Bye, Bye “Fast” Willie, “Smackdown” Ryan & “Ironman” Townsand.

In honor of what is very likely their last few hours as Steelers (officially), a YouTube retrospective on Fast Willie Parker, Deshea Townsend and Ryan Clark.

“Fast” Willie Paker: Below is a six-minute clip highlighting nearly every big run he had with the Steelers. The music is a bit melodramatic, but worth it for the payoff at the end. Despite a number of terrific seasons, Parker was never quite the answer the Steelers (and many fans) sought in the post-Bettis backfield.

That said, Willie Parker is one of my all-time favorite personal stories from the modern Steelers era. A guy that couldn’t quite put it together in college and got a break because of the keen eye of Dan Rooney Jr., and went on to peel off the longest run froom scrimmage in Super Bowl history. Willie Parker is the true definition of the maxim that ‘luck is the intersection of hard work and timing.’

“Ironman” Deshea Townsend: If you’ve ever seen him in street clothes, you’d be puzzled as to how Townsend ever cracked a lineup – short, lean, no shoulders to speak of – but it’s a testament to his speed, coverage skills, field smarts and versatility. He could play just about any spot in the Steelers backfield and was deadly in their nickel and dime packages, as evidenced below during his pick six against the Cowboys in 2008 — a play that Ed Bouchette named to his Top 10 plays of the decade.

Here is the FOX broadcast of that play:

And this is an fun vid shot by a fan in the stands that captures Renegade on the scoreboard, and then Deshea’s pick six:

“Smackdown” Ryan Clark: Another undrafted free-agent who made it with the Redskins, he came in after Chris Hope left the Steelers following Super Bowl 40 and delivered consistently solid play, was rarely out of position and delivered some of the most brutal hits in recent Steelers history.

A devout Christian, he was a also a total ham who loved to interact with fans during training camp. Clark’s hit on Willis McGahee in the 2008 AFC Championship game is tied for the most violent hit I’ve ever personally seen a Steeler lay in a game. Apparently, no less an authority than James Farrior agrees. Check it out:

Clark also laid out Wes Welker in memorable fashion earlier that same season. The play drew a penalty, and the Patriots and their fans whined like babies about, even though the NFL apologized to Clark and said no flag should’ve been thrown.

Share your thoughts and favorite moments of these three Super Bowl Steelers in the comments.

About the Author Jim McMillen

The Editor & Chief, the brains so to say, behind Pittsburgh Blitz. Jim is a rabid sports fan who just loves his Stillers, Pens and Buccos. Feel free to contact us at steelerguy26[@]yahoo.com if you have any questions or comments or would like to join our staff and write for Pittsburgh Blitz.

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