3400 South Water Street
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15203-2349
U.S.A.
Company Perspectives:
In 1933, Art Rooney purchased an NFL franchise for $2,500. Over the next eight decades the Pittsburgh Steelers have become a beloved part of the city, bringing so many great moments to the league and the Steel City.
History of Pittsburgh Steelers Sports, Inc.
Pittsburgh Steelers Sports, Inc., is the operating company for the National Football League's Pittsburgh Steelers, four-time winners of the Super Bowl. The company is privately owned by a second generation of the Rooney family. With the opening of a new football stadium, Heinz Field, the Steelers are now involved in developing the real estate that surrounds the facility. The team, founded in 1933, is only one of five NFL franchises still in existence from that period.
1930s Origins
The Steelers were founded in 1933 by Arthur Joseph Rooney, better known as Art. He was born in Coultersville, Pennsylvania, in 1901, one of nine children. Two years later his family moved to Pittsburgh's North Side, then known as Old Allegheny, where they lived over their father's saloon. Close by was Exposition Field where the Pittsburgh Pirates baseball team played its home games. Baseball was actually Rooney's first love, but he grew to love most sports, and despite his slight frame, standing just five-feet-seven, he proved to be a versatile athlete. He was a good enough boxer to win Amateur Athletic Union titles in the welterweight and middleweight classes and to earn a berth on the U.S. Olympic boxing team in 1920, although he would not participate in the games. He was also a good enough football player that legendary coach Knute Rockne recruited him to play at Notre Dame. Rooney, however, elected to stay home in Pittsburgh to play football at Duquesne University and college baseball at Georgetown University and Indiana State Normal School of Pennsylvania. Rooney attempted to make a career out of baseball, playing minor league ball in Wheeling, West Virginia, from 1921 to 1925, but an arm injury ended his pitching career and he was unable to entertain offers to play major league ball with the Boston Red Sox or Chicago Cubs.
Rooney now turned his attention to football. He played semi-professionally for the Canton Bulldogs, then from 1926 to 1932 organized his own Pittsburgh clubs under several names: the P.J. Rooneys, the North Side Majestics, and the Hope Harveys. He also staged boxing events and became active in horse racing. He began breeding racehorses in 1930 and became an adept handicapper. According to family lore, one day at Empire City Raceway in 1936 (or perhaps 1937) Rooney placed a $10 bet (or perhaps $500) on a long shot and went on to win over $100,000 that afternoon. The next day he took his bankroll to Saratoga Raceway where he increased his winnings to $300,000 (or perhaps $380,000). It had been another good day at the track that supposedly allowed Rooney to buy a franchise in the fledgling National Football League in 1933. For $2,500 he was awarded the NFL's fifth franchise.
Rooney named his new football team the Pittsburgh Pirates after the local baseball club. (Other early NFL teams also latched onto the names of their hometown baseball teams, such as the New York Giants, New York Yankees, and Brooklyn Dodgers.) The Pirates became a member of the Eastern Division in the ten-team league and played most of their games at the University of Pittsburgh's Forbes Field, home to the baseball Pirates. In the early days of its history, however, the team was at the end of the pecking order of area sports teams. The University of Pittsburgh football team was a winning program, so that when scheduling conflicts occurred with baseball or college football, the football Pirates were forced to play their home games elsewhere. Given the team's lack of success, winning just 22 games in its first seven seasons, it was little wonder that Rooney's club played "home" games as far away as Louisville and New Orleans--as well as in Johnstown and Latrobe, Pennsylvania, and Youngstown, Ohio. One of the team's star players of this period was Byron "Whizzer" White, an All-American at the University of Colorado who would lead the league in rushing in 1938. He would also go on to become a Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court for 31 years.
To keep his losing team afloat Rooney often had to rely on his track winnings to meet the payroll and pay the bills. At this stage, the club was little more than a hobby for Rooney, who did not seem overly troubled that the franchise lost money during its first seven years. In 1940 the Pirates became the Steelers, following a contest in which a fan submitted the name in homage to the city's predominant industry. The fan won free tickets for a year; the switch in names, however, failed to change the team's losing ways. Rooney, discouraged, sold the team to Alexis Thompson and bought a half-interest in the Philadelphia Eagles, which were owned by his friend Bert Bell. Thompson tried to relocate the Steelers to Boston, but the NFL denied permission. Rooney had second thoughts about leaving his hometown, and soon a deal was worked out that satisfied all parties. Bell had not done well in Philadelphia and agreed to swap franchises with Thompson. Bell and Rooney would co-own the Steelers until 1946 when Rooney bought out Bell, who became the NFL Commissioner.
