Steeler Nation is known as one of the biggest, most passionate, and loyal fan bases in the entire NFL, or any major American sport for that matter. The Black and Gold faithful take over road environments, from Washington D.C. to Los Angeles, and they pack Acrisure Stadium on sweltering September afternoons and freezing December nights.
On this week’s episode of The Pivot Podcast, hosted by former NFL players Ryan Clark, Fred Taylor, and Channing Crowder, the trio discussed the Pittsburgh Steelers fan base. Taylor, former running back for the Jacksonville Jaguars and New England Patriots, claimed that Steeler Nation comprises the best fan base in the NFL.
“We used to play against the Steelers all the time and I know the Terrible Towels…they are probably the best fan base in the entire league,” Taylor said.
This is high praise coming from a longtime running back in the AFC who frequently played against the Steelers during their peak. Taylor had his fair share of success against a vaunted Steelers run defense in the 2000s, amassing 934 yards and nine touchdowns in 11 career games against Pittsburgh. The Jaguars had relative success compared to most against a Steelers team that dominated for most of that decade, as Taylor finished 6-5 against the Steelers in his career.
The matchups consistently featured low-scoring, defensive rock fights, perhaps best illustrated by a 2006 game which the Jaguars won 9-0, led by Taylor and his 92 rushing yards on 22 carries.
No matter how much Taylor and the Jaguars faithful hated the Steelers at the time, Taylor can put his bias aside and acknowledge them as having the NFL’s best fan base. The statistics back it up. The Steelers have an estimated 6.3 million fans worldwide – third largest in the NFL – ranging from all 50 U.S. states to Mexico, parts of South America, and Europe. Although it’s been 15 years now since the Steelers’ last Super Bowl win, the die-hard fan base hasn’t diminished one bit.
Steelers fans even show out at other team’s games. Clips of Terrible Towels waving in Nashville during last year’s regular-season finale between the Jaguars and the Titans went viral, as the Steelers playoff hopes depended on the Titans upsetting the Jaguars. The Jaguars learned their lesson about what happens when you disrespect the Terrible Towel, losing in embarrassing fashion to the Titans and missing out on the playoffs.
The Steelers offense has put out an ugly product the last few years, but Black and Gold fans have gutted out every game anyways. Hopefully this year’s coaching changes, and exciting player additions, can ignite the fan base even more, making Acrisure Stadium a truly frightening place to play for opposing teams. Even if the team struggles, millions of Terrible Towels will be waving worldwide every Sunday because Taylor is right: we’re the best fans in the NFL.
