Top 100 most influential people in Steelers history: 11 -15

by Brian E. Roach (CannonsDontThun) on November 20, 2017

The guys remaining on this list speak for themselves.

They are legendary. They are, or soon will be Hall of Famers. They are game changers.

What more needs to be said? They are the top 15 people in the history of the Steelers.

Let’s get to it.

15 – Jerome Bettis
Running Back
1996 – 2005

6x Pro Bowler, 2x All-Pro, Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year, NFL Comeback Player of the Year. Rookie of the Year and finally, at long last, Super Bowl Champion and Hall of Famer.

“The Bus” was the personification of Steelers football for many years. Thank you, Bam Morris, for smoking too much weed! The picture I chose is the way he should be remembered. Bettis steamrolling Urlacher.

He was the big man with the feet of a ballet dancer. He was the toughest running back I think we ever had (that I saw, I don’t know about the olden days!) and he was a Steeler through and through. He should never have been a Ram. Hey, things work out the way they are supposed to sometimes. Luckily he arrived right after the departure of “He Who Shall Not Be Named”, and he stayed long enough to get his shot at that ring.

He finished his career 5th all-time in rushing yards. Myron Cope gave him the nickname “The Bus” because of his ability to carry multiple defenders on his back, like a bus ride, during his carries. In my heart, I think I love Bettis more than I love Franco, but that can’t push him into the top 10, so he settles here at number 15, the second highest ranked RB.

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14 – Troy Polamalu
Safety
2003 – 2015
PS4L
Top Safety

Oh, how I have struggled with where to put Troy.

He’s been in the top 10, and been out of the top 10.

He’s never skipped out of the top 20, but I’ve moved him around a lot.

Why? Because he may be my favorite modern player. Yes, the bromance is real, he just doesn’t know it! I had him as the third highest ranked player (behind Joe Greene, and Jack Lambert) but that felt premature.

How do you put him ahead of HOFers like Franco, Blount, and Bradshaw? Should he go ahead of Woodson? Probably not, but you could argue yes. Troy WILL get into the Hall, hopefully on the first ballot. He should get in first ballot, but as I have already said, there is a Steelers bias, so he might have to wait. I had him ahead of Ben, but then I put Ben ahead of him, then I flipped them back, then back again. Well, at some point you just have to stop, so here he sits at number 14, the top-ranked safety on my list.

There was no other player like Troy, and I don’t believe there ever will be again. 8x Pro Bowler, 4x First-Team All-Pro, NFL Defensive Player of the Year, Steelers MVP, Steelers All-Time Team member and 2x Super Bowl champion. But the truth is, none of that, none of it really tells the full story about Troy Polamalu.

I am sure we all remember this:

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And this:

https://www.facebook.com/steelcityunderground/videos/1133349830040030/

And this:

https://twitter.com/steelcityundrgr/status/753034117659394052

AND THIS!:

https://twitter.com/steelcityundrgr/status/852549315360940033

I could go on and on and on. There was nobody like Troy.

Here is a story that I’ll always remember. In the 2005 season, during that remarkable run, my best friend was living in Denver. So, of course he was talking trash about how even if we got to Denver, we were going to lose. Now to be fair, he was never much of a football fan, he was very casual about it, and he’d watch the playoffs, and maybe a couple games during the season, but he wasn’t a die hard.

However, because Denver was playing, he felt that he could talk smack. So after the 34-17 butt whipping we handed the Broncos at Mile High, I thought I would see how he felt. I called him up and he answered the phone and said “It’s not fair – you have a lion on your team”, of course meaning Polamalu. I could probably write pages about Troy, his field sense, his awareness, his speed, but you know, at some point I have to stop. If I keep going, I’ll put him back up at the 3rd overall player.

We miss ya Troy!

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13 – Rod Woodson
Cornerback
1987 – 1996

Hall of Famer, 11x Pro Bowler, 6x First Team All-Pro, Inducted into Steelers Hall of Fame, NFL Defensive Player of the Year, and member of All-time Steelers team. Woodson is considered to be one of the top players at his position in NFL history, and who am I to argue? How long did the banner “Rod is God” hang in Three Rivers? There is no question he was one of the top 2 CB’s in Steelers history. You can make the case that he is number one, but there are reasons that I keep him as number 2.

