A new series we’re bringing to Steelers Depot to get us through a portion of the offseason. A list of the top 10 individual seasons in team history. Which as I sat down to research turned out to be a lot harder than I figured. A team that’s been around for 90 years has had lots of great seasons – who would’ve guessed?
So we’re counting down 10 to one the top singular season performances by anyone who has worn the black and gold. One important caveat. Players can only appear on this list once. So their best of the best season. You won’t see any repeat names on here.
As we begin to near the end of the list, I’ll also post an honorable mention of players and performances that just missed the cut. Let me know your thoughts of the top 10 in the comments below.
Before we unveil the top two in a later post, here’s a handful of honorable mentions. Names who were strongly considered but just missed the top 10. These are listed in no particular order.
2004 LB James Farrior – 95 Tackles + 4 INTs + 3 sacks + All-Pro
Farrior narrowly missed appearing on the top 10 list. One of Kevin Colbert’s greatest free agent finds, 2004 was his banner year. He did it all. Stuffing the run. Attacking the quarterback. Making plays in coverage. Pittsburgh went 15-1 with the league’s #1 defense, first in points and yards allowed.
He was named to his first Pro Bowl, made his first and only All-Pro team, and finished second in DPOY voting behind Ed Reed, losing out 20-16 in the vote tally.
1992 RB Barry Foster – Team-Record 1,690 Yards Rushing + 11 Touchdowns
The moment I began cobbling together this list, I thought for sure Foster would be on there. And while his rushing total is impressive, still the most in team-history, it feels more like a volume stat. His 390 rushes led the league while his rushing yards didn’t (Emmitt Smith had more) and his 4.3 yards per carry was just okay. Of qualifying runners, it ranked just 16th in the league.
The more I put the list together, the more unique and collective seasons I realized, the more Foster fell down the charts and eventually, out of the top 10. He lost out to RB Le’Veon Bell, who had more total yards from scrimmage and did more in the passing game.
2021 K Chris Boswell – Team-Record 36 Made FGs + 8 FGs From 50+ 90% FG Rate
Initially, I thought I’d sneak Boswell onto the top 10. Ultimately, he didn’t stick, but 2021 is a season that should be recognized. He finished the year 36/40, kicking three game-winning field goals, though they were all from very makeable distance. Still, he nailed eight kicks of 50+ yards, conquering Heinz Field from that distance when once making anything from 50+ was a modern miracle.
1961 DT Big Daddy Lipscomb – League-Leading 17.5 Sacks
I love my old-school players and Big Daddy (real name Gene) is one of my all-time favorites. Regarded as one of the NFL’s first true athletic big men at 6’6, 300 pounds, he occasionally aligned at linebacker. Though sacks weren’t official way back in the early 60s and even PFR’s incredible work doesn’t put this number at 100% reliable, it pegs Lipscomb with a league-leading 17.5 of them. Back in 14 game seasons, that works out to 1.25 sacks per game. For reference, T.J. Watt’s record-tying sack season that came third on our list saw him average 1.5 sacks per game, just a tiny bit better.
Per PFR’s numbers, Lipscomb is the first player to reach 17.5 sacks, doing so in his first year with the team after being traded over from the Baltimore Colts.
1972 LB Jack Ham – Seven INTs + Two Sacks
Curiously, Ham didn’t even make the Pro Bowl in 1972. But he picked off seven passes and recorded a pair of sacks in only his second year in the NFL. Many other years could’ve been included here, the guy made six All-Pro teams, but the plays he made in coverage for a linebacker – 32 career picks – is what stands out most about his career. So I went with the year that saw him pick off passes at the rate of a ball-hawking safety.
For perspective, Ham’s seven picks that season match the most Troy Polamalu ever had in a year. According to PFR, he’s just one of 10 non-DBs to ever have at least seven picks in a year. Ham’s 15 Approximate Value is tied third-best of his career. Can’t believe this dude didn’t make the Pro Bowl.
1975 CB Mel Blount – 11 INTs + All-Pro + DPOY
Blount’s ’75 season certainly could’ve been included in the top 10. Arguably, he’s the biggest snub on the list. His 11 picks are still the most in a single season in team history and he nearly averaged one per game. A lockdown corner, he easily took home the Defensive Player of the Year award. An elite season for an all-time player.
1957 CB Jack Butler – 10 INTs + All-Pro
Butler was a Pro Bowler and All-Pro team in 1957, tying the NFL lead for picks that season. He’s one of the best ball-hawks in team history with his 52 career interceptions and five total defensive touchdowns. This season never had a chance to make the top 10 but it still should be recognized.
2006 RB Willie Parker – 1,494 Yards Rushing + Team-Record 16 Total TDs From Scrimmage
You could argue Parker’s 2006 campaign was better than Foster’s ’92 season. More total touchdowns, higher yards per carry. He finished the year with nearly 1,500 yards rushing and 16 total touchdowns, 13 rushing and three receiving, as Pittsburgh finished the year inside or near the top five in virtually all rushing categories. His touchdowns are still most by a Steeler in a season.
1972 DT Joe Greene – 11 Sacks + All-Pro + DPOY
Another name and season worthy of the top 10, Greene posted a career-high 11 sacks in 1972, the year that turned the franchise’s tide, even if they didn’t win the Super Bowl. He cruised to a DPOY award that year, the second year of its existence. His 18 Approximate Value was the best of his career.
Others Considered: QB Kordell Stewart (2001), WR Hines Ward (2002), P Pat Brady (1953), LB Greg Lloyd (1994), S Troy Polamalu (2010), HB Lynn Chandnois (1952), S Donnie Shell (1979), S Minkah Fitzpatrick (2019), CB Carnell Lake (1997).
