Throughout the illustrious history of the Pittsburgh Steelers, defensive players have often been the stars of the franchise. From Ernie Stautner to Mean Joe Greene, Jack Lambert to Troy Polamalu, the history of defense in Pittsburgh is rather rich.
Currently, that tradition carries on in Pittsburgh as the Steelers have Defensive Player of the Year TJ Watt, All-Pro defensive lineman Cameron Heyward and All-Pro safety Minkah Fitzpatrick as key building blocks on the defensive side of the football, helping the Steelers stay competitive year in and year out under head coach Mike Tomlin.
One of the greatest compliments those three can receive in their careers as Steelers is one that former Steelers head coach and Pro Football Hall of Famer Bill Cowher dropped on them earlier in the week while appearing on the Half-Forgotten History podcast with Trey Wingo, stating that Watt, Heyward and Fitzpatrick could play in any era in Steelers’ history.