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1972 Pittsburgh Steelers
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Record: 11-3-0, Finished 1st in AFC Central Division
NFL Season Summary
Scored 343 points (24.5/g), 5th of 26 in the NFL.
Allowed 175 points (12.5/g), 2nd.
Differential of 168 points (12.0/g), 2nd.
Expected W-L: 11.6-2.4.
Takeaway/Giveaway Differential +22 (1.6/g), 1st.
Coached by Chuck Noll (11-3-0)
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1972 Statistics / Starters & Roster / Games & Schedule / Team Draftees
Starters
Glossary · ProBowl(*), 1st-team All-Pro(+), · CSV · PRE · Hide Non-primary Starters| Pos | Age | Yrs | GS | Summary of Player Stats | Drafted (tm/rnd/yr) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Offensive Starters | Complete Team Stats | |||||
| QB | Terry Bradshaw | 24 | 2 | 14 | 147 for 308, 1,887 yards, 12 td, 12 int, & 58 rushes for 346 yards and 7 td | Pittsburgh Steelers / 1st / 1st pick / 1970 |
| RB | Franco Harris* | 22 | Rook | 9 | 188 rushes for 1,055 yards, 10 td, & 21 catches for 180 yards and 1 td | Pittsburgh Steelers / 1st / 13th pick / 1972 |
| FB | John Fuqua | 26 | 3 | 0 | 150 rushes for 665 yards, 4 td, & 18 catches for 152 yards and 0 td | New York Giants / 11th / 273rd pick / 1969 |
| WR | Frank Lewis | 25 | 1 | 13 | 27 catches for 391 yards, 5 td, & 3 rushes for 68 yards and 0 td | Pittsburgh Steelers / 1st / 8th pick / 1971 |
| WR | Ron Shanklin | 24 | 2 | 0 | 38 catches for 669 yards, 3 td | Pittsburgh Steelers / 2nd / 28th pick / 1970 |
| WR | Dave L. Smith | 25 | 2 | 0 | 10 catches for 98 yards, 0 td | Pittsburgh Steelers / 8th / 184th pick / 1970 |
| TE | John McMakin | 22 | Rook | 0 | 21 catches for 277 yards, 1 td, & 1 rush for 0 yards and 0 td | Pittsburgh Steelers / 3rd / 63rd pick / 1972 |
| LT | Jon Kolb | 25 | 3 | 14 | Pittsburgh Steelers / 3rd / 56th pick / 1969 |
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| LG | Sam Davis | 28 | 5 | 11 | 1 fumble recovered | |
| C | Ray Mansfield | 31 | 9 | 0 | Philadelphia Eagles / 2nd / 18th pick / 1963 |
|
| RG | Bruce Van Dyke | 28 | 6 | 0 | Kansas City Chiefs / 15th / 133rd pick / 1966 |
|
| RT | Gerry Mullins | 23 | 1 | 0 | 1 fumble recovered | Pittsburgh Steelers / 4th / 86th pick / 1971 |
| Defensive Starters | ||||||
| LDE | L.C. Greenwood | 26 | 3 | 13 | Pittsburgh Steelers / 10th / 238th pick / 1969 |
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| LDT | Joe Greene*+ | 26 | 3 | 14 | 0 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered | Pittsburgh Steelers / 1st / 4th pick / 1969 |
| RDT | Ben McGee | 33 | 8 | 0 | 0 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered | New York Jets / 5th / 35th pick / 1964 |
| RDT | Ernie Holmes | 24 | Rook | 0 | 0 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered | Pittsburgh Steelers / 8th / 203rd pick / 1971 |
| RDE | Dwight White* | 23 | 1 | 0 | 0 interceptions, 3 fumbles recovered | Pittsburgh Steelers / 4th / 104th pick / 1971 |
| LLB | Jack Ham | 24 | 1 | 14 | 7 interceptions, 4 fumbles recovered | Pittsburgh Steelers / 2nd / 34th pick / 1971 |
| MLB | Henry Davis | 30 | 4 | 0 | 2 interceptions, 0 fumbles recovered | New York Giants / 11th / 288th pick / 1968 |
| RLB | Andy Russell* | 31 | 9 | 0 | 0 interceptions, 4 fumbles recovered | Pittsburgh Steelers / 16th / 220th pick / 1963 |
