In the spirit of the offseason, Alex Kozora and I are undertaking the daunting task of ranking the top 100 Pittsburgh Steelers players in the history of the franchise. And we mean the complete history. 1933 to today, they’re all on the table. Alex and I first came up with our own lists and then worked together to come up with one “master” group. So you’ll see that one reflected below, with a quick side note of where each player was at in our personal rankings. That way, you all have something to be outraged over.
If you missed our rankings of players ranked 100-90, you can see those here.
89. Chad Scott/CB – (1997-2004) – Originally drafted by the Steelers in the first-round of the 1997 NFL Draft out Maryland, Scott would go on to play in 91 games for the Steelers over the span of 7 seasons. His 19 career interceptions while in Pittsburgh currently has him ranked 15th overall on the franchise’s all-time list. He returned 4 of those picks for touchdowns and only three other Steelers players have that many or more. He was also credited with 51 passes defensed during his career Pittsburgh which currently is sixth-best in franchise history.
Dave’s Rank: 94th
Alex’s Rank: N/R
88. Craig Wolfley/G/T – (1980-1989) – After being drafted by the Steelers in the fifth-round of the 1980 NFL Draft out of Syracuse, Wolfley played in 129 games with the Steelers of which he started 102 of them. While he never received league honors for his play, Wolfley was a mainstay on the left side of the Steelers offensive line for nearly a decade.
Dave’s Rank: 83rd
Alex’s Rank: N/R
87. Mark Bruener/TE – (1995-2003) – Originally drafted by the Steelers in the first-round of the 1995 NFL Draft out Washington, Bruener played in 126 games, making 108 starts while in Pittsburgh. His 137 receptions and 16 receiving touchdowns each rank fifth all-time in team history for a tight end. Bruener also established himself as one of the league’s better blocking tight ends while in Pittsburgh during a time when that was the primary role for the position. In his nine seasons with the Steelers, the team averaged 2,142 rushing yards per year.
Dave’s Rank: N/R
Alex’s Rank: 83rd
86. Pat Brady/P – (1952-1954) – Originally drafted by the New York Giants in 13th round of the 1952 NFL Draft, Brady played for the Steelers during the 1952, 1953, and 1954 seasons. He was second in the league in punting in 1952 and led the league in 1953 and 1954. He averaged 44.5 yards for those three years. A torn Achilles tendon during the 1955 pre-season ended Brady’s career and he was ultimately named to the Steelers’ 50th Anniversary Team in 1982 and to its 75th anniversary “Legends Team” in 2007.
Dave’s Rank: N/R
Alex’s Rank: 81st
85. Yancey Thigpen/WR – (1992-1997) – Originally drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the fourth-round of the 1991 NFL Draft, Thigpen joined the Steelers in 1992 and played sparingly until becoming a starter in 1994. In 1995, Thigpen caught 85 passes for 1,307 yards and five touchdowns and helped lead the Steelers to Super Bowl XXX, where he recorded three catches for 19 yards and a touchdown in the 27-17 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. He was also voted to the Pro Bowl that season. Thigpen’s 222 career catches while in Pittsburgh currently has him ranked 15th overall on the franchise’s all-time leader list. He went on to spend his final three years in the league with the Tennessee Titans and caught another 91 passes for 1,430 yards and 9 touchdowns.
Dave’s Rank: 93rd
Alex’s Rank: 78th
84. Cameron Heyward/DE – (2011-) – Drafted by the Steelers in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft out of Ohio State, Heyward has already registered 22 career sacks which ranks him 19th overall on the franchise’s all-time list. Additionally, he has already registered 197 total tackles and 14 defensed passes during his career and is currently one of the unquestioned leaders of the team. He is under contract with the Steelers through the 2020 season and thus has a chance to become one of the franchise’s all-time great defensive linemen.
Dave’s Rank: N/R
Alex’s Rank 77th
83. Maurkice Pouncey/C – (2010-) – Drafted by the Steelers in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft out of Florida, Pouncey has already established himself as one of the league’s top centers. While injuries have forced him to miss 34 regular season games during his first six years in the league. Pouncey has already been elected to the Pro Bowl three times and named First-team All-Pro twice.
Dave’s Rank: 87th
Alex’s Rank: 72nd
82. Plaxico Burress/WR – (2000-2003) – Originally drafted by the Steelers in the first-round of the 2000 NFL Draft out Michigan State, Burress would go on to register 264 total catches for 4,206 yards and 23 touchdowns during his career in Pittsburgh which included two different stints with the team. In a 2002 game against the Atlanta Falcons, Burress caught 9 passes for 253 yards and 2 touchdowns. His receiving yardage in that game served as a franchise-best until it was broken in 2015 by Antonio Brown.
Dave’s Rank: 80th
Alex’s Rank: 80th
81. Bill Dudley/HB-TB-QB – (1942, 1945-1946) – Dudley was selected in the 1942 NFL Draft with the first overall pick by the Steelers and led the league in rushing with 696 yards on 162 carries during his rookie season. That led to him being named to the All-Pro team that year. After spending the next two and a half seasons in the Army, Dudley became the league leader in rushing (604 yards), interceptions (10 total which he returned for 242 yards) and punt returns (27 total for 385 yards) in 1946. He would go on to play for the Detroit Lions and Washington Redskins and was ultimately elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1966 and named to the Steelers’ 75th anniversary “Legends Team” in 2007.
Dave’s Rank: N/R
Alex’s Rank: 45th
80. Santonio Holmes/WR – (2006-2009) – Holmes, who was originally drafted by the Steelers in the first-round of the 2006 NFL Draft out Ohio State, caught 235 passes for 3,835 yards and 20 touchdowns during his short four-year career in Pittsburgh. He will forever be remembered for his game-winning touchdown catch in Super Bowl XLIII that resulted in him also being named the game’s MVP. He caught 9 passes in that game for 131 yards. Holmes also returned punts and kickoffs as a Steeler.
Dave’s Rank: 89th
Alex’s Rank: 70th
