From Aaron Smith, Casey Hampton, and Brett Keisel to Cameron Heyward, Stephon Tuitt, and Javon Hargrave, the Pittsburgh Steelers have always had players who knew how to shut down the run game.
Steelers teams from the early 2000’s had some of the best run-stopping defenses in the history of the league, and it was no coincidence that those big guys up front were part of two Super Bowl victories in Pittsburgh.
The NFL has changed since then, and teams are now passing the ball more than ever. With a smaller, more athletic breed of defensive lineman we see today, these run-stopping mammoths of yesterday’s game often get overlooked.