Legendary Hall of Fame center leads Steelers’ 2026 countdown to kickoff: Day No. 52

The Pittsburgh Steelers‘ countdown to kickoff is full steam ahead for the 2026 NFL regular season, with fans needing to wait only 52 more days until the Steel City brand of football returns when the Steelers host the Atlanta Falcons on September 13.

In the spirit of the countdown, we at Steelers Wire will take a look at the history of the No. 52 jersey and analyze which player wore it best.

There isn’t a current No. 52 on the roster as the number has been unofficially retired out of respect for the greatest wearer in franchise history.

• Mike Webster, 1974-1988
• Sid Williams, 1969
• Mike Connelly, 1968
• Gene Breen, 1965-1966
• George Tarasovic, 1957-1958

Back-to-back historic countdown to kickoff numbers have brought us to one of the most beloved Steelers of all-time: Hall of Fame center “Iron Mike” Webster.

Webster, selected by the Steelers in the fifth round of the 1974 NFL Draft, went on to play 17 seasons in the National Football League, 15 years with Pittsburgh and 2 years with the Kansas City Chiefs. He appeared in 245 games and made 194 starts during his career.

During Webster’s 15-year stint with the Steelers, he won four Super Bowls and was selected to nine Pro Bowls, as well as earning five First-Team All-Pro honors and two Second-Team All-Pro honors. For his excellence, Webster was named to the NFL 1970s All-Decade Team, the 1980s All-Decade Team, the 75th Anniversary All-Time Team, and the 100th Anniversary All-Time Team, in addition to the Pittsburgh Steelers All-Time Team and Hall of Honor.

Webster, who was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1997, died at age 50 on September 24, 2002, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. While he is no longer with us, Webster will forever be remembered in the hearts of Steelers Nation as an all-time great and the best wearer of No. 52 in franchise history.

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This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Legendary Hall of Fame center leads Steelers’ 2026 countdown to kickoff: Day No. 52