Does the man maketh the name? Or does the name maketh the man?

• No one knows. The age-old question defies answer.

But we do know this: Pittsburgh Steelers legend, the late Craig Wolfley certainly lived up to his nickname “Wolf” in the best possible sense of the word.

Craig Wolfley died in the early hours of Monday, March, 10th 2025 after a brief battle with cancer. He was a devout Christian, beloved by his family, his teammates, co-workers friends and fans alike. We will miss him sorely.

Here we celebrate his life and contributions to the institution that is the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Franco Harris and Craig Wolfley – two Steelers legends. Photo Credit: Scott Boehm, AP via The Athletic

Too Late for Super Bowls, Too Early for Free Agency

Fresh off of victory in Super Bowl XIV and gunning for “One for the Thumb” the Pittsburgh Steelers took Craig Wolfley in the 5th round of the 1980 NFL Draft. Alas, that choice put Wolfley in the vanguard of a generation of Steelers who were “too late for Super Bowls, too early for free agency.”

If one wants to understand the essence of Craig Wolfley the story of his introduction to the franchise is priceless.

Shortly after shelving his 4th Lombardi, Chuck Noll traveled to Syracuse to personally scout Wolfley. Actually, “scout” is the wrong word. Noll worked Wolfley out. And Noll didn’t just put Wolfley through the paces, he physically pass rushed him while teaching him the “’Art of the Punch.’”

After several attempts, Wolfley still wasn’t getting it. Noll’s frustration grew evident. As Wolfley explains in Jim Wexell’s On the Clock:

…At Long Last, Chuck lined up in a three-point stance across from me and growled, ‘Now let me feel you punch me!’ I knew it was now or never.
In a mild to escalating state of panic, I lined up. Chuck rushed and I threw an uppercut. I punched him. Boom! I mean, I let him have it. Unfortunately, I was a little errant with my punch. My right hand glanced off Chuck’s shoulder and popped him in the mouth. I mean, his head snapped back like a Pez dispenser. I hit him right in the grille.

That’s Wolfley in a nutshell. Giving his all in trying circumstances, trying something new circumstances, unleashing calibrated violence to excel in the most physical of physical games. And finally, describing with vivid creativity that was his signature as a writer and radio commentator – who else has ever compared Chuck Noll to a pez dispenser?

While Noll finished the session extolling, “’Now that’s a punch!’” Wolfley called his parents informing, “’We can take the Steelers off the grade board for me. NO way they’ll draft me.’”

But they of course did draft him and Steelers Nation should be thankful.

Wolfley Living Up to His Name

The wolf is a fascinating creature.

Wolves are cunning hunters, who yield their prey no quarter. Craig Wolfley excelled in the trenches, playing with the ferocity of an apex predator.

Wolves are social animals, loyal to their packs. Alpha wolves look out for, nurture and protect weaker members of the pack. Craig Wolfley was an alpha of the Steelers squads of the 80’s, and he was the consummate teammate.

Craig Wolfley and Tunch Ilkin outside Heinz Field, cerca 2014. Photo Credit: Issuu.com

This story that Kirk Mcjunkin (Who? That’s the point) told Ron Lippock at Steelers Takeaways illustrates this brilliantly:

When Tunch Ilkin and Craig Wolfley arrived later in camp, those two were wonderful with me. The faith and honor – their attitudes were terrific. They told me I was a Steeler whether I made the team later or not, and what that meant. That unselfishness they showed to me in helping me perfect my craft was special. And that craft was more than just about technique. It was about what it meant to be a Steelers offensive lineman. I learned the ropes because of those two.

And, like a good Alpha, Wolfley protected his own. In his writings on Steelers Digest and Steel City Insider, Wolfley made it clear that, while he preferred to play by the rules, he was ready, willing and able to administer a little NHL-style justice when necessary. Defenders who took cheapshots at Terry Bradshaw, Cliff Stoudt, Mark Malone or Bubby Brister found this out the hard way.

Wolves, despite their likeness to dogs, can’t be domesticated. But wolves can be incredibly friendly with humans. (Got doubts? See the documentary, Living with Wolves.)

In addition to football, Wolfley was an avid weight lifter, he boxed, did sumo wrestling and practiced several martial arts.

But he was fundamentally, a gregarious soul, generous with his time with player, the larger community and fans. Like Franco Harris before him, Wolfley’s involvement and efforts to support charitable and faith-based organizations through the Greater Pittsburgh Area are too numerous to list.

Steelers + Wolfley = Win-Win for All

Craig Wolfley’s tenure with the Steelers spanned the entire 1980’s. That left his hands bare of Super Bowl rings, but that experience lent unique authority to his voice as a Steelers commentator.

When Wolfley praised a Steelers team or player for achieving to their fullest potential, you knew he was speaking the truth, because this was a player who was mentored by the Super Steelers.

Craig Wolfley blocks for Merril Hoge in 1988. Photo Credit: NFL.PlayerEngagement.com

When he defended Bill Cowher or Mike Tomlin, explaining that “this isn’t about the X’s and O’s but about the Jim’s and Joe’s,” Wolfley’s words carried uncanny weight. After all, he was a man who helped Chuck Noll author some of his finest coaching moments, such as the 1984 upsets of the otherwise would have been undefeated San Francisco 49ers and the playoff upset of the Broncos.

• On the flip side, when Wolfely declared things were bad, you knew things were bad.

Following the Steelers 2024 Christmas Day loss to the Chiefs, Wolfley called it a “cheese grater game” warning that:

…the lasting effects of the ‘cheese grater’ is what worries me. A cheese grater will leave a mark, take off skin, or draw blood in the event of an accident. In other words, it’s going to hurt. And right now, the Steelers have a brief period of relief in which to right the ship that is floundering.

When Wolfley sounded like that, you knew the Steelers were in trouble.

Yet, throughout the tumultuous years following Ryan Shazier’s injury (yes folks, that’s when the Ben Roethlisberger era’s Super Bowl window slammed shut), Wolfley remained a voice of reason.

After each ugly loss, Wolfley would be there on the pages of Steel City Insider, talking Steelers Nation off of its collective edge. Wolfley, by his own account was an enteral optimist.

• But Wolfley founded his optimism in realism not naiveté.

After all, this is a man who suffered through the 1989 Steelers 51-0 opening day loss to the Browns, its 92-10 start to the season, its 3 shut outs, only to help forge a late season comeback that led to the New Year’s Eve Wild Card upset of Jerry Glanville’s Houston Oilers.

As an NFL player, Wolfley had not only been to the edge, but he looked far enough down to know that oftentimes those edges are only as deep as you make them. When times got tough, Wolfey would remind everyone of what Chuck Noll drilled into his team, “If everyone can be 1% better, we’ll be 47% better as a team.”

• That’s not only a sound football lesson, it’s a healthy way to approach life.

Together, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Craig Wolfley finished the 1980’s with a .500 record.

In mathematical terms they’d say both finished the decade in equilibrium. But sometimes numbers do lie.

Craig Wolfley didn’t merely make a “break-even” contribution to the legacy of the Pittsburgh Steelers, he made wolf-sized contribution.

Craig Wolfley is survived by his wife, Faith, and daughters Megan, Hannah, and Esther, and sons, Kyle, “CJ”, and “Max” and will be missed by everyone in Steelers Nation. Please keep him and them in your thoughts and prayers.

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