Our previous NFL Thursday miniseries entries had us in the Emerald City and Fog City—now it’s time for Steeltown. Isn’t it funny how all these American cities have nicknames? But we digress: the Pittsburgh Steelers are 6-time Super Bowl champions, so expect plenty of representatives from those teams below. The true question is if anyone on this list surprises us. Only time will tell, obviously, but time has come today.

No. 10: Rod Woodson, CB—120 AV (1987-1996)

Notice the AV, which is high enough to be top on many organizational lists. Over 10 seasons with the Steelers, Woodson made 7 Pro Bowls and intercepted 38 passes while topping the NFL in AV once (1990). He also forced 16 fumbles and notched 13.5 sacks. But in 9 playoff games with Pittsburgh, he only intercepted 1 pass without forcing any turnovers or scoring any sacks. He’s one of two players on this list with no rings.

No. 9: Dermontti Dawson, RG/C—123 AV (1988-2000)

Another guy without a ring, Dawson made 7 Pro Bowls in a row at center from 1992 to 1998. He also posted 6 straight seasons of double-digit AV from 1993-1998, averaging 13.3 AV during his peak years. His best year (16) came in 1997. Dawson started every game over a 10-season stretch, too, from 1989-1998 before age and injuries caught up with him in his final two seasons. He also got the start in all 13 playoff games possible.

No. 8: Mel Blount, CB—128 AV (1970-1983)

In a 14-year career, he achieved a lot: 57 INTs, 13 fumble recoveries, 5 Pro Bowls, and 4 touchdown returns. Of course, he helped the team win 4 SBs as a member of the Steel Curtain defense, too, with 4 INTs in 19 playoff games. He topped the NFL in INTs (11) during the 1975 season as Pittsburgh won its second consecutive NFL title that postseason. Like everyone else on this list, Blount is in the NFL Hall of Fame.

No. 7: Franco Harris, RB—135 AV (1972-1983)

From the Immaculate Reception to his pursuit of the top spot on the all-time rushing list, Harris is the face of the Steelers’ 1970s dynasty for many fans. He was the ROTY in 1972, the first time Pittsburgh made the playoffs in 25 seasons, and Harris was a Pro Bowler in the first 9 years of his career as well. He topped the NFL in rushing TDs once (1976), while scoring 17 total TDs in 19 overall career postseason games. Not bad.

No. 6: Jack Lambert, LB—137 AV (1974-1984)

He was the ROTY in 1974, the first season the Steelers won the Super Bowl. Oddly, he didn’t make the Pro Bowl that season, but Lambert was a Pro Bowler for the next 9 years straight. He led the NFL with 8 fumble recoveries in 1976, and overall in his career, he totaled 28 INTs and 23.5 sacks. Those don’t seem like big numbers, but there’s a reason he was nicknamed Jack Splat and Dracula in Cleats: Lambert was a monster.

No. 5: Terry Bradshaw, QB—140 AV (1970-1983)

The first QB to ever win 4 Super Bowls, Bradshaw also won two SB MVP awards (1978, 1979) even though we gave them to different teammates—including Harris. He won the NFL MVP vote in 1978, too, but we re-assigned it. That doesn’t mean we don’t have the utmost respect for him: He was 121-56 as the starter and led the league in a lot of statistical categories multiple times. The Blonde Bomber truly ushered in a new era.

No. 4: Joe Greene, DT—143 AV (1969-1981)

Mean Joe was the No. 4 overall pick in the 1969 draft, and he made 11 straight Pro Bowls to start his career. That’s impressive. He posted 77.5 sacks, unofficially, as an interior lineman, while winning the Defensive ROTY vote in 1969, too. With 7 sacks in 17 playoff games, he was often a menace into January as well. We picked him as the Super Bowl IX MVP instead of Harris, actually, and of course, there’s this legendary ad.

No. 3: Jack Ham, LB—147 AV (1971-1982)

Definitely the most underrated star of the Steel Curtain, Ham made 8 straight Pro Bowls (1973-1980) during the team’s heyday by posting 32 INTs and 25.5 sacks. In 16 postseason games, he picked off 5 passes and registered 3 sacks. He was often overshadowed by Lambert during his career, but in the end, we find him to be ranked a lot higher than his teammate on lists like this one. He posted 9 straight double-digit AV seasons.

No. 2: Mike Webster, C—150 AV (1974-1988)

Sadly the poster child for concussion damage, Webster is the highest-ranked member here from the Team of the 1970s. He made 9 Pro Bowls, although he didn’t make his first one until his fifth season in the league. Webster played in 19 playoff games for the Steelers from 1974-1984, and he never missed a game until 1986—the 4 contests he missed that year were the only ones he missed in 15 seasons with the Steelers: a tragedy.

No. 1: Ben Roethlisberger, QB—208 AV (2004-2021)

After 18 seasons with the team, maybe it shouldn’t surprise us to see this 2-time Super Bowl winner at the top of the list; he just lacks the panache of the ’70s heroes, really. He was the 2004 ROTY, and he led the team to SB victories in 2005 and 2008. His 178-91-1 record as a starter is only enhanced by his numerous big playoff victories. Big Ben topped the NFL many times in key categories, too, making 6 Pro Bowls in his time.