Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
The Steelers have had three players who were recipients of AP Offensive Rookie of the Year, including Ben Roethlisberger in 2004.
Among both fans and media, debates and predictions have ramped up for which players are legit contenders for 2020 NFL Honors awards. One of the most-watched categories is AP Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Here’s a look at past Steelers who were recipients of the AP Rookie of the Year on the offensive side of the ball.
In a highlight reel kind of day, the rookie receiver made Steelers history — not once, but twice.
With a rushing and receiving touchdown in Sunday’s Steelers-Eagles matchup, wide receiver Chase Claypool made franchise history as a rookie — twice. But he wasn’t the first to do it.
In 1972, running back Franco Harris became the first Steelers rookie to score on the ground and through the air. In a 38-21 win over the Buffalo Bills, Harris finished the game with 155 total yards and three touchdowns.
Speaking of three touchdowns, Claypool also became the first Steelers rookie to score three touchdowns in one game since wide receiver Eric Green in 1990.
But Claypool wasn’t done yet. He scored a fourth, game-winning touchdown with three minutes remaining.
Chase’s day was a highlight reel of its own. He ended the day with 116 total yards and four touchdowns.
Week 5 was the first of what will hopefully be many multi-touchdown games for Claypool.
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A career retrospective on Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Fame running back Franco Harris.
Thirty-five years ago this month, Franco Harris said goodbye to the game he loved so dearly. Not because he wanted to, but because no one wanted him.
The NFL is all about what-have-you-done-for-me-lately, and, at 35, Harris wasn’t able to do it anymore.
While retirement didn’t come on Franco’s terms, his talent and production crafted an illustrious career. As one of the key players on the dominating Steelers teams of the 1970s, his NFL journey included four Super Bowl titles, an NFL-record eight 1,000-yard rushing seasons, and 47 games with 100+ yards on the ground.
Harris was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round (13th overall) of the 1972 NFL Draft.
It was a great day for the Steelers but not so much for Harris. In a recent interview with I80 Sports Blog, he was candid about his initial opposition to being drafted by Pittsburgh. “Noooooo!!! That’s the one team I did not want to go to; I did not want to go to the Pittsburgh Steelers.” The running back added that, after four years at Penn State (just under three hours from Pittsburgh), he wanted to go out and see the world. Not to mention, the Steelers were awful and, up to the point of drafting Franco, had played 39 championship-less seasons.
That was about to change.
Harris’ arrival in Pittsburgh coincided with the Steelers’ finding their identity under head coach Chuck Noll.
The AFC Rookie of the Year in 1972, Harris gained 1,055 yards rushing (and 10 touchdowns) and became only the fourth first-year player to exceed the 1,000-yard mark in the NFL.
The Penn State product gained instant popularity — so much so that he had his very own army. A group of passionate Italian-American Steelers fans who were called The Italian Army asked the rookie for permission to add his name to their group; after all, it only made sense since Franco was part Italian.
“This group of Italians was having dinner and drinking wine, and they wondered what they could do,” Harris once shared. “They said it would take an army to keep the fans going, and someone said, ‘Hey there’s this kid from Jersey, and he’s half Italian… maybe we can do, ‘Franco’s Italian Army.’ … So we got together, and I said, ‘Let’s do it!’ and it was incredible. One was a baker, and the other was a pizza chef… the baker would make bread and hollow it out and put wine in it and make a priest carry it into the stadium… We’re still going!”
Hence, the troop became Franco’s Italian Army. Game after game, they maintained a voracious presence at Three Rivers Stadium complete with flags, banners, and army helmets with No. 32 on them.
Single-handedly, Harris is responsible for one of the greatest plays in NFL history. Of course, that play is the miraculous Immaculate Reception, which gave the Steelers their first-ever playoff win in a dramatic victory over the Oakland Raiders in 1972.
Under tremendous pressure from Raiders linemen, Terry Bradshaw scrambled around in the pocket and eventually was able to get the ball out toward running back John “Frenchy” Fuqua. Raiders safety Jack Tatum collided with Fuqua as the ball arrived and sent the ball backward. Everyone thought the play was over… except for Franco. He scooped it up mere inches from the turf and hit the ground running for a 60-yard score with five seconds remaining in the game. Three Rivers Stadium erupted when the referee’s arms shot up, indicating a touchdown.
