Note: The Pittsburgh football team was originally named the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1933-1939 before it was officially renamed to the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1940.
PITTSBURGH (WKBN)- Have you ever wondered how many NFL players from the Mahoning Valley have played for the Pittsburgh Steelers?
According to Pro Football Reference, 22 NFL players from the Youngstown, Ohio area have played for the Steelers. Three of the players on this list won a Super Bowl title.
Do you recognize any of these players? Read this list below to find out what local players have played for the Steelers in the 90-year-history of the franchise:
David Arnold: The Warren native went to Warren G. Harding High School before playing college football at Michigan. The Steelers drafted the defensive back in the fifth round of the 1989 NFL Draft. Arnold played in 15 games in one season with the Steelers.
Bob Balog: Balog was a Chaney graduate from Youngstown. After playing college football at Georgia University and Denver University, he played for the Steelers from 1949-1950. He played in 16 games in his NFL career.
Nick Bolkovac: Bolkovac was a graduate of Woodrow Wilson High School. He made 12 of his 16 field goal attempts for the Steelers in 1953. He played as a defensive tackle for the Steelers the following season.
R.J. Bowers: Bowers is the only player on this list who also played for the Cleveland Browns. The running back played for the Steelers in his first NFL season in 2001. The West Middlesex graduate finished with 84 yards and one touchdown in eight NFL games.
Ben Ciccone: Ciccone was a New Castle native who played for the Steelers when they were previously known as the Pittsburgh Pirates. Ciccone was a center in Pittsburgh from 1934-1935. He played for the Chicago Cardinals in 1942. He started in six of his 25 career games.
Andre Coleman: The wide receiver was a graduate of Hickory High School. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the 1994 NFL Draft, but he failed to win a championship with the Chargers. He played 12 games with the Steelers and he also played for the Seattle Seahawks during his career.
James Daniels: Daniels is the only player on this list who is a current NFL player and starter. The Warren native was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft. Daniels signed with the Steelers in 2022. He has started in 72 of his 78 career games.
Nick DeCarbo: The guard from New Castle played on the first Pittsburgh football team in 1933. He played college football at Duquesne. DeCarbo played 11 games in one season with Pittsburgh.
Art DeCarlo: DeCarlo was born in Youngstown. He played one season in Pittsburgh and he also played for Baltimore and Washington in his NFL career. The defensive back played in 61 games in six seasons.
Darrell Dess: The offensive lineman from New Castle played 12 seasons in the NFL. He played for Pittsburgh in 1958 and played for the New York Giants from 1959-1969. Dress played one game for Washington in 1966. He started in 104 of 146 of his NFL games.
Rich Druschel: The offensive lineman from Ellwood City graduated from Hempfield Area High School in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Druschel played college football at North Carolina State. He played in 11 games for the Steelers and won a Super Bowl title in 1974.
Vinnie Farrar: The offensive lineman was a Youngstown native. After playing college football at North Carolina State, he played for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1938-1939. Farrar played in seven games in two seasons.
Alan Huff: The East Liverpool-born nose tackle graduated from Oak Glen High School in West Virginia before playing college football at Marshall. He had a brief stint with the Steelers in 1987. He only played two NFL games in his short career.
Bill McPeak: McPeak was born in New Castle and played college football at Notre Dame and Pittsburgh. McPeak played for the Pittsburgh Steelers for nine seasons. The defensive end was selected to the Pro Bowl in 1952, 1953, and 1956. He played in 105 career games.
Jerry Olsavsky: A Youngstown native and Chaney graduate, Olsavsky played for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens during his decade-long career. Olsavsky and the Steelers lost to the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl XXX in 1996. The linebacker finished with 232 tackles, 2.5 sacks, one interception and four forced fumbles.
George Papach: The Chaney fullback was drafted by the Steelers in the 1948 NFL Draft. From 1948-1949, Pappach had 731 yards and two touchdowns. Papach played in 22 career games.
Frank Pokorny: The Uniontown, Pennsylvania native played college football at Youngstown State. The wide receiver played for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1985. He played in four career NFL games.
George Rado: The Youngstown native was a graduate of Brookfield High School. The offensive lineman played in Pittsburgh from 1935-1938. He started in 21 of his 43 career games.
Keiwan Ratliff: The Youngstown-born defensive back was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the second round of the 2004 NFL Draft. Ratliff played for the Bengals until he joined the Steelers and played in eight games in 2009. Ratliff played in 76 games in seven NFL seasons.
John Simon: A standout at Cardinal Mooney, Simon was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the 2013 NFL Draft. After stints in Baltimore, Houston and Indianapolis, he won a Super Bowl with the New England Patriots in 2019. Simon played two more seasons in New England before signing with the Titans in 2021. In 2022, he signed a futures deal with the Steelers.
Anthony Smith: A Hubbard High School graduate, Smith won a Super Bowl ring with the Steelers in Super Bowl XLIII in 2009. While on injured reserve, he won another title with the Green Bay Packers in 2011. He also was a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars and St. Louis Rams in his six-year career. Smith finished with 181 tackles and seven interceptions.
Fitzgerald Toussaint: The NFL running back from Liberty High School played 31 games in the league from 2014-2017. Toussaint began his career in Baltimore before he played for the Steelers for three more seasons. Toussaint finished with 137 yards on 44 carries in his career.
WKBN also compiled a list of players from the Youngstown area who played for the Cleveland Browns.
The Steelers (6-3) travel to Cleveland to take on the Browns (6-3) in a Week 11 AFC North showdown. Kickoff is at 1 p.m. on WKBN-TV.
