Steelers vs Ravens: Mike Tomlin’s Last Win and the Story of Three Kicks and One Basement

Posted on March 2, 2026 by KT Standard Reply

Mike Tomlin’s final win as head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers came on Sunday, January 4, 2026, when the Steelers defeated the Baltimore Ravens 26-24 at Acrisure Stadium.

It was a game worthy of story and song.

The win didn’t just clinch the AFC North for the Steelers, giving Tomlin his 8th division title. Mike Tomlin’s final win also created an unspoken yet palpable symmetry with Chuck Noll’s final playoff victory.

And that symmetry resonated across 37 years and brought together the two games through three kicks and one basement….

Mike Tomlin and Cam Heyward embrace following the 2025 Steelers win over the Ravens.

Mike Tomlin and Cam Heyward embrace at Acrisure. Photo Credit: Steelers.com Taylor Ollason

The Stage: The Basement @ Wendy Lane

I learned the game of football in my parents’ basement on Wendy Lane in Aspen Hill, Maryland. This basement hosted my formative Steelers moments.

I watched the ’78 AFC Championship and Super Bowl XIII there. A year later, by the time sat there and watched John Stallworth run 60 Prevent Slot Hook and Go to clinch Pittsburgh’s 4th Lombardi in Super Bowl XIV, the Steelers had been Super Bowl Champions for 60% of my life – I believed my older siblings when they told me Queen wrote “We Are the Champions” for the Steelers.

So…. Watching Steelers playoff games the Wendy Lane Basement figured to be a staple of growing up. I was wrong.

I’d have to wait until the 1989 Steelers confronted the Houston Oilers in the Astrodome to watch my next playoff win. It wouldn’t be until 2026 that I’d see my next Steelers “playoff game” in the Wendy Lane Basement.

This is the story the latter two games.

Characters: 1989 and 2025 Steelers, the ’89 Oilers and the ’25 Ravens

The 1989 and 2025 Steelers squads were vastly different. Yet during the season Steel City Insider’s Jim Wexell pointed out several similarities:

No one expected either team to contend for anything
Both Chuck Noll and Mike Tomlin faced withering criticism from fans and pundits
Both teams had been left for dead multiple times during their seasons – each time both rallied

The 1989 Oilers and 2025 Ravens followed similar arcs.

In the preceding seasons both the Oilers and Ravens had alternated between suffering upsets by the Steelers and inflicting humiliating defeats upon them. Both team entered their respective seasons as Super Bowl favorites, only to struggle once the games started.

The casts don’t align perfectly.

Mike Tomlin and John Harbaugh share a bond of mutual respect. Jerry Glanville actively disrespected everyone. Noll regarded Glanville with well-deserved contempt.

Finally, both Steelers offenses struggled to find their footing. Too often both needed bail outs by their kickers, Gary Anderson and Chris Boswell.

First Halves: Obstructed View Due to Delay of Game

The Wendy Lane Basement isn’t the only constant tying the two games together for this scribe, the other is delay of game.

…’89 Steelers kicked off at 4:00 pm on Saturday December 31st. St. Elizabeth’s was holding a double-header anticipatory mass taking care of both Sunday and the Solemnity of Mary Holy Day of Obligation. My parents may have been typical Pittsburghers, but no Steelers playoff game was getting in the way of going to mass.

“Tape it” they responded to my protests. Ah, but you couldn’t tape a game on a VCR and then catch up in progress they way you can with a DVR today – yes, you kids are spoiled.

Tim Worley scores a touchdown in the 1989 Steelers upset over the Oilers in the Astrodome.

Tim Worley gets the Steelers on the board. Photo Credit: Steelers.com

So I missed most of the first half, only tuning in on the radio in the car on the way home just in time to hear Jerry Olsavsky’s blocked punt that set up Tim Worley’s touchdown….

The Steelers-Ravens started late also started late for me.

I wanted to watch the game without disrupting dinner, so I set the DVR, shifted my phone to airplane mode and enjoyed the meal. After dinner, I helped my parents set up the upstairs TV to get Netflix – which took some time.

By the time I decended into the Wendy Lane Basement to tune in for the opening kickoff, the first half was ending in real time, but I was blissfully oblivious to anything that had happened – or would be to come.

I watched the first half alone with my wife checking in occasionally, as the ’25 Steelers offense duitfully followed the template it laid for itself during the season – it struggled settling for a lone 57 yard Chris Boswell field goal for its only points.

Nick Herbig sacks Lamar Jackson in the 2025 Steelers win over the Ravens at Acrisure Stadium.

Nick Herbig sacks Lamar Jackson. Photo Credit: Alyisa Rubin, Steelers.come

Yet sacks by Nick Herbig and Derrick Harmon snuffed out promising Ravens’ drives.

…All good storytellers weave foreshadowing into their tales. Foreshadowing is particularly potent when its wielded by authors of football games. The 1989 Steelers offense sputtered for most of the first half, while the defense held the Oilers in check, limiting them to 2 Tony Zendejas field goals.

Merril Hoge runs through the middle of the Oilers defense as Bubby Brister watches and Tunch Ilkin blocks in the 1989 Steelers AFC Wild Card Upset of the Houston Oilers.

Merril Hoge storms through Houston’s defense. Photo Credit: RVR Photos, Imagn Images via Athlon Sports

Yet, late in the 2nd quarter, Tom Moore’s unit stitched together its first long drive, highlighted by Merril Hoge blasting through the middle of Houston’s defense on a 49 yard run and punctuated by a Gary Anderson field goal just after the two-minute warning….

The ’25 Steelers came alive in the 2nd quarter’s final three minutes, marching 89 yards down the field. They came close to tying the game, but Baltimore scuttled a Kenneth Gainwell goal line run as time expired.

The 2025 Steelers had opted to go for it all and closed their first half down by 10-3, their 1989 predecessors elected to kick and took a 10-6 lead into the locker room.

3rd Quarters Then and Now

We got home at half time, allowing me to tune in for the beginning of the third quarter. I sat in the Wendy Lane basement alone, eating Pizza Hut Pizza and drinking a diet Minute Made Orange Soda. In 2026, my wife had been upstairs during the first half, but joined me for the second.

…The third quarter of the 1989 AFC Wild Card game resembled the first two – a tight, defensively dominated battle featuring with Gary Anderson and Tony Zendejas exchanging field goals.

The ’89 Steelers offense looked every bit as the unit that finished 28th in the NFL, the defense, led by stars such as Rod Woodson, Greg Lloyd and Carnell Lake kept a lid on the Oilers high-octane offense.

Gary Anderson closed the third quarter in 1989 with a 30-yard field goal, putting Pittsburgh up 13-9…

My wife got to see a different Steelers offense in the third quarter. Aaron Rodgers led a methodical, workman-like drive featuring tough runs by Jaylen Warren supplemented by a deep pass to Adam Thielen that set up Connor Heyward’s Steel City Shove touchdown.

Connor Heyward scores a touchdown during the 2025 Steelers win over the Ravens at Acrisure.

Connor Heyward ties the game on the Steel City Shove. Photo Credit: Taylor Ollason, Steelers.com

Three plays later, T.J. Watt intercepted Lamar Jackson. The Steelers reached Baltimore’s 2, but had to settle for a Boswell field goal.

The ’89 Steelers closed their third quarter holding a 13-9 lead, the ’25 Steelers closed their third period with a 13-10 lead.

Bubby Brister an Derek Hill during the 1989 Steelers AFC Wild Card upset of the Houston Oilers at the Astrodome.

Bubby Brister. Fixing to come unglued…. Photo Credit: Steelers.com

The first 45 minutes of both games had been pretty quiet in the scoring department, but to paraphrase Bubby Brister’s comments made in a different context – both offenses were fixing to come unglued.

4th Quarter Fireworks

…Gary Anderson opened the 4th quarter for the ’89 Steelers with a 48-yard field goal that, quite frankly, split the uprights dead center with at least 10 yards to spare. But that only gave the Steelers 7 point lead, and Warren Moon was cocking Houston’s “Red Gun Offense” preparing to fire.

The Houston Oilers of the late 80’s had a wealth of talent that’s impossible to assemble in the free agency era, featuring 2 if not 3 starter-capable running backs and four or 5 Pro Bowl caliber wide receivers.

Rod Rust’s 1989 Steelers defense had gone toe-to-toe with them for 3 quarters, but Moon and the Oilers found the end zone five minutes into the 4th quarter.

But as ESPN’s Tom Jackson was wont to say, “You can’t hope to stop Houston’s offense, you can only hope to contain it.” Technically, the Steelers defense was still “containing” Houston’s offense, but the Oilers had just tied the game….

Similarly, the ’25 Steelers defense had contained the Ravens offense for the first 45 minutes. This is signfigant: In the 2024 playoffs, the Ravens hadn’t just beaten the Steelers, they’d ridiculed them, calling into question the franchise’s core defensive philosophy.

If Mike Tomlin and his staff learned anything from that debacle it was this: Never let Derrick Henry or Lamar Jackson reach the 2nd level.

Midway through the 4th quarter, the Ravens had a 3rd and 4 – the Steelers defense sold out to stop the run, and Jackson made them pay with his arm, hitting Zay Flowers for a 50-yard touchdown, putting Baltimore up by 4 with 8:42 remaining.

Coincidentally, or not, my wife had left the basement, missing the entire series.

She returned in time to see Jaylen Warren rip off a 15 yard run, and a deep, 31-yard strike to Pat Freiermuth that set up another Kenneth Gainwell goal line run that this time hit pay dirt, putting the Steelers up by three.

