If you’re a longtime Steelers’ fan, defense is what you most associate the Pittsburgh football franchise with. Mirroring the city’s blue collar workers, Pittsburgh loves their tough guys on the field. And to play linebacker in the Steel City is one of the toughest jobs in football. From the Steel Curtain in the ‘70s, to the blitz-happy teams in the 1990s & 2000s – it’s easy to remember the great ones, yet difficult to rank the best. So with respect to all, in no particular order…Here We Go!
Jack Lambert
The toothless face of the earliest championship Steelers’ teams, Lambert seemed born to be a Steeler. From the time Chuck Noll heard of a college-aged Lambert diving after a ball carrier in the parking lot he knew this kid would be a difference maker. Noll and the Steelers selected Lambert with the 46th pick in the 1974 NFL Draft. Until the late ‘80’sdefensive statistics like tackles and sacks weren’t officially tallied, but this doesn’t leave Lambert’s career void of accolades. In his 11 seasons, he was a nine time Pro Bowler and an eight time All-Pro selection, including Rookie of the Year his first season in the league. Lambert was the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year in 1976 also, leading a Steelers defense that, after a 1-4 start, won nine straight and held opponents’ to a total of 28 points over those final nine games. He accounted for 28 interceptions and 17 fumble recoveries in his career, all the while leading the Steelers to four Super Bowl victories. Statistics and accolades don’t do Jack Lambert justice, though. His intensity, coupled with his exceptional football instinct, made him one of the most feared defensive players of all time. He was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1990.
Jack Ham
One of Lambert’s teammates on those vaunted Steel Curtain defenses was also a force to be reckoned with. Ham played 12 seasons with the Steelers, earning eight Pro Bowl honors and seven All-Pro selections. Another 2nd round pick, Ham was selected 34th overall by Pittsburgh. As a rookie, he started all 14 games and held that starting spot for the majority of his career. He tallied 32 career interceptions and 21 career fumble recoveries. Also a part of those 4 Super Bowl teams, Ham unfortunately only played in 3 due to an injury keeping him out of Super Bowl XIV. Along with Lambert, Ham is a Hall of Famer as well, being inducted in 1988.
Jason Gildon
The 3rd round pick by the Steelers in the 1994 draft is the all-time leader in the Pittsburgh record books with 77 career sacks. Gildon became the prototypical linebacker for the 3-4 defense. He was 6’4’, weighed 250 lbs., and had a long, athletic frame that many blockers couldn’t contain. He played defensive end in college, but with the help of then-Steeler linebacker coach Marvin Lewis, made the transition to outside linebacker. Gildon was a mainstay for the Steelers in the late ‘90s, starting all 16 games from 1997 thru his final season in Pittsburgh in ’03. He was a three time Pro Bowl selection and a one time First-Team All-Pro. Prior to his streak of consecutive starts in ‘97, Gildon was a tenacious special teams player.
James Harrison
Another Steeler great, Harrison is most widely known for his 100 yard interception return for a touchdown in Super Bowl XLIII just as the 1st half expired.
He’s part of the new age of NFL linebackers – on-the-edge blitzers, but occasional drop-into-coverage guys. In his 12 seasons with Pittsburgh (and one regretful year with the rival Bengals), Harrison has 76.5 career sacks, including 3 seasons with at least 10 total sacks. He’s second all-time on the Steelers sack leaderboards, coming up just short of Gildon’s 77, but can surpass those totals this upcoming season. Harrison, sometimes referred to as Deebo, can also be seen posting offseason Instagram videos of him – and his children – putting in work.
James Farrior
Not the most recognizable name, but Farrior is the all-time leading tackler in Pittsburgh history. The 8th overall selection in the 1997 NFL Draft by the New York Jets, Farrior didn’t play much until his contract year in 2001. That offseason Pittsburgh signed him and moved him inside to his natural position, where he led the team in tackles for seven straight seasons and became a two time Pro Bowler. Winning a Super Bowl under both Coach Bill Cowher and Mike Tomlin is impressive, but almost equally impressive is that Farrior played against Mike Tomlin while the two were in college. It just speaks to the character of Farrior, playing for a man he once competed against, to walk behind and follow his lead.
LaMarr Woodley
Another one of those edge-rushing linebackers Pittsburgh opponents’ were forced to gameplan around, Woodley played opposite James Harrison for a good portion of his time in Pittsburgh. The two combined for 27.5 sacks in 2008. During the ‘08 Super Bowl run that same year, Woodley accounted for a team high 6 sacks in the playoffs. The 2nd round pick in the 2007 Draft ranks 5th all-time in the Steelers record books with 57 career sacks, but in only 94 career games. Gildon and Harrison, 1st and 2nd on that list, both played north of 150 games.
