The Pittsburgh Steelers’ history at the linebacker position is second to none. Across their history, it’s an organization that’s drafted and developed or signed mean, nasty linebackers who can change the game at a moment’s notice. From Jack Lambert and Jack Ham to the Blitzburgh defenses with Greg Lloyd and Kevin Greene, to the Joey Porter and Jason Gildon days, along with James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley to now with Alex Highsmith and T.J. Watt, the Pittsburgh Steelers history at linebacker is rich.
One other name who joined those ranks was Chad Brown, who spent the first four seasons of his career with Pittsburgh and became an All-Pro in the 1996 season. Brown was a member of the Blitzburgh defenses with Lloyd and Greene, and he said on the Go Long! Podcast that the two of them let him know how lucky he was to join Pittsburgh with their historic tradition of linebackers when he was a rookie in 1993.
“This is how we play this game. We are part of a very privileged few to be Pittsburgh Steelers, and even beyond that, we are Pittsburgh Steelers linebackers. We are literally the kings of this whole thing as far as elevated positions in this most historic franchise,” Brown said. “So yeah, I had to go out and uphold that and try to find ways to impress them with how hard I went.”
He also explained how Lloyd and Greene told him that one hit could change the game, by any means necessary.
“Kevin Greene and Greg Lloyd certainly let me know as a rookie, when you get a chance to get to that dude who’s got the ball on the other side, you show up with bad intentions. Every single time. You show up with bad intentions, and if you can change the game with one hit, it is your obligation. It is your responsibility to this team to change the game when you hit him.”
Greene and Lloyd were two of the most fearsome linebackers in team history, and the two of them combined to total 58 sacks between them when they were on the team together. Obviously, they appreciated playing for a team with such a rich tradition, even if they got to Pittsburgh in different ways. While Lloyd was drafted by the team in the sixth round of the 1987 NFL Draft, Greene joined the team in free agency ahead of the 1993 season. Despite Lloyd being homegrown and Greene joining Pittsburgh after eight seasons with the Los Angeles Rams, both knew how important the linebacker position was in Pittsburgh and appreciated it.
The idea of changing the game with one hit is something that holds true in Pittsburgh today, even if not in the same way. While Brown implied that he was given that advice as a means to let him know that it was okay to hurt the opponent, the Steelers are one of the best teams in the league at forcing turnovers. Watt and Highsmith are artists when it comes to forcing fumbles and changing the game in Pittsburgh’s favor with a big sack or a turnover. While the meaning of the message may be different, the general principle holds true in that Steelers defenders can change the game with just one hit.
While Brown, Greene, and Lloyd only spent three seasons together in Pittsburgh, all three will be fondly remembered as among the all-time great Steelers linebackers. There’s a long list of them, but those three made enough of an impact on the Blitzburgh defenses to be remembered in Steelers history. And that says a lot about how talented they were.