Wartime Reorganization
The Steelers enjoyed their first winning season in 1942, winning seven and losing four, but with the United States now involved in World War II, many football players were drawn into the military, and NFL clubs were forced to adjust to thinned-out rosters. Once again the Steelers and Eagles were linked together, this time merging their teams for the 1943 season. Officially known as the Phil-Pitt Combine, the resulting team would be popularly known as the "Steagles," dividing their home games between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. In 1944 the Steelers merged with the Chicago Cardinals. The Card-Pitt Combine suffered through a winless season and earned the unenviable name of the "Carpets." In 1945, with the war having ended, the Steelers were able to be reformed. Still, other than the 1947 season, when the team won a share of the Eastern Division title but lost in a playoff game to the Philadelphia Eagles, the Steelers continued to be a perennial loser.
The Steelers were destined to endure another 25 years of futility. It was very much a rag-tag organization, the team offices located in a downtown hotel and financial records maintained in a black notebook. For years, Rooney, who had little love for lawyers, entered only into handshake contracts with his players. During the 1950s the team managed just two winning seasons, while making a number of poor player decisions. The Steelers cut future quarterback John Unitis, traded Quarterback Len Dawson, and passed on drafting running back Jim Brown. All three would win championships and be elected to football's Hall of Fame. One highlight of this period came in 1962 when the Steelers posted its best record to date, nine wins and five losses. By virtue of finishing second in its division, the team played in what was dubbed the "Playoff Bowl," losing to Detroit 17-10. What was essentially an exhibition game between also-rans failed to captivate the interest of America's football fans and the format was soon dropped. The year 1962 was also noteworthy in the team history because it was the first season the Steelers adopted its Steelmark logo, which had been created by U.S. Steel Corporation and later turned over to the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) so that the design could represent the industry as a whole. While other NFL teams adopted logos during the 1950s, the Steelers simply added the players' numbers to the side of their gold helmets. It was at the suggestion of a Cleveland company, Republic Steel, that the team began to apply the Steelmark to its helmets. Unsure how well the logo would look against a gold background, the team elected to place the Steelmark on just one side. The word "Steel" inside the logo was changed to "Steelers" with the permission of AISI. When the team played in the 1962 Playoff Bowl, management, to mark the occasion, painted the Steelers helmets black, a change which served to better highlight the logo. The new combination was so well received that the team decided to make the look permanent. As a result, the Steelers became the only NFL team with its logo on just one side of the helmet.
With the advent of the American Football League in the 1960s and the heated rivalry with the NFL that ensued, football was becoming very popular. The leagues would merge, resulting in the playing of the Super Bowl and ever-escalating television contracts. Because professional football decided to evenly share television revenues, even losing clubs like the Steelers became profitable concerns. The fortunes of the Steelers on the field were also about to change. In 1969 Rooney hired a new head coach, 37-year-old Chuck Noll, a former defensive coach with the Baltimore Colts and San Diego Chargers. Although Noll would post three consecutive losing seasons, he began to put together the foundation of a team that would become a dynasty during the 1970s.
Other changes were also taking place. As part of the merger agreement between the NFL and AFL, the Steelers along with the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Colts joined the AFL teams in the new American Football Conference in 1970. In that same year the team moved into a new home, Three Rivers Stadium, after nearly 40 years of either playing at Forbes Field or the University of Pittsburgh's Pitt Stadium. Even though Three Rivers was a multipurpose stadium shared with the Pirates, it was a dramatic improvement over the club's prior arrangements and added to the club's profitability.
Super Success in the 1970s
The Steelers made the playoffs in 1972 and the first playoff game ever held in Three Rivers would prove to be one of the most famous NFL games after played, almost entirely because of one play, the so-called Immaculate Reception. Trailing 7-6 in the final minute, quarterback Terry Bradshaw hurled a desperation, fourth-down pass that was deflected into the hands of running back Franco Harris, who ran the ball into the end zone for the winning score with five seconds left on the clock. Although the Steelers would lose the next week to the Miami Dolphins, they served notice that they were now contenders. With a defense known as the Steel Curtain and offensive stars such as Harris, Bradshaw, Lynn Swann, and John Stallworth, the team would win Super Bowls in 1975, 1976, 1979, and 1980.
Well before he experienced the success of winning, Art Rooney in 1964 was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame for his contributions to the game. He then began to turn over day-to-day responsibilities to his son, Daniel M. Rooney, who was in his mid-30s and had been involved with the club since childhood, attending his first training camp at the age of five and becoming a water boy when he was 14. He was only 18 when he began to negotiate player contracts. After graduating from Duquesne University with a degree in accounting in 1955 he joined his father with the Steelers and became involved in all aspects of running the business. In 1975 he was named president. Art Rooney, known affectionately as The Chief, remained involved in the running of the Steelers, as chairman, until his death. In August 1988 he suffered a stroke while walking to his office at Three Rivers and died several days later. Despite being a multimillionaire--he also owned three horse racing tracks and a breeding farm--he continued to live in a house across the street from where he was raised. He was beloved by his players and a revered figure in the city of Pittsburgh and within the football community.
