10 greatest single-season performances in Pittsburgh Steelers history

2. Mel Blount, 1975

It's impossible to have a list of the single-best Steelers seasons in franchise history and not include Mel Blount's year in 1975. As a former 172nd overall pick, Blount wasn't a dominant force right away like many of the other names on this list, but the jump he made in '75 was as big as could dream of.

Blount went from never making a Pro Bowl to earning Defensive Player of the Year honors... and he ran away with the award. The 6'3'' cornerback led the NFL with 11 interceptions in just a 14-game season. This remains one of the best marks in NFL history.

His physicality and dominance made it nearly impossible for opposing quarterbacks to have any sort of success when looking his way. Blount played a major role in the Steel Curtain defense. He would go on to record one more interception in the playoffs this year and helped the Steelers to a Super Bowl win over the Dallas Cowboys.

Remarkably, 1975 was only one of two seasons of Blount's 14-year NFL career in which he earned First-Team All-Pro honors. However, he didn't have any problem entering the Hall of Fame with 5 Pro Bowls and 4 Super Bowl wins on his resume. His '75 season is still considered one of the greatest ever by a defensive back.