The 5 best punters in the history of the Pittsburgh Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers are known for finding elite talent at many positions throughout their storied history, but punter is not one of them. This is a franchise that is historically bad at drafting and developing punters, and most of their best players at the position have been undrafted free agents or have come from other teams.

Still, there are a handful of names who deserve to be recognized for their accomplishments over the years. The punter is often a thankless position in the NFL. Many fans only notice their presence when the football shanks off the side of their foot or they muff the snap.

These punters, however, stood the test of time. While they weren't always recognized as one of the best players in the league at their position, their contributions to the Steelers were more than the team could ask for.

Criteria for selection

There are numerous factors that go into selecting criteria for the top punters in Steelers' history. Statistics are very important in these rankings. How often a punter could pin the ball inside the twenty-yard line, their punt average, and net average were all considered.

More than simply having a big leg, I also factored in a punter's consistency and reliability. This often comes with longevity at the position. Personal accolades were also considered in these rankings.

Additionally, I included each punter's ability to flip the field when backed up against their own endzone. Pro Football Reference's Approximate Value was also factored into my rankings. To qualify for a ranking, punters had to play at least one full season in Pittsburgh with a minimum of 50 punt attempts.

The top 5 punters in Pittsburgh Steelers history

5. Chris Gardocki

Chris Gardocki had already been a punter for 13 NFL seasons before joining the Pittsburgh Steelers at the age of 34 in 2004. The aging punter seemed to tweak a hamstring every other time he booted the ball (at least in my memory). While Gardocki didn't have a big leg, he was very consistent.

What's perhaps most impressive was his ability to get the punt off quickly with bodies all around him. Gardocki went his whole 16-year career without getting a punt blocked. In three years with the Steelers to close his career, Gardocki averaged 42.1 yards per punt with an impressive 36.3 net yards per attempt. This proves that his hangtime and ball placement were getting the job done.

Gardocki pinned a respectable 28.6 percent of his punts inside the 20. While he didn't earn any personal accolades with the Steelers, the long-time punter was a Pro Bowl and All-Pro player with the Colts in 1996 -- years before coming to Pittsburgh.

4. Craig Colquitt

Craig Colquitt was a popular punter that older Steelers fans will remember. He took over the job at the end of Pittsburgh's impressive Super Bowl run in the 70s. Colquitt was solid from the gate -- averaging 40.0 yards per punt in his first season in 1978 with 35.2 net yards per attempt.

Colquitt's best season came in 1981 when he boomed the ball for 3,641 punt yards (43.3 average) and netted 35.3 yards per punt. Colquitt played six seasons in Pittsburgh until the age of 30. Interestingly. He was out of football for two years before returning to play a final NFL season with Indianapolis at the age of 33.

3. Bobby Walden

Fans who grew up in the '70s may be upset that Bobby Walden isn't higher on this list. Of the top punters in Steelers history, Walden is the only player to make a Pro Bowl in Pittsburgh and his tenure with the Steelers lasted a full decade.

Because of this, Walden is Pittsburgh's all-time leading punter -- amassing 29,462 punt yards in Pittsburgh. What dropped him on the list a bit for me was his unspectacular numbers. Walden averaged a modest 41.1 yards per punt. Since net yards per punt became a statistic in 1970, he averaged 27.6 per attempt in this department.

Walden's career saw more longevity, Super Bowl wins, and personal accolades than any punter in Steelers history, but that doesn't make him the best to every punt for the Black and Gold. Still, he deserves a very high place on this list for his ability to stick with the team as a starting punter for 10 years.

2. Josh Miller

Josh Miller didn't record his first NFL punt until age 26 in 1996, but a late start certainly didn't mean he was on track for a short career. Miller was Bill Cowher's punter for eight years before playing three seasons with the Patriots and one season with the Titans to close his career.

During his tenure in Pittsburgh, Miller was everything the team needed at the position. At 6'4'' and 225 pounds, Miller used his big frame to boom the ball down the field and flip the team's field position routinely.

The consistency was fantastic for Miller. This led to a Steelers career average of 42.9 yards per punt, 35.9 net yards per punt, and 33.9 percent of punts pinned inside the twenty-yard line. Miller departed from Pittsburgh during the 2004 offseason -- the same offseason Ben Roethlisberger was drafted. Fortunately for him, Miller earned his Super Bowl ring with Tom Brady and the Patriots in 2004.

1. Jordan Berry

The number one punter in Pittsburgh Steelers history is a name that many fans will be familiar with. Jordan Berry didn't have an extrodinarily long NFL career, nor was he recognized with Pro Bowl or All-Pro honors. But don't think for a second that he wasn't a great punter because of it.

From the moment the Australian-born punter took over in 2015, Berry showcased his massive leg and outstanding consistency. As a rookie, Berry's performance was up and down, but he ripped a 79-yard punt that led the NFL that year.

By his second season, Berry had taken his performance to the next level with the same strong leg and more consistency from punt to punt. The 6'5'' punter blasted the ball in Pittsburgh from 2015f to 2020 before playing one final season with the Vikings in 2021.

Berry compiled 17,104 punt yards in his Steelers career, but his 44.4 yards per punt, 39.9 net average, and astounding 40.0 percent of punts inside the twenty-yard line are numbers that will be hard for any future Steelers punter to top. Berry also had only one punt blocked in his NFL career.

All stats courtesy of Pro Football Reference.

The 5 best punters in Pittsburgh Steelers history by net yards