…After the Oilers tied the game, the Steelers offense lost 3 yards on first down and then threw 2 incompletions, going three and out. Worse yet, Harry Newsome shanked his punt, giving Houston the ball at Pittsburgh’s 38. Despite a false start by Mike Munchak, Warren Moon only needed 5 plays to find Ernest Givens in the end zone to give the Oilers a 7-point lead with just six minutes remaining.

The 1989 Steelers could neither contain nor stop the Oilers offense it seemed….

After Gainwell’s TD, my wife stepped out of the Wendy Lane Basement to check on the laundry. Coincidentally, or not, the Ravens quickly found themselves in a 3rd and 1. Again, the Steelers sold out to stop the run. Again, Lamar Jackson burned them through the air, hitting Zee Flowers for a 64-yard touchdown.

With 2:20 remaining, the Ravens were up by 7. From the laundry room my wife heard and encouraged me not to give up hope.

…With 6:10 remaining, the Bubby Brister and 1989 Steelers offense authored a drive worthy of Bradshaw before him or Roethlisberger after him.

Driven by a belief-in-self that bordered on naiveté and with gritty plays by Louis Lipps, Tim Worley, an amazing reverse by Dwight Stone, Brister moved the team down the field. With 1:03 remaining, he looked to Merri Hoge twice, once for 8 yardrs and another for 1 and the tying touchdown.

Merril Hoge scores the tying touchdown for the Steelers against the Oilers in the 1989 AFC Wild Card playoff game at the Houston Astrodome.

Merril Hoge crosses the goal line with the tying touchdown during Pittsburgh’s stunning 1989 playoff upset of Houston in the Astrodome. Photo Credit: Twitter

“Did the Steelers win?” my mom asked from upstairs. “No, mom, but they tied the game.”

The Oilers offense was still dangerous, yet on 3rd and 5 they were only at their 25, when Greg Lloyd appeared to have won the game, with a strip-sack, fumble recovery and touchdown on Warren Moon.

“Did the Steelers win?” my mom asked again.

Alas, they did not.

The Steelers had too many men on the field. Houston had one more chance, but Moon’s next pass to Haywood Jefferies fell incomplete. The 1989 Steelers would have to win this one in overtime….

When my wife returned from the laundry room, she asked if the Steelers had scored. I said, “I don’t know, I’m waiting for you to watch.” Yes, the game had been over for at least an hour, but I wasn’t taking any chances.

There’s a reason why Mike Tomlin wanted and waited for Aaron Rodgers, and the world saw it in the final two minutes of the Steelers-Ravens game at Acrisure. Rodgers moved the team deftly, hitting on 3 of 4 passes getting the Steelers to Baltimore’s 26 with just over a minute to go.

In the huddle, Calvin Austin and Rodgers agreed that they’d seen something from Ravens corner Chiode Awuzie. Austin ran a hitch and go route and sure enough Awuzie slipped when Austin feigned breaking off his route, a few steps later he was in the end zone, putting the Steelers up by 2.

Calvin Austin catches to go ahead touchdown pass during the 2025 Steelers regular season finale win over the Ravens. As fate would have it it was the last touchdown of the Mike Tomlin era.

Calvin Austin catches the go ahead touchdown and the last touchdown of Mike Tomlin’s last win with the Steelers . Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.com

“Did the Steelers win?” my dad inquired from upstairs. “No, but they’re ahead.” They were. But 1:00 minute still remained.

3 Kicks 37 Years Apart Find Each Other in One Basement

…The ’89 Steelers won the toss to start overtime. That gave them a decisive advantage because the NFL had sudden death overtime in those days.

Unfortunately, the Steelers offense only managed a single one-ard run by Merril Hoge and two incomplete passes. Worse yet, Harry Newsome, the team’s rookie of the year just three years earlier and then regarded as one of the NFL’s best, shanked another punt, this one going for just 26 yards….

Chris Boswell is one of the NFL’s best kickers. Time and time again, he’s delivered under pressure to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat for Mike Tomlin and the Steelers. An extra point should be automatic. And for Boswell, it normally is.

Except this time it wasn’t.

A Raven got a hand on it and the kick hooked to the right, falling outside the cross bar. That left the Steelers with a 2 point win; Baltimore now only needed a field goal to win.

And the two time NFL MVP had almost a full minute and 3 timeouts to put his team in position.

…Taking over at Pittsburgh’s 45 meant the Oilers were almost in field goal range. Jerry Glanville opted to play it safe, sending out a split backfield instead of the Red Gun. Running back Lorenzo White got the ball and broke to the weak side.

As he reached the line of scrimmage Tim Johnson and Greg Lloyd made contact – White wasn’t going to turn the corner and the Steelers would “contain” him on this carry. But future Hall of Famer Rod Woodson had other ideas, breaking his coverage and shooting towards White:

OTD in 1989…

Rod Woodson makes the greatest play of his Steelers career

Sudden death OT in Wild Card, Oilers nearing FG range. Thanks to Rod, Steelers kick game-winner a few plays later.

I added end zone angle that shows up in one of my coaches films.
pic.twitter.com/khlU7ymFoE

— Steel City Star (@steelcitystar) December 31, 2025

As the video courtesy of Steel City Star illustrates, Woodson didn’t contain the Oilers offense, he stopped it. Cold.

Just as he’d done at the end of the 2nd quarter, Merrill Hoge took the next carry and exploded through the Oilers front seven dragging defenders with him.. Hoge “only” gained 11 yards, but he brought bringing the Steelers to Houston’s 35.

Tim Worley tacked on two more yards, but then the drive stalled. Chuck Noll had a choice – attempt a 50 yard field goal or punt….

The Steelers special teams did the Ravens another favor – they allowed a long return, giving Baltimore the ball at midfield. The Steelers defense held – for the first 3 plays. Then, on 4th and 7, Jackson found Isaiah Likely for 26 yards, who reached the Pittsburgh’s 24. A kneel down put them back to the 26 – the clock ticked to two seconds; the Steelers with no timeouts could only watch and wait.

…I think it was Tunch Ilkin who said that Noll initially started to send out the punt team but Rod Rust warned him off saying his defense was too winded and to try the field goal.Video doesn’t support that, as the kicking team took the field immedately.

The only thing Jerry Glanville could do, was to try to psych Gary Anderson out. He called a time out. Gary Anderson waited calmly, deciding to dedicate his forthcoming kick to his ailing father…

Tyler Loop came to Baltimore tasked with the role of replacing Justin Tucker, the NFL’s best kicker. He needed to make a 44 yard field goal. He’d been perfect from under 40 during the season and 8 of 9 from between 40 and 49 yards.

…When the timeout expired George Stewart’s special teams got into formation, snapped the ball, Gary Anderson’s foot hit the ball, it sailed straight ahead and split the uprights with 10 yards to spare.

With Harry Newsom holding, Gary Anderson kicks the game-winning overtime field goal for the Steelers against the Oilers in the 1989 AFC Wild Card playoff game at the Houston Astrodome.

Gary Anderson’s overtime field goal completes the 1989 Steelers’ stunning playoff upset of the Oilers at the Astrodome. Photo credit: Richard Jackson, US PRESSWIRE

“Yes!” “Yes!” “Yes!”

“Did the Steelers win?” my mom asked from upstairs, “YES!” “Gary Anderson made the field goal in overtime!” After starting the seaosn losing thier first two games 92-10, and suffering 3 shutouts, the 1989 Steelers had just gone into the Astrodome and upset the Oilers, fulfilling Bubby Brister’s promise to “Shock the world….”

Sitting in the adjacent couch, my wife assured me, “Its not over sweetheart.” 6000 miles and an hour and a half before, Sarah watching her first Steelers game end-to-end in the town of Maschwitz , in the Province of Buenos Aires, told Gustavo, “El Dr. De Acero” “…Bueno, si lo tyuo puede fallar, esto tambien puede fallar,” [If your kicker missed, so can theirs.]

Coming into tonight Tyler Loop was perfect from inside 50 yards this year on field goal attempts. 7/7 from 40-49 yards. Missed from 44. https://t.co/Gm7S8BQhhH

— Alex Barth (@RealAlexBarth) January 5, 2026

Loop got a good snap, and his foot made good contact with the ball – it clearly had the length and began with the trajectory, but then hooked wide right — its almost as if the Terrible Towel twirling knocked it off course.

“Yes!” my wife cheered. “Did the Steelers win?” my dad inquired from upstairs.

“Yes they won, Baltimore missed the kick!”

Mike Tomlin celebrates while Keeanu Benton looks on after the 2025 Steelers season-ending win over the Ravens

Mike Tomlin celebrates his final win with the Steelers. Photo Credit: Jared Wickerham, Steelers.com

In a year when most experts assured us he was doomed to suffer his first losing season and perhaps even finish last in the AFC North, Mike Tomlin had just won the division.

And that’s the story of how three kicks in one basement spread out over 37 years unite 2 Steelers wins.

Denouement: Chuck Noll’s Last Playoff Win, Mike Tomlin’s Last Win

“This team is headed up” explained Chuck Noll during the playoffs. Although they lost the next week in Denver — coming within a bad snap and a dropped pass of upsetting the eventual AFC Champions — Noll’s logic seemed sound. But the only thing Noll would climb up was Walton’s Mountain – his decision to hire Joe Walton to replace Tom Moore proved to be a critical mistake.

He went 16-16 over the next two seasons and retired. The ’89 Steelers upset at the Astrodome was Noll’s final playoff victory.

Mike Tomlin’s Steelers would host, wait for it, the Houston Texans the next week in Pittsburgh, losing 30-6. The game was actually closer than the lopsided score suggests – the Steelers defense did a tremendous job limiting the Texans who logged 2 defensive scores and their offense added a garbage time touchdown in the 4th quarter.

