Steelers Throwback Thursday: Gay, over Woodson, owns “pick-6” record in Pittsburgh
Steel City Underground takes fans back in time to feature events, special moments, and historical times and players in the world of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Steelers Nation. Join us as we revisit these moments in our “Steelers Throwback Thursday” series.
Over the years, the Pittsburgh Steelers have fielded some of the best talent in the National Football League. Although it has traditionally been linebackers and defensive linemen whose names get brought up most in conversations about past greatness in Pittsburgh’s toughest defenses, the Steelers have had some exceptional backfielders, too.
Many times, a defensive back (cornerback, safety, nickel, dime, etc…) gets little spotlight on any given game day because that means they did their jobs, played a clean – penalty free – game. There are times, though, that certain players in the defensive backfield truly stand out in exceptional ways.
In this week’s “Throwback Thursday,” we turn our gaze to William Gay and Rod Woodson… and the plays that helped the former tie the latter in interceptions for a regular season touchdown – “pick 6s” – and snag the top record in the books.
Woodson, now enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, was the type of hybrid defensive back that stood out for the Steelers. He’s ranked up there with guys like Mel Blount and Troy Polamalu. From 1987-1996, Woodson was a fan-favorite on the back end of the Steelers’ defense who was a versatile playmaker.
In his career, Woodson set the NFL record for fumble recoveries by a defensive player (32), interceptions returned for a touchdown (12). His 71 career interceptions is the third-most in NFL history.
Based just on those items mentioned above, many Steelers fans would not put Gay in the same tier of memorable Pittsburgh players…
Gay actually had two stints in Pittsburgh. He was selected by the Steelers in the 2007 NFL Draft. Between his rookie season and the end of the 2011 regular season, he logged just three interceptions, and 43 pass defenses, in a crowded backfield group.
In 2012, Gay signed with the Arizona Cardinals and played under defensive backs coach Deshea Townsend, a former teammate in Pittsburgh. To many Steelers fans, that was the end of his story in black and gold.
Related posts:
- Steelers Throwback Thursday: Will Gay’s pick six ties Rod Woodson for Steelers record
- Steelers Throwback Thursday: Rod Woodson lands in Pittsburgh’s NFL draft lap
Gay’s time in the desert was short-lived, however, and the Steelers re-signed him in 2013.
Suddenly, the defensive back seemed to come to life. Maybe it was the opportunity at a second chance Maybe it was being around familiar teammates, albeit some new faces, and the environment. Something clicked.
In 2014, Gay had arguably his best career season. He started 13-of-16 games, racking up three “pick 6” interceptions (leading the league) for 113 return yards. His longest interception return went for 52 yards and a score. Gay also recorded 12 pass defenses, 69 combined tackles (58 solo), and a table for a loss.
The following season (2015), Gay tied Woodson’s standing regular season “pick 6” regular season record in that statistic against the Cincinnati Bengals.
That “pick 6” gave Gay a bump up the Steelers record book over Woodson in regular season play. It wasn’t because he had more – they both had five total – but Gay did it in less seasons with Pittsburgh.
At that point, Gay had just seven total seasons with Pittsburgh to Woodson’s ten (consecutive). As it stands, Gay (13) never surpassed Woodson’s total career interceptions. In fact, he wasn’t even close. It took Gay 160 games as a Steelers player to reach that mark to 134 games for Woodson.
It’s an interesting stat that ties the two defensive backs in both Pittsburgh Steelers history, as well as NFL history, though.
By comparison, the other Steelers to record the most regular season interceptions for a touchdown are as follows (in order on the record book):
- Jack Butler (3)
- Chad Scott (3)
- Tony Compagno (3)
- Minkah Fitzpatrick (3)
- Carnell Lake (3)
- Troy Polamalu (3)
- Deshea Townsend (3)
- Dwayne Woodruff (3)
- Mel Blount (2)
- Jim Bradshaw (2)
- Tyrone Carter (2)
- Glen Edwards (2)
- Bryan Hinkle (2)
- Mike Merriweather (2)
- John Rowser (2)
- Donnie Shell (2)
- Dewayne Washington (2)
- Sam Washington (2)
- Marv Woodson (2)
29 Steelers players have at least one “pick 6” on Pittsburgh’s record book.
In the end, neither Gay or Woodson earned a post-season interception for a touchdown in their careers, including their time in Pittsburgh.
Note: All statistics verified through Pro Football Reference, Pro Football Database, and NFL.com
