Steelers Unsung Heroes of 2015

Steelers Role Players with Overdue Props, 2015

The Steelers are sitting in a solid spot heading into week 14. They’re currently 7-5. If they win 3 of their next four games they’re very likely to have a playoff spot. They’ve done this despite overcoming numerous injury problems. So let’s give some props to the Steelers unsung heroes.

So what do I mean by this? I mean the role players, the guys who are out there often and contributing to the team but who aren’t selling jerseys. I don’t mean starters. I mean players who began the season in a backup role and have performed that well, and whatever additional duties they might have taken on because of the injuries of others.

It’s difficult to find an exact criterion because one of the factors is recognition. It’s tough to say what causes the public to recognize a performance or not but suffice it to say that I believe DeAngelo Williams has gotten plenty of props so he does not qualify here. But think of it simply as role players who aren’t know but the Steelers are grateful to have them.

So here they are, the Steelers top “6th man” type players, 7 6th men to be exact, the top 7 6th men to be even more exact, the top 7 6th men in order to be most exact.

• Seven Sixth Men

1. Cody Wallace – This guy has held up the middle all year long and has barely gotten any praise for it. When it comes to how well he’s performed relative to how much credit he’s gotten for it, Cody Wallace has the most out of whack ratio of any player on the Steelers roster.

After Pouncey went down for the season Wallace stepped in and the Steelers offense continues to be scary. The ground game is still great, even without Le’Veon Bell. Wallace really deserves credit for a solid season. He’s stepped in and kept the offense great. The guy deserves credit.

2. Robert Golden – Golden is always a contender for this spot. He’s a known commodity by the Steelers organization but outside of it he’s less appreciated. He’s the Steelers special team expert and has been for years.

He’s listed as a safety but rarely plays there. This year that all changed. With Shamarko Thomas in a funk, Golden has been the backup safety, for both spots really, and has stepped in and even started on multiple occasions.

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3. Sean Spence – Spence has quietly been proving the Steelers right for keeping him around while he recovered from his 3 season long knee injury. The guy had nerve damage and there was a good chance he would never play again.

Now he regularly starts in place of Ryan Shazier and rotates in with him when he’s healthy. Spence is athletic and is in good position. He’s also a special teams contributor. He has 34 tackles and a sack so far this season.

4. Vince Williams – Williams and Spence are basically a two headed monster. They could almost share a spot. Then it would be 6 6th men. That sounds better. Too late now though. Williams became a starter as a 6th round pick and has not lost the grit that made him a viable player.

The guy is kind of a run specialist, in the sense that he’s a big battering ram. At 6’1″, 250 lbs he’s managed to mull over 38 ball carriers so far this season and looks to continue that type of behavior. He also has the best NFL head shot ever. Its like seeing a shooting star to watch the play by play on NFL.com and see that picture pop up when he gets a tackle.

5. Alejandro Villanueva – The big guy, the captain. After Beachum went down with a season ending injury Villanueva stepped in and has performed very well. The story is well known, Tomlin signed the Army Ranger after he bounced around the league and he’s really big. But turns out, he’s pretty good at left tackle too.

6. Will Johnson – Johnson has been the Steelers fullback for a few years now and he continues to be a versatile asset. Johnson is typically used as a blocker and performs his job well. He lines up outside, in the backfield, wing, or tight end. He’s a threat to catch or run if you’re sleeping but his blocking in space is he bread and butter.

7. Matt Spaeth – He’s been a solid Steelers role player for many years. Like Johnson, his blocking skills are really his greatest asset. He’s good for a few catches a year. He’ll get you for 7 if you’re not paying attention. But it’s more likely someone else gets 7 because Spaeth led the way.

• Honorable Mention:

Roosevelt Nix

Ross Cockrell

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Jesse James