The Pittsburgh Steelers have one of the longer lists throughout the league when it comes to legends. The big names are 'Mean' Joe Green, Franco Harris, Terry Bradshaw, Ben Roethlisberger, Troy Polamalu, among so many others. There are several others recognized specifically in the city of Pittsburgh that are not as recognized nationally. All fans have their specific favorites and Brett Keisel is certainly at the top of many lists. His flowing beard and consistent charity events for a great cause are just a couple reasons why many of the organization's loyal followers adore the former defensive end.
Keisel played all 156 career games and spent all 13 seasons of his time in the NFL with the Steelers and while he won't end up landing in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, OH, he certainly made his mark as a member of the organization. He contributed to dominant defenses and was an extremely underrated piece of a unit that put fear into opposing offenses for years.
He only made one Pro Bowl, but ended up winning two Super Bowls with the Steelers. He had 41 tackles, three sacks, two fumble recoveries and one forced fumble in his playoff career. He is one of the more under-appreciated pieces of the team from 2002 all the way until his retirement after the 2014 season. He's one of those guys that is simply impossible to dislike.
Throughout his career, he played with dozens of star players who consistently made the headlines more than he did. Polamalu is one to name on the defensive side as well as Roethlisberger on offense. He recently vouched for a different former teammate on Twitter. This endorsement will have all Steelers fans on the social media platform nodding their heads in approval.
Steelers Legend Keisel Supports Another Fan-Favorite With Simple Tweet
Tuesday marked 86 days days until the NFL season begins. The league's official Twitter page announced the countdown by questioning if Steelers legend, Hines Ward is one of the greatest players to ever wear the #86. Keisel responded very simply, but with three words that every casual football fan could understand. The man belongs in Canton.
Some believe that Ward is a slam dunk Hall of Famer, but he has failed to get past the semifinalist stage since he became eligible. He was selected as a semifinalist for seven straight seasons and it has led to nothing but disappointment. There are plenty of strong wide receiver candidates, but Ward changed the game when it came to being more than just a guy who catches passes. He was a fierce blocker and competitor.
Like Keisel, Ward spent the entirety of his career with the Steelers. The wide receiver was in Pittsburgh for 14 seasons and played in 217 games totaling 1,000 receptions, 12,083 yards and 85 touchdowns. He is arguably the best receiver in the history of the franchise. Antonio Brown may have something to say about that, but there's no doubt that Ward has a legitimate case to be inducted one day.
Keisel played against plenty of current and future Hall of Fame players and it's not just bias leading him to supporting Ward via Twitter. He got to compete against him in practice for almost a decade. He knows how much of a unique talent Ward was. His former teammate has the numbers to be in the Hall of Fame and while Keisel isn't a voter, Steelers fans sure wish more of them had the same feelings as the bearded legend.
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