On the Steelers: Faneca was a rare breed
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Former Steelers guard Alan Faneca.
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The retirement of Alan Faneca from pro football brought a Tweet from colleague Dale Lolley, who covers the Steelers for the Observer-Reporter of Washington, Pa.
"Big Red calling it quits makes me feel old," Lolley wrote.
Dear Dale, Lynn Swann calling it quits made me feel old, and he retired after the 1982 season. Swann is half a year younger than I am.
But Lolley has a point, and Faneca's retirement prompted a quick look into the history books.
He was one of only six current or former Steelers still active to have played in Three Rivers Stadium. The others are Hines Ward, Aaron Smith, Joey Porter and Clark Haggans (both now with the Cardinals) and kicker Kris Brown (now with the Cowboys). Until Faneca retired, the Cardinals had more left who played in Three Rivers (3) than the Steelers (2).
Flozell Adams' then-Cowboys did not play in Three Rivers during his time in Dallas, but he's also part of a dwindling number of players to have pulled on pro uniforms in the 20th century.
Five players are the only draftees left from when Tom Donahoe served as the Steelers director of football operations. Faneca and Ward were drafted in 1998, and Porter, Smith and Brown in 1999. Deshea Townsend, also drafted in '98, played eight games for the Colts last season and this year took a job coaching the secondary with the Cardinals.
Faneca made nine Pro Bowls and six All-Pro teams (not eight, as has been listed in some places because second team defeats the purpose of the All-Pro team and he made two of those). The seven Pro Bowls he made with the Steelers are five more than all their other guards combined over the past 49 seasons. Only two other Steelers guards made a Pro Bowl during that time, Carlton Haselrig and Duval Love, one each.
Those seven Pro Bowls also amount to three more than all the Steelers tackles combined over the past 46 seasons. Larry Brown (one), Tunch Ilkin (two) and Marvel Smith (one) were the only Steelers tackles selected to the NFL all-star team during the past 41/2 decades.
Joe Greene stands tall among all the Steelers with 10 Pro Bowls while playing for them. Tied for second are Ernie Stautner, Franco Harris, Jack Lambert and Mike Webster with nine apiece. All are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, as is Rod Woodson, who earned 11 Pro Bowls but four came after he left the Steelers.
First Published May 15, 2011 12:00 am
