A new Pittsburgh Steelers series to pass the time this offseason. We’re ranking the top 10 “freak” athletes in history. Choosing just 10 is never easy for a franchise full of so much history and success.
This list isn’t just about the fastest players, either. We’ve ranked those guys before. This focuses on strength, quickness and speed. An overall athletic profile relative to their size and position of players who simply moved in ways no one could have expected.
Picking up where we left off, highlighting players in the fifth and sixth spots.
6. Gene “Big Daddy” Lipscomb/DL (1961-1962)
If you know me, “Big Daddy” is one of my favorite Steelers to highlight, though his time in Pittsburgh was short. He’s better known for his years on that great Baltimore Colts defensive line with teammates Fatso Donovan and Gino Marchetti, but he was impactful after his trade to Pittsburgh. In 1961, he was credited with an unofficial 17.5 sacks, a mark that wouldn’t be broken until T.J. Watt in 2021.
Lipscomb is regarded as football’s first big athlete. Boasting rare stature and speed, he measured in at 6’6 300 pounds during the 50s, when players were far lighter. By comparison, Hall of Famer Ernie Stautner was listed at 230 pounds.
Lipscomb was an impressive athlete who could run and chase the ball all over the field.
“From sideline to sideline, I don’t think anybody ever did a better job than Big Daddy did,” Marchetti once remarked.
In 1957, Lipscomb was credited with 137 tackles in just 12 games. At his peak, he was football’s Wilt Chamberlain.
He set the stage for the “freak” defensive linemen so common today. A name worth knowing – and remembering.
5. Kordell Stewart/QB (1995-2002)
Stewart donned the “Slash” nickname for good reason. An electric offensive weapon, Stewart could catch, run and pass the ball, and he did all of those. He even occasionally punted. There’s a valid argument that Stewart played in the wrong era, as mobile quarterbacks like him were less accepted than they are today.
Still, there were moments when Pittsburgh leaned on his skill set and used unique formations and play calls for him.
In 1996, Stewart threw for 100 yards, rushed for 171 and caught for 293. He’s the last player to achieve that kind of season and the only one to do so since 1984.
In 1997, he dazzled with an 80-yard rushing touchdown against the Carolina Panthers. Offensive lineman John Jackson marveled at the moment. As a passer, his arm was live and strong.
Stewart’s game was inconsistent, but he was a stellar athlete. It’s still hard to find any contemporary player quite like him.
Previous Lists
Numbers 9 and 10
Numbers 7 and 8