History of the Pittsburgh Steelers
Encyclopedia
This article details the history of the Pittsburgh Steelers
. The Steelers are an American football
franchise representing Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
. They are the seventh-oldest club in the National Football League
(NFL), which they joined in . The only surviving NFL teams with a longer history are the Chicago Bears
, Chicago (Arizona) Cardinals, Detroit Lions (then the Portsmouth Spartans), Green Bay Packers
, New York Giants
and Boston (Washington) Redskins. The Philadelphia Eagles
joined the league concurrently with the Steelers in 1933.
The team was founded by Arthur J. "Art" Rooney
. The Rooney family
has held a controlling interest in the club for almost its entire history. Since its founding the team has captured six league championships and competed in more than a thousand games. In the Steelers became the first NFL team to capture six Super Bowl
titles. Currently the club is fifth in total NFL Championships behind the Packers (13), Bears (9), Browns (8) and Giants (7). Eighteen Steelers players, coaches or administrators have been enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame
.
, who was born and raised in the Pittsburgh
area, was an exceptional all-around athlete. Rooney was recruited to play football for Notre Dame
, baseball for the Boston Red Sox
; and invited to join the 1920 Olympic boxing team
. His love of sports would lead to him becoming an organizer and promoter. This included the Hope-Harvey Football Club, a semi-professional
American football
team which he founded as a teenager. "In a way, I guess that was the start of the Steelers. It grew from that," Rooney said.
The name "Hope-Harvey" was derived from the Hope Fire House, located in the heart of the Pittsburgh's North Side, which served as the team's locker room, and Dr. Harvey, a local physician, who was a sponsor and unofficial team doctor. The Hope-Harvey Majestics competed against other semi-pro or "sandlot" teams; a collection would be raised from the fans in attendance which would be split amongst the players. In addition to being the team's manager and coach, Art Rooney at times played quarterback
for the team, which also included his younger brothers, Dan and Jim. Behind the Rooney boys, these teams met a fair amount of success, including at least two Western Pennsylvania Senior Independent Football Conference titles in the early 1930s.
The Hope-Harvey club, which would later come to be known as "Majestic Radio" (when they gained a sponsor) and later the "James P. Rooneys" (to promote the state legislative campaign of the team's quarterback, and Art Rooney's brother, Jimmy Rooney), played most of their home games at Exposition Park
in Pittsburgh. These Steeler precursors were composed primarily of players from the local colleges: Pitt
, Duquesne
and Carnegie Tech
, all of which were major college programs of the day.
Although football was popular in Pittsburgh at the time, the city had no fully professional teams due to Pennsylvania's puritanical blue law
s, which prohibited athletic competition on Sundays because it was the Sabbath. The teams of the National Football League
, which was founded in 1920, played primarily on Sunday to avoid conflicts with college football
games which were played on Saturday.
2,500 franchise fee. The new team was known as the Pirates in reference to their baseball club
landlords at Forbes Field
. Before settling on Forbes, Rooney considered playing at Greenlee Field
, which housed the city's Negro League baseball club. Since the blue laws were not repealed until November's general election, the team was forced to play its first four home games on Wednesday nights.
Over the course of the next four decades, Rooney's new team was a study in frustration. They posted a winning record only eight times in their first 39 NFL seasons and never sniffed a championship.
and placing bets on horse racing
. A life long hobby, Rooney once won an estimated $250,000 to $300,000 in a single 1936 day of betting. It would later become legend
that Art Rooney won the Steelers while betting on a horse race, however this was not true.
What can safely be said is that Rooney's gambling winnings did help keep the football franchise afloat, because while Rooney fared well off the field, the Pirates struggled on it. Rooney said of those lean years, "In those days, nobody got wealthy in sports. You had two thrills. One came Sunday, trying to win the game. The next came Monday, trying to make the payroll."
Although he strove to field a winning team, Rooney spent a good deal of energy simply trying to keep the franchise in business through its early seasons. During the 1930s, while America was in the depths of the Great Depression
, the Pirates were a financial drain on Rooney. Rooney claimed that the team lost nearly $10,000 in . Bidding wars for players made it difficult for less established clubs to compete with the more seasoned Giants, Bears and Packers. In 1935, Rooney proposed a restriction on the number of players that could be signed by teams that finished at the top of the league. These ideas eventually lead to the creation of the NFL Draft
, which first came into being in 1936
.
The Pirates' first uniforms were gold with black stripes and were adorned with the city crest. This color scheme was inspired by Pittsburgh's city flag. The stripes were created with felt overlays, and as such they had functional as well as aesthetic value in that they allowed the ball carrier to hold the ball more securely.
Rooney hired Forrest "Jap" Douds
as player-coach
. Douds was a three-time All-American and local legend as a player at Washington & Jefferson College
, and had been an All-Pro
in the NFL. Pittsburgh's inaugural game, against the New York Giants
was a 23–2 defeat in front of a crowd of about 20,000. The franchise's first ever points came off a safety which resulted when Pirates center
John "Cap" Oehler
blocked a punt through the end zone
. Rooney wrote of the game, "The Giants won. Our team looks terrible. The fans didn't get their money's worth."
The Pirates notched their first victory a week later, defeating the Chicago Cardinals
14–13, in front of about 5,000 fans. The team scored its first ever touchdown
when Martin "Butch" Kottler
returned an interception 99 yards. The other hero that day was Mose Kelsch
, who at 36 years of age was the oldest player in the NFL — even four years older than team owner Rooney. Kelsch, a holdover from the sandlot Majestics, kicked the extra point
that was the margin of victory.
In their sixth game the Pirates set an NFL record the franchise still shares by combining with the Cincinnati Reds
to punt
31 times in a scoreless tie. The Bears
and Packers
matched the mark in a game played on the same day, but it has never been surpassed.
The total attendance for their five home games in the inaugural season
was around 57,000. To put that number into perspective, that year's Pitt-Duquesne college matchup was watched by around 60,000 fans. The team finished their initial season with a 3–6–2 record, after which Coach Douds was not retained as coach, though he stayed with the team two more years as a player.
Rooney pursued Heartley "Hunk" Anderson
, who had recently stepped down as head coach at Notre Dame, to replace Douds. After being rebuffed by Anderson in favor of a similar position at North Carolina State, Rooney went after Earle "Greasy" Neale. It speaks to the stature of the professional game relative to college football that Neale turned down the Pirates' offer in order to take an assistant coaching position at Yale University. Neale would later coach the Philadelphia Eagles
to two NFL championships and earn a spot in the Hall of Fame
.
Luby DiMeolo, who had been rumored as the leading candidate for the Pirates coaching job prior to the team's first season, was eventually hired to replace Douds. He had been captain
of the 1929 Pittsburgh Panthers football team on which Jimmy Rooney also starred. DiMeolo hired Jimmy Rooney as an assistant. Following a disappointing 2–10 season in , DiMeolo was dismissed.
Rooney attempted to lure football legend Red Grange
, who had just retired as a player, to coach the team the following year. Grange eventually declined the offer in favor of an assistant coaching position with the Chicago Bears
. Rooney settled instead on Duquesne coach Joe Bach
. Bach was notable as one of Notre Dame's "seven mules", who blocked for the team's famed "Four Horsemen". In Bach's first season the team improved on the previous years two wins, but they still were not very competitive at 4–8.
saw the institution of the National Football League draft as a means of distributing talent more equitably amongst teams. The Pirates saw little initial return, however, as the team's first draft pick
, William Shakespeare
, would never play in the NFL. The franchise would trade their first round pick multiple times in their first 30 years.
In his second season with the Pirates in , Bach had his team in contention for the NFL's Eastern Division title with a 6–3 record through nine games. However, the season fell apart with losses in the final three games. Rooney and Bach each blamed the other for the collapse. Although Rooney and Bach had an agreement for Bach to remain with the club in , Bach decided instead to take the head job at Niagara University
, for which Rooney released him from his verbal commitment. Rooney later expressed regret for letting Bach leave.
The Bach era (such as it was) gave way to that of Johnny "Blood" McNally
who took over as player-coach in . McNally was an eleven year NFL veteran who had played for the Pirates in . He was one of the game's most colorful characters, and Rooney hired him with an eye toward increasing ticket sales. After a 2–0 start, the team lost its next five games, finishing at 4–7.
The next season saw the arrival of the franchise's first superstar, Byron "Whizzer" White
. The Pirates selected White, the All-America
quarterback from the University of Colorado, with the fourth overall selection of the 1938 NFL Draft
and offered him an unheard of salary of $15,000 to join the team. White declined the generous offer, in order to continue his education through a Rhodes Scholarship
at Oxford University
. However, when he was able to arrange to defer his start at Oxford until January, he reconsidered and signed the deal. In addition to the league-high salary, the terms of the deal also included a share of the gate at exhibition game
s for White, who earned a total of $15,800. In comparison, McNally who served as both coach and player earned just $3,500. The big contract Rooney gave White angered several of his fellow owners.
The arrival of White led to much optimism in Pittsburgh — McNally stated that, "We had calculated on a championship without him, and since we have him it looks like we can't miss." White did not disappoint: he led the league in rushing with 567 yards on 152 attempts. However, the team was unable to capitalize on White's performance compiling a record of just two wins against nine losses, including a season-ending string of six straight defeats. After the season, White sailed on to England and never again played for the Pirates. White would go on to become one of the longest serving justices in the history of the U.S. Supreme Court
.
After seeing the disappointing results of paying big money for a star player, in Rooney determined to pursue a star coach. He offered the head coaching job to Jock Sutherland
, who was a legendary football coach and "national hero". Sutherland had just stepped down as head coach at the University of Pittsburgh. The offer was to have been in excess of the $13,000 annual salary Sutherland earned at Pitt. When Sutherland spurned the offer (due most likely to the disdain in which he held the professional game) McNally was retained as the Pirates' coach, although he announced his retirement as a player.
The 1939 season
started just as the previous season had ended: with a string of losses. After the third straight loss (which stretched the two season run of failure to nine games), McNally resigned as coach. Despite compiling a coaching record with the Pirates of just 6–19, Johnny "Blood" McNally would enter the Hall of Fame in 1963.
McNally was replaced by Walt Kiesling
, who had been McNally's assistant coach for the previous two seasons. Their seventh season less than half played, the Pirates had just hired their fifth head coach. Kiesling was unable to salvage the season; the team ended 1939 with a worst yet mark of 1–9–1. The season's lone win came in the season's final game against the Philadelphia Eagles
, with whom the Steelers shared the league cellar — the Eagles compiled an identical 1–9–1 record with their season's sole bright spot being an earlier triumph over the Steelers. The victory broke a winless streak that had extended to nearly fourteen months.
Through the 1930s the Pirates never finished higher than second place in their division, or with a record better than .500.
to run a contest to find a new name for the team. Former coach Joe Bach led the panel which selected the name Steelers from amongst the entries. The new name paid homage to the city's largest industry of producing steel
.
It's unclear who deserves credit for suggesting the name (which was already being used by at least one local high school team), but it appears there were a total of twenty-one "winners". Each winner received a pair of season tickets to the upcoming season, a prize with a value of about $5. Among them were Joe Santoni, a local restaurateur
, who received a pair of season tickets as a prize, and Margaret Elizabeth O'Donnell, the girlfriend (and eventual wife) of the team's business manager, Joe Carr. The first entrant who suggested "Steelers" was Arnold Goldberg, who was sports editor for the Evening Standard of Uniontown, Pennsylvania
. Other suggestions were Wahoos, Condors, Pioneers, Triangles, Bridgers, Buckaroos and Yankees, along with such steel-centric possibilities as the Millers, Vulcans, Tubers, Smokers, Rollers, Ingots and Puddlers.
Kiesling continued as coach in . The Steelers started the season at 1–0–2 before falling at home by a score of 10–3 to a Brooklyn Dodgers
squad coached by local hero Jock Sutherland
. It was the legendary coach's first professional victory after leaving Duquesne University
in 1939. He had assumed the head job for the Dodgers that year after spurning a similar offer from the Pirates/Steelers the previous season. The loss to the Dodgers began a six-game losing streak, before the team traded wins with the Philadelphia Eagles
to cap a 2–7–2 season in which they scored a total of just 60 points.
Rooney had finally seen enough. Over eight years, the team had compiled a record of 24–62–5 and had lost around $100,000. He was also concerned about the availability of players in the coming seasons due to the ongoing war in Europe
and the specter of a military draft. After turning down several earlier offers to relocate or sell the team, in December 1940, Rooney sold the Steelers to Alexis Thompson. Thompson was a 26-year-old, Yale
-educated heir to a steel fortune and an entrepreneur
living in New York
. He had aggressively pursued Rooney to sell the franchise for several months prior to the transaction. The purchase price was reported to be $160,000. This price is less than the $225,000 the Detroit Lions
had previously sold for, but the Lions had won an NFL championship. The transaction was completed and announced on the same day that the Chicago Bears
pummeled the Washington Redskins
by a score of 73–0 in the most lopsided NFL championship game
of all time.
Rooney immediately took half of the windfall and invested it in a 50% interest in the Philadelphia Eagles
, which were owned by his friend, Bert Bell
. It was Bell who had conducted all of the negotiations with Thompson leading up to the sale of the Steelers. Thompson had earlier offered to purchase Bell's franchise.
In an unusual twist Rooney, Bell and Thompson pooled the rosters of the two squads and conducted essentially a mini-draft to distribute the talent. The 51 players which were signed to the Steelers and Eagles at the end of the 1940 season were shuffled between the two teams. In this transaction, the Rooney/Bell team added ends George Platukis
, Walt Kichefski and John Klumb; tackles Clark Goff and Ted Doyle; guards Carl Nery and Jack Sanders; and backs Boyd Brumbaugh
, John Noppenberg, George Kiick and Rocco Pirro
from the Steelers. In exchange, Thompson's team gained ends Wilbur "Bill" Sortet
and Sam Boyd; tackles Armand Niccolai
, John Woudenberg
and Don Campbell; guards Stan Pavkov and John Perko
; centers Ted Grabinski, Frank Sullivan and Joe Maras; and backs Billy Patterson
, Merlyn Condit
, Lou Tomasetti
, Swede Johnston, Hank Bruder
, Coley McDonough
and Tommy Thompson all of whom had played for Bell's Eagles
the prior year.
Thompson hired Greasy Neale, whom Rooney had earlier pursued to coach the Pirates, to conduct this player swap as well as to assist him with the draft
which took place the day after the deal with Rooney was finalized. Once he was released from his contract with Yale, Neale became head coach of Thompson's team. In January 1941, Thompson renamed his new squad the Iron Men.
Despite the fact he now was half-owner of a team in based Philadelphia, Rooney had no intention of leaving Pittsburgh. It was thought that Thompson preferred to move his new team to be nearer his New York home, perhaps to Boston, which had been without an NFL team since the Redskins relocated to Washington in 1939. If Thompson had moved the team away from Pittsburgh, Rooney and Bell hatched a plan that would have seen their team split its home games between the two Pennsylvania cities. However, the other league owners blocked both moves.
By early 1941, Rooney was beginning to regret his decision to sell the Pittsburgh team. When he saw that Thompson had not yet established a local office for his team, as he had announced he would do by March 1, Rooney made an offer. He and Bell would trade territories with Thompson. This would put Thompson in Philadelphia, which was much closer to his New York base. It would also ensure that Rooney's team would stay in his hometown. On April 3, 1941, Thompson accepted the deal and Rooney and Bell's Eagles came to Pittsburgh, where they became the Steelers while Thompson's Iron Men moved to Philadelphia, where they took on the Eagles moniker. This was described at the time as "one of the most unusual swaps in sports history". In fact, though the Pittsburgh team played as the Steelers, they operated under the name the "Philadelphia Eagles Football Club, Inc." for the next several years.
Because the entire strange turn of events all took place during the off-season and the Steelers never actually missed a game in Pittsburgh, the NFL considers the Rooney reign unbroken. The transaction, which amounted in the end to Bell selling the Eagles and purchasing half-interest in the Steelers, has been termed the "Pennsylvania Polka".
who had recently left Texas Tech after a successful 12-year stint. Bell and Rooney also considered Aldo "Buff" Donelli
, who was the head man for Duquesne University's football team.
In the end, Bell, who had coached the Eagles to five straight losing seasons, named himself head coach of the team. This move was made in part because the owners were hesitant to offer a binding contract to a coach due to the specter of the country possibly entering the war
. Kiesling, who had led the Steelers the previous season, was retained as Bell's assistant. The Steelers began the season with two straight losses, after which Rooney tried to convince Bell to step down as coach. Bell agreed to do so only if Rooney could convince Buff Donelli to take over the rein
s.
Donelli, however, already held the head coaching position at Duquesne University, for which he was under contract for another full season. Donelli and Rooney worked out a deal with the Duquesne administrators whereby Donelli retained his position as head coach at Duquesne, with the intent of coaching the Steelers in his "spare moments". He would accomplish this by coaching the pro team in the morning and the college team in the afternoon; he would spend Saturday on the sidelines for the Dukes and Sunday with the Steelers.
This was a highly unusual situation, and it did not sit well with new NFL commissioner Elmer Layden
(for whom Donelli had played when Layden was the coach at Duquesne). Layden was convinced that it was "impossible, physically and mentally, to direct two major football teams at the same time." Donelli stepped down as coach at Duquesne to assuage Layden. However, he retained the title of athletic director
at the school and his schedule changed little, if at all. He continued to attend all of Duquesne's practices and games and continued to be acknowledged as the coach, if not in title.
Donelli replaced the single-wing offense the Steelers had employed since their founding with his "wing-T", which was a variation on the T formation
. He coached the Steelers to five straight losses, even while his college team flourished. In early November Donelli faced a dilemma: Duquesne was scheduled to play Saint Mary's College of California
on the same weekend the Steelers had a contest in Philadelphia. Layden ordered Donelli to appear on the sidelines in Philly. Donelli chose to stick with the undefeated college squad, and stepped down as head coach of the winless Steelers.
The Steelers' coaching position was once more handed over to Kiesling. In Kiesling's second game of this second stint as the Steelers' leader, he led the team to a victory over Jock Sutherland's Brooklyn Dodgers
. This would be the only victory in a 1–9–1 season, which matched the team's worst record to date. In a small bright spot, this was the franchise's first campaign in which they were never shut out.
Perhaps the most enduring event of the 1941 season was an off-hand remark that Rooney made to a reporter during the team's training camp. Rooney was visiting camp and quipped to a reporter, "They look like the Steelers to me—in green jerseys." This was taken as a reference to the club's poor performance throughout its existence. The remark would morph into the slogan "Same Old Steelers," which would be applied by fans as a sort of unofficial team motto throughout the team's consistent struggles over the subsequent thirty years.
Within weeks of the end of the 1941 season, America would enter World War II
, which would have a huge impact on the nation, but also on the NFL and its teams. Although the Selective Training and Service Act of 1940
had instituted conscription in late 1940, the NFL was not significantly impacted until after the United States joined the war following Pearl Harbor attack in December 1941.
Rooney and Bell lobbied to delay the 1942 NFL Draft
due to the uncertainty of the war situation, but they were overruled by their fellow owners. The Steelers had the first overall selection, due to their last-place showing the previous season
. They made Virginia
halfback "Bullet" Bill Dudley
the first pick. They then rounded out the draft by choosing as many married players as possible with an eye toward the likelihood those players could avoid the military draft, at least for the upcoming season.
The team lost several players who had filled key roles the previous year to the military, including quarterbacks Johnny Patrick and Rocco Pirro
, leading runner Art Jones
and budding tackle Joe Coomer. The team's first-round pick, Bill Dudley, intended as well to join the military rather than play football, but when he enlisted in September 1942 there was such a backlog of recruits that his induction was delayed by a few months. This gave him the opportunity to sign with the Steelers for $5,000.
After a slow start, in which they lost their first two games, the 1942 squad then won seven of their next eight contests. They fell to the Green Bay Packers
in their final game to cap a 7–4 season. They finished in second place in the Eastern Division behind the Washington Redskins
, who went on to capture the league title. It was the first winning record the club had recorded in its ten-year history. Dudley became the second Steeler to lead the league in rushing with 696 yards on 162 attempts. The "triple-threat" back also tallied 35 passes for 438 yards and 18 punts and was runner-up to Green Bay's Don Hutson
for the Joe F. Carr Trophy which is awarded to the league's most valuable player.
due to concerns of player availability due to the war. Instead they chose to delay the decision, along with the college draft
, until the following April. At the April meeting roster sizes were reduced from 33 to 25 players. Additionally, the Cleveland Rams
announced that they would suspend operations for the season since the team's two top executives were serving in the military.
The Steelers' roster continued to be decimated throughout the off-season. By late May, they were down to just five players under contract who would be available to play in the upcoming season. Rooney and Bell reached out to Alexis Thompson's Philadelphia Eagles to discuss the possibility of combining the two squads. A proposal to combine was submitted to the league and was slated for discussion at league meetings in mid-June. At the confab the Chicago Bears
and Chicago Cardinals sprung a similar request of their own. The league owners voted down the two mergers on the basis that by combining resources the merged clubs would gain an unfair advantage. Rooney and Bell then lobbied the Chicago clubs to withdraw their request, which they eventually agreed to do. After a contentious debate the owners then voted by a narrow 5–4 margin to allow the Steelers and Eagles to merge operations for the upcoming season and retain their players thereafter.
Although the combined team was officially the Eagles and would have no city designation, it became known familiarly as the Phil-Pitt "Steagles
". The club split its home dates between the two cities with four games played in Philadelphia and two in Pittsburgh. Walt Kiesling shared coaching duties with Eagles coach Greasy Neale and the club adopted the T formation
which had been used very effectively by the Chicago Bears for the past several seasons. Many of the Steagles players were classified 4-F by the Selective Service, meaning they were judged as unfit for military service. Common ailments were ulcers, perforated eardrums and poor eyesight or hearing.
Co-coaches Neale and Kiesling disliked each other immensely. In order to avoid coaching together, they split coaching responsibility along the lines of offense and defense. This accommodation presaged the rise of the modern offensive
and defensive coordinator
positions that are near universal in the modern game.
The team ended the season with a 5–4–1 record which was the first winning record in the Eagles' history and just second the Steelers had enjoyed. They missed the playoffs and disbanded into separate franchises immediately upon the season's end.
and were known as "Card-Pitt
" and informally known as the "Car-Pitts" or "Carpets." They went winless through the season. The Steelers went solo again for the 1945 season and went 2–8. Dudley was back from the war by the 1946 season and became league MVP. The rest of team did no better as the Steelers stumbled down the stretch and finished 5-5-1.
. This forced a tie-breaking playoff game at Forbes Field
, which the Steelers lost 21–0. Because of the Steelers and Eagles being placed in different conferences after the 1970 merger between the NFL and the AFL, the game marks the only time that the two major Pennsylvania cities have played each other in the NFL playoffs. Quarterback Johnny Clement
actually finished second in the league in rushing yardage with 670.
That would be Pittsburgh's last playoff game for 25 years. In the 1948 off season, coach Jock Sutherland
died. The team struggled through the season (one quarterback, Ray Evans
, threw 17 interceptions to only five touchdowns) and finished 4-8. The team once again faded down the stretch in 1949 after a strong start, ending with a 6-5-1 record. That was followed up in 1950 with a 6-6 season, and consecutive losing seasons in 1951 (4-7-1) and 1952 (5-7).
After a 6-6 season in 1953 and 5-7 season in 1954, the Steelers drafted Johnny Unitas
in 1955. Cut by the Steelers in training camp, Unitas later resurfaced as a Super Bowl
hero - with the Baltimore Colts
. Pittsburgh suffered through yet two more losing seasons before a 6–6 campaign in 1957 in the first season for coach Buddy Parker
. 1957 saw one other highlight, the hiring of the NFL's first African American coach, Lowell Perry
as the Steelers receivers coach.
Early in the 1958 season the Steelers traded for quarterback Bobby Layne
, who led the Detroit Lions
to two NFL championships. The results were immediate, with the Steelers posting a winning record (7–4–1) for the first time in nine years - though they were still two games out of a playoff spot. 1958 also saw the first Steelers home games at Pitt Stadium
, although their primary venue continued to be Forbes Field.