The Steelers offense lacked a WR No. 2 and their line needed another year of maturity.

Be that as it may, a day later, Mike Tomlin decided it was time to hang it up.

I didn’t watch either of then ensuring games in the Wendy Lane Basement. I saw the 1989 Steelers playoff loss to the Broncos at my sister’s apartment in White Marsh, Maryland. I watched the ’25 Steelers playoff loss to the Texans at Hibernia Bar in New York City.

Would the outcomes have changed had I watched either in the Wendy Lane Basement?

We’ll never know. But I do know one thing: IF either game had come down to a final kick, I’d have liked our chances….

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The 1988 Steelers Season: The Year I Re-Found My Faith in the Black and Gold

Posted on September 1, 2024 by KT Standard Reply

The 1988 Steelers finished 5-11. That’s a franchise worst since Chuck Noll’s 1969 inaugural 1-13 campaign. Just how bad were they? Consider:

Dan Rooney openly decried “stupid plays”
Chuck Noll quipped that they would struggle against a grade school team
Cornell Gowdy started 14 games at strong safety and disappeared from the NFL
David Little and Rod Woodson were co-MVPs… on the 28th ranked defense

Yet the 1988 Steelers will always hold a special place in my heart, because that’s the season I re-forged my faith in the Black and Gold.

Bubby Brister, Chuck Noll, Bubby Brister super tecmo bowl raiting, Steelers 1988

Chuck Noll and Bubby Brister. Photo Credit: Mike Powell, Getty Images

A Steelers Fan Confesses to “Youthful Indiscretion”

I grew up in the 70’s in Maryland outside of DC, the child of two “Pittsburgh Expats” who weren’t serious Steelers fans. Sure, we went all in for the Super Bowls, and Steelers jackets, shirts, hats, scarfs, gloves were glued to me through elementary school.

As the 70’s faded into the mid-80’s I began to stray.

Washington’s first Joe Gibbs era was underway and, honestly, all things being equal, I’d have probably traded Black for Burgundy and “converted” to the home team.

But my older brother did convert.

Thanks to sibling rivalry, rooting for the then Redskins was out of the question.

Rooting for the Steelers was hard because there was so little news on them. What did filter down made it clear that the Pittsburgh was pretty mediocre.

But I still liked football. And I longed for a team that could thwart either Washington or San Francisco’s quest to break the Super Steelers records.

So I’d get behind the Bears and/or Giants and even hoped Buffalo would develop to the point where they’d fit the bill (pun intended.) That changed in 1987. I’d reached high school and that’s when guys got serious about sports. I needed a skin in the game at both the lunch table and inside the locker room

And there was no question: The Pittsburgh Steelers were my team.

Still, I didn’t follow the ’87 Steelers closely. And in Super Bowl XXII I backed the Denver Broncos. What followed was one blissful quarter and then dejection as Doug Williams authored perhaps the most incredible 15 minutes in football history.

The lesson was clear: Never trust in another set of colors that wasn’t Black and Gold.

1988 – Going All In on the Steelers

The Steelers actually started 1988 on a high note.

The ’87 Steelers had finished 8-7 overall and 6-6 in non-strike games despite starting quarterback Mark Malone’s 46.4 passer rating. Tony Dungy’s opportunistic defense had scored 5 touchdowns. Even Joe Greene was back in Pittsburgh as defensive line coach.

Joe Greene, Joe Greene Steelers assistant coach

Joe Greene during his time as defensive line coach. Photo Credit: Steelers.com

The Steelers began the off-season by committing to moving on from Malone, and thus began my days of scouring the Washington Post sports section for any hint of news. The Steelers shipped Malone off to San Diego for an 8th round pick, flirted with trading for Jack Trudeau with the Colts (Indy also wanted Louis Lipps – killing the deal), until finally bringing in Todd Blackledge.

The pundits pronounced the Steelers as winners in 1988 NFL Draft, and I drank the Aaron Jones Kool aid, thinking his prediction of 20 sacks was realistic. Chuck Noll declared that winning in preseason was important to him and on cue, the Steelers went 3-1.

Then Steelers Nation lost Art Rooney Sr. on August 25, 1988.

While Pittsburgh lost one of its finest citizens, viewed from a 16-year-old’s eyes the Chief’s passing also seemed to signal the start of a new era on the field.

The Steelers 1988 Season – Opening a New Era with a Win Over and Old Foe

And so it was on September 4th 1988 that the Pittsburgh Steelers would play their first game ever without Art Rooney, Sr. against the Dallas Cowboys. Rookie quarterback Bubby Brister won his first start as Earnest Jackson scored two touchdowns giving Chuck Noll his final win over Tom Landry.

A glance at the Post’s Sports section revealed that wins by Cleveland, Cincinnati and Houston had created a four-way tie in the division. The AFC Central would be tough, it seemed, but the Steelers seemed well-positioned to make a run.

Or so this naïve 16-year-old thought.

Week 2 brought the Steelers to Washington to face the defending Super Bowl Champions. The game set the tone for the rest of the season.

The ’88 Steelers lost to the defending Super Bowl champions by 30 to 29 as Super Bowl MVP Doug Williams threw for over 400 yards. It is tempting see the close score and conclude that Steelers combined a lucky turnover with a few garbage time scores to make the outcome look a lot closer than it really was.

The opposite is actually true.

The ’88 Steelers actually went toe-to-toe with Washington, as Brister and Louis Lipps hooked up to burn Darrell Green for an 80-yard touchdown early. Brister did it again by connecting with Dwight Stone for a late 72 yard score. Brister ran for a score of his own, but Harry Newsome bobbled a snap costing Pittsburgh an extra point. (Video courtesy of Steel City Star.)

35 years ago today…

Bubby Brister’s 1st career TD pass

An 80-yarder to Louis Lipps who beats Darrell Green

Brister then throws to Dwight Stone who goes 72 yards for TD against the defending SB Champs.

Steelers lose on late FG.

Brister 12-28, 258 yds, 2 TD, 1 TD run, 0 int pic.twitter.com/xmqDZC6Fhy

— Steel City Star (@steelcitystar) September 11, 2023

That extra point didn’t seem to mean much as the Steelers held a 9 point lead going into the 4th quarter, but alas, the defense couldn’t hold as Williams led Washington to not one, but two scores.

That formula repeated itself throughout the season as the loss at RFK started the Steelers on a six-game losing streak.

Nothing went right for Pittsburgh. Bubby Brister got hurt and coaches couldn’t choose between Todd Blackledge and Steve Bono as a replacement. It didn’t matter. Both were terrible. Harry Newsome suffered four blocked punts of his six blocked punts during the steak.

As the losses mounted, pundits demanded that Chuck Noll step aside. Things reached a fever pitch in week 8 as Terry Bradshaw joined the chorus.

The Steelers responded by exploding for a 39 to 21 win over the Denver Broncos that included six Gary Anderson field goals and 2 Rodney Carter touchdowns. Rod Woodson led the defense with 10 tackles, a forced fumble and an interception. The day also saw Greg Lloyd’s first start and first ejection.

Carter, who rushed for over 100 yards, also completed a halfback option pass. When reporters quizzed Noll about this, he quipped that he’d gotten the idea in a letter from a fan.

The win over the defending AFC Champions, failed to morph into a midseason rally.

Bubby Brister, Reggie Williams, Craig Wolfley, Merril Hoge, Steelers vs Bengals Riverfront Stadium

Reggie Williams sacks Bubby Brister. Photo Credit: Cincinnati Enquirer

The 1988 Steelers lost their next four games. The Bengals demolished them 42 to 7. The Steelers hit rock bottom in the mud at Cleveland Stadium the week before Thanksgiving as Newsome suffered another blocked punt and Mike Webster sailed one snap well above Newsome’s head and another came in so low that Newsome couldn’t handle it.

That left the Steelers in the thick of the Aikman derby i.e. the right to draft Troy Aikman. The only question was whether Pittsburgh had hit rock bottom.

Thanksgiving Interlude as Steelers Sit @ 2-10

Dan Rooney was not happy. He grabbed Ed Bouchette pf the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in the coffee room and declared, “I want to get it across that I’m not taking this situation alright.”

The story went “viral,” or at least it was picked up by the Washington Post, and it certainly caught the attention of the young 16-year-old whose daily highlight came at about 6:45 in the morning when the Post had something on the Steelers.

Rooney minced no words, explaining to Bouchette, “I don’t think we can say all is well and good. At times [Sunday] we played alright, but stupid plays took us out of the game.” Rooney then criticized Noll’s decision to punt on 4th and a foot at Cleveland’s 44. And of course he was not happy with the punting errors.

Having grown up outside of Pittsburgh I was unacquainted with just how unique the Rooneys were. So the most part, the uncharacteristic nature of Rooney’s frankness went over my head.

I was at least as focused Rooney’s observations that “At times we played alright,” and “I think we have some pretty good players” and his assertion that the 1988 Steelers were better than their 2-10 record.

That’s what the 16 year-old in me had seen from Monday morning newspaper summaries and ESPN NFL PrimeTime clips. The losses to Cincinnati and Cleveland had been ugly sure, but the Steelers had led against the Jets and Buddy Ryan’s Eagles until losing at the very end, just as they done at Washington. Earlier in the season, after recovering not one but two on sides kicks, they’d given the Bills a run for their money too.

Add those should haves, could haves and might haves together, and that would transform the Steelers record from 2-10 to 6-6.

Offensive mainstays such as Earnest Jackson and Frank Pollard had been benched in favor of Merril Hoge and Warren Williams, with Hoge earning his first 100-yard game in the loss to the Jets. On the defensive side, Rod Woodson was already establish a Hall of Fame trajectory, Greg Lloyd was making a name for himself, as were fellow members of the Steelers 1987 draft class Hardy Nickerson and Thomas Everett.

