We’ve officially entered the training camp edition of the Pittsburgh Steelers‘ countdown to kickoff. With fans needing to wait only 36 more days until the Steel City brand of football returns when the Steelers host the Atlanta Falcons on September 13, we’ll take a look at the most recent and best players to ever wear No. 36.
There isn’t currently a No. 36 wearer out of respect for the greatest to ever don the jersey.
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Jerome Bettis, 1996-2005
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Fred Foggie, 1994
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David Hughes, 1986
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Todd Spencer, 1984-1985
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Guy Ruff, 1982
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There won’t be too many historic numbers quite like this on our countdown to kickoff, as the greatest No. 36 in Steelers history is “The Bus,” Jerome Bettis.
Bettis, who was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in the first round of the 1993 NFL Draft, played three seasons with the team before he was traded to Pittsburgh during the 1996 NFL Draft in exchange for a 1997 second-round pick and a fourth-round pick. Oh, and what a move that would be for the Steel City brand of football.
Bettis, one of the toughest running backs to tackle in NFL history, played in 145 games for the Steelers, recording 10,571 rushing yards and 78 rushing touchdowns. Both rushing statistics are second all-time in Steelers history, only behind the legendary Franco Harris.
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During his three years with the Rams and 10 with the Steelers, Bettis was named to six Pro Bowls, earned two First-Team All-Pro selections and one Second-Team All-Pro selection. He was the 1993 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and the 2001 Walter Payton Man of the Year.
Bettis won one Super Bowl with the Steelers in February 2006 in his hometown of Detroit, Michigan. Bettis retired after the Super Bowl championship and would be named to the Pittsburgh Steelers All-Time Team and Hall of Honor, as well as the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2015, forever cementing his place as the greatest No. 36 in team history.
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This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Steelers Hall of Fame RB leads 2026 countdown to kickoff: Day No. 36