It was such a bang-bang play that there are no photos of the reception, only the before and after — Bradshaw scrambling, the Tatum-Fuqua collision, and Harris escaping the clutches of cornerback Jimmy Warren (pictured above). Video footage also doesn’t show the entire ball from nose-to-nose, leading non-Steelers fans to debate whether it was even a reception. But we all know it was, and that’s all that matters.
To this day, 48 years later, it stands as the most awesome catch in Steelers history. Considering how many great catches have been made for the franchise since then tells you just how mind-blowing the Immaculate Reception was.
Football is a business, first and foremost. It’s the business side of things that often find fans’ most beloved players on another team.
When Harris’ contract expired following the 1983 season, he saught a better deal than the franchise was willing to offer. Harris was now 34 and, as is the case with most running backs in that career stage, his knees were shot. He had been through multiple surgeries, and the Steelers knew his physical limitations would affect his contributions.
Bearing this in mind, Pittsburgh reportedly still offered Harris a significant raise and guarantee in a one-year contract. According to Jeffrey Krivis, in his in-depth article Recovering From Mistakes Made In Negotiations: The Franco Harris Fiasco, Franco’s agent (Bart Beier) countered with a second-year guarantee demand.
“Franco’s agent tried to one-up the Steelers in a way that backfired and prevented his client from achieving his life’s dream,” Krivis wrote.
In an unexpected move, after a five-month-long contract dispute, the Steelers placed their Pro Bowl running back on waivers on Aug. 20, 1984. When he wasn’t claimed by a team, Harris became a free agent for the first time in his 12-year career.
It wasn’t until Week 2 of the regular season that he was signed by the expansion Seattle Seahawks.
Harris was just 363 yards shy of breaking Jim Brown’s rushing record — a record that, at the time, was the NFL’s best. With 14 weeks remaining in the season, it was not impossible to attain. Halfway to setting the rushing record, Harris was released by Seattle Week 8.
Little did Franco know that he hung up his cleats for one final time, never to play another down in the NFL.
Even after the midseason release by the Seahawks and months of being out of football, Harris had hopes of playing for a team in 1985.
Unfortunately for him, nothing materialized.
“I have no regrets,” Harris told the Associated Press in 1985. “I was ready to play this year. I worked hard. I thought I might get a shot with one team, and it didn’t happen… There comes a time in life when you say, ‘Hey, I’m not going to just hang on.’ I’m definitely not hanging on to it.”
At the time Franco retired, he held or shared 24 NFL records, which included 24 points and 354 yards rushing in four Super Bowls and 17 touchdowns and 1,556 yards rushing in 19 playoff games. Harris, a nine-time Pro Bowler, also earned the title of Super Bowl MVP when he rushed for 158 yards in the 16-6 victory over the Minnesota Vikings in 1975.
His career rushing and yards from scrimmage totals of 14,622 ranked as the third-highest marks in pro football history. Harris was second to Brown in career rushing touchdowns with 91. He also caught 307 passes for 2,287 yards and nine touchdowns.
Harris remains the Steelers all-time leading rusher and currently ranks 15th in league history.
It’s a shame that Harris’ career didn’t end the way he deserved. But, ultimately, he was recognized with the highest-ever NFL honor of a bronze bust in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Harris chose Lynn Swann as his presenter. “I look forward to the day that you will be immortalized,” Harris said to Swann in his HOF enshrinement speech.
Fittingly, Harris and Jack Lambert were both inducted the same 1990 HOF class. “[Jack] taught me how to run out of bounds by chasing me all the time,” Harris shared with a laugh.
Selflessly, Harris’s speech was more about his teammates than about himself. “I was able to achieve goals beyond my wildest dreams because of the people who surrounded me,” he said. “They brought out the best in me, they made me rise to new heights, they made me a better ballplayer.”
To this day, three decades removed from football, he is still one of the best and most-loved running backs to ever don the Black and Gold.
The Pittsburgh Steelers compiled a Franco Harris highlight reel, which can be viewed on their YouTube channel.
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On this day in Steelers history, legendary Steelers linebacker Jack Lambert hung up his cleats for the last time.
Thirty-five years ago, on July 11, 2020, iconic linebacker Jack Lambert retired from the Pittsburgh Steelers. To this day, three decades removed from retirement, he is still one of the best and most-loved linebackers to ever don the black and gold.
The Kent State University product was drafted in the second round (46th overall) of the 1974 NFL Draft.