While he never said it explicitly, those were the players Dan Rooney had been referring to.

But perhaps the one who was the most to that ’88 team was a player who hadn’t been on the field since week 4….

The 1988 Steelers “Unleash Hell in December”

History geeks will remember week 3 of the 1988 Steelers season as their near upset of the Bills. But the game also marked the first start of an unheralded 2nd round guard from Kentucky.

Unfortunately, that left guard injured his knee when his uncle Art Still fell on it, costing him the next 8 weeks of the season. Few noticed his absence.

But Chuck Noll noted his return as he made Dermontti Dawson his starting right guard coming out of Thanksgiving.

The Steelers opened December with a 16-10 win over the 3-9-1 Kansas City Chiefs. A week later they went down to the Astrodome and flipped the script of the season. (Video courtesy of Steel City Star.)

35 years ago today….

Bubby Brister and Louis Lipps bomb the Oilers

First, the pair connect on an 80-yard TD in the 1st half

Then they connect on a 65-yard TD in the 2nd half

As an ESPN Sunday Night Football audience witnessed, the Bubby bomb was as accurate as any. pic.twitter.com/RMRXb5KDW7

— Steel City Star (@steelcitystar) December 5, 2023

The a game that saw the lead change 10 times, saw both teams return kicks for touchdowns, while Bubby Brister connected with Louis Lipps for touchdowns of 80 and 65 yards. Finally, with the Steelers down 34 to 31, Bubby Brister capped off a 4th quarter comeback with a 16 yard touchdown pass to Merril Hoge.

A week later irony caught up with the Steelers, as Mark Malone who logged his final win in Pittsburgh a year earlier against the Chargers, led San Diego to a 20-14 win over the Steelers in his final start as an NFL quarterback.

The Steelers closed the 1988 season at Three Rivers Stadium, with Chuck Noll hosting his mentor Don Shula. Many wondered if it would be Noll’s final game in Pittsburgh. (IT did, in fact, turn out to be Mike Wester’s final game in Pittsburgh.)

Chuck Noll was never wont to pep talks, but he share before the game, “I re
Mike Webster talks to Don Shula before his final game with Steelers. Photo Credit: Gene J. Puskar, AP via Pro Football Talk.

ally want to win this on.”

His players responded. Dwayne Woodruff, the defense’s lone Super Bowl veteran, opened the scoring with 78 yard pick six of Dan Marino. Louis Lipps rushed for a 39-yard touchdown on a reverse. Gary Anderson kicked four field goals, Rodney Carter rushed for a touchdown and Darin Jordan made another pick six as the Steelers won 40-24.

Finishing 5-11 brings no bragging rights, but it at least allowed me to do a bit of “How’d Miami do yesterday” trash talking in Driver’s Ed with avowed Miami Dolphins fan named Frank.

21 years before Mike Tomlin would utter his infamous “Raise hell in December” promise the 1988 Steelers did just that. We’ll never know how much credit Dermontti Dawson’s return deserves for that turn around, but injecting future Hall of Famers into your starting line up does tend to improve things.

’88 Steelers Set the Stage to “Shock the World”

As soon as the season ended Dan Rooney made good on his midseason comments to Ed Bouchette. Things got tense. Chuck Noll almost resigned. But, with an assist from Joe Greene, Noll and Rooney continued to talk, agreed to changes, and The Emperor remained.

Rooney, who once commented that he and his wife Patricia wanted Chuck Noll to raise their kids of anything ever happened to them, clearly didn’t want to end on a bad note.

But Rooney wasn’t simply making an emotional decision.

In his autobiography Rooney remarked that 1988 was the year “Chuck really showed his greatness” with his post-Thanksgiving rally following a 2-10 start. As Rooney remarked, “I thought – our whole organization thought – better days lay ahead.”

The 16 year old fan rooting for the team from in suburban Maryland agreed. A year later, the 1989 Steelers vindicated us both. No, they didn’t win the Super Bowl, but they fulfill Bubby Brister’s promise to “Shock the world.”

But that is another story….

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Are the Steelers Hiding the Next Yancey Thigpen on their 2024 Roster?

Posted on May 12, 2024 by KT Standard Reply

What is the Steelers plan at wide receiver for 2024?

Steel City Insider’s Jim Wexell asked that question late last week. A day later, Tim Benz of the Tribune-Review cautioned readers that the Steelers lack of depth at wide out can’t be “rationalized away.”

Both writers make valid points.

The Steelers opened the off season by trading Diontae Johnson to Carolina Donte Jackson. Everyone expected Omar Khan to follow with another splash personnel move. But since then, to paraphrase Bruce Springsteen’s “Badlands” Steelers Nation has spent the off season “waiting for a moment that just don’t come.”

Outside of George Pickens the Steelers cupboard at wide receiver is pretty bare. And with the draft over and free agent options dwindling the answers to Wexell’s question appear to be:

1. Omar Khan still has another “Khan Artist” like move up his sleeve.
2. Arthur Smith and Mike Tomlin are all in on a “Damn the receivers! Pound the rock!” offense.

Those two possibility have been widely bandied about on blogs and social media. But there’s a third one that no one is entertaining:

3. The Steelers are hiding the next Yancey Thigpen on their roster.

The likely response of those who either remember or at least know about Thigpen’s playing days is, “…Yeah, Right. Someone’s been drinking too much Argentine wine.” Well, I do send too much of my money to the Salentein family, but the idea is not alcohol induced. Read on….

None of the Steelers New Veteran WRs Look Like Thigpen

Instead of bringing in a blue chip wide out, Omar Khan has scoured the NFL’s free agent bargain bin. Since saying goodbye to Diontae, the Steelers have Van Jefferson, Quez Watkins and most recently Scott Miller. (They also signed Denzel Mims in late January. Drafted Roman Wilson and still have Calvin Austin.)

Van Jefferson had 20 catches last year with the Falcons and Rams, Watkins logged 15 for the Eagles and Miller grabbed 11 at Atlanta. (Mims was out of football, but had 11 catches for the Jets in 22.)

Even if you agree (and I’m not sure that I do) that you can substitute quantity for quality at wide receiver in the NFL, the trio collectively still falls short of Diontae Johnson’s 51 catches.

So no, none of them projects to be the next Thigpen. Not even close. At first glance the easy response is, “…Pal, keep drinking Salentein, but stick to Portillo. Stay away from the expensive stuff.”

But Thigpen Didn’t Look Like Thigpen. Until He Did.

The Steelers new wide outs have good speed, but outside of that nothing inspires. Yancey Thigpen didn’t inspire anyone either. Until he did.

Yancey Thigpen, Yancey Thigpen Terrible Towel, Steelers vs Browns

Yancey Thigpen twirls the Terrible Towel.

Yancey Thingpen played four games in 1991 for the San Diego Chargers and recorded zero stats as a wideout. During the middle of the Steeler 1992 season Tom Donahoe and Bill Cowher picked him up off of the waiver wire.

Thigpen played special teams in 1992, recording one catch on four targets. In 1993 he had nine grabs on 12 targets. By the end of ‘93 it was clear that the Steelers lacked a Super Bowl caliber wide receiving corps. So they parted ways with their number 1 wide receiver Jeff Graham, and tried to convert other starter, Dwight Stone into a utility back.

Yet going into the 1994 season, the arrow was pointed out at wide receiver in Pittsburgh.

Andre Hastings looked primed to make the proverbial “Second year leap” and the franchise had just picked Charles Johnson with their first pick in the 1994 NFL Draft.

Yet neither man was the Steelers best receiver when the 1994 campaign ended, because Thigpen had earned that distinction. Yes, Johnson had one more catch, but Thigpen was the one who delivered down the stretch and in the playoffs.

A year later Thigpen was breaking John Stallworth’s single-season reception record en route to the 1995 Steelers AFC Championship and Super Bowl XXX. Injures sabotaged his 1996 season, yet a year later, Thigpen became Kordell Stewart’s go-to man in the 1997 season that ended in the AFC Championship.

By the time Thigpen left as a free agent in 1998, he’d earned the right to be considered alongside Louis Lipps as one of the franchise’s best receivers behind Swann and Stallworth. In contrast, Hastings and Johnson were disappointments.

Does that mean that Van Jefferson, Quez Watkins Scott Miller or Denzel Mims will prove himself to be the next Yancey Thigpen in 2024?

I wouldn’t be on it. But then again, no one was betting on Yancey Thipgen in May of 1994….

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Steelers Report Card for Meltdown vs Colts: Who DIDN’T Get an F Edition

Posted on December 18, 2023 by KT Standard Reply

From the grade book of a teacher who is in no mood for mercy here is the Steelers Report Card for the meltdown loss to the Colts.

