During the month of July, the Last Word On Sports NFL department will determine which three players deserve to be considered the faces of each franchise. For this series, we will only consider active players. In this edition, the Pittsburgh Steelers are the focus.
Faces of the Pittsburgh Steelers
Ben Roethlisberger
Ben Roethlisberger was drafted in the first round of the 2004 draft by the Steelers, and throughout his career he has proven he was worth being a first-round draft pick. The 6-foot-5, 240-pound quarterback has led the Steelers to three Super Bowl appearances and two victories. He has put up impressive numbers throughout his career and he has proven to be extremely durable. Roethlisberger has thrown for 39,057 yards over the course of his career and he ranks 16th all-time in that statistic. If Big Ben is able to throw for 5,000 yards in 2015 (he threw for 4,952 last season), he will jump into the top 10 in terms of career passing yards.
Big Ben also threw 32 touchdowns and only nine interceptions last season as he led Pittsburgh to the playoffs for seventh time in his career. He is a three-time Pro Bowler and he was named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2004. When NFL fans, and in particular those with Terrible Towels, think of the Steelers the first player to come to mind is Roethlisberger, and rightfully so.
Antonio Brown
Antonio Brown, who was drafted in the sixth round of the 2010 draft by Pittsburgh, had an incredibly impressive 2014 campaign. The talented wide receiver had 129 receptions (most in NFL) for 1,698 yards (most in NFL) and 13 touchdowns (tied for second). His 129 receptions are the most in a single season, except for Marvin Harrison’s 143 catches in 2002. Brown was Big Ben’s favorite target in 2014, leading the Steelers in receiving every week except two (Weeks 10 and 13). When the Steelers gave Brown a $42.5 million contract extension in 2012, some questioned the move. But the former Central Michigan wideout has proven he was well worth the contract extension, becoming one of the best receivers in the NFL last season.
Heath Miller
It may seem weird, given that this article is listing Steelers players, that no defensive players made the cut. Throughout the history of the organization, the Steelers have been known as a tough, defensive team, and offense was sometimes an afterthought. That is no longer the case. While Pittsburgh still has a decent defense (ranked 18th in both yards and points per game in 2014), they are much more offensively minded now. And yes, there are various players who are talented enough be slotted in this third spot. Guys like running backs Dri Archer and Le’Veon Bell and linebacker James Harrison, among others, all have a really good case to be named as the third face of the Steelers. But I believe Miller is the most deserving and he gets the nod.
The former Virginia Cavalier was drafted in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft by Pittsburgh and he became one of Big Ben’s favorite, and most reliable, targets. In 2014, the sure-handed tight end caught 66 balls for 761 yards and added three touchdowns while playing more offensive snaps (1,103) than any other tight end. Over the course of his career, Miller has accumulated 532 receptions for 6,034 yards (11.3 yards per catch) and 43 receiving touchdowns, while fumbling the ball only seven times. Miller may turn 33 in October, but he is still one of the most recognizable, reliable and consistent players on the Steelers.
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