Joey Porter
Sitting 3rd on the Steelers all-time sack list, Porter became one of Pittsburgh’s most beloved athletes. He was the 73rd overall pick by the club in 1999. During his eight seasons he racked up 60 career sacks, ranking behind only Jason Gildon & James Harrison. He grew to become a four time Pro Bowler and a one time First-Team All-Pro selection. During the 2005 Super Bowl run, Porter started all four games and posted 3 sacks. He just missed the century mark for total career sacks, only reaching 98. After his time in Pittsburgh, Porter played three seasons in Miami and two in Arizona. Reaching back to his Pittsburgh roots, Porter came to Pittsburgh in 2014 as a defensive assistant, and was promoted in February of this year to be the team’s outside linebacker’s coach.
Greg Lloyd
Lloyd was a 6th round selection by the Steelers in 1987 and played 10 seasons with the franchise. He earned five Pro Bowl selections and was a three time First-Team All-Pro. Well known for his toughness, Lloyd ranks 3rd in Pittsburgh’s record books with 659 tackles. From 1991 through 1995 Lloyd recorded at least six sacks in every season, ranking him 6th in franchise history. Following the ‘95 campaign, Lloyd suffered a knee injury and missed most of the season. In 1997 he missed time due to a staph infection and was subsequently let go in 1998. Lloyd’s son, Greg Lloyd II, was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2011. Even though he plays the same sport as his father – and the same position – the two haven’t been involved with each other since Lloyd II was about 12.
Lawrence Timmons
It might seem odd to have a current player – that’s only 30 years old – on an All-Time list, but when it comes to Timmons it’s hard not to include him. The 2007 1st round pick from Florida State already ranks 6th all time in tackles with 602, and will most likely be the franchise’s all time leader by the end of his career. He only needs 129 tackles to eclipse James Farrior’s 731. It’ll likely take two seasons, but Timmons hasn’t shown many signs of slowing down. In 2014 he was a Pro Bowler, and since 2011 has started all 16 regular season games. Timmons has also snuck his way into the top 10 of the franchise’s sack leaderboards with 33, placing him 9th. He’s been a part of two Steeler teams that reached a Super Bowl, winning in 2008 when he was a reserve, and in 2010 when they lost to the Packers. That season, Timmons led the team in tackles with his highest single season total of 96.
Levon Kirkland
Kirkland started 155 of his 176 games during his 9 year stint in Pittsburgh. That type of durability helped him to climb the ranks as high as 5th all time in Steelers’ history with 639 tackles. He started all 16 games seven consecutive seasons, the final year of that stretch wearing a Seattle Seahawks jersey though. He earned Pro Bowl honors twice and was a one time First-Team All-Pro. Kirkland was an integral part, along with Greg Lloyd and Kevin Greene, on the 1995 team that faced off against the Dallas Cowboys. The trio previously mentioned held Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith to just 49 rushing yards in that battle, but ultimately lost the game 27-17. Kirkland has worked for his alma mater’s admissions department since retiring, and has also had coaching jobs at Shannon Forest Christian in Greenville, SC as well as Florida A&M University. A few players that didn’t quite make the list but deserve some credit are Kendrell Bell, Larry Foote, Kevin Greene, and Andy Russell.
Honorable Mentions:
Kendrell Bell burst on to the scene as a rookie in 2001, starting all 16 games and earning Pro Bowl honors. That same season, Bell ranked 3rd on the team in tackles (70) and 2nd in sacks (9). Injuries hampered Bell, which cut a promising young career short.
Larry Foote ranks 13th on the Steelers’ all time tackles list, racking up 409 in 158 career games in Pittsburgh. He didn’t receive many individual accolades, but he started all seven games in the two post-seasons that saw the Steelers reach – and win – the Super Bowl.
Kevin Greene only played three seasons for the black and gold, but each year lead the team in sacks, including the 1995 Super Bowl season.He was also a five time Pro Bowler and a two time First-Team All-Pro.
Andy Russell was part of the Steelers before their earliest glory days, being drafted in 1963. He spent his entire career with Pittsburgh, starting all 14 games (that’s how many were played a season back then) seven different times. The seven time Pro Bowler played on the first two Super Bowl teams in 1974 and ‘75 before retiring in 1976.
Most teams, when attempting a list like this, couldn’t boast 10 names, let alone 14. Pittsburgh is one of the greatest franchises in all of the four major sports, and after reading this list, it’s fair to raise the question: Are they the best?
Follow us on Twitter @Playerinsiders @BrothermanPhil