Mol Alie Cox, Mark Robinson, Steelers vs Colts

Mol Alie-Cox burns Mark Robinson for a touchdown. Photo Credit: AP, via Tribune Review

Quarterbacks
Mitchell Trubisky was 16 of 23 for 169 yards with one touchdown and 2 interceptions. His first interception shifted the momentum to the Colts. His second one basically killed any chance the Steelers had of a comeback. How terrible was Tribusky? Mason Rudolph went 2 for 3 for 3 yards and a sack in mop up duty and he’s starting next week. Grade: F

Running Backs
The Steelers totaled 74 yards on the ground with Jaylen Warren getting 40 of those while Najee Harris was held to 33. Harris’ fumble knocked the bottom out of the game for the Steelers. Grade: F

Tight Ends
Pat Freiermuth had 3 catches for sixteen yards as the tight ends were inconsequential. Grade: F

Wide Receivers
Diontae Johnson had 4 catches for 62 yards to lead the team. George Pickens had 3 for 47 yards. Allen Robinson had 3 for 19. While those number read more like the type of stat line you’d expect from Louis Lipps, Dwight Stone and Drew Hill the real crime here was Pickens non-block on what should have been a Jaylen Warren touchdown. That’s part of the malaise that infects this offense. Grade: F

Offensive Line
The Colts registered 4 sacks and 9 QB hits. And Indianapolis, known for their terrible rushing defense, stoned Steelers running backs at regular intervals. Grade: F

Defensive Line
Larry Ogunjobi had a nice sack to wreck a drive early, but the Colts ran on the Steelers at will when it counted – indeed a pair of practice squad running backs made it look like Marshall Faulk AND Eggrein James were both still playing in Indianapolis. Grade: F

Linebackers
T.J. Watt had two sacks, but Mykal Walker and Mark Robinson both go burned for touchdowns. Grade: F

Secondary
Damontae Kazee’s ejection and ultimate disqualification might be a little harsh, but it cost the Steelers dearly. As did Joey Porter’s pass interference call with 35 seconds left in the first half that gave the Colts the ball on Pittsburgh’s 14. Grade: F

Special Teams
Between Chris Boswell missing an extra point, Pressley Harvin erratic punting and leaky punt return coverage, the Steelers special teams weren’t very special. Grade: D

Coaching
So Matt Canada has been gone for over a month and the Steelers offense not only hasn’t gotten better, it has regressed. This is disappointing but not surprising.

The Steelers lack talent on offense. They lack coordination on offense. They lack motivation and leadership on offense.

The Steelers defense IS deeply depleted.

But what’s damning about their performance isn’t the 3 touchdown passes that they gave up, but rather than the Colts were one play shy of running the ball 13 straight times – and the Steelers defense lacked the ability, or worse the willpower to stop them.

Steelers vs Colts, Nick Herbig, Connor Heyward, blocked punt

Connor Heyward blocks a punt! Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.com

In the past, even through the earlier parts of this season, Mike Tomlin excelled at coaxing the most the talent he has at hand and getting his players to respond when their backs were to the wall.

This year the opposite is happening. Grade: F

Unsung Hero Award
They teamed up on what should have been a game-turning, blocked punt and recovery for the Steelers and for that Connor Heyward and Nick Herbig win Unsung Hero Award honors from the Steelers meltdown at Indianapolis.

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Steelers 2023 Draft Needs @ Wide Receiver – Will Pittsburgh Use Another Premium Pick?

Posted on April 17, 2023 by KT Standard Reply

Mike Tomlin likes using premium picks on wide receivers. Or, if he doesn’t actually enjoy it, he’s certainly developed the habit of doing after having used first or second rounders on JuJu Smith-Schuster, James Washington, Diontae Johnson, Chase Claypool and George Pickens in recent drafts.

Should the trend continue in 2023? Let’s take a look.

George Pickens, Steelers 2022 training camp, Cam Sutton

George Pickens making a catch on the first day @ St. Vincents. Photo Credit: Post-Gazette.com

Steelers Depth Cart at Wide Receiver: The Starters

Fairly or unfairly, Diontae Johnson will always be the player the Steelers drafted to replace Antonio Brown. His career arch has been interesting since then. He had a strong rookie year in 2019, followed by 2020 when he led the NFL in drops. He bounced back and had a very strong 2021 logging 107 receptions for over 1160 yards and 8 touchdowns.

Looking around the league at the “mega contracts” other teams were giving wide receivers, Omar Khan opted to resign Diontae Johnson to a 2 year extension worth $36,710,000 dollars with 19 of that fully guaranteed.

Johnson’s performance in 2022 didn’t live up to the terms of the his contract, as his catch percentage dropped, he developed a nasty habit of running backwards after the catch, and didn’t pull in a touchdown.

Playing opposite Johnson is second year man George Pickens, who was a 2nd round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. Pickens turned heads immediately at St. Vincents with some of his catches. He continued doing it when he got on the field during the season.

George Pickens only had 52 catches (remember when Louis Lipps would lead the Steelers in receiving with 50 catches?), but 4 of those were for touchdowns, and he displayed incredible ball skills in making them.

Steelers Wide Receiver Depth Chart: The Backups

The Steelers number three wide receiver is none other than Gunner Olszewski who has 14 receptions to his NFL name. To put that into perspective, he had 8 runs from scrimmage last season.

The Steelers also have Calvin Austin, 2022’s 4th round pick who spent his rookie year on injured reserve. Omar Khan has made it clear the Steelers are counting on him, and there’s every reason to take him at his word.

The Steelers also have Anthony Miller who has 140 catches and 18 starts on his resume.

They also have Ja’Marcus Bradley, Dan Chisena, Dez Fitzpatrick and Cody White all under contract.

The Steelers 2023 Draft Needs @ Wide Receiver

Omar Khan has endorsed the Steelers wide receiving corps and Pittsburgh let Steven Sims walk in free agency when they easily could have kept him in the Steel City.

The Steelers do have two solid starters at wide receivers, and some decent potential behind, them, but its only potential so their need at wide receiver going into the 2023 NFL Draft should be considered as High.

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How Bubby Brister’s Words from ’88 Put Cam Heyward’s “Butt Retweet” into Perspective

Posted on October 13, 2022 by KT Standard Reply

ICYMI, Steelers team captain and defensive mainstay Cam Heyward is supposedly “in trouble.” Why? Well, its that (not so) old evil social media. After the Steelers shellacking at the hands of the Bills, Cam Heyward made the following retweet:

https://twitter.com/Tall6uy/status/1579580136021962752

Heyward immediately clarified the situation, labeling it a butt retweet. When that didn’t appease the peanut gallery, Cam doubled down:

Ok let me be clear when I say that was a complete accident. I challenge myself to be better and don’t look to point the finger. These losses I take personal and I need to be better. My head coach and teammates are the ones I care about. I’m on to Tampa see ya Sunday.

— Cam Heyward (@CamHeyward) October 10, 2022

But the “masses” in the Steelers Nation remain unmoved. Just Google “Cam Heyward butt retweet” and you’ll find no shortage of bloggers, social media general managers who insist this is all just a nod and a wink, and that the longest tenured Steeler really wishes to double cross Mike Tomlin.

What to make of all of this? Well, age has proven that in times like these, its best to lean into Sgt Hulka’s* wisdom:

The Steelers are 1-4. Tom Brady is coming to town. Injuries have knee-capped their defense. Pittsburgh stands poised to fall to 1-5. Or worse. This is when things get colorful in the NFL. But Cam’s retweet is anything but colorful.

Chuck Noll and Bubby Brister. Photo Credit: Mike Powell, Getty Images

If you want to see colorful, take a long look back to the dark days of the 1988 Steelers. After the 1-6 Black and Gold lost their sixth straight, starting quarterback Bubby Brister proclaimed “…we may as well punt on first down and get it over with.”

Brister didn’t stop there. The Bubster assailed his own pass rush, calling for “Anybody who rushes the passer, call the stadium. We need help quick.” Although Brister praised Chuck Noll, confirming, “I think he’s a good coach,” the story went national, getting coverage in the Washington Post on WMAL with Ken Beatrice’s “Sports Call.”

But both Noll and Dan Rooney downplayed the comments, affirming that they shared his frustration. According to Ed Bouchete’s Dawn of a New Steel Age, Tom Moore, the Steelers offensive coordinator took Bubby out for a beer after practice and smoothed things over.

Yes, ‘Twas innocent the age that preceded social media.

(Today Twitter would probably be debating the size of the tip they left.)

The Steelers responded the next Sunday with a rousing 39-21 win over the Denver Broncos, that included a cult-hero status worthy performance by running back Rodney Carter, reverses by Louis Lipps, nearly 100 yards from Merril Hoge, six Gary Anderson field goals and interceptions by Rod Woodson and Cornell Gowdy (who?).

Alas, the midseason rally was not to be, as the ’88 Steelers lost their next 4 before winning 3 of their final 4.

Circling back to 2022, I’d be shocked if Kenny Pickett made similar comments, even if the Steelers reach 1-6 as they are likely to do. But something Bubby Brister said then rings true today, “With what he has to work with right now, he’s doing the best job he can. It’s going to take another two or three years to rebuild this thing, get young guys some experience…. We need a whole lot of stuff.”

With an injury report that contains Cam Sutton, Ahkello Witherspoon, Levi Wallace, Minkah Fitzpatrick, Montravius Adams, Larry Ogunjobi, Pat Freiermuth and Zach Gentry, few should argue if Pickett made similar comments about Tomlin.

But the hemming and hawing over Cam Heyward’s butt retweet shows that many probably would.

*If you’re a male millennial Steelers fan who is unfamiliar with the Sgt. Hulka clip, find out where to stream Stripes or, if need be, buy the DVD on Amazon, convene your buddies for a “Men’s Night In,” and take in what was the ultimate “guy movie” for both Boomers and Generation X.

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History Steelers Rookie of the Year aka Joe Greene Great Performance Award Winners

Posted on January 5, 2022 by KT Standard Reply

The Pittsburgh Chapter of the Pro Football Writers of America named Najee Harris winner of the Joe Green Great Performance award or the Steelers rookie of the year for 2021.

Anyone who wins an award named after Joe Greene is automatically in good company, but the subsequent careers of other Steelers rookies of the year are checkered. Most, though not all, turned out to be productive football players.

Some grew into the Super stars they were supposed to be, while others saw their contributions eclipsed by other members of their draft classes. Click below to drive into each group.