The Steelers finished above .500 again with a 6–5–1 record in 1959. After a 5–6–1 season in 1960, Rudy Bukich
took over the starting QB job during the 1961 season, but fared no better. Pittsburgh finished 6-8.
had the best season of his career with 1,141 yards (second in the NFL). Pittsburgh shored up on defense too, picking up Clendon Thomas
from the Los Angeles Rams
; he led the team with seven interceptions. Ernie Stautner
anchored the defensive line. The Steelers had their best season yet, finishing 9-5. This was good for second place in the division, and a spot in the Playoff Bowl
, which matched up the #2 teams in the NFL's two divisions. The Steelers lost that game, 17-10, to the Detroit Lions
.
Ed Brown
became quarterback in time for the 1963 season after Layne retired. Pittsburgh finished 7-4-3, but in a hotly contested Eastern Division, that only allowed the Steelers a 4th-place showing. Ernie Stautner retired after the season. 1963 also resulted in a change of venue for the Steelers, who split their home schedule between Forbes Field and Pitt Stadium, moving exclusively to Pitt in 1964.
The next few years were total disasters for the Steelers. Another 1,000-yard season for John Henry Johnson was the only bright spot in a lackluster 1964 season that ended in a 5-9 record. Another retirement stung the team, this one of coach Buddy Parker
. The wheels totally fell off in 1965, when the team finished at a league-worst 2-12. Over the next four years, the Steelers never finished higher than 5-8-1 (1966), with the team using eight quarterbacks between 1965 and 1969.
Indicative of the Steelers' struggles is the fact that Western Pennsylvania has long been an area producing fine quarterbacks, but the Steelers had never managed to keep them. Unitas was a native of Pittsburgh, making his later success even more jarring to Steeler fans. George Blanda
came from the Pittsburgh area, but the Steelers never signed him. The nearby town of Beaver Falls
produced Babe Parilli
and later Joe Namath
, who became stars in the American Football League
. The Steelers never signed the Beaver Falls natives, either. They did sign another future Hall-of-Famer, Ohio native Len Dawson
, but would let him go as well, before he began a great career with the Kansas City Chiefs
. Jack Kemp
, a Los Angeles native, was also on the Steelers' roster before being cut. Like Blanda, Parilli, Namath, and Dawson, he became a star in the AFL in the 1960s, as the Steelers went downhill until finally drafting and signing Louisiana native Terry Bradshaw in 1970. By the time Western Pennsylvania had also produced future Hall-of-Famers Joe Montana
, Dan Marino
and Jim Kelly
, Bradshaw and his teammates had long since turned the Steelers from a laughingstock into one of the NFL's most successful and beloved franchises.
in early 1969, though he too won only a single game in his inaugural season (their worst since 1941), defeating the Detroit Lions
in the season opener before losing the next 13 games. Joe Paterno
had turned down the job before it was offered to Noll.
The team's luck also continued when they won a coin toss with the Chicago Bears
after the 1969 season (both teams went 1-13 in the 1969 season, with the Bears' lone win coming at the Steelers' expense) to gain the rights to draft Louisiana Tech superstar Terry Bradshaw
with the first selection in the 1970 NFL Draft
. As poor as the 1969 season was, it turned out to be a springboard for one of the most successful decades any NFL team has ever had.
Noll's most remarkable talent was in his draft selections, taking "Mean" Joe Greene
in 1969, Terry Bradshaw
and Mel Blount in 1970, Jack Ham in 1971, Franco Harris
in 1972, and in 1974, selected Mike Webster, Lynn Swann
, John Stallworth
, and Jack Lambert. According to the NFL Network this is the best draft class in the history of the NFL with Webster, Swann, Stallworth, & Lambert all in the Hall of Fame, and all four won four Super Bowl Championships. This group of players formed the base of one of the greatest teams in NFL history.
1970 was a turning point year for the Steelers. The team, along with the Cleveland Browns
(with whom the intense "Turnpike Rivalry" developed) and the Baltimore Colts
, joined the former American Football League
(AFL) teams in the new American Football Conference
(AFC), following the AFL-NFL merger that year. The team also received a $3 million relocation fee, which was a windfall for them; for years they rarely had enough to build a true contending team. The Steelers moved into Three Rivers Stadium
, and Terry Bradshaw
, picked first overall in the draft, started at quarterback. Myron Cope
, thought by many as a Pittsburgh institution, entered the broadcast booth for a 35-year career as a Steelers radio commentator. The initial results, though an improvement over the late 1960s, were still unimpressive. Pittsburgh lost its season opener against the Oilers and Terry Bradshaw struggled for much of the season, being sacked for a safety in each of his first three games and throwing 24 interceptions on the way to a 5-9 record. The local media subjected him to harsh criticism for a long time. In 1971, Bradshaw threw 22 interceptions during a 6-8 season.
joined the team and ran for 1,055 yards and scored 11 touchdowns. Pittsburgh finished 11-3, first place in the AFC Central, and made the playoffs for the first time since 1947.
Their first playoff game, against the Oakland Raiders
, at Three Rivers Stadium, featured one of the best-known plays in league history: the Immaculate Reception
. On 4th down from the Pittsburgh 40-yard line with 22 seconds left and trailing 7–6, Bradshaw threw a pass intended for John "Frenchy" Fuqua. Raiders defensive back Jack Tatum
knocked it away, but it was scooped up at ankle-height before hitting the turf by Franco Harris
, who took it into the end zone for the winning touchdown and a 13–7 victory. In the AFC Championship the following week, the Steelers lost to the "perfect" Miami Dolphins
21–17, who finished the season 17–0. It was a disappointing finish, but it started a run of eight straight playoff appearances. Arguably the most defining and memorable play in the history of the NFL, the Immaculate Reception thrust the Steelers into its glory years of the '70s.
for first place in the division at 10–4. The Steelers traveled to Oakland for the first round of the playoffs and lost 33–14.
" defense in the 1974 draft. This allowed the team to reach the top for the first time. Terry Bradshaw was benched for poor performance early in the season and replaced as starter by Joe Gilliam
, but eventually was reinstated after Gilliam did no better. The Steelers finished 10–3–1 and walked away with the division title, with "Mean" Joe Greene
winning Defensive Player of the Year honors.
After defeating Buffalo Bills
and Oakland Raiders
with relative ease in the AFC playoffs, the Steelers met the Minnesota Vikings
in New Orleans for Super Bowl IX
. The game was a defensive struggle: the only scoring in the first half was a safety scored by the Steelers when Minnesota quarterback Fran Tarkenton
was sacked in the end zone. In the second half, the Steelers scored a touchdown after a fumbled kickoff and clinched it with a late Larry Brown
touchdown. The Steelers won 16-6, and had finally earned a championship after 42 years of futility.
caught 11 touchdown passes. Terry Bradshaw delivered a much better performance than in his previous seasons, with 2,055 passing yards, 18 TDs, and only nine interceptions. The Steelers finished 12-2, best in the AFC. In the playoffs, Pittsburgh defeated the Baltimore Colts
28-10 in the first round, and survived a late scare from the Oakland Raiders
(and a concussion by Swann) to win 16-10 in the AFC Championship.
The Steelers made their second straight Super Bowl
, this one against the Dallas Cowboys
in Miami
. Down 10-7 in the fourth quarter, Roy Gerela
kicked two field goals and Bradshaw threw a 64-yard touchdown pass to Swann to put Pittsburgh in the lead for good. After the Cowboys came back with a touchdown of their own, Roger Staubach
threw a last-minute interception that sealed a 21-17 win for the Steelers. Lynn Swann had returned from his injuries and racked up four TDs in the Super Bowl, earning him the title of game MVP.
in the divisional playoff.
mini camp they were caught wearing shoulder pads in violation of league rules. They would lose a draft pick the following year for the infraction. Pittsburgh posted a 14–2 regular season record, best in the NFL. In the playoffs, the Steelers blew away the Denver Broncos
and Houston Oilers
by a combined score of 67–15 en route to Super Bowl XIII
.
That game, a rematch with the Cowboys, is considered by many to be one of the greatest Super Bowls of all time. Bradshaw threw four touchdowns, but the Cowboys never were out of it, thanks in part to a fumble recovery for a touchdown by Mike Hegman
. After Swann and Harris scored touchdowns 19 seconds apart in the fourth quarter, the Cowboys countered with scores of their own by Billy Joe Dupree
and Butch Johnson
to pull within four points with 22 seconds left. The Steelers recovered the onside kick and pulled off a 35–31 win. Terry Bradshaw was named game MVP.
had 1183 yards receiving. The Steelers finished 12-4, once again tops in the AFC Central. In the playoffs they defeated the Dolphins 34-14 and the Oilers 27-13, to meet the Los Angeles Rams
in their fourth Super Bowl
.
The Rams had a number of ex-Steelers staff members, and thus knew all of their opponent's plays, audibles. and hand signs. With this knowledge, they played the Steelers hard for three quarters. Bradshaw threw three interceptions, but also had two long touchdown passes in the second half (one to Swann and one to Stallworth). The Rams couldn't recover and Pittsburgh won 31-19.
The team's success in this era led to the expansion of its fanbase beyond its geographic region. Even today, Pittsburgh remains among the league leaders in merchandise sales, and draws fans from across the country to its games. This loyal fan following is sometimes called Steeler Nation (predating the similarly popular '70s powerhouse, the Oakland Raiders
Raider Nation) [Birth Of A Nation: Capturing The Identity of a Region. byline, John Mehno], the term was coined by NFL Films as the producers studied the phenomenon of fans swarming Three Rivers from all directions and pronounced them the 'Steeler Nation,'. They are known for employing the terrible towel
(a bright yellow cloth) as its unofficial symbol (created by Myron Cope), and as a rallying sign during Steeler's games.
and L. C. Greenwood
retired after the 1981 season, Lynn Swann
and Jack Ham after 1982, Terry Bradshaw
and Mel Blount after 1983, Jack Lambert and Franco Harris
after 1984 and John Stallworth
after the 1987 season.
and L. C. Greenwood
. Pittsburgh managed a 6–3 record nonetheless in 1982 (which was shortened due to a players' strike) and made it to the playoffs for the first time since 1979. In the playoffs they lost a heartbreaker when Kellen Winslow
caught two touchdowns in the 4th quarter of their first playoff game, a 31–28 loss to the San Diego Chargers
.
picking up the reins behind center. Franco Harris
ran for 1,007 yards in his last season in Pittsburgh (he wound up with the Seattle Seahawks
for his final year), and Keith Willis
recorded a career-best 13 sacks. The streaky Steelers lost four of their last five regular season games, but their 10-6 record was still good for a division title. The Steelers closed the regular season with an emotional victory against the New York Jets
in the last football game ever played at Shea Stadium
. Bradshaw, returning from injury, led the Steelers to the lead with two touchdown passes. He left the game in the first half after hearing a "pop" in his elbow when making his final pass, a touchdown. The Steelers made another quick first-round playoff exit, a 38–10 embarrassment against the Los Angeles Raiders
.
and David Woodley
split quarterbacking duties, with Frank Pollard
taking over at running back and Offensive Rookie of the Year Louis Lipps
shining at wide receiver. The Steelers' 9-7 record won them another division title. Among the nine victories, the Steelers handed San Francisco its only loss of the season, en route to an impressive 18 win season and Super Bowl championship. In the divisional playoff against the Denver Broncos
, the Steelers came back in the fourth quarter to win 24–17, but they lost the AFC Championship to Dan Marino
(the Pittsburgh native whom the Steelers passed up in the 1983 Draft) and the Dolphins, 45-28.
(who came off back-to-back 1000-yard seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles
) was added to the offensive backfield, but the team fared no better, at 6-10. An 8-7 record in 1987 was not enough to save Malone's job in Pittsburgh. Bubby Brister
became the Steelers' new starting quarterback.
, the Steelers staged a desperate fourth-quarter comeback to win 26–23 in overtime on a 50 yard field goal by Gary Anderson. The game cost Houston coach Jerry Glanville
his job. However, in their divisional game against the Denver Broncos
, it was John Elway
who staged the last-minute comeback and the Steelers went home with a 24–23 loss. Defensive back Rod Woodson
, in his third season, made the first of seven consecutive Pro Bowl
s.
) which was particularly effective limiting opposing passers to just 9 touchdown passes while intercepting 19 (the Steelers intercepted 24 total as a team). The 1990 season ended with another disappointment however as the Steelers lost twice in three weeks to the Cincinnati Bengals
, and lost the season's final game on the road to the Houston Oilers
to miss out on the playoffs.
show some flashes of brilliance, but the rest of the team faltered and the Steelers finished 7–9.
, the Steelers' coach since , retired at the end of the season. Noll was replaced 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
.
. Woodson recorded six sacks, a career high. The Steelers' 11–5 record won them the AFC Central title and a first-round playoff bye. Their hopes, however, came to a crashing end against the surging Buffalo Bills
, in a 24–3 loss.
to face the Kansas City Chiefs
in the wild card round. Leading 24–17 with two minutes left, the Steelers defense gave up a Joe Montana
fourth-down touchdown pass to little-known Tim Barnett
to tie the game. In overtime, the Chiefs won on a Nick Lowery
field goal, breaking Steelers fans' hearts yet again.
, and together they gained almost 1,700 rushing yards. The "Steel Curtain" defense made a resurgence, with Kevin Greene
responsible for 14 sacks and Greg Lloyd tacking on 10 more. The Steelers' 12–4 record clinched them home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs. In the divisional playoff Pittsburgh walloped the Cleveland Browns
29–9, and were heavily favored in the conference championship against the San Diego Chargers
. The Steelers seemed to dominate when the numbers were crunched: O'Donnell passed for 349 yards to Stan Humphries
' 165, and had a nearly 2-1 edge in time of possession. But they gave up a 13-3 lead in the 3rd quarter when Alfred Pupunu
and Tony Martin caught touchdowns of 43 yards each, and it was the Chargers who advanced to Super Bowl XXIX
, by the score of 17–13. The 1994 Steelers finished their disappointing season three yards away from their first Super Bowl appearance since 1980 as an O'Donnell pass to Foster was batted down. This play epitomized the Steelers' season - incomplete. AFC Championship collapses, unfortunately for the Steelers, would become a hallmark of the Cowher era.
(picked up from the Atlanta Falcons
) made up for it with an 800-yard season. Yancey Thigpen
amassed 1,307 receiving yards and Willie Williams
had seven interceptions. The Steelers' 11-5 record once again won them the division and a first-round bye. As in 1994, the Steelers dominated in the divisional playoff (a 40–21 win over the Buffalo Bills
), but the cinderella Indianapolis Colts
put up a fight in the AFC championship. There were four lead changes, the last when Bam Morris
scored a one-yard touchdown with 1:34 remaining. Colts quarterback Jim Harbaugh
threw a "hail mary
" that was dropped by Aaron Bailey
in the end zone. The Steelers narrowly won, 20–16, and went on to play the Dallas Cowboys
in Super Bowl XXX
.
The Cowboys, a team that thought themselves to be just as dominant in the 1990s as the Steelers were in the 1970s heyday, jumped to a quick 13–0 lead. Pittsburgh showed some signs of life, such as a Yancey Thigpen
touchdown before halftime, and a surprise onside kick recovery that led to a Bam Morris
touchdown run narrowing the score to 20-17, late in the 4th quarter. The Steeler defense quickly forced Dallas into punting the ball back to the Steeler offense and Neil O'Donnell
threw his second and worst interception of the game, similar to his first, halting the Steelers come from behind win. Both interceptions gave Dallas easy touchdown situations. O'Donnell's three interceptions contributed heavily to the Steelers' 27–17 loss.
was O'Donnell's last game as a Steeler, as he signed with the New York Jets
as a free agent in the offseason. Pittsburgh had drafted Kordell Stewart
in 1995, but he remained a backup through the 1996 season. Mike Tomczak
received the starting duties. The Steelers also traded for running back Jerome Bettis
from the St. Louis Rams
, who ran for 1,400 yards in his first year in the Steel City. A late-season decline was hurting the Steelers Super Bowl chances, but their 10–6 record still won them the division. Pittsburgh won their wild-card playoff game handily (42–14 over the Colts), but lost just as handily, 28–3, to the New England Patriots
in the divisional playoff.
against the Denver Broncos
. Kordell Stewart
scored early, going for 33 yards with one of his well-known scrambles, but the Broncos exploded in the second quarter(aided by two questionable interference calls). A late Steelers comeback was squashed and the eventual Super Bowl champion Broncos went on to win 24–21.
and a loss on Thanksgiving
to the Detroit Lions
kept the Steelers out of the playoffs. The Thanksgiving game against the Lions in 1998 is most known for the infamous coin flip call before overtime. The game was tied 16–16 at the end of regulation when the referee told team captain Jerome Bettis to call "heads" or "tails" as he flipped the coin in the air. Bettis stammered while making the call, and referee (Phil Luckett
) stated "the Steelers called heads; it's tails." This caused an uproar from Bettis and the Steelers, as replays seemed to show that Bettis clearly called "tails." Contrary to many press reports, Luckett did not make a mistake in this incident. A week after the game, the tape was enhanced by local Pittsburgh TV station KDKA-TV
and Bettis is clearly heard saying "hea-tails." A sideline microphone enhancement also clearly had Bettis telling Coach Bill Cowher that (Bettis) had said "hea-tails."http://www.referee.com/sampleArticles/2001/SampleArticle0101/headsortails/headstailstext.html The Steelers never got to touch the ball again and went on to lose 19–16. They would lose their next four games and would end up finishing 7–9.
) showed their inexperience at times, and the team finished 6–10, their worst showing in eleven years.
It has become an article of faith among NFL pundits that the Steelers do not have a bad team two years in a row—they have never lost 10 or more in consecutive years since the 1970 AFL-NFL Merger
.
was given a chance to start at quarterback. His below average play and nagging injuries early in the season gave Kordell Stewart
another chance to reclaim the starting quarterback role. The Steelers started to improve by teamwork alone. Jerome Bettis
had a 1,341-yard season. Rookie wide receiver Plaxico Burress
joined the team to complement Hines Ward
. Linebacker Jason Gildon
, the team's only Pro Bowler, had a career-best 13.5 sacks. Up and coming linebacker Joey Porter
posted 10.5 sacks as the team finished back above .500 with a 9-7 record. The defense did not allow a touchdown in 20 consecutive quarters during one stretch, just two shy of the NFL record set by the 1976 Steelers, also known as the Steel Curtain. After a hard fought season, exacerbated by a 0–3 start, the Steelers failed to make the playoffs for the third consecutive season under Bill Cowher
. The Steelers did win their final game at Three Rivers Stadium by defeating the Washington Redskins
24–3, ending the season with a 9–7 record. In an unusual move, the NFL formally apologized to the team three times for missed or blown calls in games against Cleveland, Tennessee and Philadelphia that may have contributed to the team's losses.http://www.slate.com/id/93934/
The Steelers opened Heinz Field
in the 2001 season. Both Ward and Burress had 1,000-yard receiving seasons, and linebacker Kendrell Bell
was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. Bettis had to sit out the last five games of the regular season and start of the playoffs with a knee injury, but Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala
and Amos Zereoue
ably filled in. The Steelers' 13–3 record got them home field advantage throughout the playoffs.
Zereoue, filling in for Bettis, scored two touchdowns in the divisional playoff against the defending Super Bowl
champion Baltimore Ravens
, which the Steelers won 27–10. Pittsburgh then hosted its fourth AFC championship game in eight years, this one against the New England Patriots
. Optimism was high as Bettis made his return. The Patriots jumped out to a big lead thanks to two special teams touchdowns, but the Steelers tried a third-quarter comeback with rushing touchdowns by Bettis and Zereoue. Kordell Stewart
's final two drives both ended in interceptions, however, and the eventual Super Bowl champion Patriots won the game 24–17.
, who won the XFL
MVP after the league's only season, became the starting quarterback. Maddox lost only three games as the Steelers finished 10–5–1, tops in the new AFC North division. (Stewart, who made a short comeback after Maddox was injured later in the year, was cut and later resurfaced with the Chicago Bears
.)
They faced their longtime rivals, the Cleveland Browns
, in the wild card playoff game. The Steelers were down 24-7 in the third quarter, but Maddox led them on a wild comeback. Jerame Tuman
, Hines Ward
, and Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala
all scored fourth-quarter touchdowns to win the game 36-33. The divisional playoff against the Tennessee Titans
was just as dramatic. Hines Ward
tied the game early in the fourth quarter with a 21-yard touchdown, and the game eventually went to overtime. Tennessee won the toss and Titans kicker Joe Nedney
lined up for a field goal, which he made. But the Steelers called timeout so the field goal did not count. Nedney's second try went wide right, but the Steelers were called for running into the kicker on Dwayne Washington
. The third try was good and officially counted as the game winner, but over protests by Bill Cowher
who thought he called another timeout first. The 34-31 loss was another disappointing end to the season for the Steelers.
from Miami University
(Ohio) in the first round. Maddox kept the starting job until he was injured in the second game of the season, in Baltimore, against the Ravens. Roethlisberger was pushed into action and immediately wowed fans. "Big Ben" did not lose a game during the entire regular season, setting a record for most consecutive games won with a rookie quarterback to start a career. Included were back-to-back convincing wins over the New England Patriots
(breaking their record 21-game winning streak) and eventual NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles
. By the end of the season, Roethlisberger and the rest of the Steelers were starting to show signs of wear, but they still escaped with victories every time. The Steelers completed the 2004 regular season with the best record in the NFL at 15–1, which is also their best 16-game season.
After 2003's failed attempt to focus on the passing game, the 2004 team returned to the typical Steelers formula, a run-heavy offense (61/39 run-pass ratio) and a strong defense. The team's dominant running game, featuring Jerome Bettis and Duce Staley
(acquired prior to the season in free agency), was bolstered by an efficient and often explosive passing attack led by Roethlisberger and receivers Burress, Ward, and Antwaan Randle El
. The defense, one of the league's best, was anchored by Pro Bowl linebackers James Farrior
and Joey Porter
and Pro Bowl safety Troy Polamalu
. Only three previous teams (The '84 49ers
, the '85 Bears
, & the '98 Vikings
) have had a 15-win season, with the Steelers being the first AFC
team to accomplish this feat. As a result of this dominant season, the Steelers received home field advantage
throughout the AFC playoffs.
Their divisional playoff game was against the Wild Card New York Jets
. Roethlisberger threw two interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown by Reggie Tongue
, but a Hines Ward
touchdown catch tied the game at 17-17 in the fourth quarter. Jets kicker Doug Brien
had two chances to win the game with a field goal in the final two minutes of regulation, but one kick hit the crossbar, while the other went wide left. Jeff Reed kicked a field goal 11:04 into the extra period to win the game, 20-17.
The Steelers were back in the AFC Championship, once again in Pittsburgh, for a rematch with the Patriots. New England went out to a big lead early after two first-quarter turnovers by the Steelers. In the second quarter, Rodney Harrison
intercepted Roethlisberger (who had three picks overall) and returned it for a touchdown. The Steelers showed some signs of life in the third quarter, but it was not enough. The Patriots, another dynasty team that has been compared with the 1970s Steelers, won 41-27. This defeat marked the fourth time in ten years that the Steelers had lost the conference title game at home under Bill Cowher.
to free agency (he would end up with the New York Giants
), the Steelers took some steps to ensure a return to the postseason. They first selected TE Heath Miller
from the University of Virginia in the 2005 NFL Draft
. Other picks included Florida St. CB Bryant McFadden
, Northwestern University OG Trai Essex
, Georgia University WR Fred Gibson
, and Temple University LB Rian Wallance.
