Fansided

10 greatest Pittsburgh Steelers of all time

By Russell S. Baxter

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 ***
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 *** /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
9 of 10
Next
PITTSBURGH, PA – SEPTEMBER 28: Linebacker Jack Lambert #58 of the Pittsburgh Steelers looks across the line of scrimmage at quarterback Mike Phipps #15 of the Chicago Bears during a game at Three Rivers Stadium on September 28, 1980 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Steelers defeated the Bears 38-3. (Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA – SEPTEMBER 28: Linebacker Jack Lambert #58 of the Pittsburgh Steelers looks across the line of scrimmage at quarterback Mike Phipps #15 of the Chicago Bears during a game at Three Rivers Stadium on September 28, 1980 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Steelers defeated the Bears 38-3. (Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images) /

2. Jack Lambert, MLB

He was a second-round draft choice in 1974 from Kent State University. Some would say he looked more like a basketball player and 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds appeared to be undersized when it came to playing the middle linebacker position in the NFL. But Jack Lambert wasted little time making a huge impression on the Black and Gold and the league in general.

He was the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1974 and it was a season in which the club won its first Super Bowl. A season later, the Steeler repeated as champions and Lambert played a huge role in the team’s 21-17 victory over the Dallas Cowboys. The club’s emotional stalwart arguably the tide in the third quarter. With the club trailing 10-7 and Cowboys’ safety Cliff Harris harassing Lambert’s teammate Roy Gerela after a missed field goal. The fiery defender tossed the Hall of Fame defender aside and Pittsburgh gained the momentum.

Like teammate Jack Ham, Lambert had a nose for the ball. He finished with 28 interceptions and 17 fumble recoveries in 11 seasons. He also had one of the great defensive performances in the team’s Super Bowl XIV win over the Rams with 14 tackles and a critical interception.

“Count Dracula in Cleats” was a nine-time Pro Bowler and earned All-Pro honors eight times.

Home/Pittsburgh Steelers