Welcome to Steeler Nation

By Ashley Leis

September 7th, 2009

Just the name itself, Pittsburgh Steelers, conjures images of hard-working, dedicated athletes, playing football with passion and courage. Through its long history the team can boast names of iconic players and staff that have proudly worn the black and yellow colors. The record-breaking Steelers are set to venture into the 2009 season carrying with them the hopes and dreams of not only their team but of their many fans, the Steeler Nation.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are unique among NFL teams in many ways. Most notable is the ownership of the team and the long commitment of the Rooney family, maintaining ownership since the team’s inception. Founded by Art Rooney in 1933, the team ownership has been passed to Art’s son Dan Rooney with much of the control today under the direction of Dan’s son, Art Rooney II.

THE EARLY YEARS
Art Rooney is born and bred Pittsburgh, living all of his life in and around the steel-working town. His affinity for sports was displayed during his amateur boxing career, while playing minor league baseball and through coaching in different sporting disciplines. Rooney’s boxing prowess earned him a position on the 1920 Olympic team; however, he did not get to compete.

Rooney’s talents showed in business dealings as well. Among his early interests was ownership of a semi-professional football team, and as the National Football League (NFL) sought to expand their competition, Rooney took his team the next step. He entered his team, then called the Pittsburgh Pirates, into the expanding NFL competition, joining the NFL’s Eastern Division. With his league membership payment of $2,500, Rooney built his team from mostly local players, keeping his team true to its Pittsburgh roots.

From its first game on Sept. 20, 1933, a loss against the New York Giants, and through the remainder of the 1930s, the team had little success. Rooney sent shock waves through the NFL, signing University of Colorado star Byron White in 1938 to a staggering $15,000 contract. However, White would play only one season with the team before moving on to continue studies and eventually to pursue a career in law.

The team’s lack of success on the field was matched by its financial woes, returning no profit through the 1930s and into the 1940s. Rooney, however, was able to keep his team afloat through the lucrative hobby of horse racing plus the occasional boxing promotion. Rooney would also look to give his team its own identity as it shared its name with the town’s professional baseball team. So entering into the 1940 season, Rooney drew from Pittsburgh’s steel town legacy and renamed his team the Pittsburgh Steelers. With the mantel of being a rugged, hard-working town, the team took on the same persona entering the football arena.

Under the new name, and with new players such as Bill Dudley and a new attitude, the team would build a reputation of fierce defensive play. Its first winning season came in 1942, but just as the team seemed to be becoming stronger, the Steelers were plagued with the loss of players leaving to serve in World War II. To survive, the team combined with the Philadelphia Eagles in 1943 to become the Phil-Pitt “Steagles,” and then with the Chicago Cardinals, Card-Pitt, in 1944.

Their reputation of being a dangerous defensive team stayed with the Steelers through the 1940s and into the ’50s, with the likes of Hall of Fame defensive tackle Ernie Stautner terrorizing the opposition. However, it wasn’t enough. Though many coaches had been tried and tested, John McNally (1937-1939), Aldo Donelli (1941) and Jock Sutherland (1945-1947), to name just a few, it was the return of Joe Bach in 1952 that turned the Steelers’ offensive team around. The difference was immediate, with Bach’s team breaking the Steelers’ points scoring record in his first year back.

Bad luck and bad judgment followed the team into the early 1960s. Bach retired due to poor health in 1954. The team drafted young star quarterback Johnny Unitas in 1955, but cut the future Super Bowl MVP in training camp. And to make matters worse, promising receiver Lowell Perry’s career was cut short through injury after only six games.

TURNAROUND
For the Pittsburgh Steelers, the league’s “easy beats,” the signing of new coach Buddy Parker brought a turn of fortune. Parker led the team to five non-losing seasons during his eight seasons.

Still unable to break into the championship games, and with a roster of players who were approaching the end of their careers, it was time for a change. Rooney signed former Baltimore defensive coach Chuck Noll to become the team’s 17th head coach after 33 seasons. Noll’s era with the team would go on to span a remarkable 22 years and include four Super Bowl wins. Noll’s signing with the team also brought with it a shake-up in the franchise not seen in the team’s history.

The NFL was looking to expand again and the Steelers elected to join with the merging American Football Conference (AFC). They also moved to a new home, Three Rivers Stadium, along the banks of the Monongahela River in downtown Pittsburgh. The stadium was shared with the Pittsburgh Pirates and was considered state of the art.