| LCB | John Rowser | 28 | 5 | 0 | 4 interceptions, 0 fumbles recovered | Green Bay Packers / 3rd / 78th pick / 1967 |
| RCB | Mel Blount | 24 | 2 | 14 | 3 interceptions, 2 fumbles recovered | Pittsburgh Steelers / 3rd / 53rd pick / 1970 |
| SS | Mike Wagner | 23 | 1 | 0 | 6 interceptions, 0 fumbles recovered | Pittsburgh Steelers / 11th / 268th pick / 1971 |
| FS | Ralph Anderson | 23 | 1 | 0 | 3 interceptions, 3 fumbles recovered | Pittsburgh Steelers / 5th / 126th pick / 1971 |
| Special Teams Starters | ||||||
| K | Roy Gerela* | 24 | 3 | 0 | 28 of 41 field goals & 35 of 36 extra points | Houston Oilers / 4th / 96th pick / 1969 |
| P | Bobby Walden | 34 | 8 | 0 | 65 punts for a 43.8 average, 2 blocked | Houston Oilers / 4th / 32nd pick / 1961 |
| PR | Glen Edwards | 25 | 1 | 0 | 22 punt returns for a 9.2 average and 0 td | |
| KR | Preston Pearson | 27 | 5 | 0 | 13 kick returns for a 22.5 average and 0 td | Baltimore Colts / 12th / 298th pick / 1967 |
| Age | Pos | G | GS | Wt | Ht | College/Univ | BirthDate | Yrs | Drafted (tm/rnd/yr) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ralph Anderson | 23 | DB | 14 | 0 | 180 | 6-2 | West Texas A&M | 4/3/1949 | 1 | Pittsburgh Steelers / 5th / 126th pick / 1971 |
| Warren Bankston | 25 | RB-TE | 7 | 0 | 235 | 6-4 | Tulane | 7/22/1947 | 3 | Pittsburgh Steelers / 2nd / 42nd pick / 1969 |
| Chuck Beatty | 26 | DB | 8 | 0 | 200 | 6-2 | North Texas | 2/8/1946 | 3 | Pittsburgh Steelers / 7th / 160th pick / 1969 |
| Rocky Bleier | 26 | RB | 14 | 0 | 210 | 5-11 | Notre Dame | 3/5/1946 | 4 | Pittsburgh Steelers / 16th / 417th pick / 1968 |
| Mel Blount | 24 | DB | 14 | 14 | 205 | 6-3 | Southern | 4/10/1948 | 2 | Pittsburgh Steelers / 3rd / 53rd pick / 1970 |
| Ed Bradley | 22 | LB | 12 | 0 | 239 | 6-2 | Wake Forest | 4/22/1950 | Rook | Pittsburgh Steelers / 4th / 88th pick / 1972 |
| Terry Bradshaw | 24 | QB | 14 | 14 | 215 | 6-3 | Louisiana Tech | 9/2/1948 | 2 | Pittsburgh Steelers / 1st / 1st pick / 1970 |
| Larry Brown | 23 | T-TE | 9 | 0 | 246 | 6-4 | Kansas | 6/16/1949 | 1 | Pittsburgh Steelers / 5th / 106th pick / 1971 |
| Lee Calland | 31 | DB | 7 | 0 | 190 | 6-0 | Louisville | 9/14/1941 | 9 | |
| Jim Clack | 25 | C-G | 14 | 0 | 250 | 6-3 | Wake Forest | 10/26/1947 | 1 | |
| Henry Davis | 30 | LB | 14 | 0 | 235 | 6-3 | Grambling State | 11/8/1942 | 4 | New York Giants / 11th / 288th pick / 1968 |
| Sam Davis | 28 | G | 11 | 11 | 255 | 6-1 | Allen | 7/5/1944 | 5 | |
| Steve Davis | 24 | RB | 11 | 0 | 218 | 6-1 | Delaware State | 11/10/1948 | Rook | Pittsburgh Steelers / 3rd / 60th pick / 1971 |
| John Dockery | 28 | DB | 6 | 0 | 185 | 6-0 | Harvard | 9/6/1944 | 4 | |
| Glen Edwards | 25 | DB | 12 | 0 | 185 | 6-0 | Florida A&M | 7/31/1947 | 1 | |
| John Fuqua | 26 | RB | 13 | 0 | 205 | 5-11 | Morgan State | 9/12/1946 | 3 | New York Giants / 11th / 273rd pick / 1969 |
| Steve Furness | 22 | DT-DE | 2 | 0 | 255 | 6-4 | Rhode Island | 12/5/1950 | Rook | Pittsburgh Steelers / 5th / 113th pick / 1972 |
| Roy Gerela* | 24 | K | 14 | 0 | 185 | 5-10 | New Mexico State | 4/2/1948 | 3 | Houston Oilers / 4th / 96th pick / 1969 |
| Joe Gilliam | 22 | QB | 2 | 0 | 187 | 6-2 | Tennessee State | 12/29/1950 | Rook | Pittsburgh Steelers / 11th / 273rd pick / 1972 |
| Gordon Gravelle | 23 | T | 14 | 3 | 250 | 6-5 | BYU | 6/12/1949 | Rook | Pittsburgh Steelers / 2nd / 38th pick / 1972 |
