Bill Cowher is perhaps more qualified than anyone when it comes to ranking the Pittsburgh Steelers. Cowher, Hall of Fame former Steelers coach and current CBS Sports NFL analyst, was tasked with ranking the top five defensive players in Steelers history Sunday on The NFL Today.
Cowher admitted it was a difficult task, and it’s easy to see why. The Steelers had a host of all-time great defenders, including several that Cowher himself coached. Here’s a look at Cowher’s rankings, what he had to say about each pick and some other information about each player.
5. S Troy Polamalu (2003-14)
Cowher’s take: “This guy created havoc. I’ve never seen a guy make more plays and do more things that can disrupt an offense.”
It’s a little surprising that Polamalu is this “low” on the list. But Polamalu made the list, after all, over several other deserving players, which include Hall of Fame linebackers Jack Ham and Jack Lambert. As Cowher alluded to, Polamalu was a unique player who wreaked havoc on many offensive game plans. Polamalu’s signature play was his pick-six that clinched Pittsburgh’s 2008 AFC title game victory over Baltimore.
4. OLB TJ Watt (2017-present)
Cowher’s take: “This guy is on an all-time pace … … He led the league in sacks three of the last four years.”
Watt is definitely on a record pace. He is 1.5 sacks away from becoming the third player in league history to reach 100 career sacks before turning 30. And like Polamalu, Watt has an NFL Defensive Player of the Year award to his credit.
3. CB Mel Blount (1970-83)
Cowher’s take: “He’s a four-time Super Bowl winner. Changed the game as a cornerback.”
Cowher is correct about Blount’s place in NFL history. A physically imposing defensive back, the NFL enforced rules limiting a defensive back’s contact with a receiver with Blount in mind. Despite the rule change, Blount and the Steelers continued to play at a high level; Blount had a pick in that year’s Super Bowl when Pittsburgh became the first franchise to win three Super Bowls.
2. CB Rod Woodson (1987-96)
Cowher’s take: “The best defensive player I ever coached is Rod Woodson. I put him on offense. He returned layups. He did everything and made plays.”
Many forget that Woodson was an elite return man during his years with the Steelers. He was also the league’s best cornerback who routinely made house calls after hauling in interceptions. In 1995, Woodson became the first player in NFL history to return to play in the same season that saw him suffer a major knee injury. Woodson played in Super Bowl XXX after tearing his ACL in Week 1.
1. DT Joe Greene (1969-81)
Cowher’s take: “Two-time Defensive Player of the Year … He means everything to Pittsburgh. He exemplifies what a Steeler is.”
There really is no other Cattleman to choose from here. Considered the greatest player in franchise history, Greene provided a much-needed spark to the Steelers almost immediately after coming to Pittsburgh. Greene helped lead a new culture in Pittsburgh, which had been a perennial loser before he arrived.
Almost impossible to block with one defender in his early years, Greene was the leader of a record-setting defense that led the Steelers to four Super Bowl victories over a six-year span.
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