As referenced in a previous post, the Steelers are front and center this week on the NFL Network. They produced a show ranking the top 10 Steelers. Their list was as follows:
10) Jerome Bettis
9) Lynn Swann
8) Hines Ward
7) Troy Polamalu
6) Mel Blount
5) Jack Lambert
4) Rod Woodson
3) Franco Harris
2) Terry Bradshaw
1) Joe Greene
It's hard to argue with that list, but because I like to I certainly will. My list, with annotations:
10) Mike Webster- "Iron Mike" defined the center position almost from the moment he assumed it. A center pulling on a run? Who did things like that before Mike Webster? Also notable was his longevity and durability, and though it all ended tragically it's not too much to say that he was the best center of all time. His protege, Dermontii Dawson, is also in the Hall of Fame, having learned his craft at the hands of the master. Until recently the center position in Pittsburgh changed about as often as the head coaching position, and Webster had everything to do with that.
9) John Stallworth- Everybody remembers Lynn Swann and his fantastic circus catches, but quietly Stallworth had by far the better career. Additionally, he made just as many circus catches as Swann ever did, and he played at a high level for much longer. I could probably rate them both together, in which case they'd be higher, but I think 9th place is a pretty good spot.
8) Jack Ham- Another player who was overshadowed by some of the other greats, he was probably the second-best linebacker of the '70s and arguably better than more famous legends like Butkus and Nitschke. His problem? See number 2.
7) Ben Roethlisberger- Big Ben makes the list not because of numbers but because he has played his entire career behind papier-mache offensive lines and has taken a never-ending series of punishing hits, yet rarely fails to get back up and go back for more. His statistics make him one of the premier quarterbacks in the game, and he has shown consistent improvement throughout his career. He is well-known for shrugging off tackles that would bring down lesser players and making things happen. And the biggest thing he has going for him: the Steelers recent run of excellence began the day he first found himself under center. Between him and Bradshaw there was a procession of mediocrity, Brister, Malone, Tomczak, Maddox, the other guy whose name I will never say... he solidified the quarterback position for more than a decade and can still add to his already stellar reputation. His personal life certainly wasn't everything it should have been, and he certainly wouldn't have been ranked had any of it put him in jail, but it didn't, and as such we can rate him as a player much more easily.
6) Hines Ward- An undersized ex-quarterback became the best receiver in Steelers history, a Super Bowl MVP, and the single best blocking receiver in football history. You could always count on Ward when the game was on the line. Somehow he also got a reputation as a dirty player, which I think is unjustified. His crushing blocks, notably on Keith Rivers, demonstrate how complete his game truly was. Other players didn't like being shown up by a runt who was always grinning ear to ear, which is where I think the reputation came from.
5) Franco Harris- Franco gets a big rep for his statistics, and everybody remembers the "Immaculate Reception", so he's a tough one to place. Franco also came through in big games, evidenced by his performance in the 4 Super Bowls. His problem was that he wasn't really a bruiser, he was more of a finesse back. As a result, his career was stutterstep-dance-tackle for 15 carries and then a few big payoff runs. He's unquestionably a great player, but I have a hard time ranking him higher.
4) Mel Blount- He so completely changed the cornerback position that they actually changed the rules to stop him. The "Mel Blount Rule" prevented cornerbacks from jamming receivers after 5 yards. So what did he do? He changed his game and remained the premier cornerback in the league for several more years. He was the first "shutdown" cornerback. If you went against him you had the worst game of your career.
3) Terry Bradshaw- Yes, I know what his stats were. I know he was benched at times for Terry Hanratty and Joe Gilliam. I know all the stories about how dumb he was alleged to be. Well, dumb old Terry Bradshaw shined when it mattered. Put the ball in his hand when the game was on the line and you were rarely disappointed, with 4 rings to show for it. In that category I'd put him only second to Montana.
2) Jack Lambert- THE best middle linebacker of all time, bar none. He was completely undersized for the position, but mean, nasty, toothless Jack Lambert overcame that by playing with abandon. He was superlative on the blitz and in coverage. Few people intimidated like he did, and even fewer backed it up for an extended period of time.
1) Joe Greene- How could it be anyone else? The Steelers' path to greatness started the day he was drafted, only hours before Chuck Noll was hired to be the head coach. He simply owned everybody he was faced off against, and when he started out he was just mean. When he learned to control his temper he became even more unstoppable. He was the foundation of the Steel Curtain, the unquestioned leader, and simply the best Steeler to ever play the game.
As you can see, they somewhat align. Still, think of how hard it is to make this list. For every non-'70s Steeler you have to leave off a Hall of Fame player. It boggles the mind. L.C. Greenwood, Ernie Stautner, Lynn Swann, Jack Butler, John Henry Johnson... how do you leave them off the list? Troy Polamalu? He might one day be there for the amazing things he does, but he doesn't displace anybody yet, especially because he has a history of performance-sapping injuries that have taken large parts of seasons away.
One person that will never make my Top 10 list is Rod Woodson. Yes, he was great. Yes, he might have been one of the best players of all time. Yes, he made the NFL Network's list. But dammit, he won a ring with the hated Ratbirds. For that single fact alone I can never forgive him.
So there's my list. Feel free to contribute yours, even if you're a Ratbirds fan. I welcome the challenge.
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