the same contribution to the team. Honestly, I'd have a separate list for coaches...Noll clearly #1. Cowher / Tomlin basically tie for 2. I think it's really hard to compare the impact of a coach vs. a player. Which I probably why I'd put Greene ahead of Noll. Nice to see that you have LeBeau here too. The common thread for all non-70s SB appearances.

I like that you have A Smith here. He'd be underrated by non-Steelers fans...and probably even by casual fans.

I agree with Scribe that AB should be on the list. Probably even ahead of Ward (who was my favorite offensive player of that era).

This was fun. And hard to put together I'm sure.

 

Tomlin is 28th on this list....

 

Wow...reading comprehension fail by me. Edited to point out my mistake.

 

Stautner was pre-merger era.

 

Kind of amazing that Troy P can clock in at #11 and you can't don't totally laugh.

It all depends on the criteria and the measurements used. but I would consider that MJG and Troy could arguably be the top 2 ranked players.

Both altered outcomes of games simply by buckling their chinstraps and walking on the field.

Neat idea no matter what the rankings are.

 

Stallworth was more of a key player than Hines Ward. When Swann went down because DBs were head hunting, Brad just threw to Stallworth for 6.

You also forgot Dan Rooney who should be in the Top 3, if not #1. He was mostly responsible after Noll for putting together the greatest team in NFL history.

 

He played before the AFL - NFL merger. As such he did not rate.

 

I completely missed AB. My bad. He loon should rate in the top 20-25 on the list. There is no doubt he was a star players for a few seasons.

 

Too bad he lost his mind.

Timmons kind of went crazy after he left us too IIRC.

 

Timmons lost his sht on the field with us too

 

Nice find.

I was thinking about how he went AWOL in Miami.
https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/...ologizes-for-going-awol-mum-on-what-happened/

 

I agree about AB. Sad that he has fallen so far in Steeler Nations collective memories that most of us don't even consider him for something like this.