The Pittsburgh Steelers have produced numerous Hall of Famers over the years—30 to be exact. That is the sixth most of any team in the league. Going back to the early 2000’s teams, a few of those players have already been enshrined, including G Alan Faneca, S Troy Polamalu, and RB Jerome Bettis. WR Hines Ward and OLB James Harrison continue to be nominated but keep falling short of the honor. Even coach Bill Cowher was inducted as the head coach of some of those 2000’s teams. If you ask Hall of Fame S Ed Reed of the Baltimore Ravens, there is one player missing from that list.
Appearing on the Pivot Podcast with Ryan Clark, Fred Taylor, and Channing Crowder, Reed discussed the Steelers-Ravens rivalry back in his playing days. He was also very complimentary of Clark as a player and thinks he deserves a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
“First off, bro, I don’t think you get the credit you deserve,” Reed said in a clip posted by Ryan Clark on X. “As a safety, as an athlete—I know you. But, I also know what you put into the game. My mental was strong, but yours is just as strong. You knew the game in and out. There’s a reason why you’re sitting in that chair today. I commend you, bro. You not getting the pub[licity] that you deserve. I know you deserve it dude, future Hall of Famer.”
Clark has not been a name that many have thrown around for such a lofty recognition, but people who followed the Steelers closely during those years know how important he was to the overall defense. Polamalu was always a player who ran on instinct and often took risks. Those risks would pay off more often than not, but Clark was exceptional at playing in tandem with Polamalu and covering for him when the risks didn’t quite pay off.
Clark won one Super Bowl with the Steelers against the Arizona Cardinals. He finished his career as a ten-year starter and registered 938 combined tackles, 651 solo tackles, 19 tackles for loss, four sacks, 55 passes defensed, and 16 interceptions. He made the Pro Bowl once in 2011. His Hall of Fame score, according to Pro Football Reference, is 32.55. That puts him well out of range of any defensive back that has been named to the Hall of Fame. Funny enough, defensive coordinator Dick Lebeau holds the lowest PFR Hall of Fame score among players that got in with a 48.20. The “average” DB that makes it has a score of 98.
Throughout his years on the team, the Steelers defense was consistently a top-five unit in the league and even topped the league multiple times. While Clark may never see himself enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, he is an unsung hero of the 2000’s Steelers teams and was a big part of their success on defense. Perhaps Clark can find another way in down the line with his aspirations to be a General Manager.
