10 greatest Pittsburgh Steelers of all time

Pittsburgh head coach Chuck Noll with wide receiver coach Lionel Taylor, Hall of Fame defensive tackle Joe Greene and defensive tackle Ernie Holmes, during the closing seconds of the Steelers 16-6 win over the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IX on January 12, 1975 at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Sylvia Allen/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** /

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SAN DIEGO, CA – DECEMBER 17: Lineabacker Jack Ham #59 of the Pittsburgh Steelers returns an interception against the San Diego Chargers during an NFL game at San Diego Stadium on December 17, 1972 in San Diego, California. The Steelers defeated the Chargers 24-2 (Photo by James Flores /Getty Images) /

3. Jack Ham, OLB

It’s a multi-faceted discussion when it comes to the greatest outside linebacker in the history of the NFL. Of course, it definitely depends on what scheme you’re talking about. When it comes to the 3-4 defense, you would be hard-pressed to get an answer other than New York Giants’ superstar and Pro Football Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor. But in regards 4-3 scheme, the popular choice has been Pittsburgh Steelers’ standout Jack Ham, who also has a bust in Canton, Ohio.

The former Penn State standout was a second-round pick in 1971 from “Linebacker U.” And he always seemed to be in the right place at the right time. He created a lot of problems for opposing offensive coordinators and his ball skills were superb. He played in 162 games and made 160 starts. He picked off at least one pass in each of his 12 seasons and finished with 32 interceptions, to go along with 21 fumble recoveries. It added up to being a six-time All-Pro and an eight-time Pro Bowler.

In 16 postseason appearances, he picked off five more passes and recovered three fumbles. And, of course, he’s a four-time NFL champion despite the fact that he missed Super Bowl XIV due to injury.

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