In 2005, the Steelers hoped to make another post-season run. Injuries to Jerome Bettis
and Duce Staley
forced Willie Parker
to become the Steelers' starter at running back, and he acquitted himself very well in two convincing wins against the Tennessee Titans
(34–7) and Houston Texans
(27–7) to open the season. In the next game, however, the visiting New England Patriots
handed Ben Roethlisberger
his first regular season loss as the Steelers lost the much-hyped rematch of the 2004 AFC Championship Game 23–20. Two weeks later, Pittsburgh came back to defeat the throwback-clad San Diego Chargers
24–22 on a 40-yard field goal by Jeff Reed
. The victory proved costly as Roethlisberger suffered an injury when he was hit on his left knee by the helmet of Chargers rookie lineman Luis Castillo
. So Tommy Maddox
was named starter for their home game against the Jacksonville Jaguars
. The Steelers struggled throughout the game, as Maddox threw two interceptions through regulation, but they managed to tie at 17 going into OT. Unfortunately, Maddox threw a costly interception to Jags DB Rashean Mathis
, who returned it 41 yards for a touchdown, as the Steelers fell 23–17. Maddox's off-field arguments with head coach Bill Cowher cost him his #1 back-up spot. Fortunately, "Big Ben" was able to play in their next road game against their division rival, the Cincinnati Bengals
. Despite winning 27–13, his left knee would need surgery. Big Ben fought through a lot of pain in the Steeler's 20–19 Monday Night victory over the Baltimore Ravens but reaggravated his knee injuries. Charlie Batch
was named the starter, and he provided victories over the struggling Green Bay Packers
(20–10 on the road), and against their rust belt rival, the Cleveland Browns
(34–21 at home), where during the game, wide receiver Hines Ward
set the Steelers record for most career receptions (543), breaking John Stallworth's mark of 537. Unfortunately, Batch broke his hand, which forced him to the sidelines. Tommy Maddox was given the start for their road game against the Ravens, but again, he showed his inefficiency, as the Steelers fell in overtime 16–13. After Roethlisberger's return, the Steelers lost their first two games against the then-undefeated Indianapolis Colts
(26–7 on the road) and at home against the resurgent Bengals (38–31), but recovered to win the last four regular season games (21–9 vs. Bears
, 18–3 @ Vikings
, 41–0 @ Browns, and 35–21 vs. Lions
) to clinch the sixth and last seed in the AFC playoffs.
On a side note, during the last game of the regular season in Pittsburgh, the Steeler fans gave Jerome Bettis
a standing ovation when he was taken out of the game in the fourth quarter by Bill Cowher
. It was the last game in Pittsburgh for Bettis, as he announced his retirement after the Steelers' ultimate victory in Super Bowl XL
. Bettis finished the game with 41 yards rushing and 3 touchdowns, and gave the team a boost after the Lions had taken a 14–7 first quarter lead.
for their Wild Card match-up against the Cincinnati Bengals
. On the Bengals' second offensive play, Bengal quarterback Carson Palmer
launched a 66-yard completion — the longest in Bengals' playoff history —to receiver Chris Henry while Steelers defensive tackle Kimo von Oelhoffen
tried to sack him. In what might be considered by Bengals fans as the defining moment of the game, von Oelhoffen hit Palmer's leg, striking his left knee from the side. Palmer had to be taken off the field on a cart. A magnetic resonance imaging
test revealed that both Palmer's anterior cruciate
and medial collateral
ligaments were torn by von Oelhoffen's contact, which also caused cartilage
and meniscus
damage. It should be noted that von Oelhoffen's hit did not generate a defensive penalty due to the fact that Bengals guard, Eric Steinbach, pushed von Oelhoffen into Palmer.
Backup quarterback Jon Kitna
filled in for Palmer and threw 1 touchdown pass and two interceptions. Despite trailing after the first quarter, the Steelers came within three points, trailing 17-14 at the half. Eventually, they shut out the Bengals in the second half and scored 17 points to win 31–17.
On Sunday, January 15, the Steelers traveled to the RCA Dome
in Indianapolis, Indiana where they faced the #1 seeded Colts, and defeated them 21-18 in spite of a highly- improbable fourth quarter—including a controversial call reversal that turned a crucial Troy Polamalu
interception into an incomplete pass—which found the suddenly revitalized Colts offense with a chance to turn the game around. After recovering an unlikely Jerome Bettis fumble on the Colts 1 with just over a minute remaining, Colts cornerback Nick Harper sped downfield toward what would have been a game-winning touchdown, only to be tripped up by Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in a shoe-string tackle. This heads-up play probably prevented a game-winning touchdown for the Colts. The Steelers defense managed to hold their ground on the ensuing Colts drive, leaving the Colts with just one last chance to tie and send the game into overtime. But Colts kicker Mike Vanderjagt, one of the most accurate kickers in NFL history, missed a 46-yard field goal attempt—wide right—with :18 left in the 4th quarter. The game was the first time in NFL history that a sixth seed (Pittsburgh) defeated a first seed (Indianapolis Colts) in the playoffs. It also marked the first time that a sixth seed would get to play in a Conference Championship game.
On Sunday January 22, 2006, the Steelers won their 6th AFC Championship at INVESCO Field at Mile High
in Denver, Colorado
when they beat the Denver Broncos
34-17. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger
completed an efficient 21 out of 29 passes, 2 of which were touchdowns. He also ran for another touchdown as he led the team to victory. It marked the 1st time since the '85–'86 New England Patriots
and the 2nd time in NFL History that a Wild Card Team would get to the Super Bowl after winning the Wild Card Round, the Divisional Round, and the Conference Championship on the road. It also marked the first time that a sixth-seeded team would get to play in the Super Bowl.
In the Steelers' first trip to the Super Bowl
since the 1995 season, they defeated the Seattle Seahawks
21-10 in Super Bowl XL
on February 5, 2006 at Ford Field
in Detroit, Michigan
. The game had been hyped as a homecoming for Detroit native Jerome Bettis. The play by both teams in the game was mostly lackluster, although records were set for longest run from scrimmage (75 yards for touchdown by Willie Parker of the Steelers), longest interception return (76 yards by Seahawks CB Kelly Herndon
), and the first touchdown pass by a wide receiver (thrown by Antwaan Randle El
to Hines Ward on a reverse).
The Steelers become the 1st 6th-seeded team, since the NFL changed to a 12-team playoff format in 1990, to go to the Super Bowl and win. Their playoff campaign included defeating the first (Indianapolis), second (Denver), and third (Cincinnati) seeded AFC teams en route to the Super Bowl victory against the first seeded Seahawks from the NFC. Also, they are the first NFL team to win 9 road games. Ben Roethlisberger becomes the youngest QB to win a Super Bowl. They successfully tied with the San Francisco 49ers
and the Dallas Cowboys
for the most Super Bowl titles with five.
The 2006 Pittsburgh Steelers season began with the team trying to improve on their 11-5 record from 2005 and trying to defend their Super Bowl XL championship. They finished the season 8-8 and did not make it to the playoffs.
Hoping to end their season on a high note, the Steelers flew to Paul Brown Stadium for an AFC North rematch with the Cincinnati Bengals. After a scoreless first quarter, Pittsburgh drew first blood in the second quarter with RB Willie Parker getting a 1-yard TD run. Afterwards, the Bengals would manage to salvage a 34-yard field goal by kicker Shayne Graham. After a scoreless third quarter, Cincinnati took the lead by getting a Willie Parker fumble and ending it with QB Carson Palmer completing a 66-yard TD pass to WR Chris Henry. Parker managed to make amends with another 1-yard TD run. However, the Bengals went back into the lead with Palmer completing a 5-yard TD pass to TE Tony Stewart. The Steelers would manage to tie the game late in the game with kicker Jeff Reed nailing a 35-yard field goal. Cincinnati quickly managed to get into field goal range, but Graham's 39-yard field goal went wide right. In overtime, Pittsburgh took advantage and won with QB Ben Roethlisberger's 67-yard TD pass to rookie WR Santonio Holmes. With the win, not only did the Steelers end their season at 8-8, but they also wiped out any hope that the Bengals had of reaching the playoffs.
Six players from the Steelers were selected to play in the 2007 Pro Bowl. Two started, two were selected to the reserve squad, and two did not play due to injury.
, after his contract expired and he signed with the New York Jets
. The Steelers also signed quarterback Ben Roethlisberger
to an eight year, $102 million contract, the largest in franchise history. The Steelers also drafted Rashard Mendenhall
, running back from Illinois, with the 23rd overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft
as well as top wide receiver prospect Limas Sweed
of Texas with the 53rd overall pick. With injury to Willie Parker and uncertainty about his future production, Rashard Mendenhall was drafted to be the next Steelers running back of the future. The regular season went well with the team winning twelve games and losing four, all to strong opponents, with their only losses going to the Eagles, the Giants, the Colts, and the Titans (who had the best record in the league). The team thus earned a first-round bye and home advantage through the playoffs. James Harrison was voted as the 2008 AP Defensive Player of the Year with a monstrous regular season performance with 16 sacks (fourth in league) and 7 forced fumbles (first in the league). Troy Polamalu also had a great season, gaining seven interceptions which was tied for second in the league, trailing only Ed Reed of the Ravens who had 9. Beating San Diego in the divisional round, they faced their AFC North rival Baltimore in the conference championship and soundly defeated them. Thus, the Steelers made it to their seventh Super Bowl. Their opponent was the Arizona Cardinals, a team that had not appeared in any league championship since 1948.
Super Bowl XLIII was played on February 1, 2009 at the Buccaneers' Raymond James Stadium
. By halftime, the Steelers were ahead at 17-7. Arizona's effort was hampered by penalties, in particular three personal fouls, but they managed to get ahead after WR Larry Fitzgerald
scored a 63-yard touchdown, bringing the score to 23-20. But Pittsburgh's Santonio Holmes
was able to convert a 6-yard TD in the final two minutes. With that, the game ended 27-23 and the Steelers gained their sixth championship, becoming the first team to win six Super Bowls since the start of the Super Bowl era.
and the New England Patriots 39-26, a game that wasn't as close as the score suggests. Pittsburgh would then win 4 in a row, 35-3 vs. Oakland, 19-16 in OT at Buffalo, 13-10 at Baltimore, and 23-7 vs. Cincinnati. The streak ended Week 15 in a 22-17 home loss to the New York Jets
. Pittsburgh would then win their last 2 games by a combined score of 68-12, beating Carolina 27-3, and then finishing out at Cleveland, 41-9. The Steelers made it through the season finishing 12-4, winning the AFC North division, and winning the AFC's #2 seed in the playoffs. In their first postseason game at home against Baltimore, the Steelers fell behind at halftime 21-7. Pittsburgh made a second half rally and beat the Ravens 31-24. They then defeated the Jets 24-19 in the AFC Championship to earn the right to go to Super Bowl XLV
. Against the Green Bay Packers
in the Super Bowl, the Steelers fell behind 21-3, but fought back to make the score 21-17. A Rashard Mendenhall
fumble at the start of the 4th quarter proved costly as Green Bay would score to make it 28-17. Pittsburgh would score a TD on a 25-yard pass to Mike Wallace
and make the 2-point conversion to make it 28-25. Green Bay took time off the clock on their next drive which they capped off with a Field Goal to make it 31-25. Pittsburgh could not score on their final drive, and would end up losing the game. Though it was a disappointing end, the Steelers' season was considered to be highly successful, as they defied many predictions that they would lose their significance in their division. They also tied the Dallas Cowboys for most Super bowl appearances with eight.
-less Colts in Indianapolis and managed to squeak past them with a last second Shaun Suisham
field goal 23-20. With injuries piling up, the Steelers came out flat against Houston and lost 17-10 in Week 4. Ben Roethlisberger was sidelined with a foot injury and Charlie Batch scheduled to start in Week 5 against Tennessee, however Roethlisberger played and threw for 5 touchdowns in a 38-17 win. After easily winning that game, he returned to action as Pittsburgh beat Jacksonville at home 17-13 and then won in Arizona 32-20 for their first encounter since Super Bowl XLIII. The Steelers set a franchise record in the latter game as Roethlisberger threw a 95-yard TD pass to Mike Wallace
. The next week, Pittsburgh returned home to face Tom Brady
and the New England Patriots. In a spectacular defensive effort, in which Pittsburgh held Brady to a season-low 198 yards passing, the Steelers beat the Patriots 25-17. Then after a disappointing home loss to Baltimore, the Steelers went to Cincinnati and won their first AFC North division battle of the year, 24-17.
, Baltimore Ravens
, New England Patriots
, Dallas Cowboys
, and the Oakland Raiders
to be the teams primary rivals. Upon conclusion of the 2006 season, Pittsburgh has a .500 record vs these 3 teams when combining regular and post season games. The historic rivalries with the Raiders and Cowboys have been decisive in the outcomes of the Super Bowl
, particularly in the 1970s.
Pittsburgh and Cleveland have been in the same division and have met at least twice a year since 1950. The Steelers hold a 2–0 post season record against the Browns.
The Steelers and Raiders have met 6 times in the post season, including 5 consecutive appearances between 1972 through 1976 which gave the 2 teams an unusual familiarity with the other since each is in a different division. Their post season record against one and other is tied 3–3.
Pittsburgh and Dallas first met in 1960 (the two actually met in the Cowboys' first game as a franchise, with the Steelers winning 35–28), and have faced each other in the Super Bowl on three occasions (X, XII, XXX) with Pittsburgh leading the series 2–1. In the 1970s, Pittsburgh and Dallas where both renowned for stifling defenses named: "The Steel Curtain", and "The Doomsday Defense" respectively. Pittsburgh became the first team to achieve 3 Super Bowl wins when it defeated Dallas in Super Bowl XIII
, and the first team to achieve 4 Super Bowls a year later when they defeated the Rams. Dallas defeated the Steelers in Super Bowl XXX
to become the second team behind San Francisco to win 5 Super Bowl Championships. Ten years later Pittsburgh would join Dallas and San Francisco to become the third team to reach that milestone when they defeated the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XL. Three years later, the Steelers would become the first team to win a sixth Super Bowl, achieving that milestone in the 08-09 season. They played against the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII, and eventually rallied a 27-23 comeback victory. The Steelers received a nickname favored by the fans, the Sixburgh Steelers.
The rivalry with the New England Patriots
is relatively recent. The two clubs met thirteen times 1972-95 with the Steelers winning ten, including five in a row. But in 1996 the two met in the playoffs for the first time and the rivalry changed, as the Patriots defeated the Steelers 28-3 in the AFC Divisional Playoffs in January 1997. The next year the Steelers edged New England in overtime 24-21 and won in the divisional round 7-6. Since then, however, the Patriots have won five of seven regular-season meetings and two AFC Championship Game
matchups, both at Heinz Field
. 2004 was the most recent season the two teams met twice in the season; Pittsburgh ended New England's 21-game winning streak in a 34-20 rout and surged to a 15-1 regular season, but in the AFC Championship the Steelers were crushed 41-27 by the Patriots.
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
. The Steelers are an American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
franchise representing Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
. They are the seventh-oldest club in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(NFL), which they joined in . The only surviving NFL teams with a longer history are the Chicago Bears
History of the Chicago Bears
This article details the history of the Chicago Bears American Football Club. The franchise is a charter-member of the National Football League and have played in all of the league's eighty-seven seasons. Throughout that span they have created a legacy in professional American football comparable...
, Chicago (Arizona) Cardinals, Detroit Lions (then the Portsmouth Spartans), Green Bay Packers
History of the Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team that has played since 1919 and played professionally in the National Football League since 1921.-Founding:...
, New York Giants
History of the New York Giants
The history of the New York Giants, an American football team which currently plays in the NFL's National Football Conference, comprises more than 80 seasons. The Giants were founded in 1925 by Tim Mara in the then five-year-old NFL. Mara owned the team until his death in 1959, when it was passed...
and Boston (Washington) Redskins. The Philadelphia Eagles
History of the Philadelphia Eagles
The official NFL history of the Philadelphia Eagles begins in 1933. The Eagles' history may be divided into eight distinct eras. In their history, the Eagles have appeared in the Super Bowl twice, but they have never won in...
joined the league concurrently with the Steelers in 1933.
The team was founded by Arthur J. "Art" Rooney
Art Rooney
Arthur Joseph "Art" Rooney, Sr. , often referred to as "The Chief", was the founding owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers American football franchise in the National Football League.-Family history:...
. The Rooney family
Rooney family
The Rooney family has been the majority owners and operators of the Pittsburgh Steelers football team in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania since the formation of the franchise in 1933. Art Rooney was the founder and owner of the team until his death in 1988; ownership of the team was then transferred to...
has held a controlling interest in the club for almost its entire history. Since its founding the team has captured six league championships and competed in more than a thousand games. In the Steelers became the first NFL team to capture six Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
titles. Currently the club is fifth in total NFL Championships behind the Packers (13), Bears (9), Browns (8) and Giants (7). Eighteen Steelers players, coaches or administrators have been enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
.
Precursors
Art RooneyArt Rooney
Arthur Joseph "Art" Rooney, Sr. , often referred to as "The Chief", was the founding owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers American football franchise in the National Football League.-Family history:...
, who was born and raised in the Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
area, was an exceptional all-around athlete. Rooney was recruited to play football for Notre Dame
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an...
, baseball for the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
; and invited to join the 1920 Olympic boxing team
1920 Summer Olympics
The 1920 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the VII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event in 1920 in Antwerp, Belgium....
. His love of sports would lead to him becoming an organizer and promoter. This included the Hope-Harvey Football Club, a semi-professional
Semi-professional
A semi-professional athlete is one who is paid to play and thus is not an amateur, but for whom sport is not a full-time occupation, generally because the level of pay is too low to make a reasonable living based solely upon that source, thus making the athlete not a full professional...
American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
team which he founded as a teenager. "In a way, I guess that was the start of the Steelers. It grew from that," Rooney said.
The name "Hope-Harvey" was derived from the Hope Fire House, located in the heart of the Pittsburgh's North Side, which served as the team's locker room, and Dr. Harvey, a local physician, who was a sponsor and unofficial team doctor. The Hope-Harvey Majestics competed against other semi-pro or "sandlot" teams; a collection would be raised from the fans in attendance which would be split amongst the players. In addition to being the team's manager and coach, Art Rooney at times played quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
for the team, which also included his younger brothers, Dan and Jim. Behind the Rooney boys, these teams met a fair amount of success, including at least two Western Pennsylvania Senior Independent Football Conference titles in the early 1930s.
The Hope-Harvey club, which would later come to be known as "Majestic Radio" (when they gained a sponsor) and later the "James P. Rooneys" (to promote the state legislative campaign of the team's quarterback, and Art Rooney's brother, Jimmy Rooney), played most of their home games at Exposition Park
Exposition Park (Pittsburgh)
Exposition Park was a baseball park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from 1890 to circa 1915. It was located on the north side of the Allegheny River across from Pittsburgh's downtown area. Prior to the construction of this version of Exposition Park, two previous ballparks of the same name were...
in Pittsburgh. These Steeler precursors were composed primarily of players from the local colleges: Pitt
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
, Duquesne
Duquesne University
Duquesne University of the Holy Spirit is a private Catholic university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded by members of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit, Duquesne first opened its doors as the Pittsburgh Catholic College of the Holy Ghost in October 1878 with an enrollment of...
and Carnegie Tech
Carnegie Institute of Technology
The Carnegie Institute of Technology , is the name for Carnegie Mellon University’s College of Engineering. It was first called the Carnegie Technical Schools, or Carnegie Tech, when it was founded in 1900 by Andrew Carnegie who intended to build a “first class technical school” in Pittsburgh,...
, all of which were major college programs of the day.
Although football was popular in Pittsburgh at the time, the city had no fully professional teams due to Pennsylvania's puritanical blue law
Blue law
A blue law is a type of law, typically found in the United States and, formerly, in Canada, designed to enforce religious standards, particularly the observance of Sunday as a day of worship or rest, and a restriction on Sunday shopping...
s, which prohibited athletic competition on Sundays because it was the Sabbath. The teams of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
, which was founded in 1920, played primarily on Sunday to avoid conflicts with college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
games which were played on Saturday.
The early years: Decades of futility
In May 1933, in anticipation of the repeal of some of Pennsylvania's restrictive laws in the fall of that year, Rooney applied for a franchise with the NFL. His request was granted on May 19, 1933, and the Pittsburgh Professional Football Club, Inc. joined the NFL in exchange for a US$United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
2,500 franchise fee. The new team was known as the Pirates in reference to their baseball club
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
landlords at Forbes Field
Forbes Field
Forbes Field was a baseball park in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from 1909 to 1971. It was the third home of the Pittsburgh Pirates Major League Baseball team, and the first home of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the city's National Football League franchise...
. Before settling on Forbes, Rooney considered playing at Greenlee Field
Greenlee Field
Greenlee Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, was the first black-built and black-owned major league baseball field in the United States.The field was the dream of Gus Greenlee, owner of the Pittsburgh Crawfords. In 1931, construction started on Bedford Avenue between Chauncy and Duff in...
, which housed the city's Negro League baseball club. Since the blue laws were not repealed until November's general election, the team was forced to play its first four home games on Wednesday nights.
Over the course of the next four decades, Rooney's new team was a study in frustration. They posted a winning record only eight times in their first 39 NFL seasons and never sniffed a championship.
The 1930s: The Pirates years
In the early years of the franchise, the Pirates were not Rooney's only (or even his primary) focus. Even the office off the lobby of the Fort Pitt Hotel from which he ran the team was shared with the Rooney-McGinley Boxing Club, which promoted fights. He also spent a good amount of his time and energy handicappingHandicapping
Handicapping, in sport and games, is the practice of assigning advantage through scoring compensation or other advantage given to different contestants to equalize the chances of winning. The word also applies to the various methods by which the advantage is calculated...
and placing bets on horse racing
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
. A life long hobby, Rooney once won an estimated $250,000 to $300,000 in a single 1936 day of betting. It would later become legend
Urban legend
An urban legend, urban myth, urban tale, or contemporary legend, is a form of modern folklore consisting of stories that may or may not have been believed by their tellers to be true...
that Art Rooney won the Steelers while betting on a horse race, however this was not true.
What can safely be said is that Rooney's gambling winnings did help keep the football franchise afloat, because while Rooney fared well off the field, the Pirates struggled on it. Rooney said of those lean years, "In those days, nobody got wealthy in sports. You had two thrills. One came Sunday, trying to win the game. The next came Monday, trying to make the payroll."
Although he strove to field a winning team, Rooney spent a good deal of energy simply trying to keep the franchise in business through its early seasons. During the 1930s, while America was in the depths of the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, the Pirates were a financial drain on Rooney. Rooney claimed that the team lost nearly $10,000 in . Bidding wars for players made it difficult for less established clubs to compete with the more seasoned Giants, Bears and Packers. In 1935, Rooney proposed a restriction on the number of players that could be signed by teams that finished at the top of the league. These ideas eventually lead to the creation of the NFL Draft
NFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
, which first came into being in 1936
1936 NFL Draft
The 1936 National Football League Draft was the first draft of the National Football League. It took place on February 8, 1936 at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and has taken place every year since. The draft was instituted in an effort to equalize strength amongst the...
.
Rooney hired Forrest "Jap" Douds
Forrest Douds
Forrest "Jap" McCreery Douds was an All-American football player at Washington and Jefferson College in suburban Washington, Pennsylvania, where he was selected as an All-American three times and was the first player ever selected to the East-West Game in two separate seasons...
as player-coach
Player-coach
A player-coach, in sports, is a member of a sports team who simultaneously holds both playing and coaching duties. The term can be used to refer to both players who serve as head coaches, or as assistant coaches....
. Douds was a three-time All-American and local legend as a player at Washington & Jefferson College
Washington & Jefferson College
Washington & Jefferson College, also known as W & J College or W&J, is a private liberal arts college in Washington, Pennsylvania, in the United States, which is south of Pittsburgh...
, and had been an All-Pro
All-Pro
All-Pro is a term mostly used in the NFL for the best players of each position during that season. It began as polls of sportswriters in the early 1920s...
in the NFL. Pittsburgh's inaugural game, against the New York Giants
1933 New York Giants season
The 1933 New York Giants season was the ninth season for the club in the National Football League.-Schedule:-Playoffs:-Standings:-See also:*List of New York Giants seasons...
was a 23–2 defeat in front of a crowd of about 20,000. The franchise's first ever points came off a safety which resulted when Pirates center
Center (American football)
Center is a position in American football and Canadian football . The center is the innermost lineman of the offensive line on a football team's offense...
John "Cap" Oehler
John Oehler
John Walter "Cap" Oehler was an American football center in the National Football League . He was a charter member of the Pittsburgh Pirates .Oehler was born in Queens, New York...
blocked a punt through the end zone
End zone
In gridiron-based codes of football, the end zone refers to the scoring area on the field. It is the area between the end line and goal line bounded by the sidelines. There are two end zones, each being on an opposite side of the field...
. Rooney wrote of the game, "The Giants won. Our team looks terrible. The fans didn't get their money's worth."
The Pirates notched their first victory a week later, defeating the Chicago Cardinals
1933 Chicago Cardinals season
The 1933 Chicago Cardinals season was their 14th in the league. The team failed to improve on their previous output of 2-6-2, winning only one game. They failed to qualify for the playoffs for the eighth consecutive season.-Schedule:-Standings:...
