Underrated and underappreciated Steelers through the years.

[zulater]

Borrowing loosely from a topic that was on Mike and Mike this morning.

Who do you see as Steelers that were underappreciated or underrated in their time?

Here's a couple to start it off.

http://www.pro-football-reference.co...H/HogeMe00.htm

Merrill Hoge.
Merrill was as good as any Steeler back ever for catching the ball out of the backfield. Also the guy was a pretty good lead blocker as evidenced by Barry Foster setting a team record for yards in a season following Merrill out opf the backfield. And the guy could run a bit too, who can forget the performance Hoge put forth in the 89 playoffs?
http://www.pro-football-reference.co...stats_playoffs


Next Andy Russell. To me he's the guy who started the Steelers linebacking tradition.

[steelpride12]

Ill throw out a current player. Heath Miller, the most underrated TE in the league season after season. I know he finally made it to the pro bowl last season, but he should have been there before hand. Also Aaron Smith on the DL. He is the anchor for our entire defense and the performance on the field each game is outstanding!

[Texasteel]

Mike Wagner. Always seemed to be in the right place at the right time.

[zulater]

Mike Wagner. Always seemed to be in the right place at the right time.

Good one. Wagner was one of my all time favorites. And that 70's porn stash, that was classic. I'd add Glen Edwards to the list as well.

[Chidi29]

Pretty much everyone pre-1970, a time that I don't think fans even want to admit existed.

Elbie Nickel: I still rank him ahead of Heath as best TE in history. For now, at least.

John Henry Johnson: 1st 1,000 yard rusher we ever had. Looked like a real talent from what I've seen of him on old footage.

Bill Dudley: Think he won the triple crown. One of the best players we had in our early days.

Bobby Layne: Even though his career is known as a Lion. Dan Rooney called him one of the best QBs he ever had.

Roy Jefferson: Talented and productive. Too bad he was a head case. Lot of similarties between him and Holmes.

Ernie Stautner: Only Steeler to have his number offically retired.

Chidi Iwuoma: Not from the old era; I just want to self-indulge.

[BlastFurnace]

Carnell Lake - one of my favorite Steelers of all time.

[steelerdude15]

Ill throw out a current player. Heath Miller, the most underrated TE in the league season after season. I know he finally made it to the pro bowl last season, but he should have been there before hand. Also Aaron Smith on the DL. He is the anchor for our entire defense and the performance on the field each game is outstanding!

[steeldevil]

Hampton gets the credit he deserves, but I would say that Smith and Keisel are both underrated by many outside of steeler nation...

[Butch]

If only Hoge had been born a little earlier or a little later what might have been.

Lake was one of my personal favorites as well and I personally like him better than Rod.

Wagner and Edwards from the 70's

As for now Brett is the one that comes to mind. To me it seems like he is always around the ball but always under the radar as well.

[HometownGal]

A few come to mind right off the bat for me . . .

Randy Grossman
Jon Kolb
Mark Bruener
John Jackson
Jerry O
Dwayne Woodruff
John Banaszak
Moon Mullins

[MasterOfPuppets]

robin cole

[BPS3akaWirels3]

A few come to mind right off the bat for me . . .

Randy Grossman
Jon Kolb
Mark Bruener
John Jackson
Jerry O
Dwayne Woodruff
John Banaszak
Moon Mullins

Banaszak had a HUGE following.. I still like watching the old games where they had the banners with him on it.. Truly underrated..

[klick81]

Dan Kreider. Dude was as solid as a FB can get, and you never heard a peep from him. Team player.

[Psycho Ward 86]

Heath Miller, Aaron Smith, and Dan Kreider are all heavily appreciated by steeler fans. I one of the guys that even WE fail to give props to is Brett Keisel. Honestly, nobody seems to give a crap that he's been playing his absolute best football the last two years.

[Devilsdancefloor]

Andy Russell comes to mind, you hear about the other LBer's, but not really anything about andy.

[Indo]

DAMN IT!

All you people (YES! YOU PEOPLE!) Are taking all of my picks

[Indo]

I thought about it some more:

What about these guys?

Rocky Bleier (got some respect, but not what he deserved)
Steve Furness
Loren Toews
J.T. Thomas

[Vincent]

Agree with most mentioned. Nobody mentioned Donnie Shell?

[zulater]

Neil O'Donnell anyone?

[steeldevil]

Neil O'Donnell anyone?

I wasnt gonna go there but yea

[BigNastyDefense]

Neil O'Donnell anyone?

You're on thin ice mentioning him. But yeah, nobody appreciates him for the good he did in his time here. However he is most famous for two interceptions in the biggest game of his life. So I kinda think it's fair.

[zulater]

I think over time Franco Harris has come to be underrated, not by Steelers fans, but by the general public and football writers. When the best backs of all time are discussed rarely is Franco mentioned, and that's unfortunate and misrepresents the reality of his impact to the league. Franco was the go-to guy on offense, the one other teams game planned to stop. I know Franco got the bad rep for running out of bounds before the play was over, so i think that hurts him perception wise. But the truth is Franco never ran out of bounds before first down yardage was obtained. He was as clutch as they come and a big reason we won those first four Super bowls. And his injury in the AFC playoffs in 76 might have been the determining factor as to why the Steelers didn't win that years Super bowl.