The 1990s and Beyond
Although the Steelers failed to win additional Super Bowls in the final two decades of the century, they generally fielded winning teams. When the Steelers suffered through a losing season, the Rooney family, unlike many NFL owners, were patient and not quick to fire the head coach. Noll retired after the 1991 season, during which the Steelers won seven and lost nine. He was replaced by 35-year-old Bill Cowher, a former Browns and Chiefs assistant, who quickly turned around the team. In his first year, Cowher led the Steelers to their first Central Division title since 1984. Following the 1995 season, Cowher became the youngest head coach at the time to take a team to the Super Bowl. The team lost to the Dallas Cowboys, the only time the Steelers lost a Super Bowl game in franchise history. Even when the Steelers suffered back-to-back losing seasons in 1998 and 1999, and missed the playoffs in 2003, the Rooney family remained patient, electing to retain Cowher.
In the 1990s the economics of the NFL began to shift as some teams began to enjoy the benefits of new state-of-the-art stadiums, replete with an abundance of luxury suites that brought in extra income. The Steelers operated in a small market where ancillary income, such as radio rights, were modest. The Steelers, because of the league's policy of sharing television revenues and the imposition of a cap on player salaries, remained profitable, but not to the same extent as other NFL franchises. Moreover, the Steelers lacked amenities such as a modern training facility, a feature becoming very important in teams' ability to attract free agent talent. The Steelers, as well as the Pirates, began pleading for new stadiums, ones that would be devoted purely to their respective sports. The same situation prevailed on the other end of the state in Philadelphia, where the Phillies baseball team and the Eagles were making similar demands. The Steelers, immensely popular in Western Pennsylvania, talked about finding a new home outside of Pittsburgh, but still in the region, which added some pressure for the state officials to act. Similar threats also emerged from the other sports franchise in the two cities. Several years passed before the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the cities of Pittsburgh and Philadelphia were able to secure the necessary funding and negotiate the teams' contribution to the financing of four new stadiums in the state. In the end, the Steelers agreed to pay $76 million. Groundbreaking took place on June 18, 1999.
Before the new stadium opened, the team, in 2000, moved into a new training facility it would share with the University of Pittsburgh football program, The UPMC Sports Performance Complex. As for the new stadium, the Steelers wanted to name it after Art Rooney, but because the money received from naming rights was such an important economic factor the team tried to find a corporate sponsor that would share the name with the Steelers founder. That effort failed and the team ultimately sold the naming rights to H.J. Heinz Co. for $57 million over 20 years, an amount that was less than what the Steelers had hoped for. The 65,000-seat Heinz Field opened in August 2001. The new facility also brought with it real estate development possibilities, as the Steelers and the Pirates acquired the development rights to 25 acres of land that separated their new stadiums. Thirty years earlier there had been plans to develop the area around Three Rivers, including restaurants, stores, hotels, and office buildings, but in the end nothing significant resulted other than the paving of vast parking lots. Because the sports teams received parking revenue they were disinclined to invest in real estate projects. This time, the Pirates and Steelers were determined to maximize the value of the surrounding land. They hired Continental Real Estate Cos. to pursue a number of projects, including a new office building that would serve as the headquarters for Equitable Resources and a 5,600 seat amphitheater.
Principal Competitors: Baltimore Ravens L.P.; Cincinnati Bengals, Inc.; Cleveland Browns, LLC.
Related information about Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team
based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the
Northern Division of
the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football
League (NFL). The team has appeared in six Super Bowls and is, with the
San Francisco
49ers and Dallas
Cowboys, one of three teams to have won five of them. They are
the only team in NFL playoff history to win a Super Bowl after
being seeded sixth in the playoffs, winning three consecutive games
on the road followed by a Super Bowl victory in Detroit on February 5, 2006. They enter the 2006 regular season as
the reigning Super Bowl Champions.
Originally named the Pittsburgh Pirates, the team, along
with the Philadelphia Eagles and the now-defunct Cincinnati
Reds football team, joined the NFL as 1933 expansion teams, after
blue-collar
worker" ethic of the many Pittsburgh fans as well as to avoid
confusion with the major league baseball team with the same name.
The Steelers have conducted summer training camp at nearby Saint Vincent
College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania every season since 1967, before this they conducted
them at South Allegheny County Park and Duquesne
University.
-->
The Pittsburgh NFL team first took to the field on September 20, 1933, losing 23-2 to the New York Giants.
Pittsburgh did make history in 1938 by signing Byron White, a future
justice on the U.S. Supreme Court to what was at the time the biggest
contract in NFL history, but he only played one year with the
Pirates before signing with the Detroit Lions.
