The Steelers have many great players that have played for the franchise and some of them have gone underappreciated since.
The Steelers used to be one of the worst franchises in the NFL for many years. They had some good players since the beginning of their franchise in the 30s. It took about 40 years before this franchise started winning and getting trophies added to their empty cases in Pittsburgh.
The success of this club since the 70s has been almost unmatched in the league. The black and gold have found different ways of staying relevant in this league, despite having some down seasons along the way. Certain players have had terrific careers for the Steelers and have not gotten enough credit for what they accomplished.
Most of the flashy players have gotten all the spotlight throughout the coverage of this club’s history. Now they got most of the coverage and that leaves players like those on this list that do not get their names mentioned much with the all-time greats. All of these, plus more, should get more recognition from the fans.
Mike Webster is one of the most underappreciated Steelers of all time
Mike Webster was the center for Pittsburgh during their most dominant run during the 70s. He would be drafted and cemented into Steelers lore after being involved in the historic 1974 draft class. Webster would become one of the best players to ever play at the center position in NFL history.
Many now know about his story that came after football which saw his mental state deteriorate from the physical effects football had on his body. Some might also not know that he played for the Kansas City Chiefs for the final two seasons of his professional career. It was a long-storied career that gets overshadowed because he did not play the most “exciting” positions in football.
Aaron Smith helped solidify the Steelers defense in the 2000s
Aaron Smith was a fourth-round pick coming out of a small school in 1999. He would be drafted by the Steelers coming out of Northern Colorado and quickly become one of the best defensive linemen on the roster. Smith had a little bit of an adjustment period before he became the full-time starter for this group.
Many know about the famous Blitzburgh defenses of the 90s, well that era was starting to end when Smith showed up. It was a transition period of sorts between the 90s and early 2000s that saw many starters change over. Luckily, this franchise knew what to do and found some great replacements, and continued their storied defensive ways.
The reason that this player gets overlooked is because of the other big names and personalities that he played with. Names like James Harrison, Joey Porter, Troy Polamalu, Brett Keisel, and many more got a lot more attention. Smith worked hard and became one of the best-run defenders of his generation.
He was one of those players that many people did not give enough credit to while he helped get two more rings to Pittsburgh. He was a big part of this defense but was overlooked by most fans. This player was one that you did not realize how important he was until he was missing during games.
Donnie Shell has only gotten some notoriety in recent years
Donnie Shell was probably the third-best safety to ever play the position for the Steelers throughout their history. He was a hard-hitting player that had many eye-popping smacks during his time. This player was constantly overlooked on the famous Steel Curtain defenses as the line usually got most of the attention.
He played in a secondary full of many underappreciated players that fans might not remember enough. Mike Wagner, J.T. Thomas, and Glen Edwards were some notable players in the secondary along with Mel Blount. Everyone, including Shell, were good players that helped this defense become one of the best in the history of the league.
Many people also do not know that Shell was technically a part of the famous 1974 draft class. He was signed as an undrafted free agent coming out of South Carolina State that year. He would go on to have a Hall of Fame career and finally join the most elite club in football with his Hall of Fame induction in the class of 2020.
It took a long time, but Shell finally got his due and was another Steelers legend who was entered into the eternal brotherhood in Canton. He has begun to get some notoriety for his play in recent years, but he continues to be one of the most overlooked star defensive talents in black and gold history.
Andy Russell is overlooked in Steelers lore because of the position he played
Andy Russell might be the best example of the transition period in a career of the Steelers franchise from bottom feeder to the highest mountain top. He would be taken by Pittsburgh in the 16th round of the 1963 NFL Draft as a linebacker out of Missouri. He would go on to play for the black and gold for his rookie year before taking a sabbatical.
The army was calling and that forced Russell into service and to depart from the franchise for some time. He was in the service for about three years before he decided to return to the NFL and play for Pittsburgh again. During his time away, the black and gold continued to be the laughingstock of the league and the hope of turning that around was still there.
Eventually, Russell helped bring the defense together as the veteran and the winning started to compile during the 70s. He was a leader on those early clubs that had young players still learning the ropes of the NFL. It took a couple of years but eventually, the newly build Steelers started winning a lot.
He helped the club win two Super Bowls before he retired after the 1976 season sitting atop the mountain as a two-time champion. Young players like Jack Hamm and Jack Lambert were becoming special players and Russell left the team and continues to be overlooked to this day. There have been many great players at his position, but not many were better than him.
L.C. Greenwood deserves more credit for the Steelers dynasty in the 70s
L.C. Greenwood has been one of the best defensive linemen to ever suit up for the black and gold. He was a big part of the Steel Curtain defenses of the 70s dynasty teams. He was the Steelers unofficial all-time sack leader until James Harrison broke that mark.
The franchise selected him in the tenth round of the 1969 NFL Draft, which was the same year when they took “Mean” Joe Greene in the first round. They got half of the fearsome front in that selection process and that was a good year for the club. It led to one of the best defensive units ever assembled and it will not likely ever come close to being repeated.
This lanky and skinny guy coming out of a small college in Arkansas was able to become one of the unit’s best pass rushers. The sack total given to Greenwood is not even an official stat as it was still not regulated by the league at that point. His aggressiveness and skill at the point of attack were unmatched.
He would go on to use his quickness in the trenches to his advantage and create a resume that should be considered to make the Hall of Fame. His stats are not as good as his fellow teammates that made it into the eternity of football lure, but he is on the brink. It will take some time for this player to make it in but one day he should.
The Steelers have been a successful franchise since their dynasty began in the 70s. Some of the players involved in their success have not gotten enough credit for their roles in the success.