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30 greatest Pittsburgh Steelers of the 2000s

By Tommy Jaggi

PITTSBURGH - JANUARY 18: Safety Troy Polamalu #43 of the Pittsburgh Steelers celebrates his touchdown with defensive end Brett Keisel against the Baltimore Ravens during the fourth quarter of the AFC championship game on January 18, 2009 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH - JANUARY 18: Safety Troy Polamalu #43 of the Pittsburgh Steelers celebrates his touchdown with defensive end Brett Keisel against the Baltimore Ravens during the fourth quarter of the AFC championship game on January 18, 2009 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /
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TAMPA, FL – FEBRUARY 01: James Harrison #92 of the Pittsburgh Steelers returns an interception 100-yards for a touchdown in the second quarter against the Arizona Cardinals during Super Bowl XLIII on February 1, 2009 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
TAMPA, FL – FEBRUARY 01: James Harrison #92 of the Pittsburgh Steelers returns an interception 100-yards for a touchdown in the second quarter against the Arizona Cardinals during Super Bowl XLIII on February 1, 2009 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

4. James Harrison, OLB (2002)

James Harrison, by my account, is the best free agent pickup in Pittsburgh’s history, and the Steelers have at least one less Super Bowl without him.

Harrison came out of nowhere to surprise the football world with his unnatural ability to play the edge. Despite standing at just 6-feet tall, Harrison possessed unnatural strength and used his stout frame to create leverage on any tackle he was matched up against.

James Harrison stuck around early on for the Steelers but didn’t make it as a full-time starter until his 5th NFL season at the age of 29. When he finally got his chance, there was no looking back.

Harrison exceeded all expectations in his first season as a starter – securing 98 tackles, 8.5 sacks and 7 forced fumbles. He was even better in 2008 as he managed an eye-popping 101 tackles, 16.0 sacks, and 7 forced fumbles en route to Defensive Player of the Year honors.

Harrison made the Pro Bowl every year from 2007-2011 and had two All-Pro honors in between. Though he had a very late start to his career, Harrison made up for it by playing in the NFL until age 39.

Though he had a brief stint with the Bengals in 2013 and the Patriots in 2017, Harrison will forever go down as one of the best pass rushers in Steelers history. His interception return for a touchdown in the Super Bowl against the Cardinals will be remembered as one of the best plays in sports history.

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