Franco or the Bus: Who is the Pittsburgh Steelers Greatest Running Back of All-time?

When I recently sat down to write a series of articles focusing on comparing each franchise's all-time greats, I had no idea how tough some of the decisions I would have to make would be.

Case in point, the greatest running back in Pittsburgh history.

When I initially sat down to write this column, I was sure that I was going to select Franco Harris as the Steelers' best ever, but the more I thought about it, I realized that Jerome Bettis also has an excellent career in Pittsburgh.

Nevertheless, I have once again made a gut-wrenching decision, however, I am going on record as saying that I firmly stand by my selection.

With that said, let's take a look at the careers of both players before I make my selection.

Franco Harris

Born on March 7, 1950 in Fort Dix, New Jersey, Harris was the 13^{th overall selection in the 1972 draft and played his first 12 years in the NFL with the Steelers and his final year (1984) with the Seattle Seahawks.}

In his first season with the Steelers (1972), Harris was named the league's rookie of the year by both The Sporting News and United Press International. That season Harris gained 1,055 yards on 188 carries, with a 5.6 yards per carry average. Harris also rushed for 10 touchdowns and caught 3 touchdown passes, in the proces, becoming extremely popular with Pittsburgh's large Italian-American population, with his fans dubbing themselves "Franco's Italian Army" and wearing army helmets with his number on them.

Harris was selected to nine consecutive Pro Bowls from 1972 through 1980, and was an All-Pro in 1977. Harris also broke Jim Brown's long-standing record by rushing for more than 1,000 yards in eight seasons and helped the Steelers win four Super Bowls in the 1974, 1975, 1978, and 1979 seasons.

In 1975 Harris was the Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl IX, rushing for 158 yards and a touchdown on 34 carries for a 16-6 win over the Minnesota Vikings, in the process, becoming the first African-American to win the Super Bowl MVP award.