14–13, in front of about 5,000 fans. The team scored its first ever touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
when Martin "Butch" Kottler
Martin Kottler
Martin Albert "Butch" Kottler was an American football running back in the National Football League . He was a charter member of the Pittsburgh Pirates ....
returned an interception 99 yards. The other hero that day was Mose Kelsch
Mose Kelsch
Christian "Mose" Kelsch was an American football placekicker and running back in the National Football League . He was a charter member of the Pittsburgh Pirates ....
, who at 36 years of age was the oldest player in the NFL — even four years older than team owner Rooney. Kelsch, a holdover from the sandlot Majestics, kicked the extra point
Convert
The convert or try, in American football known as "point after", and Canadian football "Point after touchdown", is a one-scrimmage down played immediately after a touchdown during which the scoring team is allowed to attempt to score an extra one point by kicking the ball through the uprights , or...
that was the margin of victory.
In their sixth game the Pirates set an NFL record the franchise still shares by combining with the Cincinnati Reds
1933 Cincinnati Reds (NFL) season
The 1933 Cincinnati Reds season was their inaugural season in the league. The team started 0-4, before finishing 3-6-1 and failed to qualify for the playoffs.-Schedule:-Standings:-References:...
to punt
Punt (football)
In some codes of football, a punt is a play in which a player drops the ball and kicks it before it touches the ground. A punt is in contrast to a drop kick, in which the ball touches the ground before being kicked....
31 times in a scoreless tie. The Bears
1933 Chicago Bears season
The 1933 Chicago Bears season was their 14th regular season and 2nd postseason completed in the National Football League. The club posted a 10-2-1 record in the first year of George Halas's second tenure. The Bears started the season on fire, winning their first six games while allowing only 33...
and Packers
1933 Green Bay Packers season
The 1933 Green Bay Packers season was their 13th season in the National Football League . This was the first year of divisional play and Green Bay competed in the Western Division. The club posted a 5-7-1 record under coach Curly Lambeau, the first losing season in team history...
matched the mark in a game played on the same day, but it has never been surpassed.
The total attendance for their five home games in the inaugural season
1933 Pittsburgh Pirates (NFL) season
The 1933 Pittsburgh Pirates was the debut season of the team that would eventually become the Pittsburgh Steelers. The team was founded after Pennsylvania relaxed its blue laws that, prior to 1933, prohibited sporting events from taking place on Sundays, when most NFL games took place...
was around 57,000. To put that number into perspective, that year's Pitt-Duquesne college matchup was watched by around 60,000 fans. The team finished their initial season with a 3–6–2 record, after which Coach Douds was not retained as coach, though he stayed with the team two more years as a player.
Rooney pursued Heartley "Hunk" Anderson
Heartley Anderson
-External links:* *...
, who had recently stepped down as head coach at Notre Dame, to replace Douds. After being rebuffed by Anderson in favor of a similar position at North Carolina State, Rooney went after Earle "Greasy" Neale. It speaks to the stature of the professional game relative to college football that Neale turned down the Pirates' offer in order to take an assistant coaching position at Yale University. Neale would later coach the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
to two NFL championships and earn a spot in the Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
.
Luby DiMeolo, who had been rumored as the leading candidate for the Pirates coaching job prior to the team's first season, was eventually hired to replace Douds. He had been captain
Captain (sports)
In team sports, a captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field...
of the 1929 Pittsburgh Panthers football team on which Jimmy Rooney also starred. DiMeolo hired Jimmy Rooney as an assistant. Following a disappointing 2–10 season in , DiMeolo was dismissed.
Rooney attempted to lure football legend Red Grange
Red Grange
Harold Edward "Red" Grange, nicknamed "The Galloping Ghost", was a college and professional American football halfback for the University of Illinois, the Chicago Bears, and for the short-lived New York Yankees. His signing with the Bears helped legitimize the National Football League...
, who had just retired as a player, to coach the team the following year. Grange eventually declined the offer in favor of an assistant coaching position with the Chicago Bears
1935 Chicago Bears season
-Season overview:The 1935 Chicago Bears season was their 16th regular season completed in the National Football League. The club posted a 6-4-2 record, finished in a tie for third place in the Western Division, and failed to return to the championship game...
. Rooney settled instead on Duquesne coach Joe Bach
Joe Bach
Joseph Anthony Bach was one of Notre Dame's famed "seven mules" and later the head coach for the NFL's Pittsburgh Pirates and later the renamed Pittsburgh Steelers ....
. Bach was notable as one of Notre Dame's "seven mules", who blocked for the team's famed "Four Horsemen". In Bach's first season the team improved on the previous years two wins, but they still were not very competitive at 4–8.
saw the institution of the National Football League draft as a means of distributing talent more equitably amongst teams. The Pirates saw little initial return, however, as the team's first draft pick
1936 NFL Draft
The 1936 National Football League Draft was the first draft of the National Football League. It took place on February 8, 1936 at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and has taken place every year since. The draft was instituted in an effort to equalize strength amongst the...
, William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare (football)
William Valentine Shakespeare was an American football player. He played at the halfback position, and also handled punting, for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football teams from 1933 to 1935...
, would never play in the NFL. The franchise would trade their first round pick multiple times in their first 30 years.
In his second season with the Pirates in , Bach had his team in contention for the NFL's Eastern Division title with a 6–3 record through nine games. However, the season fell apart with losses in the final three games. Rooney and Bach each blamed the other for the collapse. Although Rooney and Bach had an agreement for Bach to remain with the club in , Bach decided instead to take the head job at Niagara University
Niagara Purple Eagles
The Niagara Purple Eagles are the athletics teams that officially represent Niagara University in college sports. Part of the NCAA's Division I, the Purple Eagles field 18 varsity level teams. They are members of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, College Hockey America and Atlantic Hockey.-...
, for which Rooney released him from his verbal commitment. Rooney later expressed regret for letting Bach leave.
The Bach era (such as it was) gave way to that of Johnny "Blood" McNally
John McNally
John Victor "Blood" McNally was an American football player who was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.-Early life:...
who took over as player-coach in . McNally was an eleven year NFL veteran who had played for the Pirates in . He was one of the game's most colorful characters, and Rooney hired him with an eye toward increasing ticket sales. After a 2–0 start, the team lost its next five games, finishing at 4–7.
The next season saw the arrival of the franchise's first superstar, Byron "Whizzer" White
Byron White
Byron Raymond "Whizzer" White won fame both as a football halfback and as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Appointed to the court by President John F. Kennedy in 1962, he served until his retirement in 1993...
. The Pirates selected White, the All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
quarterback from the University of Colorado, with the fourth overall selection of the 1938 NFL Draft
1938 NFL Draft
The 1938 National Football League Draft was held on December 12, 1937. The draft consisting of 12 rounds and 110 player selections, began with the leagues newest expansion team the Cleveland Rams taking Corbett Davis and ended with the Mr...
and offered him an unheard of salary of $15,000 to join the team. White declined the generous offer, in order to continue his education through a Rhodes Scholarship
Rhodes Scholarship
The Rhodes Scholarship, named after Cecil Rhodes, is an international postgraduate award for study at the University of Oxford. It was the first large-scale programme of international scholarships, and is widely considered the "world's most prestigious scholarship" by many public sources such as...
at Oxford University
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
. However, when he was able to arrange to defer his start at Oxford until January, he reconsidered and signed the deal. In addition to the league-high salary, the terms of the deal also included a share of the gate at exhibition game
Exhibition game
An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...
s for White, who earned a total of $15,800. In comparison, McNally who served as both coach and player earned just $3,500. The big contract Rooney gave White angered several of his fellow owners.
The arrival of White led to much optimism in Pittsburgh — McNally stated that, "We had calculated on a championship without him, and since we have him it looks like we can't miss." White did not disappoint: he led the league in rushing with 567 yards on 152 attempts. However, the team was unable to capitalize on White's performance compiling a record of just two wins against nine losses, including a season-ending string of six straight defeats. After the season, White sailed on to England and never again played for the Pirates. White would go on to become one of the longest serving justices in the history of the U.S. Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
.
After seeing the disappointing results of paying big money for a star player, in Rooney determined to pursue a star coach. He offered the head coaching job to Jock Sutherland
Jock Sutherland
Dr. John Bain "Jock" Sutherland, D.D.S., was an American football coach. He coached college football at Lafayette College and the University of Pittsburgh and professional football for the Brooklyn Dodgers and Pittsburgh Steelers...
, who was a legendary football coach and "national hero". Sutherland had just stepped down as head coach at the University of Pittsburgh. The offer was to have been in excess of the $13,000 annual salary Sutherland earned at Pitt. When Sutherland spurned the offer (due most likely to the disdain in which he held the professional game) McNally was retained as the Pirates' coach, although he announced his retirement as a player.
The 1939 season
1939 Pittsburgh Pirates (NFL) season
- Week 1 : Brooklyn Dodgers :at Ebbets Field, Brooklyn, New York* Game time:* Game weather:* Game attendance: 19,444* Referee:Scoring Drives:* Brooklyn – FG Kercheval 27...
started just as the previous season had ended: with a string of losses. After the third straight loss (which stretched the two season run of failure to nine games), McNally resigned as coach. Despite compiling a coaching record with the Pirates of just 6–19, Johnny "Blood" McNally would enter the Hall of Fame in 1963.
McNally was replaced by Walt Kiesling
Walt Kiesling
Walter Andrew Kiesling was an American football player and coach.-Playing career:A native of Saint Paul, Minnesota, Kiesling played both offensive and defensive line at the University of St. Thomas...
, who had been McNally's assistant coach for the previous two seasons. Their seventh season less than half played, the Pirates had just hired their fifth head coach. Kiesling was unable to salvage the season; the team ended 1939 with a worst yet mark of 1–9–1. The season's lone win came in the season's final game against the Philadelphia Eagles
1939 Philadelphia Eagles season
The 1939 Philadelphia Eagles season was their seventh in the league. The team failed to improve on their previous output of 5–6, winning only one game. The team failed to qualify for the playoffs for the seventh consecutive season.-Off Season:...
, with whom the Steelers shared the league cellar — the Eagles compiled an identical 1–9–1 record with their season's sole bright spot being an earlier triumph over the Steelers. The victory broke a winless streak that had extended to nearly fourteen months.
Through the 1930s the Pirates never finished higher than second place in their division, or with a record better than .500.
1940–41: A new name and a "new" team
In early 1940, Rooney decided that he had had enough of the copycat Pirates moniker. He worked with the Pittsburgh Post-GazettePittsburgh Post-Gazette
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, also known simply as the "PG," is the largest daily newspaper serving metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.-Early history:...
to run a contest to find a new name for the team. Former coach Joe Bach led the panel which selected the name Steelers from amongst the entries. The new name paid homage to the city's largest industry of producing steel
Steel mill
A steel mill or steelworks is an industrial plant for the manufacture of steel.Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon. It is produced in a two-stage process. First, iron ore is reduced or smelted with coke and limestone in a blast furnace, producing molten iron which is either cast into pig iron or...
.
It's unclear who deserves credit for suggesting the name (which was already being used by at least one local high school team), but it appears there were a total of twenty-one "winners". Each winner received a pair of season tickets to the upcoming season, a prize with a value of about $5. Among them were Joe Santoni, a local restaurateur
Restaurateur
A restaurateur is a person who opens and runs restaurants professionally. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who owns a restaurant, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspects of the restaurant business.-Etymology:The word...
, who received a pair of season tickets as a prize, and Margaret Elizabeth O'Donnell, the girlfriend (and eventual wife) of the team's business manager, Joe Carr. The first entrant who suggested "Steelers" was Arnold Goldberg, who was sports editor for the Evening Standard of Uniontown, Pennsylvania
Uniontown, Pennsylvania
Uniontown is a city in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, southeast of Pittsburgh and part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area. Population in 1900, 7,344; in 1910, 13,344; in 1920, 15,692; and in 1940, 21,819. The population was 10,372 at the 2010 census...
. Other suggestions were Wahoos, Condors, Pioneers, Triangles, Bridgers, Buckaroos and Yankees, along with such steel-centric possibilities as the Millers, Vulcans, Tubers, Smokers, Rollers, Ingots and Puddlers.
Kiesling continued as coach in . The Steelers started the season at 1–0–2 before falling at home by a score of 10–3 to a Brooklyn Dodgers
1940 Brooklyn Dodgers (NFL) season
The 1940 Brooklyn Dodgers season was their 11th in the league. The team improved on their previous season's output of 4-6-1, winning eight games. They failed to qualify for the playoffs for the ninth consecutive season.-Schedule:-Standings:-References:...
squad coached by local hero Jock Sutherland
Jock Sutherland
Dr. John Bain "Jock" Sutherland, D.D.S., was an American football coach. He coached college football at Lafayette College and the University of Pittsburgh and professional football for the Brooklyn Dodgers and Pittsburgh Steelers...
. It was the legendary coach's first professional victory after leaving Duquesne University
Duquesne University
Duquesne University of the Holy Spirit is a private Catholic university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded by members of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit, Duquesne first opened its doors as the Pittsburgh Catholic College of the Holy Ghost in October 1878 with an enrollment of...
in 1939. He had assumed the head job for the Dodgers that year after spurning a similar offer from the Pirates/Steelers the previous season. The loss to the Dodgers began a six-game losing streak, before the team traded wins with the Philadelphia Eagles
1940 Philadelphia Eagles season
The 1940 Philadelphia Eagles season was their eighth in the league. The team failed to improve on their previous output of 1–9–1, losing ten games...
to cap a 2–7–2 season in which they scored a total of just 60 points.
Rooney had finally seen enough. Over eight years, the team had compiled a record of 24–62–5 and had lost around $100,000. He was also concerned about the availability of players in the coming seasons due to the ongoing war in Europe
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and the specter of a military draft. After turning down several earlier offers to relocate or sell the team, in December 1940, Rooney sold the Steelers to Alexis Thompson. Thompson was a 26-year-old, Yale
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
-educated heir to a steel fortune and an entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
living in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. He had aggressively pursued Rooney to sell the franchise for several months prior to the transaction. The purchase price was reported to be $160,000. This price is less than the $225,000 the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
had previously sold for, but the Lions had won an NFL championship. The transaction was completed and announced on the same day that the Chicago Bears
1940 Chicago Bears season
The 1940 Chicago Bears season was their 21st regular season and 5th postseason completed in the National Football League. The club posted a 8-3 record under head coach George Halas. Behind NFL greats Sid Luckman and Bronko Nagurski the club rode to a 8-3 record and berth in the NFL Championship...
pummeled the Washington Redskins
1940 Washington Redskins season
The 1940 Washington Redskins began with the team trying to improve on their 8-2-1 record from 1939. They would end the season by losing the NFL Championship to the Chicago Bears, 73-0.-Schedule:-Standings:...
by a score of 73–0 in the most lopsided NFL championship game
1940 NFL Championship Game
The 1940 National Football League Championship Game, was the 8th in NFL history. The game was played at Griffith Stadium in Washington, D.C. on December 8, 1940. The Chicago Bears defeated the Washington Redskins, 73-0, the most one-sided victory in NFL history...
of all time.
Rooney immediately took half of the windfall and invested it in a 50% interest in the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, which were owned by his friend, Bert Bell
Bert Bell
De Benneville "Bert" Bell was the National Football League commissioner from 1946 until his death in 1959. As commissioner, he helped chart a path for the NFL to facilitate its rise in becoming the most popular sports attraction in the United States...
. It was Bell who had conducted all of the negotiations with Thompson leading up to the sale of the Steelers. Thompson had earlier offered to purchase Bell's franchise.
In an unusual twist Rooney, Bell and Thompson pooled the rosters of the two squads and conducted essentially a mini-draft to distribute the talent. The 51 players which were signed to the Steelers and Eagles at the end of the 1940 season were shuffled between the two teams. In this transaction, the Rooney/Bell team added ends George Platukis
George Platukis
George Paul Platukis was an American football end who played five seasons in the NFL with the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Rams...
, Walt Kichefski and John Klumb; tackles Clark Goff and Ted Doyle; guards Carl Nery and Jack Sanders; and backs Boyd Brumbaugh
Boyd Brumbaugh
Urban Boyd Brumbaugh was a professional football player in the National Football League for the Brooklyn Dodgers and the Pittsburgh Pirates .-College football:...
, John Noppenberg, George Kiick and Rocco Pirro
Rocco Pirro
Rocco A. Pirro was a professional American football Guard who played from 1940 to 1941 with the Pittsburgh Steelers and from 1946 to 1949 with the Buffalo Bills.-External links:**...
from the Steelers. In exchange, Thompson's team gained ends Wilbur "Bill" Sortet
Bill Sortet
Wilbur John "Bill" Sortet was an end who played eight seasons in the National Football League for the Pittsburgh Pirates/Steelers. Sortet attended West Virginia University....
and Sam Boyd; tackles Armand Niccolai
Armand Niccolai
Armand Niccolai was a guard who played nine seasons in the National Football League. Niccolai attended Duquesne University....
, John Woudenberg
John Woudenberg
John William "Dutch" Woudenberg, Jr. was a professional American football offensive and defensive lineman in the National Football League and the All-America Football Conference ....
and Don Campbell; guards Stan Pavkov and John Perko
John Perko
John Joseph Perko was a professional football player for eight seasons in the National Football League. He played for Pittsburgh Pirates-Steelers his entire career. In 1944, he also played on the Steelers-Chicago Cardinals merged team, "Card-Pitt"...
; centers Ted Grabinski, Frank Sullivan and Joe Maras; and backs Billy Patterson
Billy Patterson
Joseph William "Billy" Patterson Jr. was an American football player who played two seasons in the NFL with the Chicago Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers.-Early life:...
, Merlyn Condit
Merl Condit
Merlyn Edwin Condit , nicknamed "Merlyn the Magician," was an American football H-back in the National Football League for the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Washington Redskins, and the Brooklyn Dodgers...
, Lou Tomasetti
Lou Tomasetti
Louis Vincent Tomasetti was an American football running back in the NFL from 1939 to 1942 and in the All-America Football Conference from 1946 to 1949. Tomasetti played college football at Bucknell University....
, Swede Johnston, Hank Bruder
Hank Bruder
Henry George "Hank" Bruder was an American football player in the National Football League. He played nine years with the Green Bay Packers from 1931 to 1939 and was inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame in 1972....
, Coley McDonough
Coley McDonough
Coleman Regis "Coley" McDonough was a professional American football quarterback in the National Football League. He played four seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Chicago Cardinals. In 1944 McDonough also played for "Card-Pitt", a team that was the result of a temporary merger between...
and Tommy Thompson all of whom had played for Bell's Eagles
1940 Philadelphia Eagles season
The 1940 Philadelphia Eagles season was their eighth in the league. The team failed to improve on their previous output of 1–9–1, losing ten games...
the prior year.
Thompson hired Greasy Neale, whom Rooney had earlier pursued to coach the Pirates, to conduct this player swap as well as to assist him with the draft
1941 NFL Draft
The 1941 National Football League Draft was held on December 10, 1940.Despite having three picks in the first round, only Norm Standlee ever played for the Chicago Bears.-Player selections:-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:...
which took place the day after the deal with Rooney was finalized. Once he was released from his contract with Yale, Neale became head coach of Thompson's team. In January 1941, Thompson renamed his new squad the Iron Men.
Despite the fact he now was half-owner of a team in based Philadelphia, Rooney had no intention of leaving Pittsburgh. It was thought that Thompson preferred to move his new team to be nearer his New York home, perhaps to Boston, which had been without an NFL team since the Redskins relocated to Washington in 1939. If Thompson had moved the team away from Pittsburgh, Rooney and Bell hatched a plan that would have seen their team split its home games between the two Pennsylvania cities. However, the other league owners blocked both moves.
By early 1941, Rooney was beginning to regret his decision to sell the Pittsburgh team. When he saw that Thompson had not yet established a local office for his team, as he had announced he would do by March 1, Rooney made an offer. He and Bell would trade territories with Thompson. This would put Thompson in Philadelphia, which was much closer to his New York base. It would also ensure that Rooney's team would stay in his hometown. On April 3, 1941, Thompson accepted the deal and Rooney and Bell's Eagles came to Pittsburgh, where they became the Steelers while Thompson's Iron Men moved to Philadelphia, where they took on the Eagles moniker. This was described at the time as "one of the most unusual swaps in sports history". In fact, though the Pittsburgh team played as the Steelers, they operated under the name the "Philadelphia Eagles Football Club, Inc." for the next several years.
Because the entire strange turn of events all took place during the off-season and the Steelers never actually missed a game in Pittsburgh, the NFL considers the Rooney reign unbroken. The transaction, which amounted in the end to Bell selling the Eagles and purchasing half-interest in the Steelers, has been termed the "Pennsylvania Polka".
1941–44: The war years
Rooney and Bell conducted a coaching search seeking "one of the top men of the profession." Among the men interviewed was Pete CawthonPete Cawthon
Peter Willis Cawthon was the head coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders football team from 1930-1941.Cawthon graduated from Houston Central High School in 1917 and went on to attend Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas. He lettered in baseball, football, and basketball during his freshman year...
who had recently left Texas Tech after a successful 12-year stint. Bell and Rooney also considered Aldo "Buff" Donelli
Aldo Donelli
Aldo "Buff" Teo Donelli was an American football and soccer player. He is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame.-Club:...
, who was the head man for Duquesne University's football team.
In the end, Bell, who had coached the Eagles to five straight losing seasons, named himself head coach of the team. This move was made in part because the owners were hesitant to offer a binding contract to a coach due to the specter of the country possibly entering the war
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Kiesling, who had led the Steelers the previous season, was retained as Bell's assistant. The Steelers began the season with two straight losses, after which Rooney tried to convince Bell to step down as coach. Bell agreed to do so only if Rooney could convince Buff Donelli to take over the rein
Rein
Reins are items of horse tack, used to direct a horse or other animal used for riding or driving. Reins can be made of leather, nylon, metal, or other materials, and attach to a bridle via either its bit or its noseband.-Use for riding:...
s.
Donelli, however, already held the head coaching position at Duquesne University, for which he was under contract for another full season. Donelli and Rooney worked out a deal with the Duquesne administrators whereby Donelli retained his position as head coach at Duquesne, with the intent of coaching the Steelers in his "spare moments". He would accomplish this by coaching the pro team in the morning and the college team in the afternoon; he would spend Saturday on the sidelines for the Dukes and Sunday with the Steelers.
This was a highly unusual situation, and it did not sit well with new NFL commissioner Elmer Layden
Elmer Layden
Elmer Francis Layden was an American football player, coach, college athletics administrator, and professional sports executive. He played college football at the University of Notre Dame where he starred at fullback as a member of the legendary "Four Horsemen" backfield...
(for whom Donelli had played when Layden was the coach at Duquesne). Layden was convinced that it was "impossible, physically and mentally, to direct two major football teams at the same time." Donelli stepped down as coach at Duquesne to assuage Layden. However, he retained the title of athletic director
Athletic director
An athletic director is an administrator at many American colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, who oversees the work of coaches and related staff involved in intercollegiate or interscholastic athletic programs...
at the school and his schedule changed little, if at all. He continued to attend all of Duquesne's practices and games and continued to be acknowledged as the coach, if not in title.
Donelli replaced the single-wing offense the Steelers had employed since their founding with his "wing-T", which was a variation on the T formation
T formation
In American football, a T formation is a formation used by the offensive team in which three running backs line up in a row about five yards behind the quarterback, forming the shape of a "T"....
. He coached the Steelers to five straight losses, even while his college team flourished. In early November Donelli faced a dilemma: Duquesne was scheduled to play Saint Mary's College of California
Saint Mary's College of California
Saint Mary's College of California is a private, coeducational college located in Moraga, California, United States, a small suburban community about east of Oakland and 20 miles east of San Francisco. It has a 420-acre campus in the Moraga hills. It is affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church...
on the same weekend the Steelers had a contest in Philadelphia. Layden ordered Donelli to appear on the sidelines in Philly. Donelli chose to stick with the undefeated college squad, and stepped down as head coach of the winless Steelers.
The Steelers' coaching position was once more handed over to Kiesling. In Kiesling's second game of this second stint as the Steelers' leader, he led the team to a victory over Jock Sutherland's Brooklyn Dodgers
1941 Brooklyn Dodgers season
The Brooklyn Dodgers, led by manager Leo Durocher, won their first pennant in 21 years, edging the St. Louis Cardinals by 2.5 games. They went on to lose to the New York Yankees in the World Series....
