BTSC continues to rank the best numbers in team history on a standpoint of thriving over time throughout multiple players. It seems there are a few numbers which are always represented with quality play in Steelers lore. One BTSC author has wondered aloud “what is the most accomplished number in Steelers history?” Through player and jersey value rankings found in Pro Football Reference, we have ranked the most successful numbers in Steelers history worn by multiple players. You won’t see numbers like 12, 58, 75, 31, 32, 52, 59, 36 and 47 as it would be basically ranking an individual player over the other and not the cumulative effort. In today’s submission, we take a look at those ranked 5th. Enjoy.

5) No. 91

Current Wearer: Stephon Tuitt 2014-Present

Most Notable: Aaron Smith 1999-2011 (pictured below), Kevin Greene 1993-1995, Jerrol Williams 1989, Gregg Carr 1985-1988

Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images

Gregg Carr might not have the most recognizable of names among Steelers players, but he made positive contributions to the franchise in the mid-1980s. Carr was both an All-American and an Academic All-American for Auburn in 1984. The Steelers selected the linebacker to play on the inside in the sixth round in 1985. Carr racked up 7.5 sacks and a safety his four seasons in a Steelers uniform. During his playing days, Carr worked on achieving a medical degree and is now an orthopedic surgeon in Birmingham, Alabama.

Jerrol Williams only wore the No. 91 for his rookie season of 1989, but he was a talented player no matter the numerals during his four seasons in Pittsburgh. Drafted in the fourth round out of Purdue, Jerrol contributed right away as a rookie on the Cinderella 1989 squad. After 9 sacks in 1991 and finishing with 96 tackles in ‘92, Bill Cowher saw him as a blockbuster bookend with Greg Lloyd on the Blitzburgh defense. The Steelers were working on a contract with Williams, but he instead took his talents to San Diego after accepting a one-year deal with the Chargers. The money may have been greener, but the pastures weren’t as Williams never replicated his 17 sacks and overall success in the Steel City. Aside from the Bolts, Williams spent a season each in Kansas City and Baltimore. Williams was out of the league after the 1996 campaign. As for the Steelers, they had to resort to free agency to replace Williams by giving a free agent deal to a certain long-haired linebacker.

And that linebacker, Kevin Greene had perhaps the finest years of his career at the confluence of the Allegheny, Monongahela and the Ohio Rivers. Greene was originally drafted in the fifth round by the Los Angeles Rams in 1985 and the Army National Guard Captain garnered 77 sacks and a First Team All-Pro selection in 1989. The Hall of Famer surely played like one after moving to the Steelers via free agency in 1993. Absolutely dominant in a mere three seasons during his Steelers years, the Herculean Greene had 35.5 sacks (12.5 in ‘93, 14 in ‘94 and 9 in ‘95) and 154 tackles during that short tenure. After the Super Bowl XXX loss, Greene took his talents to Carolina for one season where he won the NFC Defensive Player of the Year Award. A holdout after that season led him to San Francisco for a season and then back to Carolina before he retired in 1999. Greene was a coaching intern for the Steelers in 2008 and then signed on with Green Bay, where he finally won a Super Bowl ring in the Packers Super Bowl XLV win over Pittsburgh. Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2016, Greene ranks second all-time in history with his 160 sacks. Imagine if the Steelers had selected Greene out of Auburn instead of the other Tiger linebacker they chose and issued the No. 91 to.

Aaron Smith, named to the Sports Illustrated 2000s All-Decade Team, spent 13 seasons in the trenches for the Steelers. The Pro Bowler had 453 tackles and 44 quarterback sacks during his career, ranking him 11th on the all-time ledger. Drafted out of Northern Colorado in the fourth round of the 1999 draft, the blue-collar Smith is remembered by Steelers fans as a tough defensive end who personified the true grit of playing in the Steel City. Smith did suffer three major injuries in Pittsburgh, and the neck injury which sidelined Aaron in 2011 after four games led to his retirement in 2012. Aaron Smith is a two-time Super Bowl Champion and had appeared in five AFC Title Games.

Check back soon for the 4th best jersey in BTSC’s countdown of the most prolific jersey number stables in Steelers history. But first, a recap of the countdown so far.

Honorable Mention: No. 51, No. 93, No. 27 and No. 33
25) No. 24
24) No. 43
23) No. 83
22) No. 67
21) No. 53
20) No. 10
19) No. 20
18) No. 63
17) No. 50
16) No. 34
15) No. 78
14) No. 98
13) No. 68
12) No. 77
11) No. 56
10) No. 86
9) No. 73
8) No. 99
7) No. 55
6) No. 39