The shake-up also included new players. Noll picked up several key draft selections in his first few years, including defensive tackle Joe Greene, corner back Mel Blount, running back Franco Harris and quarterback Terry Bradshaw. With Rooney, Noll was looking to clean house after a disastrous 1-13 inaugural season. Their instinctive draft selections would continue in 1974, when four future Hall of Famers, Mike Webster, Lynn Swann, John Stallworth and Jack Lambert, were all picked up by the Steelers.

In the 1972 season, for the first time in 25 years, the Steelers made the playoffs, winning the AFC Central title with an 11-3 season. Although they won their first playoff game against the Oakland Raiders 13-7, after a nail-biting final-minute play, the Steelers would go down to the Miami Dolphins in the AFC championship game 21-17. The successful season marked the beginning of a victorious stint for Rooney’s Steelers.

NO. 1
The 1974 season brought Rooney his long-awaited prize. Finishing the season with a 10-3-1 record the Steelers were into the playoffs for a third consecutive year. The team blasted its way through the Buffalo Bills (32-14) and Oakland Raiders (24-13) to win the first conference championship in the team’s history, earning its way into the championship game.

The Steelers entered Super Bowl IX, their first, against the Minnesota Vikings as underdogs. The defensive battle between teams meant very little offensive yardage was gained in the first half. The Steelers prevailed, finishing the game 16-6, giving Rooney his first Super Bowl championship.

CONTINUING SUCCESS
The following season the Steelers continued their dominating defensive play and earned their second consecutive AFC championship, beating archrivals Oakland 16-10. Their winning season of 12-2, a franchise record and the AFC championship were topped with their second Super Bowl game in two years.

The Steelers faced the Dallas Cowboys for Super Bowl X in the Miami Orange Bowl stadium. Being the team that everybody seemed to hate, the Cowboys were tagged as the “pretty boys” of the NFL. The image ignited the Steelers’ rage as they would go on to win the game 21-17 and give Rooney his second title.

Through the 1970s, the Pittsburgh Steelers continued their momentum of success. That decade included eight post-season playoff appearances, seven AFC Central titles, four AFC championships and four Super Bowl championships. Their back-to-back victories in 1974 and 1975 and dominance through the ’70s were capped with victories in Super Bowl XIII (1978) against the Dallas Cowboys 35-31 and Super Bowl XIV (1979) against the Los Angeles Rams 31-19.

BEYOND THE STEEL CURTAIN
The Steelers dominance during the 1970s was highlighted by their defensive “hit squad,” nicknamed the “Steel Curtain.” Through the 1970s, the defensive line earned the reputation as the most fearsome in the NFL. Their astonishing record included an almost miraculous recovery of the 1976 season, when the team allowed only 28 points through the final nine games of the season. Eight of the nine games were touchdown-free.

The members of the Steel Curtain were honored for their defensive accomplishments. Joe Greene won NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1972 and 1974. Mel Blount and Jack Lambert matched this effort being named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1975 and 1976, respectively. With eight defensive players selected for the Pro Bowl and four being named to the NFL Hall of Fame, the legacy of the Steel Curtain being the most dominant defensive team in NFL history remains today.

Matching the dominance of the Steel Curtain, the Steelers’ offensive team started to build a reputation of its own. Quarterback Bradshaw broke through early career troubles to become a player with many skills. The team’s passing game grew into prominence as Bradshaw built a relationship with his two wide receivers, Lynn Swann and John Stallworth. Both were equally dangerous when Bradshaw threw them the ball. In 1976, Swann broke the team’s reception record with 61 catches. Stallworth would go on to become the team’s all-time leading receiver.

With the dominant defensive team added to the reliable offensive weapons, the Pittsburgh Steelers were labeled as the team of the decade through the 1970s. With their outstanding success and a record four Super Bowl victories, the title was well-earned.

BIG LOSSES AND NEW BEGINNINGS
Into and through the 1980s, Pittsburgh fell from its throne as the NFL’s dominant team. Noll’s quest for a fifth Super Bowl championship was lost through injury and retirements of key players. By midway through the ’80s, the Steelers had lost Bradshaw, Greene, Harris and Stallworth along with many other significant players. The team failed to make the playoffs and a restructuring was in order.

The biggest loss came when long-time owner Art Rooney died in August 1988. He had remained with the team in some capacity for more than 50 years, becoming an iconic figure in Pittsburgh. It was a loss felt not only by the Steelers but by the city as well.

