
Steelers countdown to kickoff — No. 41: a history of the number and who wore it best
Current Steelers No. 41 wearer: LB Payton Wilson
Drafted with the 98th overall pick in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft, Wilson is the current No. 41 wearer on the Steelers roster. One of the best linebackers of his draft class, the second-year Steeler dropped into the third round due to concerns regarding a rumored missing ACL. He proved himself in a major way his rookie year — and figures to remain the future of the Steelers' linebacker room.
Last five Steelers to wear No. 41:
Best No. 41 in Steelers history: S Lee Flowers
Lee Flowers is the best Steeler to ever wear No. 41. Drafted with the 151st overall pick in the 1995 NFL Draft, Flowers earned the starting safety role in 1998 and went on to record 403 combined tackles and four interceptions during his career. A physical safety who wasn't afraid to lay the boom on opposing offenses, he played in 112 games from 1995 to 2002. Flowers also started in Super Bowl XXX as a Steeler — and remained an underrated contributor to the secondary throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s.
For up-to-date Steelers coverage, follow us on X @TheSteelersWire and give our Facebook page a like.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


New York Post
18 minutes ago
- New York Post
Trey Lance has big night in Chargers' win over Lions in Hall of Fame game
CANTON, Ohio — On his third team in his fifth season, Trey Lance played like a No. 3 overall pick. Lance threw for 120 yards and two touchdowns, and the Los Angeles Chargers beat the Detroit Lions 34-7 in the Hall of Fame game that kicked off the NFL's preseason Thursday night. Advertisement The game opened with a moment of silence for the four people killed earlier this week by a shooter who was targeting league headquarters in New York. The gunman also wounded a league employee in the shooting Monday night. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell told NBC he visited the employee for an hour on Wednesday and said the man was improving. There was increased security around Tom Benson Stadium and the Pro Football Hall of Fame village. Advertisement Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jahmyr Gibbs, David Montgomery, Penei Sewell and the rest of Detroit's star-studded offense didn't see any action against Los Angeles. Coach Dan Campbell's Lions, who went one-and-done in the playoffs last season after winning a franchise-record 15 games, also sat their top two draft picks. Justin Herbert was among many of the Chargers starters rested by coach Jim Harbaugh, who led the team to a six-win turnaround and a playoff berth in his first season. Rookie running back Omarion Hampton, a first-round pick, carried twice for 9 yards. Advertisement 4 Trey Lance, who had two touchdown passes, throws down field during the Chargers' 34-7 preseason win over the Lions in the Hall of Fame game on July 31, 2025. Getty Images The Chargers recovered a fumble on the opening kickoff at the Lions 28 and converted the short field into a 7-0 lead. Lance made a perfect touch pass on fourth-and-2 to Will Dissly, who caught a 5-yard touchdown over a defender's outstretched hand. After undrafted rookie cornerback Nikko Reed stepped in front of Kyle Allen's sideline pass and returned it 60 yards to the Lions 6, Kimani Vidal ran in from the 2 to make it 14-0. Advertisement Allen threw another pick on the next possession to Tony Jefferson after driving the Lions to the Chargers 23. 4 Trey Lance make a throw during the Chargers' preseason win over the Lions in the Hall of Fame game. Getty Images Craig Reynolds' 3-yard TD run cut Detroit's deficit in half. But Lance fired a 19-yard pass to Tucker Fisk to the Lions 19 and connected with KeAndre Lambert-Smith on a 15-yard TD pass for a 21-7 halftime lead. Lance has started just five games in four NFL seasons after playing in only 19 games at North Dakota State. He spent just two seasons with the 49ers, who selected Brock Purdy with the last pick the same year they traded three first-round picks and a third-rounder to move up to get Lance. 