Joe Greene, rookie of the year, Ben Roethlisberger

Ben Roethlisberger shakes with Joe Greene

One Year Wonders

1986, LB Anthony Henton – Who? Exactly my response. Played two years, started 4 games but did nothing of note. This ninth round pick was clearly out classed by 1986’s 2nd round pick Gerald Williams.

1987, CB Delton Hall – A second round pick who started gang busters only to fade. Started more fights than games (4) following his rookie year.

1994, RB Bam Morris – The man who made Barry Foster expendable. Did have a decent sophomore season, but got busted for drugs shortly after Super Bowl XXX.

Sean Davis, Chris Conley, Steelers vs Chiefs 2016 AFC Divisional Playoffs

Sean Davis hits Chris Conley in the 2016 AFC Playoffs. Photo Credit: Post-Gazette.com

1999, WR Troy Edwards – Grabbed 61 balls as a rookie, but never developed after that, perhaps in part to his “I can’t race air” attitude to training.

2001, LB Kendrell Bell – Wreaked havoc as a rookie. Injuries marred his second season and after that the word was that he scoffed at learning coverages or schemes

2008, LB Patrick Bailey – Made it in 2008 due to special teams but got cut less than a year later due to the 2009 Steelers atrocious special teams.

2012, OT Mike Adams – After a handful of solid games as the starting right tackle in 2012, the Steelers tried to move him to left tackle in 2013 with disastrous results.

2016, S Sean Davis – Davis had a phenomenal rookie year and strong start to his sophomore campaigns but the rest of his career was marred by position changes and injuries.

Productive, but Still Disappointing

1985, P Harry Newsome – Really, there was nothing wrong with Newsome, but when a punter is the best pick from your draft classs, that’s a disappointment.

1990, TE Eric Green – Green’s numbers were pretty good, by any standard. But my God, this man was supposed to be Gronk before there was Gronk. Instead his final year in Pittsburgh was marked by his tendency for running out of bounds.

1991, TE Adrian Cooper – Injuries in 1991 and a Green drug suspension in 1992 allowed Cooper to flash promise. But excusing a subpar 1993 campaign because of his contract situation earned him a ticket on the first bus to Minnesota.

1995, QB Kordell Stewart – A tremendous athlete, but as a quarterback he simply could not cope with the pressures of being a starter

1997, CB Chad Scott – Started as a rookie, then missed his entire second year due to injury. Many felt he should have played safety. He earned (and deserved) a 2nd contract but was never popular with fans.

Kordell shrugs off injury to lead 2nd half rally. Photo Credit: Getty Images via Twitter

2009, WR Mike Wallace –Roethlisberger and Wallace essentially rewrote the Steelers long passing play records in 2010, but that’s the problem. Wallace never grew beyond being a “One Trick Pony” and could never repeat his production in the playoffs.

2014, WR Martavis Bryant – He followed his stunning rookie year with a series of suspensions and “I want mines” Twitter tantrums. In between, he authored several excellent games that reminded everyone just how good he could have been.

2018, S Terrell Edmunds – It isn’t Edmunds fault that he was over drafted. And if it is true that he’s been a consistent player that has improved steadily, he still hasn’t been the play maker the Steelers needed.

Solid But Over Taken by Other Rookies

1988, RB Warren Williams – A dependable number two back, who belonged in the rotation back in the days when both the halfback and the fullback got carries. Still, he was eclipsed by both Hall of Famer Dermontti Dawson and John Jackson

1992, FS Darren Perry – His development in training camp led the Steelers to cut Thomas Everett. Had a good career, but Leon Searcy, Joel Steed, and Levon Kirkland all grew into more prominent roles with the team

1996, FB Jon Witman – A solid full back whose running capabilities never were truly explored. Linebackers Earl Holmes and Carlos Emmons ended up being the most prominent members of the Steelers 1996 draft class

2002, OG Kendall Simmons – Stepped right up and started as a rookie, but multiple injuries and diabetes really limited his career. Antwaan Randle El, Larry Foote, and Brett Keisel surpassed his contribution as a member of the Steelers 2002 draft class.

JuJu Smith-Schuster, A.J. Bouye, Steelers vs Jaguars

JuJu Smith-Schuster. Photo Credit: Karl Rosner, Steelers.com

2007, P Daniel Sepulveda – After a strong rookie year injuries hit Sepulveda hard and fellow 2007 draftees Lawrence Timmons, LaMarr Woodley and William Gay outshone him.

2011, OT Marcus Gilbert – Marcus Gilbert had a solid career until injuries set in, but Cam Heyward is clearly the cream of the Steelers 2011 Draft Class.

2017, WR JuJu Smith-Schuster – Smith-Schuster followed up his rookie campaign with a team MVP performance in 2018 but the real star of the Steelers 2017 Draft Class is T.J. Watt.

They Budded into Super Stars

1984, WR Louis Lipps — He gave John Stallworth a second wind. Perhaps he wasn’t a “Great” receiver, coming of age during the days of Jerry Rice, but still a very, very good player.

weegie thompson, louis lipps, steelers wide receivers 1980's, 1988 Steelers

Steelers 1980’s wide receivers Louis Lipps and Weegie Thompson. Photo Credit: Getty Images, Pittsburgh Post Gazette

1989, SS Carnell Lake — One of the true gems from the Steelers 1989 draft class. Saved not one but two seasons by moving from safety to corner. An all-around great player and class-act

1993, LB Chad Brown — Brown set the mold for the super athletic inside linebacker in the Steelers 3-4 scheme, and then excelled during 1996 when injuries to Greg Lloyd forced him to move outside.

1998, OG Alan Faneca – A true Hall of Famer who anchored the Steelers offensive line for a decade and threw the key block on Willie Parker’s 75 yard run in Super Bowl XL.

2000, FB Dan Kreider – Never a Pro Bowler or All-Pro, but he was the best blocking fullback of his day, giving Pittsburgh the equivalent of a 6th offensive lineman on the field.

2003, S Troy Polamalu – A Hall of Famer, a true generational talent and a rare defensive player who could and did transform the course of a game with one play.

2004, QB Ben Roethlisberger – The definition of a Hall of Famer and the youngest quarterback to win a Super Bowl, Ben did it his way from start to finish and was downright deadly in the 4th quarter.

2005, TE Heath Miller – The best tight end in Steelers history, who quietly excelled in blocking while being almost automatic as a receiver.

2006, WR Santonio Holmes – Never quite a game-changing talent, he made the catch of his life in Super Bowl XLIII, earning him MVP honors.

B.J. Finney, Le'Veon Bell, Alejandro Villanueva, steelers vs bills

B.J. Finney blocks for Le’Veon Bell against the Bills in 2016. Photo Credit: Kevin Hoffman, USA Today Sports, via K-State Slate

2010, C Maurkice Pouncey – 9 Pro Bowls, 2 All Pro Awards 134 games and 134 starts – all after losing nearly two complete seasons to injuries.

2013, RB Le’Veon Bell – Yes, he authored an unceremonious departure from Pittsburgh, but broke rushing records that neither Franco Harris nor Jerome Bettis nor John Henry Johnson ever touched.

2015, LB Bud Dupree – Dupree was a late bloomer, but his play opposite of T.J. Watt in 2019 and 2020 made those Steelers defenses outright lethal.

Jury Still Out

2019, LB Devin Bush – Bush had a strong rookie year and was off to a good start in 2020 before tearing his ACL. Whether it was because of his ACL or something else, he did not play well in 2021.

2020, WR Chase Claypool – Chase Claypool dazzled as a rookie, but was consistent in his second season. He has the raw talent, but his attitude and commitment are open to question.

2021, RB Najee Harris – Running behind a horrendous offensive line, Harris always gave it his all and always found ways to shine.

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A Steelers Fan Salutes John Madden: He Was “What the Game of Football is All About”

Posted on January 2, 2022 by KT Standard Reply

My boomer brethren in Steelers Nation will blanch at this, but at one point in my youth, I thought that John Madden had been a player or coach for the Steelers.

John Madden, Joe Greene, Super Bowl XIV Press Conference

John Madden interviews Joe Greene before Super Bowl XIV. Photo Credit: Anonymous/AP via the Virginian-Pilot

John Madden, NFL Hall of Famer, former Oakland Raiders head coach, CBS, FOX, ABC and NBC broadcaster and video game entrepreneur passed away on Sunday, December 28th. Here we honor his memory and his life’s work.

Born 4 months before the Immaculate Reception, my understanding of the concept of “Steelers Rival” was the Houston Oilers. My introduction to John Madden came from watching games on CBS. So instead of being associated with the arch-rival evil Oakland Raiders, to me John Madden was simply to “Voice of the NFL.”

And what a voice he had.

For 22 years John Madden commentated in tandem with Pat Summerall and together they embodied the absolute best in sports television broadcasting. Summerall with his deep baritone did the play-by-play, while Madden handled the color commentary, with an emphasis on color.

Listening to Summerall, it was easy to imagine him narrating a documentary on say, the Gettysburg Address or the D-Day landings or some other hinge-of-history moment. Listening to Madden, it was easy to imagine him chowing down with truckers at a highway greasy spoon somewhere west of the Mississippi.

You wouldn’t think such a pairing would work, but it did – to perfection no less.

Football is a complex sport. As Andy Russell once observed, success or failure in football often comes down to subtle shifts in angles and alignments that are often lost on even the most educated fans.

Russell is right which speaks precisely to John Madden’s genius. John Madden had the ability break down the complexities of any given play and explain them to the average viewer. And he could do it in the space of about 20 seconds. He did it hundreds of times each weekend for 3 decades.

But if Madden had an uncanny gift for explaining the science of the angles and alignments of football, he was never a football nerd. Far from it. He knew that the game’s art lay in the elegance that grew from overpowering your opponent in the trenches.