In 1941, the team was renamed the Steelers after the city's
prominence as a steel-making center. During the 1943 season, they
merged with the Philadelphia Eagles forming the "Phil-Pitt Eagles" and
were known as the "Steagles". In 1944 they merged with the Chicago Cardinals and
were known as "Card-Pitt" and derisively known as the "Car-Pitts"
or "Carpets", as they finished the season winless.
The Steelers made the playoffs for the first time in 1947, tying
for first place in the division at 8-4 with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Noll's most remarkable talent was in his draft selections, taking
Hall of Famers "Mean" Joe Greene in 1969, Terry Bradshaw and
Mel Blount in 1970,
Jack Ham in 1971,
Franco Harris in
1972, and finally, in 1974 pulled off the incredible feat of
selecting four Hall of Famers in one draft year, Mike Webster, Lynn Swann, John Stallworth and
Jack Lambert. The players drafted in the early
70's formed the base of one of the greatest dynasties in NFL
history, making the playoffs eight seasons, and becoming the only
team in NFL history to win four Super Bowls in six years, as well as the first to win
more than two.
The Steelers suffered a rash of injuries in the 1980 season and
missed the playoffs with a 9-7 record. Mean Joe Greene retired
after the 1981 season, Lynn Swann and Jack Ham after 1982's playoff berth, Terry Bradshaw and
Mel Blount after
1983's divisional championship, and Jack Lambert after 1984's AFC Championship Game
appearance.
After those retirements the franchise skidded to their first losing
seasons since 1971, though still competitive the Steelers would not
finish above .500 until 1989 when they would reach the second round
of the playoffs on the strength of Merrill Hoge and Rod Woodson before narrowly missing the playoffs
each of the next two seasons.
In 1992, Chuck Noll
retired and was succeeded by Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Bill Cowher, a native of the
Pittsburgh suburb of Crafton. Cowher led the Steelers to the playoffs
in each of his first six seasons as coach, a feat that had only
previously been accomplished by legendary coach Paul Brown of the Cleveland Browns.
Overall, Cowher has taken his team to the playoffs in 10 out of his
14 seasons, including appearances in Super Bowl XXX in at the
end of the 1995
season, and the franchise's record-tying fifth Super Bowl win
in Super Bowl XL
over the National Football Conference champion Seattle Seahawks ten
years later. If you wish to add more information, please visit the
History of the Pittsburgh Steelers article.-->
Logo and uniforms
The Steelers have used black and gold as their basic colors
since the club's inception (excluding the 1943 season when they
merged with the Philadelphia Eagles and formed the "Steagles"; Unlike most other
cities, the colors are currently also used by the Pittsburgh Pirates
baseball team and the Pittsburgh Penguins hockey team, (also the colors of the
flag for the City of Pittsburgh) making it the official team colors
of every professional sports team in the city.
The Steelers logo was then introduced in 1962, and is based on the
"Steelmark",
originally designed by Pittsburgh's U.S. Steel, and now owned by the American
Iron and Steel Institute (AISI). In a twist of fate it was
Cleveland based
Republic Steel
that suggested the Steelers adopt the industry logo. It consists of
the word "Steelers" surrounded by three astroids (hypocycloids of four cusps). www.steel.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home&TEMPLATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&CONTENTID=12452
While the "Steelmark" logo only contains the word "Steel", the
Steelers were given special permission to add "-ers".
The Steelers are the only NFL team that puts their logo on only one
side of the helmet (the right side).
Franchise traditions
The "Terrible Towel" is a gimmick created by Pittsburgh broadcaster Myron Cope for the Steelers.
Needing a way to excite the fans during a 1975 playoff game against the Baltimore Colts, Cope
urged fans to take gold dish towels to the game and wave them throughout. The Steel
curtain teams of the 1970's dynasty had many big-screen moments
including the 1977 John Frankenheimer thriller Black Sunday, Warren Beatty playing the
prelude to the Steelers 4th championship in 1978's Heaven Can Wait, and a
team cameo for the 1980 Burt Reynolds film Smokey and the
Bandit II, the independent film Icarus of
Pittsburgh in 2002 delved into the world of a 70's Steeler fan.
In more recent times Adam Sandler's 1998 film The Waterboy featured a few Steeler greats as well
as Coach Cowher arguing with real-life rival Jimmy Johnson of the Cowboys.
The Steelers and their fans were also featured in the Charlie Daniels
Band's 1980 song, In America. www.pittsburghcitypaper.ws/archive.cfm?type=You+Had+to+Ask&action=getComplete&ref=4579
Steelers fans were held up as examples of patriotic Americans who
would resist Iranian terrorism.
Television has also turned to the Steelers in 1980's "Fighting
Back" a movie where Art
Carney plays Art
Rooney, and 1981's The
Steeler and the Pittsburgh Kid. The Steelers of lore also have
starring roles in several ESPN productions such as Matchup of the
Millenium and Dream
Bowl series.
