5 Steelers players that fans might have forgotten
By Tommy Jaggi
4. LB Hardy Nickerson
This name should be familiar to many football fans -- not because of what he did during his time with the Steelers, but because of his legendary career afterward. Hardy Nickerson was drafted as a fifth-round pick by Pittsburgh all the way back in 1987 -- the same draft class that included Rod Woodson and Greg Lloyd.
In his first seven seasons in Pittsburgh, Nickerson was a productive inside linebacker as he topped 90 tackles in three separate years. However, after his age-27 season, the Steelers allowed him to walk away. This proved to be a mistake.
The very next year, Nickerson earned a whopping 214 tackles on the Buccaneers and received votes for Defensive Player of the Year. This came with Pro Bowl and First-Team All-Pro honors. Nickerson would go on to play six more seasons in Tampa Bay before playing two years in Jacksonville and one in Green Bay to close out his awesome NFL career.
Hardy Nickerson ultimately had a remarkable 16-year NFL career as a linebacker in which he earned over 1,500 tackles, recorded five Pro Bowls, and was named First-Team All-Pro twice. Sadly, none of his accolades came as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers.