The Road to Canton runs through Pittsburgh. Or at least it does in 2012.
The NFL Hall of Fame selection committee has met, and four of the six selectees strong boast ties to Pittsburgh, if not the Steelers.
After several years of close calls, the Hall of Fame selection committee voted to induct Dermontti Dawson. Drafted out of Eastern Kentucky in 1988, Dawson did a rookie apprenticeship at right guard playing along side fellow Hall of Famer Mike Webster.
Then Dawson did the unthinkable, he make Iron Mike Webster expendable (Webster would go on to play to more seasons as a starter in Kansas City) taking over the starting role and holding it down until injuries forced him from the line up in 1999 and 2000.
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Dawson was an anchor on some of the NFL’s best offensive lines of the 1990’s, and the Steelers relied on his versatility and athleticism to make trapping and pulling plays that few other offensive lineman have been capable of.
Jack Bulter played for the Steelers during the 1950’s, and when knee injuries forced him from the starting line up, he was the second all time leader in interceptions, in the NFL Today, a distinction he still holds for the Steelers. Following that Hall of Fame playing career, Bulter served as the Steelers BLESTO scout for 44 years until retiring in 2007.
The two other members of the 2012 Class with ties to Pittsburgh are Curtis Martin, who is both a native of Pittsburgh and an alum of the University of Pittsburgh, and Chris Doleman who also played at Pitt.
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