"Mean" Joe Greene has appeared in the famous Coca-Cola ad where a
child calls out to Greene and gives him his Coke. Pittsburgh
Pirates
|-
|1933 || 5th NFL East || --
|-
|1934 || 0 || 5th NFL East || --
|-
|1935 || 3rd NFL East || --
|-
|1936 || 0 || 2nd NFL East || --
|-
|1937 || 0 || 3rd NFL East || --
|-
|1938 || 0 || 5th NFL East || --
|-
|1939 || T-4th NFL East || --
|-
|1940 || 4th NFL East || Pittsburgh Steelers
|-
|1941 || 5th NFL East || --
|-
|1942 || 2nd NFL East || Steagles
|-
|1943 || 3rd NFL East || Card-Pitt
|-
|1944 || 5th NFL West || Pittsburgh Steelers
|-
|1945 || 5th NFL East || --
|-
|1946 || T-3rd NFL East || --
|-
|1947 || 2nd NFL East || Lost Eastern Divisional Playoff (Eagles)
|-
|1948 || T-3rd NFL East || --
|-
|1949 || 2nd NFL East || --
|-
|1950 || T-3rd NFL AFC || --
|-
|1951 || 4th NFL AFC || --
|-
|1952 || 4th NFL AFC || --
|-
|1953 || 4th NFL East || --
|-
|1954 || 4th NFL East || --
|-
|1955 || 6th NFL East || --
|-
|1956 || T-4th NFL East || --
|-
|1957 || 3rd NFL East || --
|-
|1958 || 3rd NFL East || --
|-
|1959 || 4th NFL East || --
|-
|1960 || 5th NFL East || --
|-
|1961 || 5th NFL East || --
|-
|1962 || 2nd NFL East || --
|-
|1963 || 4th NFL East || --
|-
|1964 || 6th NFL East || --
|-
|1965 || 7th NFL East || --
|-
|1966 || 6th NFL East || --
|-
|1967 || 4th NFL Century || --
|-
|1968 || 4th NFL Century || --
|-
|1969 || 4th NFL Century || --
|-
|1970 || 3rd AFC Central || --
|-
|1971 || 2nd AFC Central || --
|-
|1972 || 1st AFC Central || Won Divisional Playoffs (Raiders)
Lost Conference Championship (Dolphins)
|-
|1973 || 2nd AFC Central || Lost Divisional Playoffs (Raiders)
|-
|1974 || 1st AFC Central || Won Divisional Playoffs (Bills)
Won Conference Championship (Raiders)
Won Super Bowl
IX (Vikings)
|-
|1975 || 1st AFC Central || Won Divisional Playoffs (B. Colts)
Won Conference Championship (Raiders)
Won Super Bowl
X (Cowboys)
|-
|1976 || 1st AFC Central || Won Divisional Playoffs (B. Colts)
Lost Conference Championship (Raiders)
|-
|1977 || 1st AFC Central || Lost Divisional Playoffs (Broncos)
|-
|1978 || 1st AFC Central || Won Divisional Playoffs (Broncos)
Won Conference Championship (Oilers)
Won Super Bowl
XIII (Cowboys)
|-
|1979 || 1st AFC Central || Won Divisional Playoffs (Dolphins)
Won Conference Championship (Oilers)
Won Super Bowl
XIV (L.A.
