Pittsburgh Steelers: The 5 Best Highlights in Franchise History (with Video)

Every franchise has it's proud moments. The Pittsburgh Steelers have quite a few. Throughout the long history of the franchise, there have been some notable and memorable plays.

Here, I present to you my top five plays.

Will you agree or disagree? Feel free to comment and let me know what you think about these five plays and also list plays you think were wrongly excluded.

5. Lynn Swann's Super Bowl Catch

Breakdown: The Steelers, playing in their second consecutive Super Bowl and against their soon-to-be rivals, the Dallas Cowboys.

Terry Bradshaw dropped back to pass and threw to a streaking Lynn Swann. Swann was well-covered and possibly even interfered with during the play.

Regardless of all of that, he made one of the best catches in Super Bowl history with an acrobatic grab over the diving defender.

4. Troy Polamalu's Fingertip Interception

Breakdown: In a tight game against Philip Rivers and the San Diego Chargers, Polamalu intercepted a pass using one hand (really only the tips of his fingers) on what originally looked like a sure completion and first down for San Diego.

Polamalu's pick was upheld by replays after a challenge and has to go down as one of the best interceptions in league history.

It certainly has earned a place in Pittsburgh lore.

3. Antwaan Randle El to Hines Ward, Super Bowl XL

Breakdown: In what shaped up to be a much tighter game than was expected, the Steelers needed a big offensive play to bail out struggling quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh offense.

With Big Ben unable to generate the same magic that had guided the Steelers through the playoffs, the Steelers and offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt turned to a gadget play.

Rarely seen in the Super Bowl, gadget plays were not yet in vogue in the NFL.

Randle El took the ball on a toss play, rolled right and fired a dart to Ward, who had broken through behind a confused and discombobulated Seattle defense. The play helped put the Steelers further ahead and helped them claim their fifth title.

2. Ben Roethlisberger to Santonio Holmes

Breakdown: After dominating the Arizona Cardinals for much of the game, the Steelers suddenly found themselves trailing late in Super Bowl XLIII.

After driving most of the field to set up a scoring opportunity, Ben Roethlisberger was shut down on his first attempt at a fade to the back of the end zone.

On his second attempt, Santonio Holmes made a jumping, diving, toe-tapping grab that has gone down as one of the top (if not the best) catches in Super Bowl history. Upheld upon review, the play has become one of the most identifiable of a game filled with great plays and helped Holmes win Super Bowl MVP honors.

Oh, and don't forget, it also gave the Steelers their record sixth Super Bowl title.

1. The Immaculate Reception

Breakdown: This play needs to introduction for well-versed Steelers fans. For the uninitiated, here's what happened.

Locked in a 7-6 battle with the Oakland Raiders in the team's first playoff game ever at Three Rivers Stadium, the Steelers needed some kind of magic to beat John Madden's squad.

Terry Bradshaw dropped back to pass, but his pocket never fully developed. Harassed into a roll-out, Bradshaw nearly fell on the slippery turf before heaving a desperate pass down field to Frenchy Fuqua, the team's fullback.

The ball arrived at it's destination at the same time as Raiders defensive back Jack Tatum. The three-way collision resulted in the ball caroming backwards and toward the turf. At the last possible second, rookie running back Franco Harris scooped the ball into his hands and bolted into the end zone.

The Steelers won their first playoff game ever as a result and the rest, as they say, is history.