In my crazed Black ‘n’ Gold mind many irrational thoughts have taken root. Here is one of them. I’ve already stated that “He Who Shall Not Be Named” cost Woodson and so many others a chance for a Super Bowl victory as a member of the Steelers. I think with Woodson he cost us, the fans much more than that.

After that loss in Super Bowl XXX, Woodson left, to try and pursue a championship elsewhere (eventually winning one with…well you know who…bleah!). I submit that if Mr. 3-pick (even I am getting sick of calling him “He Who Shall Not Be Named”) hadn’t blown that game – if Woodson wins a championship with the Steelers – he doesn’t leave. I submit that he ends his career in Pittsburgh, hoping to win another Lombardi here, and doesn’t need to chase it in the slums of the NFL!

What evidence do I have to support this incredible claim? Well, Bill Mahr does this bit on Real Time where he says that somethings can’t be proven, but you just know they’re true. The bit is called “I don’t know it for a fact, but I just know it’s true”. Like, for example, I don’t know for a fact that Joe Flacco pee’s his pants a little everytime anyone just says “Troy”, but I know it’s true.

So that’s how this is – I don’t know for a fact that Mr. 3-pick chased Rod Woodson out of town, I just know it’s true. (Yes, I know that money was involved, but if we had just won the championship, maybe money is a little less of an issue?)

Because of those “purple” years, I can’t make him the number one CB on my list. He might deserve it, and as I hinted, those years may not even be all his fault, but I can’t do it. So he sits as the number two CB on the list. Maybe if he had a rule named after him, he would have been number one.

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12 – Jack Ham
Linebacker
1971 – 1982
PS4L

Ham may be the greatest outside Linebacker in the history of the NFL. With this caveat – “among those linebackers who were not pass-rush specialists”. That should limit the arguments about Lawrence Taylor. They both played outside linebacker, but they played it much differently – different styles, different responsibilities. Ham was fast – Chuck Noll said that Ham was the fastest player on the team for the first ten yards.” He could play pass defense as well as a safety (can you imagine if he was on the team now “Maybe we should move Ham to safety?” LOL).

The thing I remember most about Jack Ham was that you could not fool him. He was always in position – always. He was just that smart, and that prepared. Ham holds the record for the most takeaways by a non-defensive back, with 53.

On top of that, he’s a Hall of Famer, 8x Pro Bowler, 6x First Team All-Pro, Defensive Player of the Year, All Time Steelers team, and 4x Super Bowl Champion.

“Dobre Shunka” was awesome. He was probably a better player than the man I have as the number one linebacker, and I wouldn’t really argue with anyone who made that claim, but as good as Ham was, he didn’t become the face of the franchise, the identity of the defense. Still, he was awesome, and of that there is no question.

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11 – Mel Blount
Cornerback
1970 – 1983
PS4L
Top Corner

Ok, let’s be honest, Blount’s stat line (5x Pro Bowler, 4x First Team All-Pro, NFL Defensive Player of the Year, 4x Super Bowl Champion) are comparable to Woodson’s, but you could argue Rod had a better line (except the championships).

Still, Blount gets the nod over Rod because he was so dominating, so overpowering that the NFL had to change the rules to try and prevent the smothering coverage that Blount was the master of. In 1972, his first year as a starter, he did not allow a single touchdown.

Not one.

What really is impressive about Blount is when the “bump and run” style was outlawed, he still excelled. He made All Pro teams and Pro Bowls even after the implementation of the “Mel Blount” rule.

Like I said, you can easily argue that Woodson should be listed above Blount, but in my book when you are so good that they change the rules, well, you get a little street cred for that.

Conclusion

The Blount/Woodson debate isn’t going to be resolved by me. They are both fantastic players, both members of the HoF and were both legendary members of the Black and Gold legacy.

There are only 10 names left on the list. Owners, coaches, players and someone you might not expect.

The Top 10 Most Influential Steelers of all time are all that’s left.

Next up: Number 10.