. This would be the only victory in a 1–9–1 season, which matched the team's worst record to date. In a small bright spot, this was the franchise's first campaign in which they were never shut out.
Perhaps the most enduring event of the 1941 season was an off-hand remark that Rooney made to a reporter during the team's training camp. Rooney was visiting camp and quipped to a reporter, "They look like the Steelers to me—in green jerseys." This was taken as a reference to the club's poor performance throughout its existence. The remark would morph into the slogan "Same Old Steelers," which would be applied by fans as a sort of unofficial team motto throughout the team's consistent struggles over the subsequent thirty years.
Within weeks of the end of the 1941 season, America would enter World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, which would have a huge impact on the nation, but also on the NFL and its teams. Although the Selective Training and Service Act of 1940
Selective Training and Service Act of 1940
The Selective Training and Service Act of 1940, also known as the Burke-Wadsworth Act, was passed by the Congress of the United States on September 17, 1940, becoming the first peacetime conscription in United States history when President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed it into law two days later...
had instituted conscription in late 1940, the NFL was not significantly impacted until after the United States joined the war following Pearl Harbor attack in December 1941.
Rooney and Bell lobbied to delay the 1942 NFL Draft
1942 NFL Draft
The 1942 National Football League Draft was held on December 22, 1941.-Player selections:-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:-Round eight:-Round nine:-Round ten:-Round eleven:...
due to the uncertainty of the war situation, but they were overruled by their fellow owners. The Steelers had the first overall selection, due to their last-place showing the previous season
1941 Pittsburgh Steelers season
The 1941 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the club's ninth as a member of the National Football League. In the off season, the team had been sold and then re-acquired in a bizarre series of transactions which has come to be referred to as the "Pennsylvania Polka"...
. They made Virginia
Virginia Cavaliers football
Virginia Cavaliers football is a college football program that competes in the NCAA Division I-FBS and the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
halfback "Bullet" Bill Dudley
Bill Dudley
William McGarvey "Bullet Bill" Dudley was a professional American football player in the National Football League for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Detroit Lions, and Washington Redskins. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1966.-Early life:Dudley was born in Bluefield, Virginia and...
the first pick. They then rounded out the draft by choosing as many married players as possible with an eye toward the likelihood those players could avoid the military draft, at least for the upcoming season.
The team lost several players who had filled key roles the previous year to the military, including quarterbacks Johnny Patrick and Rocco Pirro
Rocco Pirro
Rocco A. Pirro was a professional American football Guard who played from 1940 to 1941 with the Pittsburgh Steelers and from 1946 to 1949 with the Buffalo Bills.-External links:**...
, leading runner Art Jones
Art Jones (American football)
Arthur Edward "Art" Jones, Jr. was a professional American football defensive back in the National Football League. He played two seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers .-References:...
and budding tackle Joe Coomer. The team's first-round pick, Bill Dudley, intended as well to join the military rather than play football, but when he enlisted in September 1942 there was such a backlog of recruits that his induction was delayed by a few months. This gave him the opportunity to sign with the Steelers for $5,000.
After a slow start, in which they lost their first two games, the 1942 squad then won seven of their next eight contests. They fell to the Green Bay Packers
1942 Green Bay Packers season
The 1942 Green Bay Packers season was their 22nd season in the National Football League. The club posted a 8-2-1 record under coach Curly Lambeau, earning a second-place finish in the Western Conference.-NFL Draft:-Schedule:-Standings:-Roster:...
in their final game to cap a 7–4 season. They finished in second place in the Eastern Division behind the Washington Redskins
1942 Washington Redskins season
The 1942 Washington Redskins began with the team trying to improve on their 6-5 record from 1941. They would end the season by winning the NFL Championship against the Chicago Bears, 14-6.-Schedule:-Standings:-NFL Championship Game:-All-Star Game:...
, who went on to capture the league title. It was the first winning record the club had recorded in its ten-year history. Dudley became the second Steeler to lead the league in rushing with 696 yards on 162 attempts. The "triple-threat" back also tallied 35 passes for 438 yards and 18 punts and was runner-up to Green Bay's Don Hutson
Don Hutson
Donald Montgomery Hutson was the first star wide receiver in National Football League history. He is considered by many to have been the first modern receiver....
for the Joe F. Carr Trophy which is awarded to the league's most valuable player.
Steagles
At the annual league meeting held on the weekend of the 1942 NFL Championship Game, the league's owners discussed canceling the upcoming 1943 season1943 NFL season
The 1943 NFL season was the 24th regular season of the National Football League. As more players left to serve in World War II, three teams were affected by the depleted rosters. The Cleveland Rams were granted permission to suspend operations for this season. The Philadelphia Eagles and the...
due to concerns of player availability due to the war. Instead they chose to delay the decision, along with the college draft
1943 NFL Draft
The 1943 National Football League Draft was held on April 8, 1943.This draft is the first and oldest NFL Draft not to produce a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:...
, until the following April. At the April meeting roster sizes were reduced from 33 to 25 players. Additionally, the Cleveland Rams
Cleveland Rams
The Cleveland Rams were a professional American football team based in Cleveland, Ohio.The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland, Ohio. The NFL considers the franchise as a second incarnation of the previous Cleveland Rams team that was a charter member of the second American Football League...
announced that they would suspend operations for the season since the team's two top executives were serving in the military.
The Steelers' roster continued to be decimated throughout the off-season. By late May, they were down to just five players under contract who would be available to play in the upcoming season. Rooney and Bell reached out to Alexis Thompson's Philadelphia Eagles to discuss the possibility of combining the two squads. A proposal to combine was submitted to the league and was slated for discussion at league meetings in mid-June. At the confab the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and Chicago Cardinals sprung a similar request of their own. The league owners voted down the two mergers on the basis that by combining resources the merged clubs would gain an unfair advantage. Rooney and Bell then lobbied the Chicago clubs to withdraw their request, which they eventually agreed to do. After a contentious debate the owners then voted by a narrow 5–4 margin to allow the Steelers and Eagles to merge operations for the upcoming season and retain their players thereafter.
Although the combined team was officially the Eagles and would have no city designation, it became known familiarly as the Phil-Pitt "Steagles
Steagles
The Steagles is the popular nickname for the team created by the temporary merger of two National Football League teams, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Philadelphia Eagles, during the 1943 season...
". The club split its home dates between the two cities with four games played in Philadelphia and two in Pittsburgh. Walt Kiesling shared coaching duties with Eagles coach Greasy Neale and the club adopted the T formation
T formation
In American football, a T formation is a formation used by the offensive team in which three running backs line up in a row about five yards behind the quarterback, forming the shape of a "T"....
which had been used very effectively by the Chicago Bears for the past several seasons. Many of the Steagles players were classified 4-F by the Selective Service, meaning they were judged as unfit for military service. Common ailments were ulcers, perforated eardrums and poor eyesight or hearing.
Co-coaches Neale and Kiesling disliked each other immensely. In order to avoid coaching together, they split coaching responsibility along the lines of offense and defense. This accommodation presaged the rise of the modern offensive
Offensive coordinator
An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of a gridiron football team who is in charge of the offense. Generally, along with his defensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
and defensive coordinator
Defensive coordinator
A defensive coordinator typically refers to a coach on a gridiron football team who is in charge of the defense. Generally, along with his offensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
positions that are near universal in the modern game.
The team ended the season with a 5–4–1 record which was the first winning record in the Eagles' history and just second the Steelers had enjoyed. They missed the playoffs and disbanded into separate franchises immediately upon the season's end.
Card-Pitt
In 1944 they merged with the Chicago CardinalsArizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and were known as "Card-Pitt
Card-Pitt
Card-Pitt was the name for the team created by the temporary merger of two National Football League teams, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Chicago Cardinals, during the 1944 season. The teams were forced to merge, because both had lost many players to World War II military service...
" and informally known as the "Car-Pitts" or "Carpets." They went winless through the season. The Steelers went solo again for the 1945 season and went 2–8. Dudley was back from the war by the 1946 season and became league MVP. The rest of team did no better as the Steelers stumbled down the stretch and finished 5-5-1.
The 1940s and '50s: "Same Old Steelers"
The Steelers made the playoffs for the first time in 1947, tying for first place in the division at 8–4 with the Philadelphia EaglesPhiladelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. This forced a tie-breaking playoff game at Forbes Field
Forbes Field
Forbes Field was a baseball park in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from 1909 to 1971. It was the third home of the Pittsburgh Pirates Major League Baseball team, and the first home of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the city's National Football League franchise...
, which the Steelers lost 21–0. Because of the Steelers and Eagles being placed in different conferences after the 1970 merger between the NFL and the AFL, the game marks the only time that the two major Pennsylvania cities have played each other in the NFL playoffs. Quarterback Johnny Clement
Johnny Clement
John Louis "Johnny" Clement was an American football player. As of 2008, he is the only Pittsburgh Steelers player to wear 00. He was also an officer in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II.-External links:...
actually finished second in the league in rushing yardage with 670.
That would be Pittsburgh's last playoff game for 25 years. In the 1948 off season, coach Jock Sutherland
Jock Sutherland
Dr. John Bain "Jock" Sutherland, D.D.S., was an American football coach. He coached college football at Lafayette College and the University of Pittsburgh and professional football for the Brooklyn Dodgers and Pittsburgh Steelers...
died. The team struggled through the season (one quarterback, Ray Evans
Ray Evans (American football)
Raymond Richard Evans was an American football halfback. He was an All-American in football and a two time All-American in basketball at the University of Kansas and is considered possibly the greatest overall athlete to ever attend KU...
, threw 17 interceptions to only five touchdowns) and finished 4-8. The team once again faded down the stretch in 1949 after a strong start, ending with a 6-5-1 record. That was followed up in 1950 with a 6-6 season, and consecutive losing seasons in 1951 (4-7-1) and 1952 (5-7).
After a 6-6 season in 1953 and 5-7 season in 1954, the Steelers drafted Johnny Unitas
Johnny Unitas
John Constantine Unitas , known as Johnny Unitas or "Johnny U", and nicknamed "The Golden Arm", was a professional American football player in the 1950s through the 1970s, spending the majority of his career with the Baltimore Colts. He was a record-setting quarterback, and the National Football...
in 1955. Cut by the Steelers in training camp, Unitas later resurfaced as a Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
hero - with the Baltimore Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
. Pittsburgh suffered through yet two more losing seasons before a 6–6 campaign in 1957 in the first season for coach Buddy Parker
Buddy Parker
Raymond "Buddy" Parker is a former football player and coach in the National Football League who served as head coach for three teams: the Chicago Cardinals, the Detroit Lions and the Pittsburgh Steelers....
. 1957 saw one other highlight, the hiring of the NFL's first African American coach, Lowell Perry
Lowell W. Perry
Lowell Wesley Perry was an American football player and coach, government official, businessman, and broadcaster. He was the first African American assistant coach in the National Football League , the first African American to broadcast an NFL game to a national audience, and Chrysler's first...
as the Steelers receivers coach.
Early in the 1958 season the Steelers traded for quarterback Bobby Layne
Bobby Layne
Robert Lawrence "Bobby" Layne was an American football quarterback who played for 15 seasons in the National Football League. He played for the Chicago Bears in 1948, the New York Bulldogs in 1949, the Detroit Lions from 1950–1958, and the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1958–1962...
, who led the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
to two NFL championships. The results were immediate, with the Steelers posting a winning record (7–4–1) for the first time in nine years - though they were still two games out of a playoff spot. 1958 also saw the first Steelers home games at Pitt Stadium
Pitt Stadium
Pitt Stadium was a stadium located on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh in the Oakland section of Pittsburgh in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania from 1925 to 1999. It served primarily as the home of the University of Pittsburgh's football team, the Pittsburgh Panthers...
, although their primary venue continued to be Forbes Field.
The Steelers finished above .500 again with a 6–5–1 record in 1959. After a 5–6–1 season in 1960, Rudy Bukich
Rudy Bukich
Rudolph Andrew Bukich is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League between 1953 and 1968. He played college football at the University of Southern California...
took over the starting QB job during the 1961 season, but fared no better. Pittsburgh finished 6-8.
The 1960s
The Steelers introduced the famous "astroid" logo, based on that of the Steelmark used by the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI), in time for the 1962 season. Bobby Layne returned to the full-time starting quarterback position, and running back John Henry JohnsonJohn Henry Johnson
John Henry Johnson was an American football fullback. He played from 1954 to 1965 for the San Francisco 49ers, the Detroit Lions, and the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League...
had the best season of his career with 1,141 yards (second in the NFL). Pittsburgh shored up on defense too, picking up Clendon Thomas
Clendon Thomas
Clendon Thomas is a former American football halfback who played ten seasons in the National Football League.In college, he was a star athlete for the Oklahoma Sooners under legendary coach Bud Wilkinson...
from the Los Angeles Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
; he led the team with seven interceptions. Ernie Stautner
Ernie Stautner
-References:* * *-External links:*...
anchored the defensive line. The Steelers had their best season yet, finishing 9-5. This was good for second place in the division, and a spot in the Playoff Bowl
Playoff Bowl
The Playoff Bowl was a post-season game for third place in the NFL, played ten times following the -69 seasons. Bell was a co-founder of the Philadelphia Eagles as well as a co-owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers during much of the 1940s...
, which matched up the #2 teams in the NFL's two divisions. The Steelers lost that game, 17-10, to the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
.
Ed Brown
Ed Brown (quarterback)
Charles Edward Brown was an American football quarterback and punter in the National Football League.-Prior to the NFL:...
became quarterback in time for the 1963 season after Layne retired. Pittsburgh finished 7-4-3, but in a hotly contested Eastern Division, that only allowed the Steelers a 4th-place showing. Ernie Stautner retired after the season. 1963 also resulted in a change of venue for the Steelers, who split their home schedule between Forbes Field and Pitt Stadium, moving exclusively to Pitt in 1964.
The next few years were total disasters for the Steelers. Another 1,000-yard season for John Henry Johnson was the only bright spot in a lackluster 1964 season that ended in a 5-9 record. Another retirement stung the team, this one of coach Buddy Parker
Buddy Parker
Raymond "Buddy" Parker is a former football player and coach in the National Football League who served as head coach for three teams: the Chicago Cardinals, the Detroit Lions and the Pittsburgh Steelers....
. The wheels totally fell off in 1965, when the team finished at a league-worst 2-12. Over the next four years, the Steelers never finished higher than 5-8-1 (1966), with the team using eight quarterbacks between 1965 and 1969.
Indicative of the Steelers' struggles is the fact that Western Pennsylvania has long been an area producing fine quarterbacks, but the Steelers had never managed to keep them. Unitas was a native of Pittsburgh, making his later success even more jarring to Steeler fans. George Blanda
George Blanda
George Frederick Blanda was a collegiate and professional football quarterback and placekicker...
came from the Pittsburgh area, but the Steelers never signed him. The nearby town of Beaver Falls
Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania
Beaver Falls is a city in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 8,987 at the 2010 census. It is located 31 miles northwest of Pittsburgh, and on the Beaver River, six miles from its confluence with the Ohio River...
produced Babe Parilli
Babe Parilli
-Biography:Parilli was born in the Pittsburgh industrial suburb of Rochester, Pennsylvania. He attended the University of Kentucky as an All-American starting quarterback for the Wildcats under Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant....
and later Joe Namath
Joe Namath
Joseph William "Joe" Namath , nicknamed "Broadway Joe" or "Joe Willie", is a former American football quarterback. He played college football for the University of Alabama under coach Paul "Bear" Bryant and his assistant, Howard Schnellenberger, from 1962–1964, and professional football in the...
, who became stars in the American Football League
American Football League
The American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
. The Steelers never signed the Beaver Falls natives, either. They did sign another future Hall-of-Famer, Ohio native Len Dawson
Len Dawson
Leonard Ray "Len" "Lenny" Dawson is a former American collegiate and Professional Football quarterback who attended Purdue University and went on to play for three professional teams, most notably the Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs...
, but would let him go as well, before he began a great career with the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
. Jack Kemp
Jack Kemp
Jack French Kemp was an American politician and a collegiate and professional football player. A Republican, he served as Housing Secretary in the administration of President George H. W. Bush from 1989 to 1993, having previously served nine terms as a congressman for Western New York's 31st...
, a Los Angeles native, was also on the Steelers' roster before being cut. Like Blanda, Parilli, Namath, and Dawson, he became a star in the AFL in the 1960s, as the Steelers went downhill until finally drafting and signing Louisiana native Terry Bradshaw in 1970. By the time Western Pennsylvania had also produced future Hall-of-Famers Joe Montana
Joe Montana
Joseph Clifford "Joe" Montana, Jr. , nicknamed Joe Cool, Golden Joe, The Golden Great and Comeback Joe, is a retired American football player. Montana started his NFL career in 1979 with the San Francisco 49ers, where he played quarterback for the next 14 seasons...
, Dan Marino
Dan Marino
Daniel Constantine "Dan" Marino, Jr. is a retired American football quarterback who played for the Miami Dolphins in the National Football League...
and Jim Kelly
Jim Kelly
James Edward Kelly is a former American football quarterback in the NFL for the Buffalo Bills and the USFL's Houston Gamblers....
, Bradshaw and his teammates had long since turned the Steelers from a laughingstock into one of the NFL's most successful and beloved franchises.
1970–71
The Steelers' luck began to take a turn for the better with the hiring of coach Chuck NollChuck Noll
Charles Henry "Chuck" Noll is a former professional American football player and coach, and a member of the Sid Gillman coaching tree. He served most notably as the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League from 1969 to 1991...
in early 1969, though he too won only a single game in his inaugural season (their worst since 1941), defeating the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
in the season opener before losing the next 13 games. Joe Paterno
Joe Paterno
Joseph Vincent "Joe" Paterno is a former college football coach who was the head coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions for 46 years from 1966 through 2011. Paterno, nicknamed "JoePa," holds the record for the most victories by an NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision football coach with...
had turned down the job before it was offered to Noll.
The team's luck also continued when they won a coin toss with the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
after the 1969 season (both teams went 1-13 in the 1969 season, with the Bears' lone win coming at the Steelers' expense) to gain the rights to draft Louisiana Tech superstar Terry Bradshaw
Terry Bradshaw
Terry Paxton Bradshaw is a former American football quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League . He played 14 seasons. He is a football analyst and co-host of Fox NFL Sunday...
with the first selection in the 1970 NFL Draft
NFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
. As poor as the 1969 season was, it turned out to be a springboard for one of the most successful decades any NFL team has ever had.
Noll's most remarkable talent was in his draft selections, taking "Mean" Joe Greene
Joe Greene (American football)
Charles Edward Greene, known as “Mean Joe” Greene, is a former all-pro American football defensive tackle who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL. Throughout the early 1970s he was the one of most dominant defensive players in the National Football League...
in 1969, Terry Bradshaw
Terry Bradshaw
Terry Paxton Bradshaw is a former American football quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League . He played 14 seasons. He is a football analyst and co-host of Fox NFL Sunday...
and Mel Blount in 1970, Jack Ham in 1971, Franco Harris
Franco Harris
Franco Harris is a former American football player. He played his NFL career with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Seattle Seahawks.In the 1972 NFL Draft he was chosen by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round, the 13th selection overall...
in 1972, and in 1974, selected Mike Webster, Lynn Swann
Lynn Swann
-Collegiate:Swann attended the University of Southern California, where he was an All-American on the Trojans football team. He played under legendary coach John McKay, including the 1972 undefeated and national championship season. McKay said of Swann, "He has speed, soft hands, and grace." He...
, John Stallworth
John Stallworth
Johnny Lee Stallworth is a former American football wide receiver who played fourteen seasons in the National Football League for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college football at Alabama A&M, and was the Steelers' fourth-round draft pick in 1974. Stallworth played in six AFC championships,...
, and Jack Lambert. According to the NFL Network this is the best draft class in the history of the NFL with Webster, Swann, Stallworth, & Lambert all in the Hall of Fame, and all four won four Super Bowl Championships. This group of players formed the base of one of the greatest teams in NFL history.
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
(with whom the intense "Turnpike Rivalry" developed) and the Baltimore Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
, joined the former American Football League
American Football League
The American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
(AFL) teams in the new American Football Conference
American Football Conference
The American Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the National Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL....
(AFC), following the AFL-NFL merger that year. The team also received a $3 million relocation fee, which was a windfall for them; for years they rarely had enough to build a true contending team. The Steelers moved into Three Rivers Stadium
Three Rivers Stadium
Three Rivers Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from 1970 to 2000. It was home to the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Pittsburgh Steelers, the city's Major League Baseball franchise and National Football League franchise respectively.Built as a replacement to...
, and Terry Bradshaw
Terry Bradshaw
Terry Paxton Bradshaw is a former American football quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League . He played 14 seasons. He is a football analyst and co-host of Fox NFL Sunday...
, picked first overall in the draft, started at quarterback. Myron Cope
Myron Cope
Myron Cope , born Myron Sidney Kopelman, was an American sports journalist, radio personality, and sportscaster who is best known for being "the voice of the Pittsburgh Steelers."...
, thought by many as a Pittsburgh institution, entered the broadcast booth for a 35-year career as a Steelers radio commentator. The initial results, though an improvement over the late 1960s, were still unimpressive. Pittsburgh lost its season opener against the Oilers and Terry Bradshaw struggled for much of the season, being sacked for a safety in each of his first three games and throwing 24 interceptions on the way to a 5-9 record. The local media subjected him to harsh criticism for a long time. In 1971, Bradshaw threw 22 interceptions during a 6-8 season.
1972
1972, however, was the breakthrough year, and the beginning of an NFL dynasty. Rookie Franco HarrisFranco Harris
Franco Harris is a former American football player. He played his NFL career with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Seattle Seahawks.In the 1972 NFL Draft he was chosen by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round, the 13th selection overall...
joined the team and ran for 1,055 yards and scored 11 touchdowns. Pittsburgh finished 11-3, first place in the AFC Central, and made the playoffs for the first time since 1947.
Their first playoff game, against the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, at Three Rivers Stadium, featured one of the best-known plays in league history: the Immaculate Reception
Immaculate Reception
The Immaculate Reception is the nickname given to one of the most famous plays in the history of American football. It occurred in the AFC divisional playoff game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Oakland Raiders at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on December 23, 1972...
. On 4th down from the Pittsburgh 40-yard line with 22 seconds left and trailing 7–6, Bradshaw threw a pass intended for John "Frenchy" Fuqua. Raiders defensive back Jack Tatum
Jack Tatum
John David Tatum was an American football defensive back who played ten seasons from 1971 through 1980 for the Oakland Raiders and Houston Oilers in the National Football League...
knocked it away, but it was scooped up at ankle-height before hitting the turf by Franco Harris
Franco Harris
Franco Harris is a former American football player. He played his NFL career with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Seattle Seahawks.In the 1972 NFL Draft he was chosen by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round, the 13th selection overall...
, who took it into the end zone for the winning touchdown and a 13–7 victory. In the AFC Championship the following week, the Steelers lost to the "perfect" Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
21–17, who finished the season 17–0. It was a disappointing finish, but it started a run of eight straight playoff appearances. Arguably the most defining and memorable play in the history of the NFL, the Immaculate Reception thrust the Steelers into its glory years of the '70s.
1973
After an 8–1 start in 1973, a losing streak late in the season cost the Steelers any home games during the playoffs, and they lost a tiebreaker to the Cincinnati BengalsCincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
for first place in the division at 10–4. The Steelers traveled to Oakland for the first round of the playoffs and lost 33–14.
1974
The Steelers selected the nucleus of the "Steel CurtainSteel Curtain
The Steel Curtain was the nickname given to the front four of the famous defensive line of the American football team Pittsburgh Steelers during their 1970s dynasty years. This defense was the backbone of the Steelers dynasty, which won 4 Super Bowls...
" defense in the 1974 draft. This allowed the team to reach the top for the first time. Terry Bradshaw was benched for poor performance early in the season and replaced as starter by Joe Gilliam
Joe Gilliam
Joseph Gilliam, Jr. was an American football player.-Biography:Joe Gilliam was born in Charleston, West Virginia, and was the third of four children of Ruth and Joe Gilliam, Sr....
, but eventually was reinstated after Gilliam did no better. The Steelers finished 10–3–1 and walked away with the division title, with "Mean" Joe Greene
Joe Greene (American football)
Charles Edward Greene, known as “Mean Joe” Greene, is a former all-pro American football defensive tackle who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL. Throughout the early 1970s he was the one of most dominant defensive players in the National Football League...
winning Defensive Player of the Year honors.
