The Pittsburgh Steelers have a long history of success at the outside linebacker position, so breaking down the best individual seasons from the position out of the team’s history is no easy task. That’s what John Thuney of Talk Of Fame Two tried to do, and he listed Jack Ham’s 1975 season as the best in team history, edging out T.J. Watt’s record-breaking 2021 season.
While Ham obviously didn’t put up the same sack numbers as Watt, he was playing in a 4-3 defense where coverage is more of a priority at the position. Ham was a Pro Bowler and made first-team All-Pro in ‘75 when he totaled 88 tackles, three sacks and an interception. Watt put up gaudier numbers, with 64 tackles and 22.5 sacks, but Thuney writes that Ham’s fit in Pittsburgh’s Steel Curtain defense helps give him the edge.
“Ham had all the accolades you’d expect in a career year — making all the “all” teams. “Dobre Shunka” (“The Great Ham” in Polish, Ham’s heritage) could do everything a linebacker should. He wouldn’t get hooked on runs to his side. He could take on a tight end or running back in man-to-man coverage. He could break on balls when in zone coverage. He could blitz effectively, all within the structure of the defense,” Thuney writes.
On top of his successful season, the team’s success was at an all-time high, as the Steelers won Super Bowl X with a 21-17 win over the Dallas Cowboys. Ham was a crucial part of one of the best defenses in NFL history, and while Watt tied the all-time sack record, it was on a defense that struggled against the run and the Steelers were ultimately bounced in the Wild Card round against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Behind Ham and Watt, James Harrison’s Defensive Player of the Year season in 2008, Greg Lloyd’s 1995 season and Kevin Greene’s 1998 season rounded out the top five. Lloyd’s ‘95 season saw him force six fumbles on top of 6.5 sacks, 116 tackles and three interceptions. Greene led the NFL with 14 sacks in ‘98, while Harrison had 16 sacks and a league-leading seven forced fumbles in ‘08, along with a 100-yard interception returned for the touchdown, which helped lead the Steelers to a Super Bowl win over the Arizona Cardinals.
For a lot of franchises, any of these individual seasons could be regarded as the best in team history. It goes to show how potent the Steelers’ defense has been for so long, with a number Hall of Famers and Hall of Very Gooders walking onto the field in the black and gold at Three Rivers Stadium and Heinz Field.
It’s an interesting exercise, and well worth the read. It makes you appreciate just how good Pittsburgh’s had it at the outside linebacker position and how many guys have made an impact, regardless of scheme. Ham and Greene are both Hall of Famers, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Watt join them in Canton one day, and maybe he’ll have a season down the line that makes him the clear-cut No. 1 on a list like this.
But for now, it’s hard to argue with putting Ham No. 1. An all-time great who made an impact all over the field and helped lead his team to a Super Bowl title, I have no qualms with putting Ham at No. 1, despite Watt tying the sack record in ‘21. But with Watt fully healthy heading into the season, it just makes me more excited to see what sort of havoc he can wreak on the field in 2023.