And that’s what Madden loved the most, the big guys, the offensive lineman, the tight ends and the fullbacks . I can remember one 49ers game in the late 80’s where Madden remarked, that if someone came down from Mars and asked to see a football player, you’d show him 49ers fullback Tom Rathman.

And I suppose that love for the working-class, blue collar ethos of the game is what led me as a naive grade schooler to assume he’d been associated with the Steelers, an assumption riddled with irony…

John Madden and the Steelers

John Madden stared down Chuck Noll during all of the franchises’ epic games in the 70’s, from the Immaculate Reception, to the 1974 AFC Championship, to the 1975 rematch at Three Rivers Stadium, and to the AFC Championship loss in 1976 suffered in the absence of both Franco Harris and Rocky Bleier. When John Madden retired in 1977, his record coaching against Chuck Noll and the Steelers was 6-5, a mark any of his contemporaries would have envied.

Yet after that, Madden seldom crossed paths with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

According to Steel City Star, during their 22-year run at CBS, Madden and Summerall never called a Steelers game. At FOX they only called three, the Steelers 1994 and 1997 opening day blowout losses to the Cowboys and the 1996 loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

That shows you just how fundamental John Madden was to the game, given that my football attention is almost singularly focused on the Steelers.

John Madden did of course called Super Bowl XL and later Super Bowl XLIII, famously assuring viewers after Ben Roethlisberger’s hookup with Santonio Holmes that he got both feet in bounds, had control of the football and, most importantly, scored a touchdown.

But by that point, he was already a Living Legend and one who’d found yet another way to grow his footprint on the game on the field

John Madden Football

Without a doubt the best Christmas present I ever got as an adolescent was one that came for Christmas of 1989 – John Madden Football for the Apple II. As mentioned many here many times, although both of my parents are Pittsburghers to the core, neither are into sports.

Without a doubt, the BEST Christmas present I EVER got as a kid.

My big brother handled that part of my education early on, but by the mid-80’s he was off to college. So I was on my own. Watching shows like NFL PrimeTime and reading the Washington Post sports page helped.

But John Madden Football really opened my eyes.

Before Madden , words like “slot,” “stunt,” “weakside,” “sweep,” and “nickleback” were little more than noise uttered between the cacophony of plays. Playing John Madden Football did more than breathe life into those terms – it added a new dimension to the game. Suddenly I could not only recognize formations in real time, but I understood why coaches were making their choices. .

How many hours did I spend playing John Madden Football on the Apple IIc my parents got me to help with school work?

Far, far too many to count.

I do know that I played it enough to prove that the Steelers of the 70’s could whip the tails off of the 49ers of the 80’s. I played enough to build my own All Time Steelers team featuring a QB depth chart of Terry Bradshaw, Bubby Brister and Bobby Layne throwing to Lynn Swann, John Stallworth and Louis Lipps, with Joe Greene and Ernie Stautner playing in front of Mel Blount, Rod Woodson and Dwayne Woodruff (apologies to Jack Butler for my youthful ignorance.)

Obituary after obituary for John Madden tells of how generations of fans learned the game by playing John Madden. I can vouch that this is a global phenomenon. Countless Argentine football fans, when asked how they learned the game before the days of NFL GamePass and/or free illegal game streaming sites, would simply respond, “Madden.”

Indeed, when asked to explain the opening scene of Friday Night Lights, the one featuring Frank Winchel’s grandmother quizzing him on his playbook, I went to the book case and showed my wife the playbook that came with John Madden Football back in 1989.

What the Game of Football is All About

John Madden brought the game of football into people’s living rooms in ways few have done before or since. One anecdote suffices.

On opening day 1993 CBS carried the Bears vs the Giants as a national telecast. As the game came down to the wire, and the opposing teams lined up at the goal line for one final play, I told my roommates, “Watch. Madden is going to tell us ‘This is what the game of football is all about.’” 10 seconds later, as if he’d been listening to me, Madden declared, “This is what the game of football is all about!”

How fitting. Because John Madden himself is what the game of football is all about.

Thank you, John, for your contributions to the game we all love. I’m sure you and Summerall are already calling games together again now that you’re both on the other side.

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Why Joe Walton’s 2nd Act at RMU Ellipses the “What IFs” from His Time with Steelers

Posted on August 18, 2021 by KT Standard Reply

Beaver Falls native and former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Joe Walton passed away earlier this week at age 85. Joe Walton devoted his adult life to football and, when assessing his contribution to Western Pennsylvania football, he leaves an important lesson: Sometimes second acts can ellipse unanswered questions.

Walton Cut Teeth in Pittsburgh, then Made It Big in New York, Washington

Joe Walton and Louis Lipps in 1991. Photo Credit: Getty Images, via Sporting News.

Joe Walton was an Academic All American and team captain for the Pitt Panthers where he played from 1953 through 1956. In the NFL he played tight end for 4 seasons in Washington followed by 3 more for the New York Giants.

Walton then picked up a whistle, stop watch and clip board, joining the Giants first as a scout, then as wide receivers coach, then as offensive coordinator. During the 70’s he went back to Washington to work as running backs coach and offensive coordinator, before heading north on I-95 in 1981 towards New York, this time to join the Jets.

He served first as the Jets offensive coordinator, then as head coach from 1983 to 1989. There, Walton fielded two playoff teams, in 1985 and 1986, but struggled outside of that.

On Valentines Day 1990, Chuck Noll announced that, 33 years after leaving, Joe Walton was coming home to Pittsburgh to serve as the Steelers Offensive Coordinator.

Two “What IFs” Define Joe Walton’s Tenure as Steelers Offensive Coordinator

Joe Walton’s time as Steelers offensive coordinator generated a lot of sound and fury and in the end it signified the end of The Emperor’s reign in Pittsburgh. Suffice to say, it was not a success. (For a full account of Joe Walton’s time as Steelers offensive coordinator, click here.)

Yet, Walton’s time in the Black and Gold left us with two big “What IFs.”

The first “What IF” is, what if Chuck Noll had stuck with Tom Moore or handed the reigns to his offense to someone else? The 1989 Steelers, in spite of the story book nature of their season, had finished 28th in total offense. The “front office,” (most likely Tom Donahoe pushing Dan Rooney) wanted change.

As Merril Hoge told Gerry Dulac in the Post-Gazette in November 2009, Joe Walton came in and it “wasn’t a good fit for the offense. Tom Moore had us drilled… we were young, our offense was starting to come around, and we had to start over.”

“What IF” Chuck Noll had resisted front office pressure to fire Tom Moore and/or handed the reigns to someone else? Bill Cowher’s success with the 1992 Steelers suggests those 1990 and 1991 teams were capable of much more. But we’ll never know.

The second “What IF” revolves around whether Walton scuttled Bubby Brister’s development.

Dwight Stone, Dwight Stone Steelers career

Dwight Stone’s Steelers career ran from 1987 to 1994. Photo Credit: Amazon

Statistically speaking, Bubby Brister’s 1988 and 1989 seasons was pretty pedestrian, even by the standards of the day. But Bubby Brister had play making potential, and could be downright deadly when hooking up with Dwight Stone and Louis Lipps downfield.

But Walton’s offense centered around running backs and tight ends.

That suited Neil O’Donnell fine, but Bubby Brister hated it with a passion. Walton insisted to Myron Cope that he used the same offense and same playbook at with great success at Robert Morris, explaining that “It was just that Brister couldn’t remember the formations.”

There’s no reason to doubt Walton on this one, especially given the difficulty Brister had when Mike Shanahan tried to hand him the Broncos offense in 2000, after John Elway retired.

But Brister’s raw talent was undeniable, and one has to wonder how it might have developed with a different mentor. Again, we’ll never know.

Walton Soars in Second Act with Robert Morris

As Ed Bouchette reported in the Dawn of a New Steel Age, Joe Walton asked Dan Rooney to consider him as Chuck Noll’s replacement, but his wish went nowhere.

But Walton did fulfill his desire to stay in Pittsburgh when he was hired in 1993 to found Robert Morris University’s football program.

As the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review’s Jerry DiPaola explains:

He did it all with the Colonials: hiring coaches, purchasing equipment and recruiting athletes for the inaugural season of 1994. He started that season with 64 freshmen at a school that never had football and ended up leading the team to a 7-1-1 record. He won his first game 21 days after the start of training camp and immediately ran off a five-game winning streak.

Under Walton’s guidance, Robert Morris went 115-92-1 while winning 6 Northeastern Championships. According to Don Hansen’s National Weekly Football Gazette, Robert Morris won NCAA I-AA mid-major national championships in 1999 and 2000.

Many if not most Steelers fans will always remember Walton for his time as offensive coordinator.
Most Pittsburghers probably will too.

That’s unfortunate. Joe Walton’s “Life’s Work” was certainly coaching, and he truly excelled in his vocation at Robert Morris. While it is easy to cite his record and say “It speaks for itself,” that would be wrong, or at least incomplete.

Current Robert Morris coach Bernard Clark Jr. drives this point home, explaining, “The first time I heard former student-athletes talk about coach Walton, not one mentioned how good a football player he made them. They all spoke about the men he helped them become. That is the sign of a great teacher….”

Amen to that.

Joe Walton’s decision to return to his Pittsburgh roots as Chuck Noll’s final offensive coordinator might not have borne fruit, but his choice did pave the way for him to become a mentor to hundreds of young men at Robert Morris.

And in that sense, his contribution to Western Pennsylvania was likely larger than it ever could have been with the Steelers.

What a worthy second act.

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John Stallworth’s Steelers Career: An Improbable Journey from Overlooked Draft Pick to Hall of Famer

Posted on July 15, 2021 by KT Standard Reply

NFL Hall of Famer John Stallworth defies the odds with luck, skill, and often times a combination of both. You can chalk his latest exploit to the latter.

