The Pittsburgh Steelers have been known for their star-studded defense over the years — Hall of Fame cornerbacks, linebackers, and defensive linemen come to mind, but the franchise has no shortage of stars at the safety position.
The value of the safety position has changed over the years, with the quick passing game taking away some of the abilities safeties do best, but these safeties have had no trouble making their presence felt on the football field.
The Steelers have had numerous Pro Bowl and All-Pro safeties who have been part of some of the best defenses in NFL history, and while these players have all been great, there is one iconic figure who has reached legendary status among this group of Pittsburgh’s top 10 safeties.
A variety of factors were taken into consideration when creating these all-time safeties rankings, and I tried to be as objective as possible by measuring each player’s impact on their respective defenses and how much they contributed to the improvement of their teams.
Stats are important, too. As playmakers in the secondary, the amount of splash plays helps set these safeties apart from the rest. Similarly, I also took into account their playmaking ability in key moments and key situations that contributed to their team’s success.
These safeties rankings also take into account individual honors. Several of these safeties are considered to be among the best players at their positions in the NFL. Leadership qualities and intangible qualities are also taken into account in these rankings.
10. Brent Alexander
Brent Alexander signed with the Cardinals as an undrafted free agent in 1994 and didn’t come to Pittsburgh until he was 29 years old in 2000. Alexander was a free safety for the Steelers and immediately made his presence known.
Alexander, a versatile defensive back, played the final four seasons of his career with Pittsburgh, where he recorded 15 interceptions. Despite being a starting safety in 12 years in the NFL, he was never selected to the Pro Bowl.
A versatile safety, Alexander excelled in many ways, but his best trait was his ability to stay healthy. Alexander never missed a game in his NFL career, which is quite an accomplishment for a player who played 12 seasons of pro football.
9. Lee Flowers
Lee Flowers wasn’t the kind of safety who wowed fans with his incredible playmaking ability and ball skills, but he was an enforcer in every sense of the word. At 6-foot-0 and 213 pounds, Flowers played like a hybrid linebacker.
The strong safety did his most damage in the box and consistently shut down the run. Flowers was selected by the Steelers in the fifth round of the 1995 NFL Draft but didn’t become a starter until his fourth season.
Flowers finally got to play in games that mattered and set the tone for the team as he recorded 101 tackles and three forced fumbles in his rookie season. Flowers started 75 of the 76 games he was available in over his final five seasons. The strong safety recorded just four interceptions in eight seasons, but was one of the best strong safeties in Steelers history.
8. Glenn Edwards
One of the least talked about starting defensive backs during the Steel Curtain dynasty of the 70s was Glenn Edwards. Playing alongside safeties Donnie Shell and Mike Wagner, Edwards served as the safety valve for one of the most aggressive defenses in the NFL.
Edwards joined the Steelers in 1971 but didn’t get a full-time defensive job until his junior year in 1973. The defensive back had a breakout season that year, recording six interceptions, 186 interception return yards and one defensive touchdown.
Edwards started 71 of 89 games over a seven-year span with the Steelers before playing his final four years with San Diego. The free safety recorded 25 interceptions, 652 interception returns and two defensive touchdowns with Pittsburgh and helped the Steelers win their first two Super Bowls before leaving the team after the 1977 season.
7. Darren Perry
The Pittsburgh Steelers averaged over 10 wins per season from 1992 to 1997, and Darren Perry is responsible for much of the success of their defense during that time. Perry is one of the most underrated safeties in Steelers history and deserves more respect.
From the moment he entered the league as an eighth-round pick out of Pittsburgh in 1992, Perry made his presence known, recording six interceptions in 16 starts as a rookie. A talented free safety, he never lacked for playmaking ability; in his third season, Perry recorded seven interceptions, an interception return for 112 yards and two forced fumbles.
In his seven seasons with the Steelers, Perry missed just two games in his final year and started all 110 games he played in in the black and gold. Perry finished his Pittsburgh career with 32 interceptions and 515 tackles but was never selected to the Pro Bowl.
6. Mike Wagner
Mike Wagner was one of several Pro Bowl defensive backs with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1970s. Despite being an 11th round pick in 1971, Wagner was a starter at strong safety from day one.
In his sophomore season, Wagner moved to free safety and recorded six interceptions before moving back to strong safety and recording eight interceptions in 1973. Though he never surpassed this statistical single-season performance, Wagner was selected to the Pro Bowl in 1975 and 1976. He was also named to the All-Pro Second Team in 1976.
Unfortunately, Wagner was plagued by injuries over his final four seasons and missed significant time, but he still started 116 of 119 games for the Steelers and was a key member of all four of their Super Bowl wins in the ’70s.
