The Pittsburgh Steelers have a long line of tough and physical players that have proudly worn the black and gold throughout the organization's history. Some that come to mind immediately include Jack Lambert and James Harrison, but somewhere on that list there is Dermontti Dawson. Dawson is one of the best centers in NFL history, along with his predecessor Mike Webster. He played with Pittsburgh from 1988 through 2000, and certainly made his mark on the league during that time.
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Steelers great Dermontti Dawson during a game against the Oilers.
Dawson was one of the best players in the league during his time, being named a first-team All-Pro in six consecutive seasons. Current Detroit Lions executive, Chris Spielman, shared a good story about getting hit by Dawson on an episode of With The First Pick. Spielman was an All-Pro middle linebacker, and during a game against the Steelers, he attempted to arm tackle Jerome Bettis. Well, he wound up getting hit in the back by Dawson at the same time, and paid the price.
"We were playing Dermontti Dawson, who was the best center I ever played against. I was able to slip Dermontti because he was so quick, I'd set him up then kind of come underneath. Dermontti could recover so quick right, when I went to do this to Jerome [Bettis] to get him down, he [Dermontti] hit me in the back. Which is great, I don't care, like I admire that because he's doing whatever he has to to get the job done"
The hit resulted in Spielman tearing his pectoral muscle. He thought he played it perfectly, getting by Dawson without a scratch and having a free run to bring down Bettis. However, Dawson was extremely athletic for a center and he managed to recover and land a hit on Spielman's back. This was back when the NFL was a much more physical game, and officials didn't call "little" penalties like that.
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Former Lions linebacker Chris Spielman in a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Spielman was an impressive player himself, as he was named an All-Pro three times and a Pro-Bowler on four occasions. He spent the majority of his career with Detroit, but finished his career with the Buffalo Bills and the Cleveland Browns.
He suffered his injury against Pittsburgh as a member of the Lions, and didn't miss any time throughout the rest of the season. Spielman went on to talk about how proud he is of himself for not missing a single practice while having a partially torn pec, and stated he had to get it drained before every game due to the swelling.
To put this injury into perspective, it is relatively the same injury TJ Watt suffered at the beginning of the 2022 season. Watt missed a lot of time, and never really was back to 100 percent despite making it back on the field during that season. This isn't to besmirch Watt, but rather point out how tough of a football player Spielman was.
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Steelers center Zach Frazier takes part in the team's 2024 rookie minicamp.
Steelers Trying To Continue Run Of Legendary Centers
Center is one of, if not the best, position the Steelers have had throughout their history. Webster and Dawson headline the group, but it also includes players like Ray Mansfield, Jeff Hartings, and Maurkice Pouncey - who were also All-Pros. Pittsburgh has been struggling at center since the retirement of Pouncey following the 2020 season, but hope to finally have a solution after drafting Zach Frazier in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Frazier is facing a lot of pressure to live up to the expectations that the center position brings in Pittsburgh. He is expected to start right away, as there is no other real competition at the position in training camp. Some even believe he will be able to be considered a top ten player at his position after his rookie year. Frazier has a lot to prove, and it'll be seen soon enough whether or not he can live up to his potential.
What do you think about Spielman's story about his run-in with Dawson? Let us know in the comments below!
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