If there’s a time for random lists and factoids, it’s this time of year. With a slow news cycle, the NFL named the best players to hail from every state. Seven former Pittsburgh Steelers players were named “best ever” from their state. They are:
Troy Polamalu – Oregon
Joe Greene – Texas
Rod Woodson – Indiana
Jack Lambert – Ohio
Mel Blount – Georgia
Franco Harris – New Jersey
Dermontti Dawson – Kentucky
A list of “who’s who” in Steelers history, atop the mantle in some competitive states. Texas, Ohio, Georgia, places that produce a metric ton of athletes and talent. But Greene, Lambert, and Blount are all smart choices.
Greene hails from Temple, Texas. He stayed in-state to play for North Texas State. A college All-American, he became the fourth overall pick of the 1969 NFL Draft, Chuck Noll’s first year on the job. One to never accept losing, he changed the culture of a franchise that knew nothing but losing before he arrived. Five years later, the Steelers were world champs.
Lambert was born in Mantua, Ohio, a tiny town with a present-day population of 1,001. Like Greene, he stayed local and committed to Kent State. Deemed too skinny, he proved doubters wrong when the Steelers drafted him in 1974, part of the greatest draft class in NFL history. Aligned behind Greene, he became a Hall of Famer and face, literally and figuratively, of the Steel Curtain.
Blount grew up in Vidalia, Georgia. He faced a difficult childhood and left the state to play college ball at Southern in Louisiana. One of Bill Nunn’s HBCU gems, he became Pittsburgh’s third-round pick in 1970. One of the top corners in history, though evidently some disagree, Blount’s unique size and physicality made him a lockdown corner and catalyst for the league changing rules only to allow contact within the first five yards. Like Greene and Lambert, Blount became a Hall of Famer and iconic player not just from his state but also in his position in league history.
In fact, all six Steelers are enshrined in Canton. Most from the 50 states join them, but not everywhere. There are some fun names on this list. RB Christian McCaffrey from Colorado, Olin Kreutz from Hawaii, and I had no idea Mark Schlereth was born in Alaska. But he was born and raised in Anchorage. I also had no idea who Boyd Dowler was, but he’s football’s best from Rock Springs, Wyoming, and a two-time Pro Bowler who primarily played in the 1960s. And it’s nice to see Don Hutson shown some love, the only player with the “both” tag for his prowess as a receiver and defensive back.
If you’re looking for a video version of the list, the NFL Throwback account posted a 25-minute segment here.