Rams)
|-
|1980 || 3rd AFC Central || --
|-
|1981 || 2nd AFC Central || --
|-
|1982 || Lost First Round (Chargers)
|-
|1983 || 1st AFC Central || Lost Divisional Playoffs (L.A. Raiders)
|-
|1984 || 1st AFC Central || Won Divisional Playoffs (Broncos)
Lost Conference Championship (Dolphins)
|-
|1985 || 3rd AFC Central || --
|-
|1986 || 3rd AFC Central || --
|-
|1987 || 3rd AFC Central || --
|-
|1988 || 4th AFC Central || --
|-
|1989 || 3rd AFC Central || Won Wild Card Playoffs (Oilers)
Lost Divisional playoff (Broncos)
|-
|1990 || 3rd AFC Central || --
|-
|1991 || 2nd AFC Central || --
|-
|1992 || 1st AFC Central || Lost Divisional Playoffs (Bills)
|-
|1993 || 2nd AFC Central || Lost Wild Card Playoffs (Chiefs)
|-
|1994 || 1st AFC Central || Won Divisional Playoffs (Browns)
Lost Conference Championship (Chargers)
|-
|1995 || 1st AFC Central || Won Divisional Playoffs (Bills)
Won Conference Championship (Colts)
Lost Super Bowl
XXX (Cowboys)
|-
|1996 || 1st AFC Central || Won Wild Card Playoffs (Colts)
Lost Divisional Playoffs (Patriots)
|-
|1997 || 1st AFC Central || Won Divisional Playoffs (Patriots)
Lost Conference Championship (Broncos)
|-
|1998 || 3rd AFC Central || --
|-
|1999 || 4th AFC Central || --
|-
|2000 || 3rd AFC Central || --
|-
|2001 || 1st AFC Central || Won Divisional Playoffs (Ravens)
Lost Conference Championship (Patriots)
|-
|2002 || 1st AFC North || Won Wild Card Playoffs (Browns)
Lost Divisional Playoffs (Titans)
|-
|2003 || 3rd AFC North || --
|-
|2004 || 1st AFC North || Won Divisional Playoffs (Jets)
Lost Conference Championship (Patriots)
|-
|2005 || Won Wild Card Playoffs (Bengals)
Won Divisional Playoffs (Colts)
Won Conference Championship (Broncos)
Won Super Bowl
XL (Seahawks)
|-
|*2006 || 3rd AFC North || --
|-
!Totals || (1933-2005, including NFL playoffs)
* = Current Standing
Players of note
Current players
Pro
Football Hall of Famers
Inductees
- Bert Bell,
Co-owner (1941-1946)
- Mel Blount, CB
(1970-1983)
- Terry
Bradshaw, QB (1970-1983)
- Bill Dudley,
RB-DB (1942 and 1945-1946 - missed 1943-1944 due to military
service)
- "Mean" Joe Greene, DT (1969-1981)
- Jack Ham, LB
(1971-1982)
- Franco
Harris, RB (1972-1983)
- John Henry
Johnson, RB (1960-1965)
- Walt
Kiesling, G (1937-1939), Head Coach (1939-1944 and
1954-1956)
- Jack Lambert, LB (1974-1984)
- Bobby Layne,
QB (1958-1962)
- Johnny
McNally (a.k.a. "Johnny Blood"), RB (1934 and
1937-1938)
- Chuck Noll,
Head Coach (1969-1991)
- Art Rooney,
Founder/Owner (1933-1988)
- Dan Rooney,
Executive (1955-present), Owner (1988-present)
- John
Stallworth, WR (1974-1987)
- Ernie
Stautner, DT (1950-1963)
- Lynn Swann, WR
(1974-1982)
- Mike Webster,
C (1974-1988)
Award Recipients
- Myron Cope,
Announcer (1970-2005), awarded the 2005 Pro Football Hall of
Fame's Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award
Other Hall-of-Famers associated with the
Steelers
- Len Dawson, QB
(1957-1959)
- Bill Hewitt,
TE-DE (1943 Steagles)
- Cal Hubbard,
T-DT (1936)
- Marion
Motley, RB (1955)
- Earle "Greasy"
Neale, Co-Head Coach with Kiesling (1943 Steagles)
- Johnny
Unitas, QB (cut from 1955 training camp roster)
Retired numbers
Except for Stautner, the Steelers do not officially retire
uniform numbers. However, the following numbers are out of
circulation and "unofficially" retired:
- 12 Terry
Bradshaw
- 32 Franco
Harris
- 36 Jerome
Bettis
- 47 Mel Blount -
Issued during the preseason regularly, and on some occasions to
the final 53-man roster. Used five times officially since
Blount's retirement, most recently to practice squad member
Ronald Stanley in 2005.
- 52 Mike
Webster
- 58 Jack Lambert
- 59 Jack Ham -
Used once in 1984 by Todd Seabaugh, who played one season with
the team. The number has not been used since.
- 63 Dermontti
Dawson
- 75 Joe
Greene
Source: Steeler's All-Time Roster by
Jersey Number
Super Bowl MVPs
The following Steelers players have been named Super Bowl MVP:
- Franco
Harris - Super
Bowl IX
- Lynn Swann -
Super Bowl
X
- Terry
Bradshaw - Super Bowl XIII and Super Bowl XIV
- Hines Ward -
Super Bowl
XL
Other notable alumni
- Walter Abercrombie
- Gary
Anderson
- Matt
Bahr
- John
Banaszak
- Kendrell
Bell
- Theo
Bell
- Jerome
Bettis
- Rocky
Bleier
- Bubby
Brister
- Chad
Brown
- Larry Brown
- Plaxico
Burress
- Jack
Butler
- Craig
Colquitt
- Bennie
Cunningham
- Sam
Davis
- Najeh
Davenport
- Dermontti Dawson
- Buddy
Dial
|
- Jim
Finks
- Barry
Foster
- Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala
- Frenchy
Fuqua
- Roy
Gerela
- Jason
Gildon
- Joe
Gilliam
- Eric
Green
- Kevin
Greene
- L.C.
