Football
The Pittsburgh Steelers’ history is full of legendary players, most of whom have played on the defensive side of the ball. However, they’ve had many great offensive players, too. Several are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and more are likely to join them, with Ben Roethlisberger a candidate for the 2027 class. Pittsburgh has had plenty of more underrated offensive players, too. Bryant McFadden recently singled out former Steelers wide receiver Mike Wallace as one player who doesn’t get the credit he deserves.
“Mike Wallace was different,” McFadden said on the With the First Pick podcast. “We had some dogs. And Bruce Arians used to talk so much trash and used to be like, ‘Well, guys, how y’all want to die today? You want to die fast or slow?’
“Meaning, if you press, we’re going up top. If you play off, we’re gonna work our way down the football field against you… Mike Wallace is an unheralded Steeler great, in my opinion. Because he was phenomenal for us.”
The Steelers selected Wallace in the third round of the 2009 draft, and he played for them for four seasons. In that time, he made one Pro Bowl and reached 1,000 receiving yards twice. Wallace had blazing speed, and that made him a good fit with Ben Roethlisberger.
Compared to some other Steelers receivers, Wallace might not seem as impressive. Antonio Brown, Lynn Swann, Santonio Holmes, Hines Ward, and John Stallworth all have more impressive resumés than Wallace.
However, that shouldn’t take away from what Wallace accomplished in Pittsburgh. McFadden is correct that the receiver was one of Pittsburgh’s top players for a brief time. He was the Steelers’ No. 1 receiver during their run to Super Bowl XLV. While they lost that game, Wallace was a key piece of their team at that time.
Also, Wallace’s career didn’t end after he left Pittsburgh. He never hit the same highs, but he played another six seasons in the NFL. Perhaps Wallace would’ve had more success had he spent his entire career with the Steelers.
What’s done is done, though. Wallace was still a solid NFL player. While he might not get the same attention as other Steelers receivers, he clearly earned his peers’ respect.
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