| Joe Greene*+ | 26 | DT | 14 | 14 | 275 | 6-4 | North Texas | 9/24/1946 | 3 | Pittsburgh Steelers / 1st / 4th pick / 1969 |
| L.C. Greenwood | 26 | DE | 13 | 13 | 245 | 6-6 | Ark-Pine Bluff | 9/8/1946 | 3 | Pittsburgh Steelers / 10th / 238th pick / 1969 |
| Jack Ham | 24 | LB | 14 | 14 | 225 | 6-1 | Penn State | 12/23/1948 | 1 | Pittsburgh Steelers / 2nd / 34th pick / 1971 |
| Craig Hanneman | 23 | DE-DT | 13 | 0 | 240 | 6-3 | Oregon State | 7/1/1949 | Rook | Pittsburgh Steelers / 6th / 138th pick / 1971 |
| Terry Hanratty | 24 | QB | 7 | 0 | 210 | 6-1 | Notre Dame | 1/19/1948 | 3 | Pittsburgh Steelers / 2nd / 30th pick / 1969 |
| Franco Harris* | 22 | RB | 14 | 9 | 230 | 6-2 | Penn State | 3/7/1950 | Rook | Pittsburgh Steelers / 1st / 13th pick / 1972 |
| Ernie Holmes | 24 | DT-NT | 14 | 0 | 260 | 6-3 | Texas Southern | 7/11/1948 | Rook | Pittsburgh Steelers / 8th / 203rd pick / 1971 |
| Mel Holmes | 22 | G-T | 14 | 0 | 251 | 6-3 | North Carolina A&T | 1/22/1950 | 1 | Pittsburgh Steelers / 5th / 112th pick / 1971 |
| Jon Kolb | 25 | T-C | 14 | 14 | 262 | 6-2 | Oklahoma State | 8/30/1947 | 3 | Pittsburgh Steelers / 3rd / 56th pick / 1969 |
| Frank Lewis | 25 | WR | 13 | 13 | 196 | 6-1 | Grambling State | 7/4/1947 | 1 | Pittsburgh Steelers / 1st / 8th pick / 1971 |
| Ray Mansfield | 31 | C-DT-LB | 14 | 0 | 250 | 6-3 | Washington | 1/21/1941 | 9 | Philadelphia Eagles / 2nd / 18th pick / 1963 |
| Ben McGee | 33 | DE-DT | 14 | 0 | 250 | 6-3 | Jackson State | 1/26/1939 | 8 | New York Jets / 5th / 35th pick / 1964 |
| John McMakin | 22 | TE | 14 | 0 | 232 | 6-3 | Clemson | 9/24/1950 | Rook | Pittsburgh Steelers / 3rd / 63rd pick / 1972 |
| Gerry Mullins | 23 | G-T | 14 | 0 | 244 | 6-3 | USC | 8/24/1949 | 1 | Pittsburgh Steelers / 4th / 86th pick / 1971 |
| Preston Pearson | 27 | RB | 11 | 0 | 205 | 6-1 | Illinois | 1/17/1945 | 5 | Baltimore Colts / 12th / 298th pick / 1967 |
| John Rowser | 28 | DB | 14 | 0 | 190 | 6-1 | Michigan | 4/24/1944 | 5 | Green Bay Packers / 3rd / 78th pick / 1967 |
| Andy Russell* | 31 | LB | 14 | 0 | 225 | 6-2 | Missouri | 10/29/1941 | 9 | Pittsburgh Steelers / 16th / 220th pick / 1963 |
| Ron Shanklin | 24 | WR | 14 | 0 | 183 | 6-1 | North Texas | 1/21/1948 | 2 | Pittsburgh Steelers / 2nd / 28th pick / 1970 |
| Dave L. Smith | 25 | WR | 6 | 0 | 205 | 6-2 | Indiana (PA),Waynesburg | 5/18/1947 | 2 | Pittsburgh Steelers / 8th / 184th pick / 1970 |
| Brian Stenger | 25 | LB | 14 | 0 | 241 | 6-4 | Notre Dame | 1/16/1947 | 3 | |
| Bruce Van Dyke | 28 | G | 13 | 0 | 255 | 6-2 | Missouri | 8/6/1944 | 6 | Kansas City Chiefs / 15th / 133rd pick / 1966 |
| Mike Wagner | 23 | DB | 14 | 0 | 210 | 6-1 | Western Illinois | 6/22/1949 | 1 | Pittsburgh Steelers / 11th / 268th pick / 1971 |
| Bobby Walden | 34 | P | 14 | 0 | 190 | 6-0 | Georgia | 3/9/1938 | 8 | Houston Oilers / 4th / 32nd pick / 1961 |
| George Webster | 27 | LB | 6 | 0 | 220 | 6-4 | Michigan State | 11/25/1945 | 5 | Houston Oilers / 1st / 5th pick / 1967 |
| Dwight White* | 23 | DE | 14 | 0 | 255 | 6-4 | Texas A&M-Commerce | 7/30/1949 | 1 | Pittsburgh Steelers / 4th / 104th pick / 1971 |
| Chuck Winfrey | 23 | LB | 1 | 0 | 230 | 6-0 | Wisconsin | 3/27/1949 | 1 | |
| Al Young | 23 | WR | 14 | 0 | 195 | 6-1 | South Carolina State | 8/24/1949 | 1 | Pittsburgh Steelers / 13th / 320th pick / 1971 |
| Team Total | 25.3 | 14 | 222.7 | 6-2.0 | 2.7 |