The Pittsburgh Steelers are one of the most storied franchises throughout the NFL, and one thing they have always been known for is their defense. No matter the roster makeup, the Steelers were always one of the most physical teams, and that started on the defensive side of the ball. As the NFL has evolved into an offensive league, Steeler Nation has continued to watch the Steelers focus on physicality and playing defensive football.
ESPN THE MAGAZINE
The incredible Steelers defense of 2008 led the NFL in nearly every category.
That physical and defensive brand of football has led to the Steelers having arguably the best cast of top defensive players of any NFL franchise. Whether it be the 1970s Steelers defense that had the Steel Curtain, which featured Hall of Famer "Mean" Joe Greene, or the defenses of the 2000s that had Hall of Famer Troy Polamalu, there have always been elite players on the Steelers defense.
No matter which defense you choose throughout the Steelers history, and no matter which position you choose, you can likely find multiple players that were incredibly impactful when on the field. However, there is one that stood out to one of the best defensive minds to ever come through Pittsburgh.
Dick LeBeau recently went on the Deebo & Joe podcast, which is hosted by none other than two Steelers defensive stars James Harrison and Joe Haden, and he was asked by Haden about the cornerback position specifically since both LeBeau and Haden were NFL cornerbacks themselves.
"Rod [Woodson] was probably the best one [cornerback]," said LeBeau about the corners he coached. "He was a one in a million athlete. He went over and ran in the world track, the professional track in Europe. He was a great high hurdler. He was actually a wonderful punt and kickoff returner."
Rod Woodson is one of the first two names out of someone's mouth when they talk about the best cornerbacks in Steelers history. The other would be Mel Blount, but Blount was well before LeBeau's time with the Steelers.
Woodson came out of Purdue in 1987, and he proved at the scouting combine then that his athleticism was in fact off the charts like LeBeau mentioned. That year he had the fastest 40-yard-dash out of all the attendees with a 4.33s time, and he was near the top in all the other athletic testing regardless of position.
Getty Images
Steelers' Rod Woodson runs with the football after getting an interception against the Bengals.
His overall exceptional athleticism, and just being a great football player, resulted in the Steelers selecting him with the 10th overall pick in the 1987 NFL Draft. While a member of the Steelers, Woodson won Defensive Player of the Year (1993), made 7 All-Pro teams, and ended up getting inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2009.
Steelers Great Dick LeBeau Names His Favorite Cornerback He Coached While In Pittsburgh
LeBeau mentioned who he thought the best cornerback he ever coached was, but Haden was the host that asked him the question that in fact was who his favorite cornerback to coach was. Despite being the best, Woodson didn't take this honor.
"The guy that doesn't get mentioned very often, but I always have to bring up when this question comes up is Ike Taylor," explained LeBeau. "He didn't get the James Harrison, Troy Polamalu, that kind of stuff. Casey Hampton, those are the guys that usually got the big mention. We were doing enough good things, there were plenty to go around."
There is no doubt that Ike Taylor is very frequently mentioned as one of the most underrated players that were part of the 2000s Steelers defenses that brought home two Super Bowls to Pittsburgh. He had a toughness that was built to play for the Black & Gold, and he always was up to the challenge to guard the opposing team's best wide receiver.
George Gojkovich / Getty Images
Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor during a home game at Heinz Field.
It is unlikely that Taylor will get the recognition he deserves long-term, as most of his career stats were nothing that stood out on paper. He unfortunately wasn't consistently making interceptions or forcing turnovers which gets players recognized years after they retire. However, anyone who lived through the Steelers defenses of the 2000s will be able to tell you how important of a piece he was to their success.
Please feel free to share all of your Steelers takes with me on X @matt_papiernik, and give me a follow.
#SteelerNation