The Pittsburgh Steelers are one of the most storied franchises in the NFL, boasting six championships since their inception in 1933.
Iconic quarterbacks Ben Roethlisberger and Terry Bradshaw remain two faces of the franchise, but Pittsburgh has been notoriously reliant on strong play at the running back position.
Here is our ranking of the five best running backs in Steelers history, including a pair of Pro Football Hall of Famers.
Honorable mentions: John Henry Johnson (1960-1965), Rocky Bleier (1968; 1971-80), Merril Hoge (1987-1993)
5. Willie Parker (2004-2009)
“Fast Willie” Parker was the Steelers’ primary back from 2004 to 2009, and a key reason Pittsburgh won two Super Bowls in that span. Even better, Parker’s stardom with the Steelers was improbable; he signed as an undrafted free agent after his time playing mostly as a backup running back with UNC in 2004, much like another player on this list.
Parker started out as the fourth-string back on the Steelers’ 2004 depth chart that included Jerome Bettis, and earned the starting job after injuries to Bettis and Duce Staley. During the 2005 season opener, Parker rushed for 161 yards on 22 carries, impressing coach Bill Cowher. Parker didn’t look back, starting 15 of 16 games and finishing with 1,202 yards.
Perhaps the pinnacle of Parker’s career, though, was his 75-yard rushing touchdown in Super Bowl XL, which remains the longest rushing touchdown in Super Bowl history and eclipsed Marcus Allen’s 74-yard run in Super Bowl XVIII.
4. Barry Foster (1990-1994)
Drafted 128th overall in the 1990 NFL Draft out of Arkansas, Foster became a brief Steelers icon and etched his name in football’s record books.
Foster only played from 1990 to 1995 due to injuries, and spent 1990-1994 with the Steelers. Known as “The NFL’s Other Barry” in reference to Barry Sanders, Foster holds the Steelers’ single-season rushing record after he rushed for 1,692 yards in 1992.
Foster finished his career with 3,943 rushing yards, 28 touchdowns, and made two Pro Bowls. His departure in 1994 set the table for the Steelers to trade for Bettis the following year.
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3. Le’Veon Bell (2013-2018)
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Bell is the most contemporary Steelers’ running back on this list, playing in Pittsburgh for four seasons before sitting out the 2018 season over a contract dispute. He became a free agent in 2019 and signed with the New York Jets.
A second-round pick from Michigan State in 2013, Bell was ranked the fifth-best running back in the draft in a class that included Eddie Lacy and Giovanni Bernard.
Bell disproved that ranking, breaking out in his sophomore season with 2,200 combined yards and a Pro Bowl appearance. Drug-related suspensions and injuries curbed the start of his third season, but the 2016 and 2017 seasons were step backs in the right direction, as Bell made two Pro Bowls and rushed for 1,291 yards in 2017.
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2. Jerome Bettis (1996-2005)
There is a noticeable gap between the first three on this list and the next two, as Bettis is a Steelers legend and Hall of Famer.
Over 13 seasons in the NFL, Bettis rushed for 13,662 yards, 94 touchdowns, and made six Pro Bowls. While Bettis began his career with the Rams, who drafted him No. 10 overall in the 1993 NFL Draft, it was following his trade to the Steelers that he truly cemented his legacy.
The Rams felt Bettis was on the downside of his career, and opted to take Nebraska running back Lawrence Philips over Bettis, who chose the Steelers over the Houston Oilers due to the storied history of Pittsburgh.
While there, Bettis rushed for 10,571 yards, 78 touchdowns, and caught 125 passes for 806 yards. Bettis won the NFL Comeback Player of the Year in 1996, following up a disappointing 1995 (much due to the Rams’ newly pass-oriented offense) with a career-high 1,431 yards.
Bettis finished his career with two-time first-team All-Pro nods, a Walter Payton Man of the Year award in 2001, and a Super Bowl ring.
1. Franco Harris (1972-1983)
Some consideration should be given to the fact that Harris played much of his career as a fullback, but Harris’ impact on the Steelers, and the history of the NFL, can’t be discounted.
A product of Penn State, Harris earned nine Pro Bowl selections as a fixture of the Steelers teams led by Terry Bradshaw. Harris’ career began with an NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year nod, and continued with a first-team All-Pro nod and two second-team All-Pros.
Harris’ most famous moment, though, came as a rookie in 1972. In the first round of the playoffs, the Steelers trailed the Oakland Raiders 7-6 with 22 seconds left in the fourth quarter. Bradshaw targeted John Fuqua with a pass over the middle, and it bounced off the helmet of defender Jack Tatum, improbably right into Harris’ hands as he took it all the way for the game-winning touchdown, in what became known as the “Immaculate Reception.”
Harris holds the franchise rushing yards record with 11,950 and won four Super Bowls in the Steel City.
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