The NFF College Football Hall of Fame included 11 former Pittsburgh Steelers players on the ballot for possible induction in 2027.
The list of 179 players announced Monday included offensive linemen Alan Faneca, David DeCastro and Flozell Adams, receiver Troy Edwards, running back Richard Erenberg, defensive tackle Casey Hampton, linebacker Tyler Matakevich, tight end Heath Miller, cornerbacks Patrick Peterson and Donnell Woolford and quarterback Antwaan Randle El.
Votes are submitted by the more than 12,000 members of the National Football Foundation. Once votes are tabulated, the NFF Honors Court deliberates and selects the class. The inductees will be announced early next year.
Adams was a first-team All-American at Michigan State and the Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year in 1997. He finished his 13-year NFL career playing one season for the Steelers (2010).
DeCastro earned unanimous first-team All-American honors at Stanford in 2011 and was a finalist for the Outland Trophy. He played nine seasons for the Steelers (2012-20) after they made him a first-round draft pick.
Edwards won the Biletnikoff Award as college football’s top receiver in 1998 and was a consensus first-team All-American at Louisiana Tech. He set a then-NCAA record with 50 career touchdown catches. A first-round draft pick, he played three seasons for the Steelers (1999-2001).
Erenberg was a record-setting rusher at Colgate and earned All-American honors in what then was called NCAA Division I-AA (now FCS). He played all three of his NFL seasons for the Steelers (1984-86).
Faneca was a consensus All-American and Outland Trophy finalist at LSU. The first-round pick played the first 10 seasons of his 13-year NFL career with the Steelers (1998-07). Faneca was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2021.
Hampton was a two-time All-American at Texas, earning consensus honors in 2000. He was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. The first-round draft pick played all 12 NFL seasons with the Steelers (2001-12).
Matakevich won the Bednarik Award and Nagurski Trophy as a consensus All-American at Temple. He was the AAC Defensive Player of the Year in 2015. The seventh-round pick played nine NFL seasons with five for the Steelers (2016-19, ‘24).
Miller was a unanimous All-American and winner of the Mackey Award as the nation’s best tight end. He holds Virginia tight end records for career receptions yards and touchdowns. Miller played all 11 NFL seasons for the Steelers (2005-15).
Peterson finished his 13-year NFL career with one season with the Steelers (2023). At LSU, he won both the Bednarik and Jim Thorpe awards as a unanimous All-American and SEC Defensive Player of the Year.
Randle El was an All-American quarterback at Indiana and became the first FBS player to pass for 6,000 yards and rush for 3,000 in a career. He played receiver for five seasons for the Steelers (2002-05, 2010).
Woolford was a two-time All-American at Clemson, where he holds records for pass breakups and punt return TDs. He played his final NFL season with the Steelers (1997) after eight in Chicago.