The Pittsburgh Steelers have a laundry list of players donning a gold jacket as members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. I would be here all day listing every Steelers player that has been inducted. It might sound greedy, but there are several players that donned the black and gold in their careers who have been snubbed several times by the voting committee, who absolutely should be in the Hall of Fame by now!
L.C. Greenwood tackling Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach in 1979. | Associated Press
Steelers legends L.C. Greenwood and Greg Lloyd's absence in this year's Class of 2023 is in fact incompetent. That's a good start, but in a recent article published by CBS Sports, Greenwood joined another former Steelers legend on a list of 20 of the greatest NFL players NOT in the Hall of Fame.
Greenwood was placed at 11th on the list and writer Bryan DeArdo had this to say about Greenwood's career, which SHOULD have him in the Hall of Fame already:
"A key member of Pittsburgh's 'Steel Curtain' defense, Greenwood earned six Pro Bowl nods (and two First Team All-Pro honors) from 1973-79. A menacing pass rusher, Greenwood sacked Roger Staubach a record four times in the Steelers' Super Bowl X victory over the Cowboys. The 6-[foot]-6 Greenwood also had a penchant for batting down passes; he did that on three occasions during the Steelers' Super Bowl IX win over the Vikings."
Greenwood was a finalist in the Classes of 2005 and 2006, but surprisingly was not elected. The other Steelers legend that made the CBS Sports list was WR Hines Ward.
TAMPA, FL - FEBRUARY 01: Wide receiver Hines Ward #86 of the Pittsburgh Steelers is over come with emotion as he celebrates on the field after the Steelers won 27-23 against the Arizona Cardinals during Super Bowl XLIII on February 1, 2009 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Ward was placed at 13th on CBS Sports' list and he should probably be much higher!
"The Steelers' all-time leader in receptions, yards and touchdowns, Ward is also eighth all-time in career postseason receiving yards (1,181). Three of Ward's four consecutive Pro Bowl selections came with different quarterbacks: Kordell Stewart (2001), Tommy Maddox (2002-03) and a rookie named Ben Roethlisberger (2004). In 2005, Ward won Super Bowl MVP honors while helping lead Pittsburgh to its fifth Super Bowl victory. He was the Steelers' No. 1 receiver when Pittsburgh defeated the Cardinals three years later in Super Bowl XLIII. Ward is considered the most physical receiver of his era."
Ward's numbers speak for themselves, he came up huge when it mattered the most! He was a leader on and off the field and has inspired many with his "never give up" attitude. He gave definition to the phrase, "Smile in the face of adversity." Ward's former head coach, Steelers HC Mike Tomlin knows that the franchise losing Super Bowl XLV to the Green Bay Packers is probably the main reason Ward isn't in enshrined in Canton already!
Peter Diana/Post-Gazette
Tomlin spoke on the impact that game had on even higher stakes for guys like Ward on The Pivot Podcast earlier this off-season.
“No question, it did," Tomlin didn't mince words on the podcast. "We win that game, Hines is in the Hall of Fame right now.”
What do yinz think about Greenwood and Ward being listed as two of the greatest players in league history NOT in the Hall of Fame? Sound off in the comment section below, or on Facebook, Twitter, and/or Instagram!
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