A new Pittsburgh Steelers series to pass the time this offseason. We’re ranking the top 10 “freak” athletes in history. Choosing just 10 is never easy for a franchise full of so much history and success.
This list isn’t just about the fastest players, either. We’ve ranked those guys before. This focuses on strength, quickness and speed. An overall athletic profile relative to their size and position of players who simply moved in ways no one could have expected.
Before unveiling No. 1 and No. 2, here’s a quick summary of honorable mentions. These are listed in no particular order.
LB Ryan Shazier
Even by modern NFL standards, Shazier was rare. A rocked-up linebacker, he ran a 4.38 at his Pro Day. That speed translated to the field, and Shazier was a sideline-to-sideline maven. Before his injury, Shazier was reaching his prime as a high-end cover linebacker who greatly improved against the run.
Ryan Shazier was such an incredible playmaker for the Steelers. In 2016, he had a streak of four straight games with an INT. First Steelers’ LB to do that since the merger. Special talent. #Steelers pic.twitter.com/M0lnhGA2Z6
— Alex Kozora (@Alex_Kozora) September 9, 2020
Pittsburgh has since been searching for his style in other linebackers, acquiring Devin Bush, Patrick Queen, and Payton Wilson. So far, no one has come close.
C Dermontti Dawson
Arguably the biggest snub of the Top 10, Dawson was a high-end athlete playing center. His athleticism propelled him to seven Pro Bowls and six All-Pro squads during his 13-year run with Pittsburgh.
At the 1988 Combine, he posted a 4.94 40 time. That’s an excellent time today and an incredible one in an era where training and preparation were only a fraction of what they are today. If it was era-adjusted, he might’ve run sub-4.8.
“You never had a center pull until Dermontti Dawson,” Merril Hoge said in a 2016 interview with the team website. “He revolutionized and changed how teams ran the football in the NFL.”
C Maurkice Pouncey
Pouncey arguably wasn’t the athlete Dawson was, but he was a great one in his own right. Drafted on that basis, Pouncey pulled and became a lead part of Pittsburgh’s power running game.
Pouncey and DeCastro two of the most athletic players at their position. Why you can run on 3rd and 9. Especially impressive reach by 66. pic.twitter.com/LAh7sgchov
— Alex Kozora (@Alex_Kozora) October 17, 2017
Pouncey made nine Pro Bowls, two All-Pros, and became a member of the NFL’s All-2010 team.
WR Antwaan Randle El
Randle El wasn’t the biggest or fastest but had a unique, well-rounded skill set. A college quarterback at Indiana, he converted to receiver and made the transition look effortless. Still, he leaned on his passing routes and threw seven career touchdown passes, including five with Pittsburgh. One came in Super Bowl XL: his iconic pass to Hines Ward to beat the Seattle Seahawks.
Randle El was also an excellent returner with four punt return touchdowns and a kick return touchdown during his Steelers’ regular season career. Another came in Pittsburgh’s 2002 Wild Card win over the Cleveland Browns.
His skill set is hard to find, and Pittsburgh hasn’t quite found one since.
TE Eric Green
Today, the hyper-athletic “move” tight end is common and sits on nearly every roster. When Green was drafted in 1990, that was a rarity. At a listed 6’5, 280 pounds, he was a remarkable athlete and ran a 4.84 at 274 pounds during his Combine workout.
In five years with Pittsburgh, Green averaged 13.5 yards per reception and found the end zone 24 times. Five of his touchdowns were from 30-plus yards out, including a 71-yarder in 1993 to kickstart a comeback victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.
“He was, arguably, the best block-and-catch tight end in the game for an all-too-short period of time in the 1990’s. He was, without argument, the most impressive physical specimen his position had ever seen,” one 2004 feature piece noted of him.
Top 10 List
Numbers 9 and 10
Numbers 7 and 8
Numbers 5 and 6
Numbers 3 and 4