To celebrate this year’s 4th of July, we’re talking about the four most explosive players in Pittsburgh Steelers’ history. The guys who set off fireworks when they were around the football. It isn’t necessarily a list of the best players but dynamic guys who could make a crowd oooh and ahh like the grand finale of a downtown Pittsburgh light show.
In no order, here’s the four:
SS Troy Polamalu
The first name that popped into my head when coming up with the list. Few players in NFL history have been as explosive and a firecracker like Polamalu, who could get from Point A to Point B in the blink of an eye. That’s the style in which Dick LeBeau allowed him to play, bouncing back and forth from deep-to-short, short-to-deep. No one covered ground like him, flying downhill to stop running backs on the perimeter, leaping over lines to tackle the quarterback, and making the most acrobatic interceptions you’ll ever see. Polamalu was the one man every quarterback needed to account for and when they didn’t it, they paid the price.
WR Antonio Brown
Brown is an interesting name on the list, though his inclusion isn’t surprising. Coming out of college, Brown didn’t test like a top-tier athlete. But he transformed his game once he arrived in the NFL, getting stronger, faster, and more explosive.
Brown was just as effortless taking a slant 70 yards to the house as he was winning a go-ball downfield. Earlier in his career, he was also an electric return man with four career punt return scores plus one kickoff, the latter coming on a reverse on his first NFL touch against the Tennessee Titans. Brown was as fun to watch as anyone in his era, always a big play waiting to happen.
QB Kordell Stewart
Stewart didn’t have the elite career others on this list did, but his Slash days were something special. A fun chess piece the Steelers used more creatively early in his career than you might remember (here’s a throwback to the time he aligned at FB) as a runner, receiver, and quarterback. In 1996, he rushed for five touchdowns, caught three more, and threw 30 times. The dude had an arm too and could chuck the ball deep, making him a fun passer.
Flat out, Stewart was just a fun guy to watch. Frustrating at times, sure, but at his best, he was a treat with a skill set that helped lay the foundation for many of the mobile quarterbacks today.
CB Rod Woodson
We’ll finish the list with our second defensive player in Woodson, who makes most of our posts related to top Steelers athletes. With Olympic speed, Woodson was a sensational defender and return man. He had four career return scores — two punts, two kicks — with five interceptions returned for a touchdown as a Steeler alone. He finished his career with 12.
When he stepped onto the field, Woodson was the best athlete. He was the most explosive man. And he showed it every week.