5. Ryan Clark
Ryan Clark is known today as a media personality and NFL commentator, but in the 2000s he was feared for the bone-crunching hits he delivered from the free safety position. After two years with the Giants and two with Washington, Clark moved to Pittsburgh in 2006, one year after the Steelers won Super Bowl XL.
Injuries plagued Clarke’s first two seasons, limiting him to just 19 games combined in 2006 and 2007, but he quickly built a reputation as a strong player.
Clark was a key part of the league’s best defense that won Super Bowl XLIII in 2008. Clark recorded at least 100 tackles in each of his final three seasons with Pittsburgh and was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2011. His prodigious ability as a safety valve for Troy Polamalu in the secondary will always be underestimated.
4. Colonel Lake
Rod Woodson wasn’t the only great defensive back for the Steelers in the ’90s. Carnell Lake was the epitome of consistency in Pittsburgh’s secondary.
Lake was drafted in the second round by the Steelers in 1989 and was quickly thrust into the starting strong safety role. The 6-foot-1, 210-pound defensive back was asked to line up at every position in the secondary after five seasons at strong safety.
Lake, who recorded 16 interceptions in 154 starts and 10 seasons with the Steelers, never put up flashy numbers in the steals department, but was a smart player with no weaknesses in his game. Lake was a four-time Pro Bowl selection and a First Team All-Pro in 1997 before moving to Jacksonville in 1999.
3. Minkah Fitzpatrick
Minkah Fitzpatrick was considered a top prospect in the 2018 NFL Draft. Selected 11th overall by the Dolphins, Fitzpatrick was used outside of his natural position early in his career before Miami traded him to the Steelers in 2019.
From there, it was all good. Fitzpatrick was named first-team All-Pro in back-to-back years, in 2019 and 2020. In his first 30 games with the Steelers, the dominant free safety recorded nine interceptions and four defensive touchdowns.
Fitzpatrick found his feet again in 2021, but had another All-Pro season in 2022 and a Pro Bowl season (despite missing seven games) in 2023. He’s still writing his story, and a few more dominant seasons could make him a Hall of Fame candidate.
2. Donnie Shell
It took a long time for the selection committee in Canton, Ohio to recognize Donnie Shell as a failure, but the outstanding safety was eventually inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020. Shell enjoyed unmatched career longevity at the safety position, playing all 14 seasons as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Shell was an undrafted free agent signed on the heels of Pittsburgh’s legendary 1974 draft class, which included four Hall of Famers, and Shell remained a standout presence alongside a secondary that included Mel Blount, Mike Wagner, Glenn Edwards and J.T. Thomas.
Shell earned a starting spot in his fourth season in 1977 and was selected to the Pro Bowl five consecutive years from 1978-1982, earning first-team All-Pro honors three times during that span. Shell finished his career with 51 interceptions in 201 games for the Steelers (162).
1. Troy Polamalu
When Troy Polamalu finished his playing career, it was a given he was going to be a Hall of Famer. And the legendary safety was a first-ballot inductee. The Steelers traded for him in the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft out of USC, but it wasn’t until Polamalu’s second year that he played in a game. From that moment on, fans knew he was destined for greatness.
Polamalu had five interceptions in his second NFL season and was named to the Pro Bowl and Second Team All-Pro. By his third year in 2005, Polamalu had already established himself as one of the best safeties in the game, earning a First Team All-Pro selection and finishing third in Defensive Player of the Year voting.
This talented safety won the DPOY award after the 2010 season. Polamalu has an uncanny ability to predict a play seconds before it happens, and no other safety has played like him.
Polamalu missed six of his 12 NFL seasons due to injuries, but he was so dominant at the peak of his career that he still managed to rack up eight Pro Bowl appearances, four All-Pro appearances, a Hall of Fame induction and a selection to the NFL All-Decade Team of the 2000s despite his absence — all while proving to be one of the most important players on the Steelers’ two Super Bowl-winning teams of the 2000s.
Approximate Value (AV) is a metric from Pro Football Reference that assigns a numerical value to every player’s season since 1960.
Rank
player
Years with the team
Estimated value
1
Donnie Shell
1974-1987
118
2
Troy Polamalu
2003-2014
117
3
Colonel Lake
1989-1998
91
Four
Mike Wagner
1971-1980
68
Five
Ryan Clark
2006-2013
54
6
Darren Perry
1992-1998
54
7
Minka Fitzpatrick
As of 2018
52
8
Glenn Edwards
1971-1977
48
9
Lee Flowers
1995-2002
39
Ten
Brent Alexander
2000-2003
31
