The best Steelers to wear each number: 36
During the off-season, Steel City Underground dives into Pittsburgh Steelers’ fan-favorite topics, like players throughout franchise history and the number they wore on their jersey. Some numbers have been used more than others, but we present our picks for “the best” who’ve done so in this fun series.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have had several players who’ve donned jersey number “36” but only one truly stands out. It would be difficult for most Steelers fans to even come up with a player’s name that wore that number beyond Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Jerome Bettis.
NFL beginnings
Bettis didn’t get his professional football career started with the Steelers. In fact, the former 5-foot 11, 255 pound Notre Dame collegiate player was selected 10th overall (first round) in the 1993 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams who moved to St. Louis (Missouri) for the 1995 season.
Bettis played the 1993, 1994, and 1995 seasons with the Rams. During his rookie season, Bettis rushed for 1,429 yards and seven touchdowns, earning Associated Press‘ NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors, was named an All Pro, and was sent to the Pro Bowl.
Bettis was traded to the Steelers from the St. Louis Rams prior to the start of the 1996 season.
The Steelers’ “Bus”
Bettis earned the moniker, “The Bus” – he ran with a head full of steam and legs that kept moving – and opposing NFL teams respected his ability to plow through traffic and chew up turf.
In his 13 year career, including ten with Pittsburgh, Bettis registered the sixth-most rushing yards (13,662) in NFL history. He eclipsed the 100-yard mark 61 times in the regular season and three times in the postseason; he scored 78 rushing touchdowns as a member of the Steelers, the second-most in franchise history.
In his career, Bettis was a six-time Pro Bowler, first-team All-Pro twice, second-team All-Pro once and he was named the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year in 1996. He finalized his NFL career with a victory (in his hometown of Detroit, Michigan) as the Steelers captured their fifth Lombardi trophy in Super Bowl XL.
When Bettis was enshrined in the Hall of Fame, he thanked fans in attendance, the city that made him a favorite son, and his many teammates:
“Thank you for embracing me and my entire family as your own. But thank you most importantly for your support not only of me but my entire team as we went out and played a game we loved and knew we had the support of the best football fans in the world… I’ve had the best teammates a player could ever ask for. They gave me everything they had every time we stepped onto the football field. Sometimes it wasn’t wins, but we knew that we were a family and that we would get the job done.”
Other Steelers who have worn No. 36*
| Player | From | To | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jerome Bettis | |||
| Charlie Bivins | 1967 | 1967 | |
| Dave Brown | 1975 | 1975 | |
| Jim Brumfield | 1971 | 1971 | |
| Fred Foggie | 1994 | 1994 | |
| Wentford Gaines | 1978 | 1978 | |
| Rudy Hayes | 1960 | 1962 | |
| Tony Holm | 1933 | 1933 | |
| David Hughes | 1986 | 1986 | |
| Ed Karpowich | 1937 | 1940 | |
| Basilio Marchi | 1934 | 1934 | |
| Don McCall | 1969 | 1969 | |
| Elmer Merkovsky | 1945 | 1945 | |
| Marion Motley | 1955 | 1955 | |
| Clarence Peaks | 1964 | 1965 | |
| Guy Ruff | 1982 | 1982 | |
| Andy Russell | 1963 | 1963 | |
| Pete Saumer | 1934 | 1934 | |
| Wilbert Scott | 1961 | 1961 | |
| Todd Spencer | 1984 | 1985 | |
| John Woudenberg | 1940 | 1942 |
* Per Pro Football Reference, in alphabetical order