Even though he was the youngest starter on the Steelers defense, Lambert’s intelligence, quickness and intensity made his presence immediately known as he helped the defensive unit become a powerhouse of intimidation. He was a central figure on a legendary defense that played in six AFC Championship games and went on to win four Super Bowls in six seasons.
Lambert amassed 28 interceptions (243 yards returned), 17 fumble recoveries and 1,479 tackles in his 11-year career. The NFL didn’t track sacks until 1982, but he unofficially recorded 23.5 career sacks. (Steelers linebackers were utilized differently back in Lambert’s days — he dropped into coverage more than rushed the quarterback.)
Hall of Famer John Elway perfectly described the fear that Lambert put into quarterbacks. As a rookie, in Elway’s very first game, he had to face the vaunted Steelers defense with Lambert snarling at him from across the line. “He had no teeth, and he was slobbering all over himself,” recalled Elway. “I’m thinking, You can have your money back, just get me out of here. Let me go be an accountant. I can’t tell you how badly I wanted out of there.”
The team defensive captain for eight years, Lambert was named to nine straight Pro Bowls and was All-Pro eight times in nine years (1975-83). He was NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year and NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1976.
In his first 10 seasons, Lambert missed only six games due to injury. However, the most significant one — a severe toe injury — limited him to eight games in 1984 and ultimately ended his career.
“I think that there are a lot of steel mill workers in this town; hard-working people,” Lambert said during his retirement press conference. “This is a football city. I think they know their football very well, I think they know who is out there working hard. I think they thought I worked hard out there. I think they appreciated that.”
Lambert was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1990 along with his teammate, running back Franco Harris. “How lucky I was to have played for the Pittsburgh Steelers fans,” Lambert said during his HOF induction speech. “A proud, hard-working people, who love their football, and their players.”
Lambert may have retired before some of you were even born, but his presence is forever engrained in NFL history.
The Steelers compiled the best plays of Lambert’s career, and you can find it here via their YouTube channel. You’re welcome.
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The Pittsburgh Steelers had great success using two running backs in 1976. The team should give it a present-day whirl.
Picture it: Pittsburgh, 1976.
The Steelers had two starting running backs on the roster. You may remember them — Franco Harris and Rocky Bleier.
Bleier was drafted by two teams in 1968 — the Steelers in January and the U.S. Army in December. Once he returned to the team in 1970, he had a tough time earning a roster spot.
When Harris came on the scene in 1972, Bleier was a veteran, but still only had 238 carries to Harris’ 846 by the time 1976 rolled around. History was made that season when head coach Chuck Noll decided to utilize the two of them in the run game.
Bleier had a career season that year with 1,036 yards rushing and five touchdowns on 220 attempts. Harris had 1,128 yards and a career-high 14 touchdowns on 289 attempts. The two also logged 294 and 151 receiving yards, respectively.
The Steelers finished the season at 10-4 and became the second team in NFL history to have multiple 1,000-yard rushers. There have only been four league-wide ever since.
Fast-forward to recent history.
The Steelers have not had multiple 1,000-yard rushers, let alone multiple running backs. They’ve strictly been a feature back team. Head coach Mike Tomlin isn’t the only one to overwork his primary running back; Bill Cowher was guilty of it, too.
Although we saw flashes of it in 2018, James Conner was never meant to be a featured back — he was drafted to complement Le’Veon Bell. And since Bell parted ways with Pittsburgh, the Steelers have not found his replacement.
As The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly beautifully illustrated in his recent article, Conner’s yards-per-carry decrease, and injuries and fumblitis increase after 17 touches. Tomlin should take a moment to read it and limit Conner’s playing time this season for optimal results.
In the 2019 offseason, there was chatter about getting two RBs on the field. We’ll never know if the team was just blowing smoke as RB injuries never allowed it to play out.
I genuinely believe it’s time for the Steelers to evolve — not just consider 1976 but to employ its tactics. The NFL has changed dramatically since then, and more and more teams have been using multiple running backs, not only in running-back-by-committee but also in two running back sets.
It would keep defenses on their toes and allow the offensive game plan to open up even more. Not to mention, it would take some pressure off an aging Ben Roethlisberger.
This can be achieved by drafting an RB in the second or third rounds and rotate him with Conner and in tandem with Conner. Sprinkle in Benny Snell, Jr. and a dash of Jaylen Samuels and the Steelers have a recipe for the Super Bowl.
