Remembering underappreciated Steelers is a new series where we will give praise to some of the forgotten or underappreciated Steelers players in recent years. Some of these guys definitely didn’t stuff the stat sheet, but they played their role and played it well. This installment focuses on Aaron Smith.
The Pittsburgh Steelers defenses of the mid-2000s were some of the best of that time period. Guys like James Farrior, James Harrison, and Troy Polamalu got a lot of the credit on those defenses. But there were good players all over the place. One of the players who deserved a lot more love for his contributions to those teams was defensive end Aaron Smith. He wasn’t a stud athlete, deadly pass rusher like we see today with guys like Jadeveon Clowney. Instead, Smith was a solid run stuffing defensive end who played his role up well and opened up a lot of opportunities for his teammates to get to opposing quarterbacks.
Remembering Aaron Smith
Early Years
Aaron Smith was drafted by the Steelers out of Northern Colarado in the fourth round of the 1999 draft. In his rookie season, Smith only appeared in six games and didn’t make much of an impact. The next season, Smith saw an expanded role and played in every game for the Steelers. The 2000 season started a streak of seven straight years where Smith played in every game for Pittsburgh. Between 2000-2003, Smith totaled 19.5 sacks, 203 total tackles, and 35 tackles for loss. His career high in tackles came in 2002 with 70, and in 2001 he tied his career high in sacks with eight. It was clear that as Pittsburgh’s defense was starting to get very good, Smith would play a huge part in that success.
Two Time Super Bowl Champion
2004-2008 was the peak of Aaron Smith’s career, and he accomplished a lot in that time period. In 2004, he had eight sacks, three forced fumbles, and ten tackles for loss. That production earned him Pro Bowl honors, the only time of he career he’d earn that distinction. Pittsburgh’s 2005 defense was the third best in the league and helped lead the team to their Super Bowl run. Though he didn’t stuff the stat sheet that year, it was great to see Smith get his first Super Bowl ring.
After playing very well again in 2006, Smith was signed to a five year, $25 million extension to stay in Pittsburgh. His season was cut short after 11 games due to a biceps injury, ending his streak of 123 straight games played. Thankfully, he recovered fully and was able to play every game again in 2008. That season ended up being one of Smith’s best seasons. He totaled 5.5 sacks, 60 tackles, and a career high 10 quarterback hits. 2008 ended with the Steelers winning the Super Bowl, with Smith earning his second and final Super Bowl Ring.
Unfortunate End to Career
The 2009 season was the beginning of the end for Aaron Smith. He played in just 15 games from 2009-2011 and finished all three season on injured reserve. Prior to the 2012 season, Smith was released by the Steelers. He ended up retiring in August 2012, marking the end of a great and underrated career in Pittsburgh.
He wasn’t underappreciated among Steelers fans, but Aaron Smith was definitely underappreciated on the national scale. Defensive ends seem to only get love if they get after the quarterback. Because Smith was more of a run stopper, his career flew under the radar. But he absolutely was a crucial piece to Pittsburgh’s dominant defenses over his career. Their defensive line trio of Casey Hampton, Brett Keisel, and Smith was one of the best units in the NFL. All three of those guys are underappreciated, as they made it a lot easier on Pittsburgh’s linebackers and pass rushers to stuff the stat sheets.
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