After defeating Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
with relative ease in the AFC playoffs, the Steelers met the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
in New Orleans for Super Bowl IX
Super Bowl IX
Super Bowl IX was an American football game played on January 12, 1975 at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 1974 regular season. It would be the last pro game at legendary Tulane Stadium...
. The game was a defensive struggle: the only scoring in the first half was a safety scored by the Steelers when Minnesota quarterback Fran Tarkenton
Fran Tarkenton
Francis Asbury "Fran" Tarkenton is a former professional football player, TV personality, and computer software executive....
was sacked in the end zone. In the second half, the Steelers scored a touchdown after a fumbled kickoff and clinched it with a late Larry Brown
Larry Brown (running back)
Lawrence "Larry" Brown, Jr. is a former professional American football player in the National Football League who played running back for the Washington Redskins from 1969 to 1976....
touchdown. The Steelers won 16-6, and had finally earned a championship after 42 years of futility.
1975
The team had an even better 1975 season. Pittsburgh ran off an 11-game winning streak and gave up more than twenty points in only two games. Mel Blount was named AFC Defensive Player of the Year, Franco Harris had 1,246 rushing yards (second behind O.J. Simpson), and Lynn SwannLynn Swann
-Collegiate:Swann attended the University of Southern California, where he was an All-American on the Trojans football team. He played under legendary coach John McKay, including the 1972 undefeated and national championship season. McKay said of Swann, "He has speed, soft hands, and grace." He...
caught 11 touchdown passes. Terry Bradshaw delivered a much better performance than in his previous seasons, with 2,055 passing yards, 18 TDs, and only nine interceptions. The Steelers finished 12-2, best in the AFC. In the playoffs, Pittsburgh defeated the Baltimore Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
28-10 in the first round, and survived a late scare from the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
(and a concussion by Swann) to win 16-10 in the AFC Championship.
The Steelers made their second straight Super Bowl
Super Bowl X
Super Bowl X was an American football game played on January 18, 1976 at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida to decide the National Football League champion following the 1975 regular season....
, this one against the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
in Miami
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
. Down 10-7 in the fourth quarter, Roy Gerela
Roy Gerela
Roy Gerela is a former American football placekicker best known for his years with the Pittsburgh Steelers, with whom he won three Super Bowl rings....
kicked two field goals and Bradshaw threw a 64-yard touchdown pass to Swann to put Pittsburgh in the lead for good. After the Cowboys came back with a touchdown of their own, Roger Staubach
Roger Staubach
Roger Thomas Staubach is a businessman, Heisman Trophy winner and legendary Hall of Fame former quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys from 1969 until 1979. Staubach was instrumental in developing the Cowboys into becoming one of the best teams of the 1970s and led the team to nine of the Cowboys'...
threw a last-minute interception that sealed a 21-17 win for the Steelers. Lynn Swann had returned from his injuries and racked up four TDs in the Super Bowl, earning him the title of game MVP.
1976
The two-time defending champions got off to a rough start in 1976, losing four of their first five games. The team regrouped and, based on their powerful defense, won their last nine regular season games, five of which were shutouts. For the third consecutive year, a Steelers player (this time Jack Lambert) won the AFC Defensive Player of the Year award. Pittsburgh finished 10-4 and blew out the Colts 40-14 in the divisional playoffs. In the AFC Championship, an injury-plagued Steeler team lost 24-7 to their perennial playoff nemeses and eventual Super Bowl champions, the Raiders.1977
Pittsburgh's 1977 campaign was a relative disappointment. Bradshaw threw more interceptions than touchdowns, fullback Rocky Bleier had only half as productive a season as he did in 1976, and the famed Steel Curtain defense gave up nearly twice as many points. The team still won the division at 9-5, but lost 34-21 to the Denver BroncosDenver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the divisional playoff.
1978
The Steelers kicked off with controversy, when during a post-draft1978 NFL Draft
The 1978 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held May 2–3, 1978...
mini camp they were caught wearing shoulder pads in violation of league rules. They would lose a draft pick the following year for the infraction. Pittsburgh posted a 14–2 regular season record, best in the NFL. In the playoffs, the Steelers blew away the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and Houston Oilers
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
by a combined score of 67–15 en route to Super Bowl XIII
Super Bowl XIII
Super Bowl XIII was an American football game played on January 21, 1979 at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida to decide the National Football League champion following the 1978 regular season...
.
That game, a rematch with the Cowboys, is considered by many to be one of the greatest Super Bowls of all time. Bradshaw threw four touchdowns, but the Cowboys never were out of it, thanks in part to a fumble recovery for a touchdown by Mike Hegman
Mike Hegman
Michael William Hegman is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League who played for the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at Tennessee State University....
. After Swann and Harris scored touchdowns 19 seconds apart in the fourth quarter, the Cowboys countered with scores of their own by Billy Joe Dupree
Billy Joe Dupree
Billy Joe DuPree is a former professional American football tight end in the National Football League who played his entire career for the Dallas Cowboys.-Early years:DuPree was born and reared in Monroe, Louisiana...
and Butch Johnson
Butch Johnson
Richard Andrew Johnson is an archer from Woodstock, Connecticut in the United States. He has competed in the Summer Olympics five times, and was a part of the gold medal U.S. team at the 1996 Olympics and the bronze medal U.S...
to pull within four points with 22 seconds left. The Steelers recovered the onside kick and pulled off a 35–31 win. Terry Bradshaw was named game MVP.
1979
The 1979 season was the last season of the dynasty. Bradshaw threw for over 3,700 yards and 26 touchdowns and John StallworthJohn Stallworth
Johnny Lee Stallworth is a former American football wide receiver who played fourteen seasons in the National Football League for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college football at Alabama A&M, and was the Steelers' fourth-round draft pick in 1974. Stallworth played in six AFC championships,...
had 1183 yards receiving. The Steelers finished 12-4, once again tops in the AFC Central. In the playoffs they defeated the Dolphins 34-14 and the Oilers 27-13, to meet the Los Angeles Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
in their fourth Super Bowl
Super Bowl XIV
Super Bowl XIV was an American football game played on January 20, 1980 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 1979 regular season...
.
The Rams had a number of ex-Steelers staff members, and thus knew all of their opponent's plays, audibles. and hand signs. With this knowledge, they played the Steelers hard for three quarters. Bradshaw threw three interceptions, but also had two long touchdown passes in the second half (one to Swann and one to Stallworth). The Rams couldn't recover and Pittsburgh won 31-19.
The team's success in this era led to the expansion of its fanbase beyond its geographic region. Even today, Pittsburgh remains among the league leaders in merchandise sales, and draws fans from across the country to its games. This loyal fan following is sometimes called Steeler Nation (predating the similarly popular '70s powerhouse, the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
Raider Nation) [Birth Of A Nation: Capturing The Identity of a Region. byline, John Mehno], the term was coined by NFL Films as the producers studied the phenomenon of fans swarming Three Rivers from all directions and pronounced them the 'Steeler Nation,'. They are known for employing the terrible towel
Terrible Towel
The Terrible Towel is a rally towel associated with the Pittsburgh Steelers, an American football team in the National Football League . Created in 1975 by then Steelers radio broadcaster Myron Cope, The Terrible Towel has spread in popularity; fans take their Towel to famous sites while on vacation...
(a bright yellow cloth) as its unofficial symbol (created by Myron Cope), and as a rallying sign during Steeler's games.
1980–1991: End of an era
The Steelers were hit with the retirements of all their key players from the Super Bowl years. Rocky Bleier after the 1980 season. "Mean Joe" GreeneJoe Greene (American football)
Charles Edward Greene, known as “Mean Joe” Greene, is a former all-pro American football defensive tackle who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL. Throughout the early 1970s he was the one of most dominant defensive players in the National Football League...
and L. C. Greenwood
L. C. Greenwood
L.C. Henderson Greenwood is a former American football defensive end for the 1970s Pittsburgh Steelers.-College career:...
retired after the 1981 season, Lynn Swann
Lynn Swann
-Collegiate:Swann attended the University of Southern California, where he was an All-American on the Trojans football team. He played under legendary coach John McKay, including the 1972 undefeated and national championship season. McKay said of Swann, "He has speed, soft hands, and grace." He...
and Jack Ham after 1982, Terry Bradshaw
Terry Bradshaw
Terry Paxton Bradshaw is a former American football quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League . He played 14 seasons. He is a football analyst and co-host of Fox NFL Sunday...
and Mel Blount after 1983, Jack Lambert and Franco Harris
Franco Harris
Franco Harris is a former American football player. He played his NFL career with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Seattle Seahawks.In the 1972 NFL Draft he was chosen by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round, the 13th selection overall...
after 1984 and John Stallworth
John Stallworth
Johnny Lee Stallworth is a former American football wide receiver who played fourteen seasons in the National Football League for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college football at Alabama A&M, and was the Steelers' fourth-round draft pick in 1974. Stallworth played in six AFC championships,...
after the 1987 season.
1980–1981 seasons
"One for the thumb in '81" was the rallying cry of the Steelers during the 1980 season as they began their quest for a fifth Super Bowl Ring. It was not so. Hard luck, age, injuries, and an off year by Terry Bradshaw left the Steelers with a 9–7 record, missing the playoffs. This marked the end of the dynasty. 1981 was no better, with an 8–8 showing.1982 season
Major changes were made to the Steelers during the next season, including coach Chuck Noll's installment of a 3–4 defense to deal with the league's new pass-oriented rules changes and the departure of Joe GreeneJoe Greene (American football)
Charles Edward Greene, known as “Mean Joe” Greene, is a former all-pro American football defensive tackle who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL. Throughout the early 1970s he was the one of most dominant defensive players in the National Football League...
and L. C. Greenwood
L. C. Greenwood
L.C. Henderson Greenwood is a former American football defensive end for the 1970s Pittsburgh Steelers.-College career:...
. Pittsburgh managed a 6–3 record nonetheless in 1982 (which was shortened due to a players' strike) and made it to the playoffs for the first time since 1979. In the playoffs they lost a heartbreaker when Kellen Winslow
Kellen Winslow
Kellen Boswell Winslow is a former American football tight end with the Missouri Tigers and the San Diego Chargers. He is widely recognized as one of the greatest tight ends in the history of the game. He is currently the athletic director at Central State University.Winslow did not play high...
caught two touchdowns in the 4th quarter of their first playoff game, a 31–28 loss to the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
1983 season
Bradshaw was sidelined with an elbow injury for most of the 1983 season (his last), with Cliff StoudtCliff Stoudt
Clifford Lewis Stoudt is a former American football quarterback for Youngstown State University and the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers...
picking up the reins behind center. Franco Harris
Franco Harris
Franco Harris is a former American football player. He played his NFL career with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Seattle Seahawks.In the 1972 NFL Draft he was chosen by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round, the 13th selection overall...
ran for 1,007 yards in his last season in Pittsburgh (he wound up with the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
for his final year), and Keith Willis
Keith Willis
Keith Willis is a former American football defensive lineman in the National Football League.Willis was undrafted out of Northeastern University in the 1982 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played for the Steelers, as well as the Buffalo Bills and Washington Redskins. During his career,...
recorded a career-best 13 sacks. The streaky Steelers lost four of their last five regular season games, but their 10-6 record was still good for a division title. The Steelers closed the regular season with an emotional victory against the New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the last football game ever played at Shea Stadium
Shea Stadium
William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, usually shortened to Shea Stadium or just Shea , was a stadium in the New York City borough of Queens, in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park. It was the home baseball park of Major League Baseball's New York Mets from 1964 to 2008...
. Bradshaw, returning from injury, led the Steelers to the lead with two touchdown passes. He left the game in the first half after hearing a "pop" in his elbow when making his final pass, a touchdown. The Steelers made another quick first-round playoff exit, a 38–10 embarrassment against the Los Angeles Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
1984 season
1984 was supposed to be a rebuilding year. Mark MaloneMark Malone
Mark M. Malone is a former American football quarterback in the NFL.-Playing career:Malone was the nation's most recruited quarterback in 1975 out of El Cajon Valley High School near San Diego, California...
and David Woodley
David Woodley
David Eugene Woodley was an American football player and quarterback for Louisiana State University , the National Football League's Miami Dolphins , and the Pittsburgh Steelers...
split quarterbacking duties, with Frank Pollard
Frank Pollard
Frank Pollard is a former professional American football player who played running back for nine seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers....
taking over at running back and Offensive Rookie of the Year Louis Lipps
Louis Lipps
Louis Adam Lipps is a former American football wide receiver in the NFL who played his entire nine-season career for the Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints....
shining at wide receiver. The Steelers' 9-7 record won them another division title. Among the nine victories, the Steelers handed San Francisco its only loss of the season, en route to an impressive 18 win season and Super Bowl championship. In the divisional playoff against the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, the Steelers came back in the fourth quarter to win 24–17, but they lost the AFC Championship to Dan Marino
Dan Marino
Daniel Constantine "Dan" Marino, Jr. is a retired American football quarterback who played for the Miami Dolphins in the National Football League...
(the Pittsburgh native whom the Steelers passed up in the 1983 Draft) and the Dolphins, 45-28.
1985–1987 seasons
Despite career seasons from Lipps and Pollard, the Steelers' 1985 campaign collapsed in December, with them losing four of their last five to finish at 7–9. In 1986, Malone took over the QB job by himself and Earnest JacksonEarnest Jackson
Earnest Jackson, Jr. is a former professional American football running back in the National Football League for six seasons for the San Diego Chargers, Philadelphia Eagles, and Pittsburgh Steelers. He ran for at least 900 yards in a season for each of his three teams...
(who came off back-to-back 1000-yard seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
) was added to the offensive backfield, but the team fared no better, at 6-10. An 8-7 record in 1987 was not enough to save Malone's job in Pittsburgh. Bubby Brister
Bubby Brister
Walter Andrew "Bubby" Brister, III is a former American football quarterback in the NFL for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Philadelphia Eagles, New York Jets, Denver Broncos, and Minnesota Vikings...
became the Steelers' new starting quarterback.
1988 season
The 1988 season was the worst for the Steelers in twenty years, with a 5–11 record. Mike Webster was cut during the offseason.1989 season
The 1989 team also got rough start, but won five of their last six to finish 9–7, enough for a wild card playoff spot. In the wild-card playoff game against the Houston OilersTennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
, the Steelers staged a desperate fourth-quarter comeback to win 26–23 in overtime on a 50 yard field goal by Gary Anderson. The game cost Houston coach Jerry Glanville
Jerry Glanville
Jerry Glanville is a former American football player and current head coach of the Hartford Colonials of the United Football League, former NASCAR driver and owner, and sportscaster in the United States. He served the head coach of the Houston Oilers from 1986 to 1990 and the Atlanta Falcons from...
his job. However, in their divisional game against the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, it was John Elway
John Elway
John Albert Elway, Jr. is a former American football quarterback and currently is the executive vice president of football operations for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League . He played college football at Stanford and his entire professional career with the Denver Broncos...
who staged the last-minute comeback and the Steelers went home with a 24–23 loss. Defensive back Rod Woodson
Rod Woodson
Roderick Kevin "Rod" Woodson is the current cornerbacks coach for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League. He is also a former defensive back best known for his 10-year stint with the Pittsburgh Steelers as well as being a key member of the Baltimore Ravens Super Bowl XXXV championship...
, in his third season, made the first of seven consecutive Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
s.
1990 season
The Steelers finished 9–7 in 1990 led by the #1 defense in the NFL in terms of yards allowed. The defense was led by the secondary (mainly the superb Rod WoodsonRod Woodson
Roderick Kevin "Rod" Woodson is the current cornerbacks coach for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League. He is also a former defensive back best known for his 10-year stint with the Pittsburgh Steelers as well as being a key member of the Baltimore Ravens Super Bowl XXXV championship...
) which was particularly effective limiting opposing passers to just 9 touchdown passes while intercepting 19 (the Steelers intercepted 24 total as a team). The 1990 season ended with another disappointment however as the Steelers lost twice in three weeks to the Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
, and lost the season's final game on the road to the Houston Oilers
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
to miss out on the playoffs.
1991 season
The 1991 season saw rookie quarterback Neil O'DonnellNeil O'Donnell
Neil Kennedy O'Donnell is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League for 14 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Jets, Cincinnati Bengals, and Tennessee Titans...
show some flashes of brilliance, but the rest of the team faltered and the Steelers finished 7–9.
1992–2006: The Bill Cowher years
Chuck NollChuck Noll
Charles Henry "Chuck" Noll is a former professional American football player and coach, and a member of the Sid Gillman coaching tree. He served most notably as the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League from 1969 to 1991...
, the Steelers' coach since , retired at the end of the season. Noll was replaced by Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
defensive coordinator Bill Cowher
Bill Cowher
William Laird "Bill" Cowher is a former American football coach and player. Cowher resigned after 15 seasons as the Steelers' coach on January 5, 2007, 11 months to the day after winning 2005–06's Super Bowl XL...
, a native of the Pittsburgh suburb of Crafton
Crafton, Pennsylvania
Crafton is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, west of downtown Pittsburgh. The population grew from 1,927 in 1900 to 4,583 in 1910 and to 7,163 in 1940. The population was 5,951 at the 2010 census.-History:...
. 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
Paul Brown
Paul Eugene Brown was a coach in American football and a major figure in the development of the National Football League...
of the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
1992 season
Cowher made an immediate impact in the 1992 season, as did third-year running back Barry Foster whose 1,690 yards was second in the NFL behind Emmitt SmithEmmitt Smith
Emmitt James Smith, III is a retired American football player who was a running back in the National Football League for fifteen seasons during the 1990s and 2000s. Smith played college football for the University of Florida, where he was an All-American; thereafter, he played professionally for...
. Woodson recorded six sacks, a career high. The Steelers' 11–5 record won them the AFC Central title and a first-round playoff bye. Their hopes, however, came to a crashing end against the surging Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, in a 24–3 loss.
1993 season
The Steelers collapsed near the end of the 1993 season, starting 6–3 but finishing 9–7. They clinched the final playoff spot at 9–7, and travelled to Arrowhead StadiumArrowhead Stadium
Arrowhead Stadium is a stadium located in Kansas City, Missouri and home to the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs....
to face the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
in the wild card round. Leading 24–17 with two minutes left, the Steelers defense gave up a Joe Montana
Joe Montana
Joseph Clifford "Joe" Montana, Jr. , nicknamed Joe Cool, Golden Joe, The Golden Great and Comeback Joe, is a retired American football player. Montana started his NFL career in 1979 with the San Francisco 49ers, where he played quarterback for the next 14 seasons...
fourth-down touchdown pass to little-known Tim Barnett
Tim Barnett (American football)
This article is about the American Footballer for other Tim Barnetts see Tim BarnettTim Andre Barnett is a former professional American football wide receiver who played three seasons for the Kansas City Chiefs in the National Football League...
to tie the game. In overtime, the Chiefs won on a Nick Lowery
Nick Lowery
Dominic Gerald Lowery , nicknamed Nick the Kick, is a former American football placekicker for the New England Patriots , the Kansas City Chiefs , and New York Jets . Lowery was selected to the Pro Bowl three times and when he retired was ranked first in field goal percentage and also had the most...
field goal, breaking Steelers fans' hearts yet again.
1994 season
The 1994 season brought back memories of the 1970s Steeler teams. Barry Foster was joined in the backfield by rookie Bam MorrisBam Morris
Byron "Bam" Morris is a former American football running back who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Chicago Bears, Baltimore Ravens, and the Kansas City Chiefs.-Early life:...
, and together they gained almost 1,700 rushing yards. The "Steel Curtain" defense made a resurgence, with Kevin Greene
Kevin Greene
Kevin Darwin Greene is a former American football linebacker who played in the National Football League for 15 years and who retired after the 1999 NFL season...
responsible for 14 sacks and Greg Lloyd tacking on 10 more. The Steelers' 12–4 record clinched them home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs. In the divisional playoff Pittsburgh walloped the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
29–9, and were heavily favored in the conference championship against the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. The Steelers seemed to dominate when the numbers were crunched: O'Donnell passed for 349 yards to Stan Humphries
Stan Humphries
William Stanley "Stan" Humphries is a former professional American football quarterback. He played for the Washington Redskins and San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. He played college football at Northeast Louisiana...
' 165, and had a nearly 2-1 edge in time of possession. But they gave up a 13-3 lead in the 3rd quarter when Alfred Pupunu
Alfred Pupunu
Alfred Sione Pupunu is a former professional American football tight end who played nine seasons in the National Football League from 1992 to 2000.-High school career:...
and Tony Martin caught touchdowns of 43 yards each, and it was the Chargers who advanced to Super Bowl XXIX
Super Bowl XXIX
Super Bowl XXIX was an American football game played on January 29, 1995 at Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami, Florida to decide the National Football League champion following the 1994 regular season...
, by the score of 17–13. The 1994 Steelers finished their disappointing season three yards away from their first Super Bowl appearance since 1980 as an O'Donnell pass to Foster was batted down. This play epitomized the Steelers' season - incomplete. AFC Championship collapses, unfortunately for the Steelers, would become a hallmark of the Cowher era.
1995 season
The Steelers' 1995 campaign was no less dominant. Foster left the team, but Erric PegramErric Pegram
Erric Demont Pegram is a retired professional American football player who was selected by the Atlanta Falcons in the sixth round of the 1991 NFL Draft. A 5'9", 188-pound running back from the University of North Texas, Pegram played in seven NFL seasons from 1991-1997...
(picked up from the Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
) made up for it with an 800-yard season. Yancey Thigpen
Yancey Thigpen
Yancey Dirk Thigpen is a former professional American football wide receiver who played for the San Diego Chargers , the Pittsburgh Steelers , and the Tennessee Oilers/Titans...
amassed 1,307 receiving yards and Willie Williams
Willie Williams (football player)
Willie James Williams is a former American football cornerback in the National Football League. He was drafted out of Western Carolina University by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1993 and spent 4 seasons in Pittsburgh. He was a key member of the 1995 Steelers team that played in Super Bowl XXX...
had seven interceptions. The Steelers' 11-5 record once again won them the division and a first-round bye. As in 1994, the Steelers dominated in the divisional playoff (a 40–21 win over the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
), but the cinderella Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
put up a fight in the AFC championship. There were four lead changes, the last when Bam Morris
Bam Morris
Byron "Bam" Morris is a former American football running back who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Chicago Bears, Baltimore Ravens, and the Kansas City Chiefs.-Early life:...
scored a one-yard touchdown with 1:34 remaining. Colts quarterback Jim Harbaugh
Jim Harbaugh
James Joseph "Jim" Harbaugh is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head coach for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. Harbaugh agreed to a five-year deal with the San Francisco 49ers on January 7, 2011. Previously, he was the head coach at...
threw a "hail mary
Hail Mary pass
A Hail Mary pass or Hail Mary route in American football refers to any very long forward pass made in desperation with only a small chance of success, especially at or near the end of a half....
" that was dropped by Aaron Bailey
Aaron Bailey (American football)
Aaron Bailey is a former professional American football player who played wide receiver for five seasons for the Indianapolis Colts in the National Football League....
in the end zone. The Steelers narrowly won, 20–16, and went on to play the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
in Super Bowl XXX
Super Bowl XXX
Super Bowl XXX was an American football game played on January 28, 1996 at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona to decide the National Football League champion following the 1995 regular season...
.
The Cowboys, a team that thought themselves to be just as dominant in the 1990s as the Steelers were in the 1970s heyday, jumped to a quick 13–0 lead. Pittsburgh showed some signs of life, such as a Yancey Thigpen
Yancey Thigpen
Yancey Dirk Thigpen is a former professional American football wide receiver who played for the San Diego Chargers , the Pittsburgh Steelers , and the Tennessee Oilers/Titans...
touchdown before halftime, and a surprise onside kick recovery that led to a Bam Morris
Bam Morris
Byron "Bam" Morris is a former American football running back who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Chicago Bears, Baltimore Ravens, and the Kansas City Chiefs.-Early life:...
touchdown run narrowing the score to 20-17, late in the 4th quarter. The Steeler defense quickly forced Dallas into punting the ball back to the Steeler offense and Neil O'Donnell
Neil O'Donnell
Neil Kennedy O'Donnell is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League for 14 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Jets, Cincinnati Bengals, and Tennessee Titans...
threw his second and worst interception of the game, similar to his first, halting the Steelers come from behind win. Both interceptions gave Dallas easy touchdown situations. O'Donnell's three interceptions contributed heavily to the Steelers' 27–17 loss.
