Pittsburgh Steelers: 15 best running backs in franchise history

Greatest running backs in Pittsburgh Steelers history: #11. Dick Hoak

Born less than an hour from Pittsburgh in Jeannette, Pennsylvania, Dick Hoak joined the Steelers in 1961 as a seventh-round pick. A hometown player throughout his career, Hoak even played collegiately at Penn State before entering the NFL.

Never a real workhorse, Hoak had just one season with more than 200 rushes, which came in 1963 when he had 679 yards on 216 carries. That wasn’t the most yards he had in his career, but he did cross the goal line six times on the ground, which was a personal best for him.

At age-29, Hoak had his best season as a pro, going for 858 yards while averaging 4.9 per attempt. That 1968 NFL season was the only year where Hoak went for more than four yards per rush. He was also named to his one and only Pro Bowl during that 1968 campaign.

At the time of his retirement, Hoak was second in team history in rushing yards with 3,965. That doesn’t sound like a lot, but he still remains seventh on the list entering 2019. Keep in mind that Pittsburgh didn’t become a dynasty under head coach Chuck Noll until a few years after Hoak’s retirement as a player.

Hoak retired in 1970 and ended up rejoining the Steelers in 1972 as their running backs coach. He held that title for 35 years. The longest-tenured coach in history, Hoak was there for Pittsburgh’s first five Super Bowl wins. Overall, he spent 45 seasons working for the Rooney Family before deciding to call it a career.

He’ll surely be remembered more for his long career on the sidelines, but Hoak was no slouch during his playing days either.