Don’t look now, but Pittsburgh Steelers rookie linebacker Bud Dupree currently leads the team in sacks (2) after two weeks of play.
So, just how surprising is that stat? Well, for starters, Dupree is first Steelers rookie to record a sack in consecutive games since 2007. Former linebacker LaMarr Woodley was the last Steelers rookie to accomplish that feat, but his two sacks came in Weeks 2 and 3 of his rookie year.
It took a little bit of research, but the last Steelers rookie to have two or more sacks after the first two games of a season was defensive end Kenny Davidson (2.5), according to Pro Football Reference.
Wait, who?
Davidson was drafted by the Steelers in the second-round of the 1990 NFL Draft out of LSU and he recorded 2.5 sacks in the Steelers first two games that year. He went on to play four seasons in Pittsburgh and tallied 8 total sacks in the 59 games that he played in.
If you’re up for a little reading, here’s an article about Davidson that was published in the Pittsburgh Press after the Steelers drafted him.
Dupree has logged 77 total snaps so far in the Steelers first two games and when it comes to outside linebackers on the team, only veteran James Harrison has logged more playing time. 39 of Dupree’s snaps have included him rushing the passer, so he’s got a nice little sack-to-pass rush ratio going heading into Week 3.
In case you’re curious, Dupree will need two sacks Sunday against the St. Louis Rams in order to tie Keith Gary for the most sacks by a Steelers rookie through the first three games of any one season. Gary, who was drafted by the Steelers in the first-round of the 1981 NFL Draft out of Oklahoma had four sacks in the team’s first three games of the 1981 season.
The Steelers rookie sack record for a single season is currently held by former linebacker Kendrell Bell, who registered 9 back in 2001.