Greenwood
- Carlton
Haselrig
- Dick
Hoak
- Merril
Hoge
- Ernie
Holmes
- Tunch
Ilkin
- Levon
Kirkland
- Jon
Kolb
|
- Carnell
Lake
- Louis
Lipps
- David
Little
- Greg
Lloyd
- Tommy
Maddox
- Mark
Malone
- Ray
Mansfield
- Mike
Merriweather
- Bam
Morris
- Gerry
Mullins
- Elbie
Nickel
- Neil
O'Donnell
- Actor Ed
O'Neill
- Frank
Pollard
- Willie
Parker
- Darren
Perry
- Antwaan Randle El
|
- Andy
Russell
- Donnie
Shell
- Kordell
Stewart
- Cliff
Stoudt
- Yancey
Thigpen
- Mike
Tomczak
- Rocky
Bleier
- Kimo
von Oelhoffen
- Mike
Wagner
- Byron
White (U.S. Supreme Court Justice)
- Dwight
White
- John L.
Williams
- Willie Williams
- Keith
Willis
- Dwayne
Woodruff
- Rod
Woodson
- Amos
Zereoue
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Head coaches
- Forrest
Douds (1933)
- Luby DiMelio
(1934)
- Joe Bach
(1935-1936)
- John McNally
(1937-1939)
- Walt
Kiesling (1939-1940)
- Aldo Donelli
(1941)
- Bert Bell
(1941)
- Walt
Kiesling (1941-1944)
- Jim Leonard
(1945)
- Jock
Sutherland (1946-1947)
- John
Michelosen (1948-1951)
- Joe Bach
(1952-1953)
- Walt
Kiesling (1954-1956)
- Raymond "Buddy"
Parker (1957-1964)
- Mike Nixon
(1965)
- Bill Austin
(1966-1968)
- Chuck Noll
(1969-1991)
- Bill Cowher
(1992-Present)
Current Staff
- Head Coach - Bill
Cowher
- Offensive Coordinator - Ken Whisenhunt
- Defensive Coordinator - Dick LeBeau
- Special Teams Coach - Kevin
Spencer
- Quarterbacks Coach - Mark Whipple
- Running Backs Coach - Dick Hoak
- Wide Receivers Coach - Bruce Arians
- Tight Ends Coach - James Daniel
- Offensive Line Coach/Assistant Head Coach - Russ Grimm
- Offensive Assistant - Matt Raich
- Defensive Line Coach - John
Mitchell
- Linebackers Coach - Keith
Butler
- Defensive Backs Coach - Darren Perry
- Defensive Assistant - Lou Spanos
- Strength and Conditioning - Chet Fuhrman
- Play Specialist - Simon Eccleston
Radio Network
The Steelers Radio Network media3.steelers.com/gameday/broadcasts/ is flagshipped
by WDVE 102.5 FM and
WBGG AM 970 in Pittsburgh.
Swann has also had several Hollywood roles, making cameos in 1998's
The Waterboy,
1993's The Program
and 1991's The
Last Boyscout. His TV cameo's include Saturday Night Live
and The Drew
Carey Show.
- Merrill Hoge
- Has hosted sports shows on ESPN and ESPN2 since 1996 most
notably EA Sports NFL Match Up, Football Friday and NFL Tonight.
In addition to broadcasting Bradshaw has had appearances in
several major motion pictures (most notably Smokey and the
Bandit II, Black
Sunday and Failure to Launch) as well as spokesman for Radio
Shack and SaniKing among others in commercials.
- Tunch Ilkin-
Comcast CN8 Network "In the Locker Room" Host
2006-Present.
- Craig
Wolfley-Comcast CN8 Network "In the Locker Room" Host
2006-Present.
Notable moments
-
The following is a selected list of memorable Steelers
games
November 22,
1959 at Cleveland
Browns
- Behind 14-20 with a minute and a half left and at their own
28 yard line the Steelers Bobby Layne drove 60 yards behind the blocks of
injured Tom Barnett who refused to leave the field. To add insult
to a shocked Cleveland crowd, when the Browns take over after the
Steelers score, dependable Lou Groza misses a chip shot field
goal as the clock ran out.
December 15,
1963, at New York
Giants
- Coach Buddy Parker again led the once-hapless Steelers to a
winning season only to fall short of the playoffs late. The
Giants won 33-17.
October 10,
1964, Cleveland Browns,
Municipal
Stadium
- On the way towards a 5 win and 9 loss season the Steelers
traveled to Cleveland during the height of the Jim Brown era
during a year the Browns were on the road to their 1964
Championship Game appearance and shocked the Cleveland faithful.
The Steelers would go on to a 23-7 victory over the eventual NFL
Champions while holding NFL Legend Jim Brown to just 59 total
yards and scoreless.
