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THIS LIST ONLY INCLUDES PLAYERS ELIGIBLE FOR THE HALL OF FAME (Super Bowl Era 1966 to 2016)
Since the Super Bowl era started in 1966, the Pittsburgh Steelers have had 16 Super Bowl era players elected to the Hall of Fame. If you are a fan of Steeler Nation, you have undoubtedly heard the arguments against putting the entire 1970’s roster in the Hall of Fame and I believe it has produced some backlash and oversight that has affected some Steelers in more recent decades.
I have decided to put together an offensive and defensive all-time Steelers team of players who are eligible, but have not been elected to the Hall of Fame. Guys like TJ Watt, Cam Heyward, Ben Roethlisberger, and James Harrison will not appear since they are either active or not Hall-eligible yet. I will also only be looking at the time period of 1966-2016 since it is the class of 2017’s first year of Hall of Fame eligibility. This article is not meant to say everyone on this team should be enshrined, but a few of these players should jump off the page as egregious slights.
As with all things Steelers, it’s the defense first. I will use the 3-4 format, with a nickel corner. Here is my “they got done dirty” dozen:
Defensive End
68 L.C. Greenwood (1969-1981) 2x First Team All-Pro, 6 Pro Bowls, 2nd Team HOF 1970’s Team
L.C. Greenwood sacked Roger Staubach in Super Bowl X four times. I recently re-watched this game and while I love Lynn Swann, I just cannot justify why he was not the MVP of this game. I wonder if he had won the MVP of that Super Bowl, would he be in the Hall of Fame?
91 Aaron Smith (1999-2011) 1 Pro Bowl
I loved watching Aaron Smith play football. Looking back as a 3-4 defensive end, he got very little love outside of Pittsburgh, only making 1 Pro Bowl. He was a key member of two Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl victories, but injuries hindered him for his last three seasons before hanging it up.
Nose Tackle
98 Casey Hampton (2001-2012) 5 Pro Bowls
Casey Hampton was the quintessential 3-4 nose tackle. He bottled up the run for a decade for the Steelers defense and at times, seemed impossible to move. He was a member of three Steelers Super Bowl teams, winning two.
Linebacker
34 Andy Russell (1963, 1966-1976) 7 Pro Bowls, 1x First Team All-Pro
Andy Russell was an all-time great and was part of the best linebacking group in Steelers history. I recently wrote about Russell’s HOF case, you can read about it here.
95 Greg Lloyd (1988-1997) 5 Prow Bowls, 3x First Team All-Pro, 1994 UPI DPOY
Greg Lloyd was bar none the most feared player in the game when he played for the Steelers. Outside of the Steeler Nation fan base, he did have a reputation as a dirty player. That reputation must be keeping him from the Hall because for 10 years, teams game planned for Greg Lloyd. The third Steeler defender on this list who belongs in the Hall.
92 Jason Gildon (1994-2003) 3 Pro Bowls, 1x First Team All-Pro
Jason Gildon retired as the Steelers franchise sack leader. He was a reserve player on the 1995 Super Bowl team, didn’t become a full-time starter until 1996, and he starred for the Steelers until 2003. He was a fearsome pass rusher who was also solid against the run.
51 James Farrior (2002-2011) 2 Pro Bowls, 1x First Team All-Pro
The Steelers historically draft and develop linebackers. Most of the best linebackers in franchise history came from within. James Farrior is a notable exception. In 2002, Farrior was brought in from the New York Jets and the rest is history. He became a 2x Super Bowl Champion and called the defense for those teams. A high motor 3-down middle backer in the finest tradition of the Steelers.
Cornerback
24 Ike Taylor (2003-2014)
Ike Taylor may have been the best cover corner in football for a decade. Ike played the best receivers in the league, and he was the CB1 for three Super Bowl teams. Ike had 14 interceptions with legendarily bad hands. In a recent forum discussion, I posited that if Ike caught 1/3 of the interceptions he dropped, he would be a Hall of Famer. Raise it to half and we are debating him and Deion Sanders for the 2nd best cover corner of all-time.
24 J. T. Thomas (1973-1981) 1 Pro Bowl
If you wear 24 and play cornerback for Pittsburgh, you are destined to be overlooked. Playing as the CB2 to the GOAT Mel Blount has its price. He would have been a CB1 for virtually every other team in the league during his playing days and quarterbacks who looked away from Mel Blount found no safe harbor with J. T. Thomas.
49 Dwayne Woodruff (1979-1990)
Woodruff was a rookie in 1979 when the Steelers won their 4th Super Bowl. He played on special teams and occasionally saw the field on defense. He became a starter in 1981 through 1989 and was a consistent defensive back picking off 37 passes and scoring 3 touchdowns. He was not spectacular, but for a forgotten decade of Steeler football, he was a bright spot and solid cover corner.
Safety
37 Carnell Lake (1989-1998) 5 Pro Bowls, 1x First Team All-Pro, 1990’s Hall of Fame 2nd Team
Carnell Lake is the 4th Steelers defender on my team who belongs in the Hall of Fame. I think he is overshadowed by Rod Woodson and the fact that while he primarily played safety, he also spent a couple of seasons at cornerback. He was a versatile hard-hitting safety who erased mistakes for a defense that was elite at times during the 1990’s. He also started 15 playoff games and was part of the 1995 Steelers Super Bowl team. The Hall of Fame agreed that the decade he roamed the field, he was one of the top four safeties of that time period. The other three of Leroy Butler, Steve Atwater and Ronnie Lott are all in the Hall of Fame. Lake should join them.
23 Mike Wagner (1971-1980) 2 Pro Bowls, 1x First Team All-Pro, 1x Second Team All-Pro
Mike Wagner was a steady force for the original Steel Curtain. He led the NFL in interceptions in 1973 and snagged 36 picks during his career. He was a good tackler, teammate, and he started 116 games for the Steelers while recording 3 sacks and 2 interceptions in his three Super Bowl wins. While he was an important member of the 1979 squad, injury kept him from a 4th appearance, but he did earn 4 rings.
That’s my team, Steeler Nation! What do you think? Please comment below or hit me up on Twitter or Instagram @thebubbasq.
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