A girl can dream, can’t she?
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The Seattle Seahawks have employed many NFL legends in their final moments in the league. Here is a ranking of the top-five.
The Seattle Seahawks, perhaps more than any other franchise, have become the final landing spot for a myriad of the game’s greatest players.
The team’s recent acquisition of Greg Olsen, as well as last year’s Josh Gordon experiment, potentially added two more NFL greats to a long list of players who play out their final games in the Emerald City.
I decided to rank the elite NFL players who called it quits while in Seattle. This list does not include lifelong Seahawks, like Steve Largent and Walter Jones, or even Marshawn Lynch – who might have played his final down last season (although with Beast mode, you can never be sure).
Instead, this list will focus on players who spent one year (or in many cases, less than a year) in Seattle to shut the door on their extensive – often Hall of Fame worthy – careers.
Pittsburgh Steelers legend Franco Harris offered some very valuable advice to New York Giants RB Saquon Barkley.
Former NFL greats have been forthcoming with words to the wise ever since the New York Giants made Penn State running back Saquon Barkley the second overall selection in the 2018 NFL Draft.
Barkley has unlimited talent and the sky is the limit for what he can achieve in this league, but even the great ones have to work hard at their craft.
Franco Harris, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Hall of Fame running back and a legendary Nittany Lion himself, is the latest prominent voice to offer advice to Barkley.
Harris knows all about what it takes to shoulder a significant offseason workload, averaging 226 carries per season while missing only missing 16 career games.
“The secret comes down to your conditioning,” Harris told NJ Advance Media at the Super Bowl last week. “Your offseason training makes all the difference to your health and avoiding injuries.”
Head coach Joe Judge and offensive coordinator Jason Garrett have both said the Giants will be looking to establish the run in 2020 and Barkley is by far the alpha back in their offense. He could see Ezekiel Elliott-like usage this coming season.
Barkley keeps himself in tip-top condition year-round and is prepared for whatever the Giants are going to throw his way.
Harris added that health and scheme would also go a long way in assisting Barkley in succeeding going forward.
“Offensive line helps,” Harris said. “We had a great offensive line in Pittsburgh where we ran a lot of traps that suited my style really well.”
The Giants will be looking to upgrade that line, which was average at best in Barkley’s first two seasons. Play calling will have to be more creative as well. Trying to jam the ball up the middle on early downs against defenses that stack the box should be a thing of the past.
Barkley will be asked to carry a significant load in 2020 and will need the help of the football gods to stay healthy. He missed three games last season due to a high ankle sprain and never really got back on track after returning.
“You have to be lucky,” Harris said. “Every single play in the NFL could be your last.”
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After a process that began last July, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the NFL, tons of fans weighed in to vote on the greatest moment in the league’s history. And the result was revealed Sunday during the Super Bowl LVI pregame show and was …
After a process that began last July, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the NFL, tons of fans weighed in to vote on the greatest moment in the league’s history.
And the result was revealed Sunday during the Super Bowl LVI pregame show and was reenacted Sunday with the two participants of the immortal play, Hall of Famers Franco Harris and Terry Bradshaw.
NFL.com has a great breakdown of the play and the vote and here’s why this play was considered so amazing.
The fans have spoken. And the #NFL100 Greatest Moment in NFL History is…
The Immaculate Reception. 🙌 @steelers @francoharrishof pic.twitter.com/2w9okOFvK4
— NFL (@NFL) February 2, 2020
Truly an IMMACULATE moment. pic.twitter.com/gOVTvsJ5Fb
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) February 2, 2020
The Steelers are responsible for the greatest play in NFL history.
If you are an NFL fan, you know what the Immaculate Reception is. It’s the type of play that despite being 47 years ago, fans still debate the play and its outcome. In case you forgot, Pittsburgh Steelers running back Franco Harris scooped up a deflected pass intended for John Fuqua. It bounced off Oakland Raiders defensive back Jack Tatum, Harris caught it off the carom and took it in for a touchdown. This play was voted the greatest play in NFL history.
The play sent the Steelers to the Super Bowl yet it remains shrouded in mystery. There is no camera angle to show if Harris made the catch clean or scooped it off the ground and we will never know. If that play happened today there would be 18 camera angles showing the play from every direction and the officials would still probably get it wrong.
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The NFL’s 25 best postseason players from the Super Bowl era
