National Football League
Pittsburgh Steelers
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Steelers History
Sixty-four years after the first snap of a football, the NFL awards the city of Pittsburgh a Franchise and Art Rooney became the owner and general manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Pirates play their first game at Forbes Field against the New York Giants and were drubbed 23-2. The teams first victory came a week later with a 14-13 win over the Chicago Cardinals. The first season ends 3-6-2 and the first head coach Jap Douds was replaced by Luby DiMelio.
The team would change its name in 1940 to the Pittsburgh Steelers and would make the playoffs for the first time in 1947 with an 8-4 record but would not get past the Philadelphia Eagles and were blanked 21-0. The franchise would not make the playoffs for another 25 years
The 1972 season began in typical Steelers fashion with a slow 2-2 start. Then rookie running back Franco Harris began to heat up. Harris would rush for 1,055 yards and garner the Rookie of the Year Award as the Steelers post an 11-3 record. In the playoffs for the first time, the Steelers hosted the Oakland Raiders which they battled to a 13-7 victory. The game would feature what would forever be known as “The Immaculate Reception.” The win pushed them into an AFC showdown with the undefeated Miami Dolphins at Three Rivers Stadium. The Steelers lead most of the game until a trick play by punter Larry Sieple giving the Dolphins a 21-17 victory.
The ’73 season saw the Steelers make the playoffs again but were knocked out of the Playoffs in the Wild Card Game as the Raiders bounced them 33-14. The next season would prove pivotal as the franchise drafts 4 future Hall of Fame Players (Jack Lambert, Mike Webster, Lynn Swann and John Stallworth) in addition to future Hall of Fame QB Terry Bradshaw the team was a potent force to be reckoned with.
The team Defense would collectively become known as the Steel Curtain. The Steelers would capture the AFC Central Title with a 10-3-1 record. “Mean” Joe Green would win the Defensive Player of the Year Award. In the playoffs, the Steelers would go through O.J. Simpson and his Buffalo Bills 32-14 and moved on to defeat the Oakland Raiders in Oakland 24-13 earning their 1st trip to the Super Bowl.
Super Bowl IX matched the AFC Pittsburgh Steelers against the NFC Minnesota Vikings
In New Orleans. In a battle of defenses, the score was 9-0 after three quarters. Going into the 4th Quarter, the Vikings would block a Bobby Walden punt and recover it in the end zone. After missing the extra point, the gap was now only 3 points, 9-6. The Steelers would drive 66 yards in 11 plays to seal a 16-6 victory. RB Franco Harris was named the games MVP.
The following season, the “Steel Curtain” would continue to dominate the league as they allow only 167 points all season. QB Terry Bradshaw had his finest year as he passed for 2,055 yard with 18 TD passes to only 9 interceptions. The Steelers capture the AFC Central title with a 12-2 record (highlighted by an 11-game winning streak). They faced the Oakland Raiders for the AFC Championship and lead most of the way as Jack Lambert caused 3 fumbles. The Raiders would make a game of it late and score 10 points and closing the margin to 16-10. The Steelers Defense would toughen up and hold to preserve the victory and a shot at a second Super Bowl.
Super Bowl X featured the Steelers against the Dallas Cowboys in Miami. The game was a defensive battle throughout and the Cowboys took a 10-7 lead into the 4th quarter. Early in the quarter, the Steelers would block a Dallas punt into the end zone bringing the score to 10-9. Pittsburgh would again move down the field and Kicker Roy Gerela hits a 36 yard FG to take a 12-10 lead. Again, Kicker Gerela would hit, this time an 18 yard FG bringing the score to 15-10. With 4:25 left in the game, QB Bradshaw hits Lynn Swann with a 64-yard touchdown reception and Gerela missed the FG bringing the score to 21-10. With 3:02 left in the game, Dallas QB Roger Staubach rallies the troops and moves his team down the field 80 yards in 5-plays culminating in a touch down reception to Percy Howard cutting the score to 21-17. Pittsburgh would try and run the clock out but the Dallas Defense would hold and Coach Chuck Noll made a controversial decision to go for it on 4th down. Pittsburgh would not make the 1st down giving the Cowboys and Roger Staubach one last shot at victory. The Steel Curtain would hold as Staubach was intercepted by Safety Glen Edwards, sealing Pittsburgh's 2nd Super Bowl Victory.
There was a two-year hiatus from the Super Bowl as the offense was hindered by injuries. The defense was still solid allowing only 138 points in '76 but had a sharp drop off in '77 as they allowed 243 points. Neither season would take them past the Divisional Playoffs.
The 1978 season saw QB Terry Bradshaw have the finest season of his storied career. Bradshaw would pass for 2,915 yards with 28 TD passes. The franchise wins the AFC Central again with a 14-2 record. The team would romp through the playoffs spanking the Denver Bronco 33-10 and a week later the Houston Oilers 35-4 earning a shot at their 3rd Super Bowl.
Super Bowl XIII again featured the Dallas Cowboys against the Steelers only this time it was nothing like the Defensive Battles of yesteryear. This game was a high octane offensive performance by both teams. The first drive for the Cowboys ended with a Drew Pearson fumble. The Steelers capitalize as QB Terry Bradshaw hits John Stallworth with a 28-yard pass. The Cowboys Defense would respond as Harvey Martin sacks Bradshaw and Ed "Too Tall" Jones recovers the ball and three plays later, Staubach hits WR Tony Hill for a 39-yard TD Strike giving the Cowboys a 7-7 tie. The next possession for the Steelers, QB Bradshaw is stripped as he is about to throw and Mike Hegman returns the fumble 37 yards for a 14-7 lead.