1996 season
Super Bowl XXXSuper Bowl XXX
Super Bowl XXX was an American football game played on January 28, 1996 at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona to decide the National Football League champion following the 1995 regular season...
was O'Donnell's last game as a Steeler, as he signed with the New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
as a free agent in the offseason. Pittsburgh had drafted Kordell Stewart
Kordell Stewart
Kordell Stewart, nicknamed "Slash" , is a former American NFL quarterback. Stewart attended the University of Colorado and was drafted 60th in the 1995 NFL draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers...
in 1995, but he remained a backup through the 1996 season. Mike Tomczak
Mike Tomczak
Michael John "Mike" Tomczak is a former American football player. Tomczak played quarterback for several NFL teams including the Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, Cleveland Browns, and Pittsburgh Steelers....
received the starting duties. The Steelers also traded for running back Jerome Bettis
Jerome Bettis
Jerome Abram "The Bus" Bettis is a retired American football halfback who played for the NFL's Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams and Pittsburgh Steelers. Bettis is considered one of the best big backs ever because his footwork and power, and is currently fifth on the National Football League's all-time...
from the St. Louis Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
, who ran for 1,400 yards in his first year in the Steel City. A late-season decline was hurting the Steelers Super Bowl chances, but their 10–6 record still won them the division. Pittsburgh won their wild-card playoff game handily (42–14 over the Colts), but lost just as handily, 28–3, to the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
in the divisional playoff.
1997 season
Stewart was given the starting quarterback job in 1997 after Tomczak failed to impress. Stewart did impress fans, however, in his first full season: 3,000 passing yards and 21 touchdowns. Bettis had another 1,000-yard rushing season, and Thigpen had 1,000 yards receiving to boot. The Steelers once again won the AFC Central, but their 11–5 record also gave them a first-round playoff bye. They narrowly won a 7-6 defensive struggle against the Patriots in the divisional playoff, setting the stage for an AFC Championship showdown at Three Rivers StadiumThree Rivers Stadium
Three Rivers Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from 1970 to 2000. It was home to the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Pittsburgh Steelers, the city's Major League Baseball franchise and National Football League franchise respectively.Built as a replacement to...
against the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Kordell Stewart
Kordell Stewart
Kordell Stewart, nicknamed "Slash" , is a former American NFL quarterback. Stewart attended the University of Colorado and was drafted 60th in the 1995 NFL draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers...
scored early, going for 33 yards with one of his well-known scrambles, but the Broncos exploded in the second quarter(aided by two questionable interference calls). A late Steelers comeback was squashed and the eventual Super Bowl champion Broncos went on to win 24–21.
1998 season
It looked like the Steelers would be back in the playoffs for most of the 1998 regular season, going 7–4 in their first eleven games. But two losses to the Cincinnati BengalsCincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
and a loss on Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...
to the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
kept the Steelers out of the playoffs. The Thanksgiving game against the Lions in 1998 is most known for the infamous coin flip call before overtime. The game was tied 16–16 at the end of regulation when the referee told team captain Jerome Bettis to call "heads" or "tails" as he flipped the coin in the air. Bettis stammered while making the call, and referee (Phil Luckett
Phil Luckett
Phil Luckett was an official in the National Football League . His officiating uniform number was 59. He entered the NFL as a field judge in 1991, then became a referee in 1997 after Red Cashion and Howard Roe announced their retirements, and returned to the back judge position in 2001...
) stated "the Steelers called heads; it's tails." This caused an uproar from Bettis and the Steelers, as replays seemed to show that Bettis clearly called "tails." Contrary to many press reports, Luckett did not make a mistake in this incident. A week after the game, the tape was enhanced by local Pittsburgh TV station KDKA-TV
KDKA-TV
KDKA-TV, channel 2, is an owned and operated television station of the CBS Television Network, located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. KDKA-TV broadcasts from a transmitter located in the Perry North neighborhood of Pittsburgh, and its studios are located in downtown Pittsburgh at Gateway Center....
and Bettis is clearly heard saying "hea-tails." A sideline microphone enhancement also clearly had Bettis telling Coach Bill Cowher that (Bettis) had said "hea-tails."http://www.referee.com/sampleArticles/2001/SampleArticle0101/headsortails/headstailstext.html The Steelers never got to touch the ball again and went on to lose 19–16. They would lose their next four games and would end up finishing 7–9.
1999 season
The Steelers fell into turmoil in 1999. Stewart was benched partway through the season and Tomczak was given back his starting job. Pittsburgh's mostly new receiving corps (including future star Hines WardHines Ward
Hines E. Ward, Jr. is an American football player who currently plays the wide receiver position for the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers, where he is the longest-tenured current player on the team. He was voted MVP of Super Bowl XL. He played college football at the University of Georgia...
) showed their inexperience at times, and the team finished 6–10, their worst showing in eleven years.
It has become an article of faith among NFL pundits that the Steelers do not have a bad team two years in a row—they have never lost 10 or more in consecutive years since the 1970 AFL-NFL Merger
AFL-NFL Merger
The AFL–NFL merger of 1970 was the merger of the two major professional American football leagues in the United States at the time: the National Football League and the American Football League...
.
2000 season
In the 2000 season, the last one at Three Rivers Stadium, Kent GrahamKent Graham
Kent Douglas Graham is a former professional American football quarterback in the National Football League. Graham played quarterback at the University of Notre Dame before transferring to Ohio State University...
was given a chance to start at quarterback. His below average play and nagging injuries early in the season gave Kordell Stewart
Kordell Stewart
Kordell Stewart, nicknamed "Slash" , is a former American NFL quarterback. Stewart attended the University of Colorado and was drafted 60th in the 1995 NFL draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers...
another chance to reclaim the starting quarterback role. The Steelers started to improve by teamwork alone. Jerome Bettis
Jerome Bettis
Jerome Abram "The Bus" Bettis is a retired American football halfback who played for the NFL's Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams and Pittsburgh Steelers. Bettis is considered one of the best big backs ever because his footwork and power, and is currently fifth on the National Football League's all-time...
had a 1,341-yard season. Rookie wide receiver Plaxico Burress
Plaxico Burress
Plaxico Antonio Burress is an American football wide receiver who currently plays for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers eighth overall in the 2000 NFL Draft...
joined the team to complement Hines Ward
Hines Ward
Hines E. Ward, Jr. is an American football player who currently plays the wide receiver position for the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers, where he is the longest-tenured current player on the team. He was voted MVP of Super Bowl XL. He played college football at the University of Georgia...
. Linebacker Jason Gildon
Jason Gildon
Jason Larue Gildon is a former linebacker for the National Football League's Pittsburgh Steelers and Jacksonville Jaguars . He was selected to three Pro Bowl teams from 2000, 2001, and 2002, and is currently the Steelers all-time career sacks leader with 77.0 quarterback take-downs...
, the team's only Pro Bowler, had a career-best 13.5 sacks. Up and coming linebacker Joey Porter
Joey Porter
Joseph "Joey" Eugene Porter is an American football linebacker for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third round of the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at Colorado State.A four-time Pro Bowl selection, Porter earned a...
posted 10.5 sacks as the team finished back above .500 with a 9-7 record. The defense did not allow a touchdown in 20 consecutive quarters during one stretch, just two shy of the NFL record set by the 1976 Steelers, also known as the Steel Curtain. After a hard fought season, exacerbated by a 0–3 start, the Steelers failed to make the playoffs for the third consecutive season under Bill Cowher
Bill Cowher
William Laird "Bill" Cowher is a former American football coach and player. Cowher resigned after 15 seasons as the Steelers' coach on January 5, 2007, 11 months to the day after winning 2005–06's Super Bowl XL...
. The Steelers did win their final game at Three Rivers Stadium by defeating the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
24–3, ending the season with a 9–7 record. In an unusual move, the NFL formally apologized to the team three times for missed or blown calls in games against Cleveland, Tennessee and Philadelphia that may have contributed to the team's losses.http://www.slate.com/id/93934/
2001 season
Heinz Field
Heinz Field is a stadium located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It primarily serves as the home to the Pittsburgh Steelers and University of Pittsburgh Panthers American football teams, members of the National Football League and National Collegiate Athletic Association respectively...
in the 2001 season. Both Ward and Burress had 1,000-yard receiving seasons, and linebacker Kendrell Bell
Kendrell Bell
Kendrell Alexander Bell is a former American football linebacker. He was originally drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Georgia...
was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. Bettis had to sit out the last five games of the regular season and start of the playoffs with a knee injury, but Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala
Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala
Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala is a retired American football running back who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League. He was selected in the sixth round of the 1998 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers out of the University of Utah.-Early...
and Amos Zereoue
Amos Zereoue
Amos Zereoué is an African-born former American football player in the National Football League, who last played for the New England Patriots...
ably filled in. The Steelers' 13–3 record got them home field advantage throughout the playoffs.
Zereoue, filling in for Bettis, scored two touchdowns in the divisional playoff against the defending Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
champion Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
, which the Steelers won 27–10. Pittsburgh then hosted its fourth AFC championship game in eight years, this one against the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
. Optimism was high as Bettis made his return. The Patriots jumped out to a big lead thanks to two special teams touchdowns, but the Steelers tried a third-quarter comeback with rushing touchdowns by Bettis and Zereoue. Kordell Stewart
Kordell Stewart
Kordell Stewart, nicknamed "Slash" , is a former American NFL quarterback. Stewart attended the University of Colorado and was drafted 60th in the 1995 NFL draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers...
's final two drives both ended in interceptions, however, and the eventual Super Bowl champion Patriots won the game 24–17.
2002 season
Stewart's inability to win big games and tendency to throw interceptions cost him the starting job once again early in the 2002 season. Journeyman Tommy MaddoxTommy Maddox
Thomas "Tommy" Alfred Maddox is a former football quarterback in the National Football League, the XFL and the Arena Football League. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the first round of the 1992 NFL Draft. He played college football at UCLA.-Early years:At L. D...
, who won the XFL
XFL
The XFL was a professional American football league that played for one season in 2001. The league was founded by Vince McMahon, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of WWE...
MVP after the league's only season, became the starting quarterback. Maddox lost only three games as the Steelers finished 10–5–1, tops in the new AFC North division. (Stewart, who made a short comeback after Maddox was injured later in the year, was cut and later resurfaced with the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
.)
They faced their longtime rivals, the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, in the wild card playoff game. The Steelers were down 24-7 in the third quarter, but Maddox led them on a wild comeback. Jerame Tuman
Jerame Tuman
Jerame Dean Tuman is an American football tight end who is a free agent. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fifth round of the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at Michigan....
, Hines Ward
Hines Ward
Hines E. Ward, Jr. is an American football player who currently plays the wide receiver position for the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers, where he is the longest-tenured current player on the team. He was voted MVP of Super Bowl XL. He played college football at the University of Georgia...
, and Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala
Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala
Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala is a retired American football running back who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League. He was selected in the sixth round of the 1998 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers out of the University of Utah.-Early...
all scored fourth-quarter touchdowns to win the game 36-33. The divisional playoff against the Tennessee Titans
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
was just as dramatic. Hines Ward
Hines Ward
Hines E. Ward, Jr. is an American football player who currently plays the wide receiver position for the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers, where he is the longest-tenured current player on the team. He was voted MVP of Super Bowl XL. He played college football at the University of Georgia...
tied the game early in the fourth quarter with a 21-yard touchdown, and the game eventually went to overtime. Tennessee won the toss and Titans kicker Joe Nedney
Joe Nedney
Joseph Thomas Nedney is an American football placekicker who is currently a free agent. Born and raised in San Jose, California, Nedney played college football at San Jose State and signed as an undrafted player with the Miami Dolphins in 1996...
lined up for a field goal, which he made. But the Steelers called timeout so the field goal did not count. Nedney's second try went wide right, but the Steelers were called for running into the kicker on Dwayne Washington
Dwayne Washington
Dwayne Alonzo Washington is a retired American college basketball star and professional player from 1986-1989. His nickname was "Pearl"...
. The third try was good and officially counted as the game winner, but over protests by Bill Cowher
Bill Cowher
William Laird "Bill" Cowher is a former American football coach and player. Cowher resigned after 15 seasons as the Steelers' coach on January 5, 2007, 11 months to the day after winning 2005–06's Super Bowl XL...
who thought he called another timeout first. The 34-31 loss was another disappointing end to the season for the Steelers.
2003 season
2003 was an overall disappointment. Due to injuries on the offensive line, and Maddox's previous success in the passing game, the Steelers strayed from their typical run-heavy offense. However, Maddox threw only 18 touchdowns to 17 interceptions, causing fans to wonder if the previous season was a fluke. Jerome Bettis and Plaxico Burress both failed to reach 1,000 yards. The Steelers collapsed to 6–10.2004 season: 15–1
In the 2004 draft, the Steelers took quarterback Ben RoethlisbergerBen Roethlisberger
Benjamin Todd "Ben" Roethlisberger , nicknamed Big Ben, is an American football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Steelers in the first round in the 2004 NFL Draft...
from Miami University
Miami University
Miami University is a coeducational public research university located in Oxford, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1809, it is the 10th oldest public university in the United States and the second oldest university in Ohio, founded four years after Ohio University. In its 2012 edition, U.S...
(Ohio) in the first round. Maddox kept the starting job until he was injured in the second game of the season, in Baltimore, against the Ravens. Roethlisberger was pushed into action and immediately wowed fans. "Big Ben" did not lose a game during the entire regular season, setting a record for most consecutive games won with a rookie quarterback to start a career. Included were back-to-back convincing wins over the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
(breaking their record 21-game winning streak) and eventual NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. By the end of the season, Roethlisberger and the rest of the Steelers were starting to show signs of wear, but they still escaped with victories every time. The Steelers completed the 2004 regular season with the best record in the NFL at 15–1, which is also their best 16-game season.
After 2003's failed attempt to focus on the passing game, the 2004 team returned to the typical Steelers formula, a run-heavy offense (61/39 run-pass ratio) and a strong defense. The team's dominant running game, featuring Jerome Bettis and Duce Staley
Duce Staley
Duce Staley is a former American football running back in the National Football League best known for his tenure with the Philadelphia Eagles. He also played for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college football at University of South Carolina...
(acquired prior to the season in free agency), was bolstered by an efficient and often explosive passing attack led by Roethlisberger and receivers Burress, Ward, and Antwaan Randle El
Antwaan Randle El
Antwaan Randle El is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He attended Indiana University, after turning down a Major League Baseball draft selection by the Chicago Cubs in 1997...
. The defense, one of the league's best, was anchored by Pro Bowl linebackers James Farrior
James Farrior
James Alfred Farrior is an American football player who currently plays as an inside linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He played college football at the University of Virginia, and played with the New York Jets from 1997 to 2001.-Early years:Farrior was born...
and Joey Porter
Joey Porter
Joseph "Joey" Eugene Porter is an American football linebacker for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third round of the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at Colorado State.A four-time Pro Bowl selection, Porter earned a...
and Pro Bowl safety Troy Polamalu
Troy Polamalu
Troy Aumua Polamalu is an American football strong safety for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted in the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft by the Steelers. He played college football at the University of Southern California.-High school:Troy Polamalu graduated...
. Only three previous teams (The '84 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
, the '85 Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, & the '98 Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
) have had a 15-win season, with the Steelers being the first AFC
American Football Conference
The American Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the National Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL....
team to accomplish this feat. As a result of this dominant season, the Steelers received home field advantage
Home team
In team sports, the term home advantage describes the advantage–usually a psychological advantage–that the home team is said to have over the visiting team as a result of playing in familiar facilities and in front of supportive fans...
throughout the AFC playoffs.
Their divisional playoff game was against the Wild Card New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Roethlisberger threw two interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown by Reggie Tongue
Reggie Tongue
Reginald Clinton Tongue is a former American football safety who most recently played in the National Football League for the Oakland Raiders.-Early life:...
, but a Hines Ward
Hines Ward
Hines E. Ward, Jr. is an American football player who currently plays the wide receiver position for the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers, where he is the longest-tenured current player on the team. He was voted MVP of Super Bowl XL. He played college football at the University of Georgia...
touchdown catch tied the game at 17-17 in the fourth quarter. Jets kicker Doug Brien
Doug Brien
Douglas Robert Zachariah Brien is a former American football placekicker. He played twelve seasons for seven teams in the National Football League:...
had two chances to win the game with a field goal in the final two minutes of regulation, but one kick hit the crossbar, while the other went wide left. Jeff Reed kicked a field goal 11:04 into the extra period to win the game, 20-17.
The Steelers were back in the AFC Championship, once again in Pittsburgh, for a rematch with the Patriots. New England went out to a big lead early after two first-quarter turnovers by the Steelers. In the second quarter, Rodney Harrison
Rodney Harrison
Rodney Scott Harrison is a retired professional football player of the National Football League. Harrison played safety for the San Diego Chargers and New England Patriots...
intercepted Roethlisberger (who had three picks overall) and returned it for a touchdown. The Steelers showed some signs of life in the third quarter, but it was not enough. The Patriots, another dynasty team that has been compared with the 1970s Steelers, won 41-27. This defeat marked the fourth time in ten years that the Steelers had lost the conference title game at home under Bill Cowher.
2005 season: The Fifth Ring
Despite losing Plaxico BurressPlaxico Burress
Plaxico Antonio Burress is an American football wide receiver who currently plays for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers eighth overall in the 2000 NFL Draft...
to free agency (he would end up with the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
), the Steelers took some steps to ensure a return to the postseason. They first selected TE Heath Miller
Heath Miller
Earl Heath Miller, Jr. is an American football tight end for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL. He was selected as the 30th overall pick of the 2005 NFL Draft out of the University of Virginia.-Early years:...
from the University of Virginia in the 2005 NFL Draft
2005 NFL Draft
The 2005 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 23–24, 2005. The league also held an supplemental draft that year, which was held after...
. Other picks included Florida St. CB Bryant McFadden
Bryant McFadden
Bryant McFadden is an American football cornerback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Steelers in the second round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State.McFadden has also played for the Arizona Cardinals...
, Northwestern University OG Trai Essex
Trai Essex
Trai J. Essex is an offensive lineman for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League who has won two Super Bowl rings with the Steelers in Super Bowl XL and Super Bowl XLIII.-High school years:...
, Georgia University WR Fred Gibson
Fred Gibson
Fred Gibson is a former wide receiver and former NBA D-League guard.-College career:Gibson attended University of Georgia and majored in Speech Communications....
, and Temple University LB Rian Wallance.
In 2005, the Steelers hoped to make another post-season run. Injuries to Jerome Bettis
Jerome Bettis
Jerome Abram "The Bus" Bettis is a retired American football halfback who played for the NFL's Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams and Pittsburgh Steelers. Bettis is considered one of the best big backs ever because his footwork and power, and is currently fifth on the National Football League's all-time...
and Duce Staley
Duce Staley
Duce Staley is a former American football running back in the National Football League best known for his tenure with the Philadelphia Eagles. He also played for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college football at University of South Carolina...
forced Willie Parker
Willie Parker
"Fast" Willie Everette Parker Jr. is an American football running back for the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. He was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2004. He played college football at North Carolina...
to become the Steelers' starter at running back, and he acquitted himself very well in two convincing wins against the Tennessee Titans
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
(34–7) and Houston Texans
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
(27–7) to open the season. In the next game, however, the visiting New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
handed Ben Roethlisberger
Ben Roethlisberger
Benjamin Todd "Ben" Roethlisberger , nicknamed Big Ben, is an American football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Steelers in the first round in the 2004 NFL Draft...
his first regular season loss as the Steelers lost the much-hyped rematch of the 2004 AFC Championship Game 23–20. Two weeks later, Pittsburgh came back to defeat the throwback-clad San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
24–22 on a 40-yard field goal by Jeff Reed
Jeff Reed (football)
Jeffrey "Jeff" Montgomery Reed is a National Football League placekicker who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2002...
. The victory proved costly as Roethlisberger suffered an injury when he was hit on his left knee by the helmet of Chargers rookie lineman Luis Castillo
Luis Castillo (football player)
Luis Alberto Castillo , is a Dominican American football defensive end for the San Diego Chargers of the NFL...
. So Tommy Maddox
Tommy Maddox
Thomas "Tommy" Alfred Maddox is a former football quarterback in the National Football League, the XFL and the Arena Football League. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the first round of the 1992 NFL Draft. He played college football at UCLA.-Early years:At L. D...
was named starter for their home game against the Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. The Steelers struggled throughout the game, as Maddox threw two interceptions through regulation, but they managed to tie at 17 going into OT. Unfortunately, Maddox threw a costly interception to Jags DB Rashean Mathis
Rashean Mathis
Rashean Jamil Mathis is an American football cornerback currently playing for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the NFL.-High school:Mathis attended Englewood High School in Jacksonville at the same time as Brett Myers of the Houston Astros, and was a student and a letterman in football. In football, he...
, who returned it 41 yards for a touchdown, as the Steelers fell 23–17. Maddox's off-field arguments with head coach Bill Cowher cost him his #1 back-up spot. Fortunately, "Big Ben" was able to play in their next road game against their division rival, the Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
. Despite winning 27–13, his left knee would need surgery. Big Ben fought through a lot of pain in the Steeler's 20–19 Monday Night victory over the Baltimore Ravens but reaggravated his knee injuries. Charlie Batch
Charlie Batch
Charles "Charlie" Batch is an American football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the second round of the 1998 NFL Draft...
was named the starter, and he provided victories over the struggling Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
(20–10 on the road), and against their rust belt rival, the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
(34–21 at home), where during the game, wide receiver Hines Ward
Hines Ward
Hines E. Ward, Jr. is an American football player who currently plays the wide receiver position for the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers, where he is the longest-tenured current player on the team. He was voted MVP of Super Bowl XL. He played college football at the University of Georgia...
set the Steelers record for most career receptions (543), breaking John Stallworth's mark of 537. Unfortunately, Batch broke his hand, which forced him to the sidelines. Tommy Maddox was given the start for their road game against the Ravens, but again, he showed his inefficiency, as the Steelers fell in overtime 16–13. After Roethlisberger's return, the Steelers lost their first two games against the then-undefeated Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
(26–7 on the road) and at home against the resurgent Bengals (38–31), but recovered to win the last four regular season games (21–9 vs. Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, 18–3 @ Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
, 41–0 @ Browns, and 35–21 vs. Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
) to clinch the sixth and last seed in the AFC playoffs.
On a side note, during the last game of the regular season in Pittsburgh, the Steeler fans gave Jerome Bettis
Jerome Bettis
Jerome Abram "The Bus" Bettis is a retired American football halfback who played for the NFL's Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams and Pittsburgh Steelers. Bettis is considered one of the best big backs ever because his footwork and power, and is currently fifth on the National Football League's all-time...
a standing ovation when he was taken out of the game in the fourth quarter by Bill Cowher
Bill Cowher
William Laird "Bill" Cowher is a former American football coach and player. Cowher resigned after 15 seasons as the Steelers' coach on January 5, 2007, 11 months to the day after winning 2005–06's Super Bowl XL...
. It was the last game in Pittsburgh for Bettis, as he announced his retirement after the Steelers' ultimate victory in Super Bowl XL
Super Bowl XL
Super Bowl XL was an American football game pitting the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers against the National Football Conference champion Seattle Seahawks to decide the National Football League champion for the 2005 season...
. Bettis finished the game with 41 yards rushing and 3 touchdowns, and gave the team a boost after the Lions had taken a 14–7 first quarter lead.