October 3, 1970, Cleveland Browns,
Municipal
Stadium
- Last of the "Saturday Night Games" during the rivalry, a
tradition which brought mystique and urban legends to the
contest--even moreso from what happened in the stands then what
was going on in the field. In true Browns/Steelers tradition the
game was a defensive battle of smashmouth football with a 15-7
loss being handed to the upstart Steelers.
November 19,
1972, at Cleveland
Browns
-
A game that was as dramatic as it was decisive. Oakland Raiders,
AFC
Divisional Playoff
- Voted the "best play ever", www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060120/SPORTS08/601200321/1127/SPORTS0102the
"Immaculate Reception", took place in what would be
the Steelers first ever post-season victory. The game was
blackedout in Pittsburgh, so no one in the metro realized
what had happened for hours after, the patriarch of the team
Art Rooney was on an elevator down to comfort his Steelers
after what he thought was a loss, legendary announcer Myron
Cope also was in an elevator on the way down for post-game
interviews and Terry Bradshaw was regaining his bearings
after being drilled by Oakland defenders and for moments
after was looking skyward with his back on the Three Rivers
turf.
November 25,
1973, at Cleveland
Browns
- Browns rookie Greg Pruitt single handidly kept Cleveland
on the heels of the division leading Steelers. After getting
swept up in the emotions of the dramatic comeback the rookie
Pruitt mistakenly bursts into the Steelers locker room, only
to find the Cleveland press had left the Browns locker room
by the time he calmed down and remembered which door it was
behind.
December 3,
1973 at Miami Dolphins,
Monday
Night Football
- A blooper game if ever there was one. With all the sloppy
play on both sides Miami manages to hang on to a 30-26 win
but just barely.
December
29,1974 at Oakland Raiders,
AFC
Championship Game
-
The game that brought Pittsburgh it's first Super Bowl
trip, the Steelers defense holds Oakland to only 29 yards
on the ground and Jack Ham makes two key interceptions to end long
Raider drives. Minnesota Vikings, Super Bowl
IX
- Pittsburgh wins its first of many Super Bowls and
does it in record-setting fashion. MVP Franco Harris sets
a Super Bowl rushing record that would stand for almost a
decade as Pittsburgh wins the world championship 16-6,
missing the shutout on a blocked Steeler punt covered by
Minnesota for a TD.
January
16, 1976,
Dallas
Cowboys, Super Bowl X
- Repeating as World Champions the Steelers again do
more than hoist the Lombardi Trophy, setting Super Bowl
records in receiving with MVP Lynn Swann's 4
immortal grabs for 161 yards and the game winning score,
a yardage record that would stand for 12 Super Bowls and
a 64 yard completion that would be voted the best passing
play in all of football history by NFL Films. The Steel
Curtain defense would pick off Staubach for 3
interceptions as Pittsburgh won back-to-back
championships 21-17, and start a heated rivalry with the
Dallas Cowboys (in what would become the most numerous
pairing in Superbowl history).
September
12, 1976 at
Oakland
Raiders, Season Opener
- In what was becoming a heated rivalry for dominance
of the AFC in the 1970's this game brought tensions to
the boiling point, literally.
October
10, 1976, at
Cleveland
Browns
- A strange game in the Steelers/Browns rivalry. It
came down to the surprising play of back-up Browns
quarterback Doctor David Mays, who was a real-life
dentist catching the Steelers defense
off-guard.
November
20, 1977, at
Dallas
Cowboys
- Dallas is 8-1 when the Steelers visit with an injured
Bradshaw (wrist) and show run on every play. While
Staubach only wishes he was injured throwing two critical
interceptions as Pittsburgh goes on to dominate Dallas at
Texas Stadium 28-13.
September
24, 1978,
Cleveland
Browns
- A reason the Steelers/Browns rivalry is possibly the
best.
November
25, 1979,
Cleveland
Browns
- Arguably the greatest football game ever played, the
Steelers were at the height of their four championships
dynasty and the Browns were a year away from earning a
Divisional crown as well as starting their AFC
Championship game runs of the 1980's. A game that vaulted
the Steelers/Browns rivalry into perhaps the greatest in
all sports.
November
3, 1985,
Cleveland
Browns
- Played in a driving rain storm the game was a
slugfest. This was also the record 16th straight loss
handed the Browns in Pittsburgh.
November
26, 1998, at
Detroit
Lions
- In a 19-16 Overtime loss on Thanksgiving to the
hapless Lions it was a Steeler's actions between the
plays that made the most memorable (and rule changing)
play. The Steelers went into Thanksgiving with a record
of 7-4 but left Detroit with a hex since the botched
toss, losing their remaining 5 games and missing the
playoffs.
January
15, 2006, at
Indianapolis Colts
- In a game where the Steelers were heavily underdogs,
they came out strong after defeating the AFC North
Champion Cincinnati Bengals.
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