Top 5 greatest Steelers rookie seasons of modern era

There have been several players who have enjoyed tremendous success in their rookie season for the Steelers

In the long and illustrious history of the Steelers, there have been numerous iconic players whose career achievements culminated in enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.  Some players were destined for greatness ‘right out of the gate’ while others had to bide their time before their greatness could be unleashed.

The difficulty in compiling a list of greatest Steelers rookie seasons is this:  There have been so many players whose rookie seasons were tremendous in terms of both contribution and singular performance.  Most, if not all, of said rookie seasons, ended with either a trip to the playoffs, to the Super Bowl, or to the Pro Bowl.

For purposes of this particular discussion, I am labeling the modern era as the Super Bowl era.  I realize the first Super Bowl was played prior to the official merger between the AFL and the NFL.  I also realize that some of you would label the modern era as the era that began with said merger; however, I think you will appreciate my rationale for reasons that will become evident as we progress through this discussion.

Full disclosure:  The list that will be revealed momentarily is a list of my making; therefore, it is solely my opinion. Undoubtedly, you will have a different opinion.  You may agree with all, some, or none of the players on this list and that’s OK.  Any list of greatest anything lends itself to debate and scrutiny.

With that in mind, let’s commence with the player whose rookie season landed him fifth on this list.