The Steelers ownership restructuring became public in July of 2008, and the Rooneys promised that their new investors would include “one very recognizable name.” That person was of course Steelers Hall of Fame wide receiver John Stallworth who officially became a minority owner in 2009.

In doing so, John Stallworth took yet another step in his improbable journey. Click below to jump into one of the legs of that journey or scroll down to follow along for the full ride.

John Stallworth, Rod Perry, Super Bowl XIV

John Stallworth catches the go ahead touchdown in Super Bowl XIV. Photo via Newspress.com

From Alabama A&M to the Steelers 1974 Hall of Fame Draft

Stallworth played at Alabama A&M, one of the many historic black colleges (HBCs) that the Steelers scoured while many NFL teams, the demise of Jim Crow notwithstanding, still consciously overlooked.

According to Art Rooney, Jr.’s book Ruanaidh, the Steelers had rated him as one of the top collegiate receivers as early as 1973. When Chuck Noll first learned of Stallworth, he immediately pronounced him as first round pick and feared that Pittsburgh wouldn’t get a chance to pick Stallworth when the word got out on him.

By both happenstance and design, the word on John Stallworth never got out

In his self titled autobiography, the late Steelers Chairman Dan Rooney recounts how a team of BLESTO scouts had the ill fortune to time John Stallworth on a wet track. Ever wise, Steelers scout Bill Nunn feigned illness and stayed an extra day in Alabama, ran Stallworth on a dry track, and he got the time he wanted.

Nunn, who had extensive connections with the HBC community, coaxed Alabama A&M into sending films of Stallworth to the Steelers. This was long before the days of Mel Kipper and the cottage industry that today envelops the NFL draft.

A single tape on John Stallworth existed, and it was so impressive that Bill Nunn conveniently “forgot” to return it, giving Pittsburgh an effective a monopoly on information about Stallworth. (Art Rooney, Jr. insists that he instructed Bill Nunn and Dick Haley return the tapes, but he’s also clear that he wasn’t overly upset that they didn’t.)

Steelers 70's, Draft, war room, dick haley, Bill Nunn, Art Rooney Jr.

Tim Rooney and Dick Haley in Steelers 70’s Draft War Room

Nonetheless, Noll feared that the Senior Bowl would spill the secret on Stallworth, but the fates shined again on the Steelers, as Senior Bowl coaches kept moving him back and forth from receiver to defensive back.

The Steelers picked Swann first in the 1974 NFL Draft. The Steelers had no third round choice, so Noll wanted to pick Stallworth second. The scouts steered him towards Jack Lambert second, and then held their collective breath.

But Stallworth was there in the fourth round, and the Steelers picked him.

The Glory Years of the Super Steelers

Of the four Hall of Famers the Steelers picked in 1974, Stallworth was perhaps the most under appreciated.

Ray Mansfield almost immediately pronounced Mike Webster as his successor, and Noll immediately worked Number 52 into the line up
Lambert quickly made his impact felt both on and off the field
Having dazzled at USC, Lynn Swann was a known commodity

Lynn Swann actually had fewer catches than Stallworth as a rookie, but Swann had more touches, returning 41 punts for an amazing 14.1 yard average.

In 1975 both men became starters, and but the spotlight remained on Swann. During the regular season he caught 49 passes, more than doubling Stallworth’s total, and his acrobatic catches made during his MVP performance in Super Bowl X set a new standard for wide receiving excellence.

As is well documented, the Steelers defense of the 70’s was so dominant that it prompted the NFL to change the rules to favor the passing game. As Bob Labriola of Steelers Digest wrote, while everyone worried about how these changes would affect the Steelers defense, Noll plotted to unleash his offense.

Stallworth Second Fiddle to Swan?

In the minds of many fans, Swann was the star of the tandem, while Stallworth was the “possession receiver.”

But Swann and Stallworth were both stars

In 1978 Stallworth grabbed 20 fewer balls than Swann, but he averaged five more yards per catch. Together, the two men totaled 102 catches for nearly 1,600 yards and 20 touchdowns.

Stallworth caught 2 touchdowns to Swann’s one in Super Bowl XIII, including a 75 yard touchdown that Stallworth largely made happen after the catch. Unfortunately, leg cramps kept Stallworth out for most of the second half.

The following year, Stallworth lit it up. He led the team with 70 catches becoming the first Steeler ever to get break the 1000 yard receiving mark.

Super Bowl XIV – Hook and Go into History

John Stallworth’s performance in Super Bowl XIV was legendary.

The Steelers opened the second half trailing, but a downfield strike from Terry Bradshaw to Lynn Swann gave Pittsburgh the lead. But the Rams immediately struck back, and Pittsburgh opened the fourth quarter down 19-17.

They’d also lost Lynn Swann for the game. His back up, Theo Bell was also hurt, leaving Jimmy Smith to step in, a man who would play 7 years and total 113 receptions.

Already stifling the Steelers running game, the Rams defensive coordinator, Bud Carson, summed it up best, “All we needed to do was double cover John Stallworth.”

Good luck.

Faced with third down on their own 27, Chuck Noll ordered Terry Bradshaw, “Go for the big one,” recounts Art Rooney Jr.

The name of the play was “60-Prevent-Slot-Hook-And-Go.”

The play hadn’t worked in practice. Bradshaw didn’t think he could do it. And Stallworth had doubts that it would work.

But it did.

Bradshaw rifled to Stallworth, who caught the ball at the Rams 32, never broke stride in route to a 73 yard touchdown. Stallworth put so much space between himself and the defender that the official signaled touchdown before number 82 even crossed the goal line. The NFL Super Bowl XIV highlight film does not confirm this (you can’t see any touchdown signal), but that is how I remember it.

L.C. Greenwood, Jack Lambert, Super Bowl XIV

L.C. Greenwood during the Steelers Super Bowl XIV win. Photo Credit: Bill Smith, NFL via NFL.com

Bradshaw and Stallworth would work their magic one more time that evening. After Jack Lambert had stopped a Rams drive cold at the Steelers 33, two runs to Franco Harris and Sidney Thornton yielded 3 yards, the Steelers were faced with third and 7 at their 33.

Again Chuck Noll ordered Bradshaw to go deep. He called Hook and Go again, hitting Stallworth again for 45 yards, bringing the Steelers to the Rams 22 and setting up the touchdown that cemented the Steelers fourth Super Bowl Championship.

John Stallworth in the 1980s – Resurgence Cements His Greatness

The 1980’s tested Steelers Nation. Sure, Pittsburgh would make the playoffs 4 times, win one division title and even appear in a conference championship game. But with each season, the team lost more Super Steelers to retirement, and the men stepping in were not their equals.

Lynn Swann, victim of many concussions, retired after the 1982 season. Stallworth would be hurt for much of the 1983 season, limited to 8 catches for 100 yards.

But in 1984, Art Rooney Jr. and his once vaunted scouting department nabbed their final first round success, by picking Louis Lipps.

Steelers 1980’s wide receivers Louis Lipps and Weegie Thompson. Photo Credit: Getty Images, Pittsburgh Post Gazette

Opposing defenses couldn’t blanket Stallworth with Lipps playing opposite to him. With Lipps playing opposite of him, Stallworth made defenses pay.

In 1984 Stallworth caught 80 balls for 1,395 yards and 11 touchdowns; this record stood for 11 years, until Yancey Thigpen broke it in 1995
In 1985 he caught 75 passes for 927 yards
In 1986 he numbers dipped to 34 passes for 366 yards

But in the strike-shortened ’87 season, with Louis Lipps hurt and only Weegie Thompson to take pressure off of him, John Stallworth still caught 41 passes for 521 yards.

To really appreciate Stallworth’s excellence in the 80’s , consider that he was no longer catching passes from Terry Bradshaw, but rather David Woodley and Mark Malone.

The NFL took notice, as John Stallworth won the following accolades during the ‘80’s:

Pro Bowl, 1980, 1983, and 1985
Second team All Pro, 1984
Comeback player of the year, 1984

Stallworth a Success at “Life’s Work”

It would be unfair to label John Stallworth’s success in life after football as improbable. While the Steelers have had their share of players who’ve had difficulty with post-NFL life, far more of those Super Steelers have been just as successful at “life’s work.”

In 1986 John Stallworth founded Madison Research Corporation, which provided engineering and information technology services to both the public and private sector. He sold the company in 2006 and has since run Genius II.

During this time, despite his Hall of Fame resume, whenever NFL Hall of Fame selectors considered his name, John Stallworth confronted a tiresome chorus of “there are already too many Steelers in the Hall of Fame….” Year after year, selectors snubbed Swann and Stallworth.

The situation grew so perilous that Myron Cope resigned from the selection committee, fearing his impassioned pleas were hurting Swann and Stallworth

Then, with lobbying from Chuck Noll and Dan Rooney, Swann got elected in 2001. Making his feelings clear to all about who should join him, Lynn Swann asked John Stallworth to be his presenter.

One year later the John Stallworth followed his teammate into enshrinement into Canton.

Stallworth’s Shot at Something Unique

Stallworth’s business endeavors have been quite lucrative, and that led the Dan and Art II to bring Stallworth into the group that bought out the rest of the Rooney brothers.

Now that he is officially an owner, Stallworth joins the handful of former players who’ve ascended to an NFL ownership suite.

In doing so, he has given himself a shot at doing something that no one else has ever done – John Stallworth can become the first man to win a Super Bowl as a player and as an owner.

It has been an uphill battle. Ten years have passed and Lombardi Number Seven still eludes the Steelers.

But Stallworth is unlikely to be daunted. He’s made a career of beating the odds.

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