Woeful times resulted in losing seasons and embarrassing scores and the Steelers struggled to maintain dignity. They clawed their way to an AFC Central division tie at the conclusion of the 1990 season, but were unable to improve on the season. As new players, such as defensive back Rod Woodson and quarterback Bubby Brister, fought to turn the team, the Steelers were unable to match their past success.

The biggest change to the Steelers’ lineup came not in players, but in management. For 22 seasons, Noll had been head coach at Pittsburgh, winning a yet-to-be-matched four Super Bowls. On his retirement after the 1991 season, Steeler’s boss Dan Rooney appointed Pittsburgh native Bill Cowher. By signing Cowher when he was just 34, the Steelers had taken on the youngest NFL head coach in history.

Cowher’s impact was immediate, returning the team to the top of the AFC Central division. By the 1995 season, Cowher had the Steelers back to the Super Bowl, seeking their fifth championship in only his fourth year at the helm. Pittsburgh fell short of its quest after a loss to the Dallas Cowboys 27-17.

Through the 1990s, Cowher’s record was impressive, with five AFC Central titles. Along the way he became the second-winningest coach in Steelers’ history. Cowher and Rooney would sign future Steelers stars running back Jerome Bettis, wide receiver Hines Ward and quarterback Kordell Stewart. The Steelers were looking to once again build a championship team.

A powerful defensive team would return, in the Steelers’ stadium, Heinz Field, as the team sought its fifth Super Bowl ring. An injury to comeback player quarterback Tommy Maddox brought 2004 draft pick Ben Roethlisberger to the starting lineup. Roethlisberger hit his stride in the first season with the team finishing the season 15-1. They fell short of the Super Bowl championship, falling 41-27 to eventual winners the New England Patriots in the AFC championship game.

The Steelers fans needed to wait only one season to celebrate their fifth championship. The team stumbled its way into the post-season after a not-so-impressive 11-5 season, earning a wild-card spot in the playoffs. Their post-season was perfect with victories over Cincinnati, 31-17, Indianapolis, 21-18, and Denver, 34-17. The Steelers won their fifth Super Bowl championship, equaling the Dallas Cowboys’ record, with a win over the Seattle Seahawks 21-10. Super Bowl XL was highlighted by wide receiver Hines Ward’s five receptions and Jerome Bettis’ last appearance for the Steelers.

SIX … SEVEN …
Cowher would serve one more season, 15 in total, as the head coach before retiring at the end of the 2006 season, handing over the reins to current coach Mike Tomlin. Tomlin’s quiet and nonchalant yet professional personality differs greatly from the aggressive confrontational approach Cowher was known for. Tomlin’s style would prove successful as he took the Steelers to a winning season and the AFC North title in his first year.

The Steelers won their sixth championship at Super Bowl XLIII, beating the Arizona Cardinals 27-23, the first team to win six titles. Tomlin was the youngest coach in NFL history to win a championship. Leading the charge was Pittsburgh wide receiver Santonio Holmes with nine receptions, including the game-winning catch in the Steelers’ end zone. The touchdown halted the Cardinals, who had surged back into contention late in the fourth quarter.

Ahead of the Steelers is a new season and a new goal, championship No. 7. Many of last season’s winning team have remained. Roethlisberger’s shoulder seems to conjure many questions and comments, however, he assured supporters that all was fine. “My shoulder has been feeling great and everything should be fine,” Roethlisberger said at the 2009 training camp.

All of the Pittsburgh team seems focused and ready for the new season. “My goal is to stay injury-free and give this team everything I can,” explains Holmes on the approaching season. When questioned on the previous season’s highlight, Holmes was very direct in his approach. “That is all in the past and is history. My focus is now on this season. I want to give our loyal supporters what they deserve. They take time off to come [to training camp] and support us so I just want to repay them for that.”

For veteran wide receiver Hines Ward, there is no question as to his focus and position on the team. “We always focus on the future and not on the past,” he explained as he prepared for his 12th season with the Steelers.

Along with Ward, Holmes and Roethlisberger, the Steelers will hit the field with their new breed of stars Troy Polamalu, James Harrison and Willie Parker at their opening game on Sept. 10 against the Tennessee Titans at Heinz Field. The dream for a seventh championship may linger in some minds and is surely not far out of reach.