With the recent news of LeBron James returning to Cleveland, it proves that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side of the fence.
Just as James found his way back home, many one-time Pittsburgh sports figures who have wandered away from the Steel City have found themselves returning to the place they once called home.
In terms of Pittsburgh sports teams which have seen many of its members step away only to return, the Steelers rank at the top with players like Plaxico Burress, Antwaan Randle El, William Gay, Larry Foote, Will Allen, Joey Porter and Rocky Bleir.
Of that list, all but Will Allen were originally drafted by the Steelers. Allen joined the Steelers in 2010, racking up 55 tackles during three seasons with Pittsburgh before making his exodus to the Cowboys. After just one short season in which he had only nine tackles in five games, Allen came back to Pittsburgh and found success again, posting 34 tackles and an interception in 12 games for the Steelers.
As for the other guys, Burress played five seasons before an eight-year layoff from Pittsburgh, returning for the 2012 season; Randle El played four seasons before spending four years in Washington, returning for the 2010 season with Pittsburgh and Foote spent seven seasons with Pittsburgh before spending a year away, only to return for the past four seasons with Pittsburgh.
The other two have unique stories.
Porter,a fourth round draft pick and a longtime staple in the Steelers defense, posted 621 tackles, nine forced fumbles, six fumble recoveries and three interceptions with the Steelers over the course of eight seasons, never playing in less than 14 games. Following the 2006 season, Porter had a stint in Miami and finished his career in Arizona. Porter’s return to the Steelers came at the very end of his playing career as he signed a one-day contract to retire as a Steeler before returning to Colorado State University to finish his degree and join the coaching staff, marking his second journey away from the Steel City. Not long after, though, Porter returned and was hired as a defensive assistant.
But that journey has nothing on Bleir’s.
Following his rookie season in 1968, Bleir was drafted and went to war in Vietnam, where he was wounded in battle. Bleir’s football career could have been over right there as he had complications with walking after returning from the war but he came back to Pittsburgh and became one of the top running backs in the black and gold’s history. He finished his career with 3,865 rushing yards, 136 receptions for 1,294 yards and 25 touchdowns. When he retired he was the Steelers fourth all-time leading rusher after playing in the first four Steeler Super Bowl victories including catching a touchdown pass from Terry Bradshaw that gave Pittsburghan eventual victory in Super Bowl XIII.
For the Pirates, Nate McClouth and Jay Bell each made a return to Pittsburgh in some capacity.
For McClouth, who was sent away in a trade after his most successful season as a Pirate, the return to Pittsburgh wasn’t a successful one, leading to another departure. But during his first five seasons with Pittsburgh, he hit .255 with 57 home runs and 194 RBIs. When he returned in 2012, he hit .140 with no home runs and just two RBIs.
Bell’s return was a little better. After hitting .264 over eight seasons with the Pirates during the middle of his career, Bell came back to be a hitting coach for Pittsburgh during the 2012-13 season, seeing the Pirates end their playoff drought before once again leaving town.
For the Penguins, Bill Guerin finished an 18-year-NHL career by playing two seasons as a Penguin, scoring 26 regular season goals and 11 playoff goals, tallying 57 regular season points and 24 playoff points over the span. He enjoyed his time here so much that he decided to retire as a Penguin and was later hired as a player development coach.
Leaving the city that gave you your start or a city that played a vital part in your career is never easy but, just like James’ return to Cleveland showed, if you love that city, you’ll always return home.
For those that have left Pittsburgh and hope to return one day, you’ll be welcomed with open arms.
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