Pittsburgh Steelers unveil 2024 Hall of Honor class
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- The Pittsburgh Steelers unveiled their 2024 Hall of Honor class on Saturday.
Linebacker Jason Gildon, nose tackle Casey Hampton, defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau, and running back Willie Parker will be the newest names enshrined at Acrisure Stadium.
"We were excited to introduce the 2024 Class of Hall of Honor. A great group of Steelers," said Steelers President Art Rooney II. "And Coach LeBeau, unusual, I would say for an assistant coach to go in, not sure how many times that'll happen, but he's just a remarkable person and just so loved by his players."
Jason Gildon
Gildon, drafted in the third round of the 1994 NFL Draft, has 77 career sacks, ranking him fourth overall in Steelers history.
Gildon played 10 seasons with the Steelers. During his time with the Steelers, the team won six division titles, an AFC Championship, and played in Super Bowl XXX.
He earned First-Team Associated Press All-Pro honors in 2001 when he recorded 12 sacks with 56 tackles, 15 tackles for a loss, eight passes defensed, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, including one he returned for a touchdown, and an interception.
He was selected to the Pro Bowl in three straight seasons (2000-2002). In his first Pro Bowl season, he recorded career highs with 13.5 sacks and 77 tackles. He also added five passes defensed, four forced fumbles, and four fumble recoveries, including one returned for a touchdown.
"Jason was here today, really stepping in at a time where we didn't know what we were getting in Jason. And for him to come in and set the sack record (at that point) was great to see," Rooney II said.
"Once you play here as a player, you always know, and you're always aware of all the great talent that's been through this organization," said Gildon.
Casey Hampton
Hampton played 12 seasons for the Steelers from 2001-12, starting 164 of the 173 games he played in. He finished with 403 total tackles and nine and a half sacks. He added five forced fumbles, four pass defenses, and two fumble recoveries.
During Hampton's career, the Steelers played in the postseason eight times and won their division six times. Hampton was part of three Super Bowl teams with the Steelers, including a two-time champion in Super Bowl XL and XLIII.
Hampton was a five-time Pro Bowl selection and was voted MVP by his teammates in 2005 with Hines Ward. He was also a member of the Steelers 75th Anniversary Team during the 2007 season.
"Casey Hampton, just so popular with his teammates and just the rock in the center of that line. I know a lot of people will be excited to see Casey going in," Rooney II said.
"Being a nose tackle in a 3-4 is a dirty job. It's really dirty," said John Mitchell, the Steelers' former assistant head coach/defensive line coach. "The thing you have to realize about Casey that made him special, if you look back at the guys we had that played inside linebacker, that went to the Pro Bowl year in and year out, they are good football players, but the reason they went is they had a nose tackle that took up three guys on almost every play and made their job really easy."
Dick LeBeau
LeBeau, who already earned a Hall of Fame career as a player with the Detroit Lions, went on to have an successful coaching career, spending 16 seasons with the Steelers.
LeBeau joined Bill Cowher's staff in 1992 as defensive backs coach before being named defensive coordinator in 1995. After spending time with other NFL teams, he returned to the Steelers in 2004 and spent 11 seasons in the role.
As the architect of the zone blitz, LeBeau's Steelers finished in the top-10 in total defense 11 times. Five of those times the team had the top overall ranked defense. During his time as defensive coordinator, the team won seven division championships, four AFC Championships, and two Super Bowls, while making the playoffs a total of nine times and appearing in four Super Bowls.
"I just thought that's not a bad way to spend your life, teaching young people not only the game of football but trying to get some life values in there, too," said LeBeau. "That's what motivated me to do that and to get to have the honor to coach players like Troy Polamalu, James Harrison and James Farrior, and I can go on and name all the great ones that played."
Willie Parker
Parker signed with the Steelers as an undrafted free agent following the 2004 NFL Draft. He went on to be a two-time Super Bowl champion and two-time Pro Bowl selection from 2004-2009.
Parker played in 79 career games, finishing his career with 1,253 carries for 5,378 yards, ranked third all-time in Steelers history. He had a 4.3-yard average and 24 touchdowns. Parker added 84 receptions for 697 yards, an 8.3-yard average, and five touchdowns.
He had three 1,000 plus yard seasons, rushing for 1,202 yards in 2005, a career-high 1,494 yards in 2006, and 1,316 yards in 2007. He added a career-high 13 touchdowns in 2006.
Parker ranks third in Steelers' history with 25 100-yard rushing games, seven of them in the 2006 season when he had 16 total touchdowns and the first of two Pro Bowl selections.
"Coming in, they gave me a shot, [and] with that shot, I made it to two Super Bowls [and] two Pro Bowls. I wouldn't have it any other way. It's a blessing. It's a first-class organization, people and coaches," Parker said.
Parker still holds the record for the longest run in Super Bowl history, a 75-yard touchdown run in the third quarter of the Steelers win over the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XL.
When is the Hall of Honor ceremony?
The Steelers will welcome the 2024 Hall of Honor class when the team takes on the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, Dec. 8, which includes an on-field presentation during the game.
The Hall of Honor display is part of the Steelers Hall of Honor Museum, which is located at Acrisure Stadium.