The Pittsburgh Steelers have announced the saddening news of the death of two-time Super Bowl champion running back Sidney Thornton.
“We are saddened by the loss of former Steelers RB Sidney Thornton,” the Steelers said in a statement via Twitter.
Sidney Thornton played for a total of six seasons in the NFL, all with the Steelers franchise. Pittsburgh took Thornton in the second round (48th overall) of the 1977 NFL Draft. While he was mostly shadowed by running backs Franco Harris, who passed away last December, and Rocky Bleier, Thornton still managed to make his mark whenever the Steelers called on him to give them yards on the ground.
In his third season in the NFL in 1979, with Harris dealing with an injury early in the campaign, Sidney Thornton shined for the Steelers' backfield, racking up 585 rushing yards and six touchdowns on 118 rushing attempts. He also had 16 receptions that season for 231 receiving yards and four touchdowns and helped the Steelers capture the Super Bowl at the end of the campaign.
Sidney Thornton's role would diminish the following season in 1980, as he rushed for only 385 yards and three touchdowns but he still ended up being a part of another Super Bowl team, with the Steelers going back to back.
Thornton would play for the Steelers until the 1982 season during which he only appeared in four games and only had 33 rushing yards with a rushing touchdown.
All told, Thornton finished his NFL career with 1,512 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns on 356 carries.
Sidney Thornton was 68.
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