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Five times Steelers were made to look like fools in the NFL Draft

By Eric Hassel

PITTSBURGH, PA - NOVEMBER 28: Tight end Mark Bruener #87 of the Pittsburgh Steelers is pursued by linebacker Steve Foley #95 of the Cincinnati Bengals after catching a pass during a game at Three Rivers Stadium on November 28, 1999 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Bengals defeated the Steelers 27-20. (Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA - NOVEMBER 28: Tight end Mark Bruener #87 of the Pittsburgh Steelers is pursued by linebacker Steve Foley #95 of the Cincinnati Bengals after catching a pass during a game at Three Rivers Stadium on November 28, 1999 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Bengals defeated the Steelers 27-20. (Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images) /
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PITTSBURGH, PA – 1989: Running back Tim Worley #38 of the Pittsburgh Steelers looks on from the sideline during a National Football League game at Three Rivers Stadium in 1989 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Tim Worley
PITTSBURGH, PA – 1989: Running back Tim Worley #38 of the Pittsburgh Steelers looks on from the sideline during a National Football League game at Three Rivers Stadium in 1989 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Tim Worley /

The Steelers had two first-round ‘busts’ in the same draft

No. 1a Tim Worley/ No. 1b Tom Ricketts

In 1989, the Steelers found themselves in a position to improve the team quickly via the draft as we had two picks in the first round.  Those two picks, Tim Worley and Tom Ricketts, would play a combined 7 seasons for us.  Think about that for a minute.  Two first-round picks lasted a total of 7 seasons.  That’s awful; it is the epitome of buying ‘fools gold’.

With the seventh pick in the first round, the Steelers selected Worley, a running back out of Georgia.  Another RB, a Hall of Fame RB, was selected with the third pick in the first round by the Detroit Lions.

Barry Sanders, the aforementioned RB, needs no endorsement for me.  I am not suggesting that we would have been able to get Sanders with the seventh pick but armed with two picks in the first round, you have to wonder if the Steelers even attempted to trade up to get Sanders.

In any event, Worley’s career began with promise.  He rushed for 770 yards and scored 5 rushing TDs in his rookie year, but he also fumbled 9 times.  Yikes!  After his rookie campaign, Worley’s career suffered a precipitous drop.  He would go on to rush for an additional 568 yards with 7 more fumbles.  Yikes again! To make matters worse, Worley missed an entire season for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy.

Ricketts, Worley’s co-first-round draft pick, did not fare much better.  In his three seasons with the Steelers, Ricketts started 13 games.  So a first-round pick started 13 games?  That’s terrible.  What’s even more terrible is this:  Steve Wisniewski, who played his college ball at Penn State and was the second guard taken in the draft, made 8 Pro Bowls and was named All-Pro twice.

So, again, let that sink in for a moment.  Wisniewski played 13 seasons, started 206 out 206 games; Ricketts played a total of 5 seasons, 3 with us, and started 15 out of 53 games.  He never made a Pro Bowl and was never named All-Pro.

Let’s wrap this up, shall we?

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