Pittsburgh answered right back as Bradshaw hit John Stallworth at the Steelers 35-yard line. Stallworth then broke a tackle and outran everyone on the field for the score tying the score at 14 all. On the next Steelers possession, Rocky Bleier collected a pass from Bradshaw taking the score to 21-14. The Cowboys would respond with a Rafael Septien 27-yard kick making the score 21-17 Pittsburgh.
The Steelers respond with a Franco Harris 22-yard run followed up by an 18-yard TD pass to Lynn Swann from Terry Bradshaw making the score 35-17. Dallas would respond with two more TD scores but it was too late as the Steelers win Super Bowl XIII 35-31.
The following are the highlights from the next 3 Super Bowls the Steelers were a part of.
Super Bowl XIV featured the top seeded Steelers against the “Visiting” LA Rams in Pasadena, California. The Steelers were heavy favorites and the teams played before the largest crowd in Super Bowl History (103,985 fans). The Steelers were outplayed in the first half and walked into the locker room down by 3, 13-10.
The Steelers would come out in the 2nd half and performed much better putting up 26 points to the Rams’ 6 points. QB Terry Bradshaw would walk away with the MVP Award by completing 14 of 21 passes for 309 yards, 2 touchdowns and 3 interceptions, becoming the 1st player ever to win 2 Super Bowl MVP Awards.
Super Bowl XXX has the distinction of being the second most-watched sporting event ever and third most-watched program of all time. The NBC Broadcast from Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona averaged 95.1 million people in the United States. The game featured the 13-6 Pittsburgh Steelers against the 15-4 Dallas Cowboys.
The Cowboys dominated the game from the beginning of the game and by the end of the first quarter, TE Jay Novacek had the first TD of the game. The quarter ended 10-0 Cowboys. The Second quarter began with the Cowboys again driving to the Steelers 15-yard line but they could not get into the end zone. Kicker Chris Boniol connects with a 35-yard field goal making the score 13-0.
Pittsburgh would finally get on the scoreboard when Neal O’Donnell hit a 6-yard TD strike to WR Yancey Thigpen and slimming the lead to 13-7. The Cowboys respond with an Emmitt Smith 1-yard TD run.
Pittsburgh answers right back with a Norm Johnson 46-yard FG followed up by a “Bam” Morris 1-yard D run taking the score to 20-17.
Dallas would finish up the scoring as Emmitt Smith takes a handoff 4-yards out for a score and with a Boniol kick, the score would jump to a 10-point deficit until the final whistle blown. The final score was 27-17.
The Super Bowl XL featured the Steelers against the Seattle Seahawks at Ford Field in Detroit. The game was a homecoming/final valediction for 13-year Steelers RB Jerome Bettis.
The Seahawks would come out on their 5th possession of the game and drive 22 yards in 7-plays and Kicker Josh Brown puts up the first score of the game. 3-0 Seahawks.
Pittsburgh responds with an 11-play 59-yard drive culminating in a 1-yard Ben Roethlisberger run and bringing the score at halftime to 7-3. Pittsburgh comes out in the 3rd quarter and covers 75-yards in two plays as RB Willie Parker scores on a 75-yard scamper into the end zone taking the score to 14-3 Pitt.
Seattle answers back with it’s own quickness as QB Matt Hasselbeck hits TE Jeremy Stevens with an 16-yard TD strike and closing the gap to 14-10. However, in the 4th, the Steel Curtin would rise to the occasion and hold Seattle scoreless while HB Hines Ward completes a 43-yard TD strike from Antwaan Randle El and finishing off the Seahawks 21-10. The Steelers become just the 3rd Franchise to win 5 Super Bowls.
This record would be broken in 2008.
The Steelers have made the playoffs 24 times in 60 seasons and have won their division 18 times and have won their division 18 times (1950, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 57, 1964, 65, 67, 68, 69, 1971, 1980, 85, 86, 87 and 1989). They won the AAFC Championship 4 times (1946, 47, 48 and 1949) and the NFL Championship 4 times (1950, 1954, 1955 and 1964).
The Pittsburgh Steelers have had 21 Hall of Famers on their rosters: Doug Atkins, 1953-1954, Jim Brown 1957-1965, Paul Brown Coach 1946-1962, Willie Davis, 1958-1959 Len Dawson, 1960-1961, Joe DeLamielleure, 1980-1984, Len Ford, 1950-1957, Frank Gatski, 1946-1956, Otto Graham, 1946-1955, Lou Groza, 1946-59, 1961-67, Gene Hickerson, 1958-1973, Henry Jordan, 1957-1958, Leroy Kelly, 1964-1973, Dante Lavelli, 1946-1956, Mike McCormick, 1954-1962, Tommy McDonald, 1968, Bobby Mitchell, 1958-1961, Marion Motley, 1946-1953, Ozzie Newsome, 1978-1990,
Paul Warfield, 1964-69, 1976-77 and Bill Willis, 1946-1953.
Team Awards include 3 Coach of the Year Awards (1949 Paul Brown, 1951 Paul Brown and 1953 Paul Brown), 1 Defensive Rookie f the Year Award (1982 Chip Banks), 1 Offensive Rookie of the Year Award (1957 Jim Brown) and 5 NFL MVP Awards (1953 Otto Graham, 1955 Otto Graham, 1957 Jim Brown, 1965 Jim Brown and 1980 Brian Sipe)
The Steelers have retired 5 Jerseys: #14 Otto Graham, #32 Jim Brown, # 45 Ernie Davis, #46 Don Fleming and #76 Lou Groza.
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