Pittsburgh Steelers Legends team
The Pittsburgh Steelers Legends team represents the franchise's best players from the pre-1970 era. The team was chosen by a small group of Steeler officials and journalists and presented as a part of the Steelers' 75th season celebration in 2007. The club also presented an updated and expanded All-Time team at the same time, which was determined on the basis of fan voting.[1]
While the All-Time team represented the top 33 players in the team's first 75 years,[2] club officials recognized that the All-Time team was selected by fans who had a natural bias toward choosing more recent players due to the team's poor record prior to 1970, and the fact that many Steelers fans would never have seen the older players perform.
As such, many noteworthy players from the team's first four decades were overlooked. The Legends team was created to address this oversight,
The eight-person selection committee that named the Legends team included Dan Rooney, Steelers Vice President
Offense
Position | Jersey No. | Player | Years on Team | # of Pro Bowls | Hall of Fame | Honors | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Quarterback | 22 | Bobby Layne | 1958–1962 | 6 | Yes | 1950s All-Decade Team |
[4] |
Running back | 42 | Dick Hoak | 1961–1971 | 1 | No | [5] | |
Running back | 35 | John Henry Johnson | 1960–1965 | 4 | Yes | [6] | |
Wide receiver | 87 | Roy Jefferson | 1965–1969 | 3 | No | 1969 Steelers MVP | [7] |
Wide receiver | 25 | Ray Mathews | 1951–1959 | 2 | No | [8] | |
Tight end | 81 | Elbie Nickel | 1947–1957 | 3 | No | [9] | |
Center | 21 | Chuck Cherundolo | 1941–1942, 1945–1948 | 2 | No | [10] | |
Guard | 62 | Mike Sandusky | 1957–1965 | 1 | No | [11] | |
Guard | 66 | Bruce Van Dyke | 1967–1973 | 1 | No | [12] | |
Tackle | 71 | Charlie Bradshaw |
1961–1966 | 2 | No | [13] | |
Tackle | 74 | Frank Varrichione | 1955–1960 | 5 | No | [14] |
Defense
Position | Jersey No. | Player | Years on Team | # of Pro Bowls | Hall of Fame | Honors | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Defensive tackle | 76 | Eugene Lipscomb |
1961–1962 | 3 | No[a] | [15] | |
Defensive tackle | 70 | Ernie Stautner | 1950–1963 | 9 | Yes | 1950s All-Decade Team |
[16] |
Defensive end | 60 | Ben McGee | 1964–1972 | 2 | No | [17] | |
Defensive end | 84 | Bill McPeak | 1949–1957 | 3 | No | [18] | |
Linebacker | 60 | Dale Dodrill | 1951–1959 | 4 | No | [19] | |
Linebacker | 66 | Myron Pottios | 1961, 1963–1965 | 3 | No | [20] | |
Linebacker | 33 | Jerry Shipkey | 1948–1952 | 3 | No | [21] | |
Defensive back | 80 | Jack Butler | 1951–1959 | 4 | Yes | 1950s All-Decade Team |
[22] |
Defensive back | 35 | Bill Dudley | 1942, 1945–1946 | 3 | Yes | 1940s All-Decade Team |
[23] |
Defensive back | 11 | Howard Hartley | 1949–1952 | - | No | [24] | |
Defensive back | 28 | Clendon Thomas | 1962–1968 | 1 | No | [25] |
Specialists
Position | Jersey No. | Player | Years on Team | # of Pro Bowls | Hall of Fame | Honors | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Placekicker | 17 | Armand Niccolai | 1934–1942 | - | No | [26] | |
Punter | 18 | Pat Brady |
1952–1954 | - | No | [27] |
Notes
- Names in bold indicate the player spent his entire playing career with the Steelers.
- a Finalist in 1970 & 1977[28]
References
- ^ Dvorchak, Robert (October 25, 2007). "Steelers name 33 players who stand above rest to its All-Time Team". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 19 March 2010.
- ^ "Steelers Announce All-Time Team as Part of Club's 75th Season Celebration". Steelers.com. October 2007. Archived from the original on 4 March 2010. Retrieved 19 March 2010.
- ^ a b c "Steelers Announce Legends Team as Part of 75th Season Celebration Twenty-Four Honored as Best Pre-1970's Players in Club History". Steelers.com. October 2007. Archived from the original on 5 June 2009. Retrieved 22 March 2010.
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: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - Pro Football Reference. Retrieved 22 March 2010.
- Pro Football Reference. Retrieved 22 March 2010.
- Pro Football Reference. Retrieved 22 March 2010.
- Pro Football Reference. Retrieved 22 March 2010.
- Pro Football Reference. Retrieved 22 March 2010.
- Pro Football Reference. Retrieved 22 March 2010.
- Pro Football Reference. Retrieved 19 March 2010.
- Pro Football Reference. Retrieved 22 March 2010.
- Pro Football Reference. Retrieved 22 March 2010.
- Pro Football Reference. Retrieved 22 March 2010.
- Pro Football Reference. Retrieved 22 March 2010.
- Pro Football Reference. Retrieved 22 March 2010.
- Pro Football Reference. Retrieved 22 March 2010.
- Pro Football Reference. Retrieved 22 March 2010.
- Pro Football Reference. Retrieved 22 March 2010.
- Pro Football Reference. Retrieved 22 March 2010.
- Pro Football Reference. Retrieved 22 March 2010.
- Pro Football Reference. Retrieved 22 March 2010.
- Pro Football Reference. Retrieved 22 March 2010.
- Pro Football Reference. Retrieved 22 March 2010.
- Pro Football Reference. Retrieved 22 March 2010.
- Pro Football Reference. Retrieved 22 March 2010.
- Pro Football Reference. Retrieved 22 March 2010.
- Pro Football Reference. Retrieved 22 March 2010.
- ^ "Hall of Famers: Yearly Finalists". Pro Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved 26 March 2010.