The Super Bowl run
On Sunday, January 8, 2006, the Steelers traveled to Paul Brown StadiumPaul Brown Stadium
Paul Brown Stadium is an American sports stadium located in Cincinnati, Ohio. It is the home venue of the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League. It opened on August 19, 2000. The stadium was named after Bengals' founder Paul Brown. The stadium is located on approximately of land and...
for their Wild Card match-up against the Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
. On the Bengals' second offensive play, Bengal quarterback Carson Palmer
Carson Palmer
Carson Palmer is an American professional football quarterback for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals first overall in the 2003 NFL Draft. He played collegiately at the University of Southern California and won the Heisman Trophy in 2002...
launched a 66-yard completion — the longest in Bengals' playoff history —to receiver Chris Henry while Steelers defensive tackle Kimo von Oelhoffen
Kimo von Oelhoffen
Kimo K. von Oelhoffen is a retired American football defensive tackle. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the sixth round of the 1994 NFL Draft. He played college football at Boise State....
tried to sack him. In what might be considered by Bengals fans as the defining moment of the game, von Oelhoffen hit Palmer's leg, striking his left knee from the side. Palmer had to be taken off the field on a cart. A magnetic resonance imaging
Magnetic resonance imaging
Magnetic resonance imaging , nuclear magnetic resonance imaging , or magnetic resonance tomography is a medical imaging technique used in radiology to visualize detailed internal structures...
test revealed that both Palmer's anterior cruciate
Anterior cruciate ligament
The anterior cruciate ligament is a cruciate ligament which is one of the four major ligaments of the human knee. In the quadruped stifle , based on its anatomical position, it is referred to as the cranial cruciate ligament.The ACL originates from deep within the notch of the distal femur...
and medial collateral
Medial collateral ligament
The medial collateral ligament of the knee is one of the four major ligaments of the knee. It is on the medial side of the knee joint in humans and other primates. It is also known as the tibial collateral ligament, or abbreviated as the MCL.- Structure :It is a broad, flat, membranous band,...
ligaments were torn by von Oelhoffen's contact, which also caused cartilage
Cartilage
Cartilage is a flexible connective tissue found in many areas in the bodies of humans and other animals, including the joints between bones, the rib cage, the ear, the nose, the elbow, the knee, the ankle, the bronchial tubes and the intervertebral discs...
and meniscus
Meniscus
The meniscus is the curve in the upper surface of a liquid close to the surface of the container or another object, caused by surface tension. It can be either convex or concave. A convex meniscus occurs when the molecules have a stronger attraction to each other than to the material of the...
damage. It should be noted that von Oelhoffen's hit did not generate a defensive penalty due to the fact that Bengals guard, Eric Steinbach, pushed von Oelhoffen into Palmer.
Backup quarterback Jon Kitna
Jon Kitna
Jon K. Kitna is an American football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. He was signed by the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent in 1996...
filled in for Palmer and threw 1 touchdown pass and two interceptions. Despite trailing after the first quarter, the Steelers came within three points, trailing 17-14 at the half. Eventually, they shut out the Bengals in the second half and scored 17 points to win 31–17.
On Sunday, January 15, the Steelers traveled to the RCA Dome
RCA Dome
RCA Dome was a domed stadium, located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and the home of the Indianapolis Colts NFL franchise for 24 seasons ....
in Indianapolis, Indiana where they faced the #1 seeded Colts, and defeated them 21-18 in spite of a highly- improbable fourth quarter—including a controversial call reversal that turned a crucial Troy Polamalu
Troy Polamalu
Troy Aumua Polamalu is an American football strong safety for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted in the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft by the Steelers. He played college football at the University of Southern California.-High school:Troy Polamalu graduated...
interception into an incomplete pass—which found the suddenly revitalized Colts offense with a chance to turn the game around. After recovering an unlikely Jerome Bettis fumble on the Colts 1 with just over a minute remaining, Colts cornerback Nick Harper sped downfield toward what would have been a game-winning touchdown, only to be tripped up by Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in a shoe-string tackle. This heads-up play probably prevented a game-winning touchdown for the Colts. The Steelers defense managed to hold their ground on the ensuing Colts drive, leaving the Colts with just one last chance to tie and send the game into overtime. But Colts kicker Mike Vanderjagt, one of the most accurate kickers in NFL history, missed a 46-yard field goal attempt—wide right—with :18 left in the 4th quarter. The game was the first time in NFL history that a sixth seed (Pittsburgh) defeated a first seed (Indianapolis Colts) in the playoffs. It also marked the first time that a sixth seed would get to play in a Conference Championship game.
On Sunday January 22, 2006, the Steelers won their 6th AFC Championship at INVESCO Field at Mile High
INVESCO Field at Mile High
Sports Authority Field at Mile High, previously known as Invesco Field at Mile High, and commonly known as Mile High, is a multi-purpose stadium, in Denver, Colorado. It replaced the identically sized, but commercially obsolete Mile High Stadium in 2001...
in Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
when they beat the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
34-17. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger
Ben Roethlisberger
Benjamin Todd "Ben" Roethlisberger , nicknamed Big Ben, is an American football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Steelers in the first round in the 2004 NFL Draft...
completed an efficient 21 out of 29 passes, 2 of which were touchdowns. He also ran for another touchdown as he led the team to victory. It marked the 1st time since the '85–'86 New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
and the 2nd time in NFL History that a Wild Card Team would get to the Super Bowl after winning the Wild Card Round, the Divisional Round, and the Conference Championship on the road. It also marked the first time that a sixth-seeded team would get to play in the Super Bowl.
In the Steelers' first trip to the Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
since the 1995 season, they defeated the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
21-10 in Super Bowl XL
Super Bowl XL
Super Bowl XL was an American football game pitting the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers against the National Football Conference champion Seattle Seahawks to decide the National Football League champion for the 2005 season...
on February 5, 2006 at Ford Field
Ford Field
Ford Field is an indoor American football stadium located in Detroit, Michigan, USA, that is the current home field of the NFL's Detroit Lions. It is owned by the Detroit/Wayne County Stadium Authority. It regularly seats 65,000, though it is expandable up to 70,000 for football and 80,000 for...
in Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
. The game had been hyped as a homecoming for Detroit native Jerome Bettis. The play by both teams in the game was mostly lackluster, although records were set for longest run from scrimmage (75 yards for touchdown by Willie Parker of the Steelers), longest interception return (76 yards by Seahawks CB Kelly Herndon
Kelly Herndon
Kelly Errin Herndon is an American football cornerback who is currently a free agent. He was originally signed by the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent in 1999. He played college football at Toledo. Although he entered his first NFL camp in 1999, Herndon waited until 2002 to play in...
), and the first touchdown pass by a wide receiver (thrown by Antwaan Randle El
Antwaan Randle El
Antwaan Randle El is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He attended Indiana University, after turning down a Major League Baseball draft selection by the Chicago Cubs in 1997...
to Hines Ward on a reverse).
The Steelers become the 1st 6th-seeded team, since the NFL changed to a 12-team playoff format in 1990, to go to the Super Bowl and win. Their playoff campaign included defeating the first (Indianapolis), second (Denver), and third (Cincinnati) seeded AFC teams en route to the Super Bowl victory against the first seeded Seahawks from the NFC. Also, they are the first NFL team to win 9 road games. Ben Roethlisberger becomes the youngest QB to win a Super Bowl. They successfully tied with the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
and the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
for the most Super Bowl titles with five.
2006 season
The 2006 Pittsburgh Steelers season began with the team trying to improve on their 11-5 record from 2005 and trying to defend their Super Bowl XL championship. They finished the season 8-8 and did not make it to the playoffs.
Hoping to end their season on a high note, the Steelers flew to Paul Brown Stadium for an AFC North rematch with the Cincinnati Bengals. After a scoreless first quarter, Pittsburgh drew first blood in the second quarter with RB Willie Parker getting a 1-yard TD run. Afterwards, the Bengals would manage to salvage a 34-yard field goal by kicker Shayne Graham. After a scoreless third quarter, Cincinnati took the lead by getting a Willie Parker fumble and ending it with QB Carson Palmer completing a 66-yard TD pass to WR Chris Henry. Parker managed to make amends with another 1-yard TD run. However, the Bengals went back into the lead with Palmer completing a 5-yard TD pass to TE Tony Stewart. The Steelers would manage to tie the game late in the game with kicker Jeff Reed nailing a 35-yard field goal. Cincinnati quickly managed to get into field goal range, but Graham's 39-yard field goal went wide right. In overtime, Pittsburgh took advantage and won with QB Ben Roethlisberger's 67-yard TD pass to rookie WR Santonio Holmes. With the win, not only did the Steelers end their season at 8-8, but they also wiped out any hope that the Bengals had of reaching the playoffs.
2007 season
The 2007 Pittsburgh Steelers season saw the team improve upon their 8–8 record from 2006, finish with a record of 10–6, and win the AFC North Division. The season marked the 75th anniversary of the Steelers franchise.The Steelers' 2007 schedule included two notable playoff rematches. The Steelers played the New England Patriots December 9 for the first time in the regular season since 2005, when they lost at home on a last-second Adam Vinatieri field goal 23–20. The 34–13 loss was also the Steelers' first visit to Foxboro, Massachusetts since 2002. The Steelers defeated the Seattle Seahawks 21–0 in week 5 on October 7, the teams' first meeting since the Steelers' 21–10 victory in Super Bowl XL 20 months earlier. The week 5 match was the Steelers' and Seahawks' first meeting in Pittsburgh since 1999 as well as the Seahawks' first-ever visit to Heinz Field. Another notable game occurred December 20 when the Steelers defeated the St. Louis Rams, 41–24, for their first-ever road win over the Cleveland/Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams (1–9–1). It was the two teams' first-ever meeting in St. Louis, a city the Steelers last visited in 1979 (a 24–21 win over the then-St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Memorial Stadium).Six players from the Steelers were selected to play in the 2007 Pro Bowl. Two started, two were selected to the reserve squad, and two did not play due to injury.
- 7 Ben Roethlisberger - Quarterback (reserve)
- 39 Willie Parker - Running Back (injured, did not play)
- 43 Troy Polamalu - Strong Safety (injured, did not play)
- 66 Alan Faneca - Offensive Guard
- 92 James Harrison - Outside Linebacker
- 98 Casey Hampton - Defensive Tackle (reserve)
2008 season: The Sixth Championship
Entering the 2008 season, the Pittsburgh Steelers lost Alan FanecaAlan Faneca
Alan Joseph Faneca, Jr. is a former American football guard in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers 26th overall in the 1998 NFL Draft and played college football for Louisiana State....
, after his contract expired and he signed with the New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. The Steelers also signed quarterback Ben Roethlisberger
Ben Roethlisberger
Benjamin Todd "Ben" Roethlisberger , nicknamed Big Ben, is an American football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Steelers in the first round in the 2004 NFL Draft...
to an eight year, $102 million contract, the largest in franchise history. The Steelers also drafted Rashard Mendenhall
Rashard Mendenhall
Rashard Jamal Mendenhall is an American football running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Steelers 23rd overall in the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Illinois....
, running back from Illinois, with the 23rd overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft
2008 NFL Draft
The 2008 NFL Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 26 and April 27, 2008. For the 29th consecutive year, ESPN televised the draft; the NFL Network also broadcast the event, its third year doing so...
as well as top wide receiver prospect Limas Sweed
Limas Sweed
Limas Lee Sweed, Jr. is a former American football wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He played collegiately for the Texas Longhorns. On April 26, 2008 Sweed was taken 53rd overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2008 NFL Draft.-High school:Sweed attended...
of Texas with the 53rd overall pick. With injury to Willie Parker and uncertainty about his future production, Rashard Mendenhall was drafted to be the next Steelers running back of the future. The regular season went well with the team winning twelve games and losing four, all to strong opponents, with their only losses going to the Eagles, the Giants, the Colts, and the Titans (who had the best record in the league). The team thus earned a first-round bye and home advantage through the playoffs. James Harrison was voted as the 2008 AP Defensive Player of the Year with a monstrous regular season performance with 16 sacks (fourth in league) and 7 forced fumbles (first in the league). Troy Polamalu also had a great season, gaining seven interceptions which was tied for second in the league, trailing only Ed Reed of the Ravens who had 9. Beating San Diego in the divisional round, they faced their AFC North rival Baltimore in the conference championship and soundly defeated them. Thus, the Steelers made it to their seventh Super Bowl. Their opponent was the Arizona Cardinals, a team that had not appeared in any league championship since 1948.
Super Bowl XLIII was played on February 1, 2009 at the Buccaneers' Raymond James Stadium
Raymond James Stadium
Raymond James Stadium, also known as the "Ray Jay", is a multi-purpose football stadium located in Tampa, Florida. It is home to the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers as well as the NCAA's South Florida Bulls football team. The stadium seats 65,857 , and it is expandable to 75,000 for special events...
. By halftime, the Steelers were ahead at 17-7. Arizona's effort was hampered by penalties, in particular three personal fouls, but they managed to get ahead after WR Larry Fitzgerald
Larry Fitzgerald
Larry Darnell Fitzgerald, Jr. is an American football wide receiver for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League, and currently ranks fourth all-time in league history in receiving yards per game for a career , behind Andre Johnson, Torry Holt, and Marvin Harrison...
scored a 63-yard touchdown, bringing the score to 23-20. But Pittsburgh's Santonio Holmes
Santonio Holmes
Santonio Holmes Jr. is an American football wide receiver for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft after playing college football at Ohio State...
was able to convert a 6-yard TD in the final two minutes. With that, the game ended 27-23 and the Steelers gained their sixth championship, becoming the first team to win six Super Bowls since the start of the Super Bowl era.
2009 season
The defending champions began the 2009 campaign in good form, winning six of their first eight matches. However, a major loss came as the Steelers lost Troy Polamalu in Week 1 against the Tennessee Titans. Troy came back in Week 6 against the Browns and played until Week 10 against the Bengals when he reinjured himself in the game. This effectively ended the rest of Troy's season. But starting in Week 10, things crumbled as Pittsburgh dropped five in a row, including losses to Kansas City and Oakland, two of the league's weakest teams. The ultimate disaster came in Week 14, when an unprepared, injury-compromised Steelers team lost to the 1-11 Cleveland Browns for the first time since 2003. Pittsburgh managed to snap its losing streak in the next game, where they beat Green Bay by one point with Ben Roethlisberger throwing a career-best 504 passing yards. They then won against Baltimore the following week, and on the season ender defeated Miami to finish 9-7. However, the Ravens' victory over Oakland later that day kept Pittsburgh from the playoffs. Throughout the season, the Steelers struggled harshly on special teams, giving up four kickoff return touchdowns. The Steelers sent 4 players to the Pro Bowl: Tight end Heath Miller (76 receptions, 789 receiving yards, and 6 touchdowns), nose tackle Casey Hampton (43 tackles/23 solo, and 2 sacks), and linebackers James Harrison (79 tackles/60 solo, 10 sacks, and 5 forced fumbles) and LaMarr Woodley (62 tackles/50 solo, 13 sacks, and 1 forced fumble).2010 season: A record Super Bowl appearance
The 2010 off-season proved a disaster for the Steelers as Ben Roethlisberger was accused of unwelcome sexual advances on a woman he met in a bar. Although no charges were filed, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell suspended him for six games for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy. However on September 6, his suspension was reduced to four games. Roethlisberger was also barred from attending the team's games and could only practice with free agents during this period. Dennis Dixon and Charlie Batch would fill in as the starting QB. Despite dire predictions, the Steelers hosted Atlanta on the season opener and won in overtime 15-9. They then traveled to Tennessee and knocked out their former division rival 19-11 in an outstanding defensive game. In Week 3, the Steelers beat Tampa Bay 38-13 before losing their first divisional match against Baltimore 17-14. Roethlisberger meanwhile prepared to make his comeback as the team entered its bye week prior to hosting Cleveland in Week 6. He was given a standing ovation by Steelers fans and delivered a fine 28-10 win over the Browns. The Steelers then beat the Dolphins 23-22 before losing to the Saints 20-10. Next week, Pittsburgh played on Monday Night in Cincinnati, where they held off a Bengals comeback to win 27-21. The Steelers were then humiliated on their own turf in front of the whole country by Tom BradyTom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick "Tom" Brady, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . After playing college football at Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.He has played in four Super Bowls,...
and the New England Patriots 39-26, a game that wasn't as close as the score suggests. Pittsburgh would then win 4 in a row, 35-3 vs. Oakland, 19-16 in OT at Buffalo, 13-10 at Baltimore, and 23-7 vs. Cincinnati. The streak ended Week 15 in a 22-17 home loss to the New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Pittsburgh would then win their last 2 games by a combined score of 68-12, beating Carolina 27-3, and then finishing out at Cleveland, 41-9. The Steelers made it through the season finishing 12-4, winning the AFC North division, and winning the AFC's #2 seed in the playoffs. In their first postseason game at home against Baltimore, the Steelers fell behind at halftime 21-7. Pittsburgh made a second half rally and beat the Ravens 31-24. They then defeated the Jets 24-19 in the AFC Championship to earn the right to go to Super Bowl XLV
Super Bowl XLV
Super Bowl XLV was an American football game between the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers and the National Football Conference champion Green Bay Packers to decide the National Football League champion for the 2010 season. The game was held at Cowboys Stadium in...
. Against the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
in the Super Bowl, the Steelers fell behind 21-3, but fought back to make the score 21-17. A Rashard Mendenhall
Rashard Mendenhall
Rashard Jamal Mendenhall is an American football running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Steelers 23rd overall in the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Illinois....
fumble at the start of the 4th quarter proved costly as Green Bay would score to make it 28-17. Pittsburgh would score a TD on a 25-yard pass to Mike Wallace
Mike Wallace
Michael Wallace may refer to:*Mike Wallace , television correspondent**The Mike Wallace Interview, his TV series*Mike Wallace , American historian...
and make the 2-point conversion to make it 28-25. Green Bay took time off the clock on their next drive which they capped off with a Field Goal to make it 31-25. Pittsburgh could not score on their final drive, and would end up losing the game. Though it was a disappointing end, the Steelers' season was considered to be highly successful, as they defied many predictions that they would lose their significance in their division. They also tied the Dallas Cowboys for most Super bowl appearances with eight.
2011 season
The Steelers began 2011 very badly by losing 35-7 to their arch-rival Baltimore in a terribly-botched game with three Roethlisberger interceptions and 7 turnovers. Afterwards, they avenged themselves by shutting out Seattle 24-0. Next Pittsburgh fought a hard battle with the Peyton ManningPeyton Manning
Peyton Williams Manning is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League . Manning holds the record for most NFL MVP awards with four. He was drafted by the Colts as the first overall pick in 1998 after a standout college football career with the...
-less Colts in Indianapolis and managed to squeak past them with a last second Shaun Suisham
Shaun Suisham
Shaun Christopher Suisham is a Canadian placekicker of American football for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League . He was signed by the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2005...
field goal 23-20. With injuries piling up, the Steelers came out flat against Houston and lost 17-10 in Week 4. Ben Roethlisberger was sidelined with a foot injury and Charlie Batch scheduled to start in Week 5 against Tennessee, however Roethlisberger played and threw for 5 touchdowns in a 38-17 win. After easily winning that game, he returned to action as Pittsburgh beat Jacksonville at home 17-13 and then won in Arizona 32-20 for their first encounter since Super Bowl XLIII. The Steelers set a franchise record in the latter game as Roethlisberger threw a 95-yard TD pass to Mike Wallace
Mike Wallace
Michael Wallace may refer to:*Mike Wallace , television correspondent**The Mike Wallace Interview, his TV series*Mike Wallace , American historian...
. The next week, Pittsburgh returned home to face Tom Brady
Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick "Tom" Brady, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . After playing college football at Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.He has played in four Super Bowls,...
and the New England Patriots. In a spectacular defensive effort, in which Pittsburgh held Brady to a season-low 198 yards passing, the Steelers beat the Patriots 25-17. Then after a disappointing home loss to Baltimore, the Steelers went to Cincinnati and won their first AFC North division battle of the year, 24-17.
Steelers all time record vs. AFC North
- updated through season
Steelers record against other teams in AFC North AFC NorthThe American Football Conference North Division, or AFC North, is a division of the National Football League's American Football Conference. It was created prior to the 1967 season as the NFL Century Division when the NFL split into four divisions...
divisionvs. Baltimore Ravens Baltimore RavensThe Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...18 12 .607 Cincinnati Bengals Cincinnati BengalsThe Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...49 32 .595 Cleveland Browns Cleveland BrownsThe Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...61 56 .509
Steelers rivalries
Many Pittsburgh natives and fans consider the Cleveland BrownsCleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
, New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
, Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
, and the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
to be the teams primary rivals. Upon conclusion of the 2006 season, Pittsburgh has a .500 record vs these 3 teams when combining regular and post season games. The historic rivalries with the Raiders and Cowboys have been decisive in the outcomes of the Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
, particularly in the 1970s.
Pittsburgh and Cleveland have been in the same division and have met at least twice a year since 1950. The Steelers hold a 2–0 post season record against the Browns.
The Steelers and Raiders have met 6 times in the post season, including 5 consecutive appearances between 1972 through 1976 which gave the 2 teams an unusual familiarity with the other since each is in a different division. Their post season record against one and other is tied 3–3.
Pittsburgh and Dallas first met in 1960 (the two actually met in the Cowboys' first game as a franchise, with the Steelers winning 35–28), and have faced each other in the Super Bowl on three occasions (X, XII, XXX) with Pittsburgh leading the series 2–1. In the 1970s, Pittsburgh and Dallas where both renowned for stifling defenses named: "The Steel Curtain", and "The Doomsday Defense" respectively. Pittsburgh became the first team to achieve 3 Super Bowl wins when it defeated Dallas in Super Bowl XIII
Super Bowl XIII
Super Bowl XIII was an American football game played on January 21, 1979 at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida to decide the National Football League champion following the 1978 regular season...
, and the first team to achieve 4 Super Bowls a year later when they defeated the Rams. Dallas defeated the Steelers in Super Bowl XXX
Super Bowl XXX
Super Bowl XXX was an American football game played on January 28, 1996 at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona to decide the National Football League champion following the 1995 regular season...
to become the second team behind San Francisco to win 5 Super Bowl Championships. Ten years later Pittsburgh would join Dallas and San Francisco to become the third team to reach that milestone when they defeated the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XL. Three years later, the Steelers would become the first team to win a sixth Super Bowl, achieving that milestone in the 08-09 season. They played against the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII, and eventually rallied a 27-23 comeback victory. The Steelers received a nickname favored by the fans, the Sixburgh Steelers.
The rivalry with the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
is relatively recent. The two clubs met thirteen times 1972-95 with the Steelers winning ten, including five in a row. But in 1996 the two met in the playoffs for the first time and the rivalry changed, as the Patriots defeated the Steelers 28-3 in the AFC Divisional Playoffs in January 1997. The next year the Steelers edged New England in overtime 24-21 and won in the divisional round 7-6. Since then, however, the Patriots have won five of seven regular-season meetings and two AFC Championship Game
AFC Championship Game
The American Football Conference Championship Game is one of the two final playoff matches of the National Football League, the largest professional American football league in the United States. The game is played on the penultimate Sunday in January and determines the champion of the American...
matchups, both at Heinz Field
Heinz Field
Heinz Field is a stadium located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It primarily serves as the home to the Pittsburgh Steelers and University of Pittsburgh Panthers American football teams, members of the National Football League and National Collegiate Athletic Association respectively...
. 2004 was the most recent season the two teams met twice in the season; Pittsburgh ended New England's 21-game winning streak in a 34-20 rout and surged to a 15-1 regular season, but in the AFC Championship the Steelers were crushed 41-27 by the Patriots.
| vs. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas Cowboys Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas... |
13 | 14 | — | .481 |
| Denver Broncos Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
7 | 13 | 1 | .357 |
| New England Patriots New England Patriots The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National... |
14 | 8 | — | .650 |
| Oakland Raiders Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
9 | 10 | — | .444 |
- updated through season
Trivia
- The Steelers have played 14 out of a possible 17 teams in the AFCAmerican Football ConferenceThe American Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the National Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL....
at least once in the post-season. The team never played the Seattle SeahawksSeattle SeahawksThe Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
in the post-season during their 25 year stay in the AFC, though the two would later meet in Super Bowl XLSuper Bowl XLSuper Bowl XL was an American football game pitting the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers against the National Football Conference champion Seattle Seahawks to decide the National Football League champion for the 2005 season...
after the Seahawks moved to the NFCNational Football ConferenceThe National Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the American Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL.-Current teams:Since 2002, the NFC has comprised 16 teams,...
. , the Houston TexansHouston TexansThe Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, who have yet to go to the playoffs in their short existence, are the only team from the AFC the Steelers have yet to face in the playoffs. - The Steelers hold a lifetime 8-0 record in the playoffs against divisional opponents, going 2-0 against Cleveland, 3-0 against the now defunct Houston Oilers (became Tennessee Titans), 2-0 against Baltimore, and 1-0 against Cincinnati . The Steelers would, however, later garner a loss to the Titans/Oilers franchise in the divisional round of the playoffs in 2002, the year after the Titans and Steelers were realigned into separate divisions.