5 greatest Pittsburgh Steelers defensive lineman of all time
The Pittsburgh Steelers are well known for the defensive front ever since the famous Steel Curtain days of the 70s. Great players have come before and after those glory days.
The Steelers franchise has had many great players wear the black and yellow and many of those great players showed their abilities on the defensive side of the ball. The famous defensive front that has terrorized opposing NFL teams has been a common occurrence for this small steel city.
The players have embraced the tough and gritty lifestyle that the city they play for has adopted since the furnaces began to heat up. The team represents the city and the defense identifies with its people the most. Pressuring the quarterback and setting the tone against the opposing team since the beginning of the franchise.
Names that will be remembered in the Steel City forever and some are recognizable names across the NFL to this day. Players grow a reputation over time that makes their names bigger than themselves, it makes them legendary and one people will never forget. This list shakes up what the expectations might be for a top-five list that many would expect. Some players might be stationed higher than others and that might make some controversy or surprise people when names drop and rise on this list of the five greatest defensive lineman in Steelers history.
Number 5: Aaron Smith
Smith is one of the most unsung heroes in franchise history for this franchise. Many people could consider other names here to top Smith but he was a dominant force in the trenches for years. He played on a great front for the Steelers defense in the 2000s for the majority of his career until it started to unravel the last few seasons due to injuries.
Smith got to play alongside players like Casey Hampton, Brett Keisel, and Kimo von Oelhoffen. Even though he played alongside some of the best teammates, it was Smith that was a catalyst for stopping the run and playing a team-first game. He was able to take up space and allow for his fellow teammates to thrive on the black and yellow’s storied defense.
Smith played on the left side of the defensive line for 12 seasons with Pittsburgh and was able to put up impressive numbers during his career. His stat sheet consists of 152 games started, two Super Bowl Championships, one Pro Bowl selection, 481 total tackles, 84 tackles for loss, 44 sacks, 26 quarterback hits, seven forced fumbles, one interception, and 21 batted passes.
Some may be surprised by Smith at number five but he was one of the most consistent players throughout his career. That consistency allowed him to be number five on this list and an unsung hero will finally get some notoriety that he deserved all along.