‘Burgh’s Best to Wear It, No. 91: Aaron Smith was underrated nationally, but not by Steelers
The Tribune-Review sports staff is conducting a daily countdown of the best 100 players in Pittsburgh pro and college sports history to wear each jersey number.
No. 91: Aaron Smith
That Aaron Smith was named to the Pro Bowl just once during his 13 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers almost has helped add to his place in franchise lore. If Smith’s career was underrated in the eyes of the NFL and its fans, those within the organization will say his legacy in Pittsburgh is as secure as anyone’s.
Smith, by way of a vote by the Tribune-Review sports staff, was named the best athlete to wear No. 91 in Pittsburgh. It was not without debate, though. Smith edged a Pro Football Hall of Famer in Kevin Greene, but Smith’s tenure with the Steelers (the only team he played for) dwarfs the three seasons Greene spent in black and gold, even if Greene did amass 37 sacks and start in a Super Bowl in that time.
"When I think about #SBXLIII, I think about a group of men before the game that had an unwavering belief in each other." - Aaron Smith@LaMarrWoodley | @TunchIlkin | @hokiebro76 | #SBXLIIIRewind pic.twitter.com/R9P9U7Iyhu
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) March 29, 2020
Smith started for the Steelers in two Super Bowls, and they won both (after the 2005 and ‘08 seasons). The Steelers, in fact, won 10 of the 13 postseason games Smith played. They similarly had winning records in 10 of the 12 seasons he was a starter and only once finished worse than 8-8.
Like his longtime running mate who lined up next to him — nose tackle Casey Hampton, judged to be the greatest No. 98 in Pittsburgh history — Smith’s contributions weren’t measured in statistics but instead were defined by dependability during a decade-plus in which the Steelers consistently had one of the NFL’s best defenses.
During Smith’s 12 seasons as a starter, the Steelers five times led the NFL in total defense and four times were No. 1 in scoring defense. Smith amassed 481 tackles and 44 sacks over his career.
Legacy of former @Steelers defensive linemen secure, writes @C_AdamskiTrib https://t.co/njBo7HvblA
— Tribune-ReviewSports (@TribSports) November 16, 2015
Defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau’s 3-4 scheme of the time muzzled the statistical production of defensive linemen. But they played a critical blocker-occupying role, and the linebackers who were freed up to rack up the tackles and sacks appreciated Smith’s role. Come Pro Bowl announcement time each year, teammates annually were livid at Smith’s snubs.
Also of note to wear No. 91 for a Pittsburgh-based team are Pitt’s Al Romano and Patrick Jones II. Romano was a defensive tackle on the 1976 national championship Panthers team. Jones II is considered one of the top defensive ends in the country heading into the 2020 season.
‘Burgh’s Best to Wear It
Chris Adamski is a TribLive reporter who has covered primarily the Pittsburgh Steelers since 2014 following two seasons on the Penn State football beat. A Western Pennsylvania native, he joined the Trib in 2012 after spending a decade covering Pittsburgh sports for other outlets. He can be reached at cadamski@triblive.com.
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