2.52: Jason Worilds, EDGE, Virginia Tech
Jason Worilds was seen as a project coming out of college and someone that could take over as a starter after a while. He played behind a great tandem of Lamar Woodley and James Harrison. He was brought along slowly until he finally got a chance at starting for the Steelers.
He got that chance to start in 2013 after James Harrison departed the team and signed with the Cincinnati Bengals. Worilds played well and held his own as a starter. It was somewhat of a surprise since many were starting to wonder if he would become a bust.
He would retire early and shock the NFL world as many expected him to get paid a lot of money in free agency. He became devoted to the Jehovah’s Witness faith and left the game entirely. It was shocking news at the time as he retired at just 27.
3.82: Emanuel Sanders, WR, SMU
Emanuel Sanders was a great player that was more successful after his days as a Steelers player. He was a solid addition to the receiver group that was getting younger. Mike Wallace and later Antonio Brown got most of the attention and that took away from Sanders.
He was the third option of a surging offense that the black and gold really hadn’t seen before. Sanders would leave the team and join the Denver Broncos. He won a Super Bowl there and is still in the league.