Pittsburgh Steelers' All-Decade Team (2000-2009)

By Mike Bires

Even if the 2009 Steelers don’t make the playoffs, it’s been a special decade for the Black & Gold.

It’s the second-best decade of football since the franchise was founded in 1933. Only the “Steel Curtain” dynasty of the 1970s produced a better 10-year stretch.

Think about all the outstanding players who’ve played for the Steelers during this decade.

Jerome Bettis and Alan Faneca will be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Ben Roethlisberger, Hines Ward and Troy Polamalu could also make it to Canton someday.

We’ve seen the great tradition of linebackers continue with the likes of Jason Gildon, the Steelers’ all-time sack leader, and Joey Porter, James Farrior and James Harrison.

This week, nose tackle Casey Hampton was named to the Pro Bowl for a fifth time.

We witnessed the end of Bettis’ remarkable run in Pittsburgh and Willie Parker's amazing success story. Parker transformed himself from an undrafted rookie to a three-time 1,000-yard rusher and the record holder for the longest touchdown run in Super Bowl history.

There’s been a 15-1 regular season (2004), five division titles, six playoff berths, four appearances in the AFC Championship Game and two Super Bowl wins.

In the first nine years of this decade, only the New England Patriots (102) and Indianpolis Colts (101) have more regular-season wins than the Steelers (94).

Following is a list _ the Steelers’ All-Decade Team of the 2000s _ of players who perfomed best over the past 10 years.

Steelers’ All-Decade Team (2000-2009)

OFFENSE

Quarterback: Ben Roethlisberger

“Big Ben” is on the verge of becoming the greatest QB in franchise history, even better than Terry Bradshaw.

With respect to Jerome Bettis, “Fast Willie” still gets the nod. In three years as a starter, Parker rushed for over all 1,200 yards each time and started on two Super Bowl teams.

As a bullish lead blocker, Kreider epitomized the Steelers’ smash-mouth running attack during the last years of Bill Cowher’s regime.

Wide receiver: Hines Ward

“The leader of the wideouts” as Ward often calls himself has led the team in pass receptions in every season this decade.

Wide receiver: Santonio Holmes

Holmes has better numbers than Plaxico Burress posted in the first four years of their careers, plus he latched on to the “The Catch” that won last year’s Super Bowl.

Tight end: Heath Miller

Miller is an excellent pass-catcher and outstanding run blocker who some say is the NFL’s best overall tight end.

Center: Jeff Hartings

Hartings carried on a long and proud tradition of snappers that included Ray Mansfield, Mike Webster and Dermontti Dawson.

Right guard: Kendall Simmons

Simmons never became the star the Steelers hoped he’d be, but still was a serviceable workhorse in the six seasons he started.

Left guard: Alan Faneca

Faneca, who now plays for the New York Jets, is a future Hall of Famer who’ll go down as the second-best O-lineman in team history behind Webster.

Right tackle: Willie Colon

A hard-nosed native of New York’s Bronx, Colon has started more games at RT for Steelers than anyone else this decade.

Left tackle: Marvel Smith

Although Smith played in only one Pro Bowl (2004), he was a solid performer whose career was cut short due to chronic back problems.

DEFENSE