4 Jared Goff, who did not play ine Lions' Hall of Fame Game loss, throws a pass during warmups before the game. Getty Images After two years with Dallas, Lance joined the Chargers to compete with veteran Taylor Heinicke for the backup job. He completed 13 of 20 passes before giving way to rookie DJ Uiagalelei. Advertisement Allen and Hendon Hooker are battling for the Lions' backup job behind Goff. Allen was 9 of 14 with two picks. Hooker, a third-round pick in 2023, has thrown nine passes in his first two seasons. Detroit's sloppy special teams turned it over again in the third quarter. Jakobie Keeney-James dropped a punt inside the 10 and the Chargers recovered at the 5. But Los Angeles had to settle for Cameron Dicker's 23-yard field goal. Advertisement Dicker, who was 39 of 42 on field goals last year and 9 of 11 from 50 yards or beyond, hit the left upright on a 50-yard try. He was 2-for-3 on the night. The Chargers, who host the Saints next on Aug. 10, capped the scoring on Vidal's 2-yard TD run late in the fourth quarter. Hutchinson's return Lions star edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson told NBC in the second half he can't wait for Week 1 against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Hutchinson had 7 ¹/₂ sacks in five games last season before he went down with a leg injury. Advertisement 4 Detroit star Aidan Hutchinson signs autograph for fans before the Lions' preseason loss to the Chargers in the Hall of Fame game. Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Before the game, Hutchinson spent time signing autographs for Lions fans who made the trip. Gold jackets Cornerback Eric Allen, defensive end Jared Allen, tight end Antonio Gates and wide receiver Sterling Sharpe will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday.
Yahoo
21 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Deion Sanders visits Shilo Sanders at Buccaneers training camp
The Colorado Buffaloes open up training camp next week, and with Deion Sanders healthy after appearing at Big 12 media days earlier this month, he made an important stop on his way back to Boulder. Sanders' headed to Tampa Bay to check in on his son, Shilo Sanders, who is beginning his first NFL training camp with the Buccaneers. Colorado's head coach was seen talking with Tampa Bay's head coach, Todd Bowles, while Shilo was warming up for practice. The Buccaneers signed Sanders as an undrafted free agent after the 2025 NFL draft, and he is competing for a roster spot this summer as a backup safety. Sanders, in two seasons at Colorado, recorded 137 tackles, three tackles for a loss, one sack and an interception. Colorado, under Deion Sanders' leadership, is looking to build off a 9-4 season that saw them narrowly miss out on a spot in the Big 12 title game. Follow Charlie Strella on X, Threads and Instagram. Contact/Follow us @BuffaloesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Colorado news, notes and opinions. This article originally appeared on Buffaloes Wire: Deion Sanders visits Shilo Sanders at Buccaneers training camp
Yahoo
22 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Will Levis undergoing season-ending surgery as Titans hand keys to Cam Ward
Will Levis' 2025 NFL season is over before it even began. Levis will undergo season-ending surgery July 29 on his right shoulder, the Titans announced Monday, due to an injury he sustained last season that has reportedly led to continued discomfort. 'After consulting with doctors and his representatives, Will Levis has decided to undergo shoulder surgery that will sideline him for the entire 2025 season. We support his decision to focus on his long-term health,' the Titans said in a statement. 'He approached the offseason with professionalism and showed clear growth as a leader. We remain confident in his full recovery.' Levis first suffered his injury on Sept. 30 against the Dolphins in the Titans' Week 4 win last season. The 6-foot-4 quarterback dove for a first down and exited the game with an AC joint injury. While it didn't seem likely that Levis would have a starting role in Tennessee this season after the Titans selected quarterback Cam Ward No. 1 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft, general manager Mike Borgonzi confirmed earlier in the offseason that the plan was to 'have competition in the room.' With Levis out of the picture for this season, Ward is joined by veterans Brandon Allen and Tim Boyle in the quarterback room. Entering his third season in the league, Levis, the 33rd pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, has led the Titans to just a 5-16 record in games he's started. The 26-year-old showed some flashes during his rookie season with eight touchdowns to four interceptions, but he followed that up with 13 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in his sophomore season. Levis is expected to be healthy in time for the 2026-27 season.