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"Steelers" redirects here. For other uses, see Steelers (disambiguation).
Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers logo
Pittsburgh Steelers logo
Logo
Established 1933
Play in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
League / conference affiliations
National Football League (1933–present)
  • Eastern Division (1933–1943; 1945–1949)
  • Western Division (1944)
  • American Conference (1950–1952)
  • Eastern Conference (1953–1969)
    • Century Division (1967–1969)
  • American Football Conference (1970–present)
Uniforms
File:AFCN-Uniform-PIT.PNG
Team colorsBlack and Gold      
MascotSteely McBeam
Personnel
Owner(s)Dan Rooney
General managerKevin Colbert
Head coachMike Tomlin
Team history
  • Pittsburgh Pirates (1933–1939)
  • Pittsburgh Steelers (1940–1942)
  • Philadelphia-Pittsburgh "Steagles" (1943)
  • Card-Pitt (1944)
  • Pittsburgh Steelers (1945–present)
Championships
League championships (5)
Conference championships (6)
Division championships (18)
Home fields
Heinz Field. Current Home of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). Founded in 1933, the Steelers are the oldest and most championed franchise in the AFC. The team has appeared in six Super Bowls and is one of three teams to have won the Super Bowl five times. They have appeared in 13 Conference Championship Games and have hosted more conference championship games than any other NFL franchise. From 1974 to 1979 the franchise became the first NFL franchise to win four Super Bowl titles in six seasons, a feat which is yet to be matched. The 2005 team is the only sixth-seeded team in NFL history to advance to a conference championship game; they went on to win the game, followed by their latest Super Bowl victory on February 5, 2006.

The Steelers have had seventeen players and coaches inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the fourth most of any franchise in the NFL.[1] The fifth-oldest franchise in the NFL, the Steelers were founded as the Pittsburgh Pirates on July 8 1933, by Art Rooney.[2] The ownership of the Steelers has remained within the Rooney family since its founding. The current owner is Art's son, Dan Rooney, who has given much control of the franchise to his son Art Rooney II.

The Steelers currently play their home games in Heinz Field on Pittsburgh's Northside. Built in 2001, the stadium replaced Three Rivers Stadium which hosted the Steelers for 31 seasons. Prior to Three Rivers, the Steelers had played their games in Pitt Stadium and Forbes Field.

Franchise history

Further information: History of the Pittsburgh Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL first took to the field as the Pittsburgh Pirates on September 20 1933, losing 23-2 to the New York Giants.[3] Through the 1930s, the Pirates never finished higher than second place in their division, or with a record better than 0.500 (1936).[4] Pittsburgh did make history in 1938 by signing Byron White, a future justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, to what was at the time the biggest contract in NFL history,[5] but he played only one year with the Pirates before signing with the Detroit Lions.[6]

During World War II, the Steelers experienced player shortages. They twice merged with other NFL franchises to field a team. During the 1943 season, they merged with the Philadelphia Eagles forming the "Phil-Pitt Eagles" and were known as the "Steagles." This team went 5-4-1. In 1944 they merged with the Chicago Cardinals and were known as Card-Pitt.[5] This team finished 0-10, marking the only winless team in franchise history.[7]

The Steelers made the playoffs for the first time in 1947, tying for first place in the division at 8-4 with the Philadelphia Eagles. This forced a tie-breaking playoff game at Forbes Field, which the Steelers lost 21-0.[8] That would be Pittsburgh's only playoff game for 25 years, though the Steelers did qualify for a "Playoff Bowl" in 1963 as the second best team in their conference, though not considered an official playoff.[9]

In 1970, with the assimilation of the American Football League into the National Football League, the Pittsburgh Steelers were one of three old-guard NFL teams to switch to the newly-formed American Conference (the others being the Cleveland Browns and the Baltimore Colts). This restructuring was necessary to equalize the number of teams in each of the two conferences following the AFL-NFL merger.

The Steelers' history of bad luck changed with the hiring of coach Chuck Noll for the 1969 season. Noll's most remarkable talent was in his draft selections, taking Hall of Famers "Mean" Joe Greene in 1969, Terry Bradshaw and Mel Blount in 1970, Jack Ham in 1971, Franco Harris in 1972,[10] and finally, in 1974, pulled off the incredible feat of selecting four Hall of Famers in one draft year, Mike Webster, Lynn Swann, John Stallworth, and Jack Lambert.[11] The Pittsburgh Steelers' 1974 draft has gone down in NFL history as the best ever, considering no other team has ever drafted four future Hall of Famers in one year. The players drafted in the early '70s formed the base of one of the greatest dynasties in NFL history, making the playoffs in eight seasons and becoming the only team in NFL history to win four Super Bowls in six years, as well as the first to win more than two.

The Steelers suffered a rash of injuries in the 1980 season and missed the playoffs with a 9–7 record. The 1981 season was no better, with an 8-8 showing. The team was then hit with the retirements of all their key players from the Super Bowl years. Mean Joe Greene retired after the 1981 season, Lynn Swann and Jack Ham after 1982's playoff berth, Terry Bradshaw and Mel Blount after 1983's divisional championship, and Jack Lambert after 1984's AFC Championship Game appearance.

After those retirements, the franchise skidded to its first losing seasons since 1971. Though still competitive, the Steelers would not finish above 0.500 in 1985, 1986, and 1988. In 1987, the year of the players' strike, the Steelers finished with a record of 8–7, but missed the playoffs. In 1989, they would reach the second round of the playoffs on the strength of Merrill Hoge and Rod Woodson before narrowly missing the playoffs in each of the next two seasons.

In 1992, Chuck Noll retired and was succeeded by Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Bill Cowher, a native of the Pittsburgh suburb of Crafton.

The Steelers five Super Bowl rings

Cowher led the Steelers to the playoffs in each of his first six seasons, a feat that had been accomplished only by legendary coach Paul Brown of the Cleveland Browns. Overall, Cowher led the Steelers to the playoffs in 10 of his 15 seasons, including an appearance in Super Bowl XXX on the strength of the "Blitzburgh" defense at the end of the 1995 season. However, the Steelers lost to the Dallas Cowboys. Cowher produced the franchise's record-tying fifth Super Bowl win in Super Bowl XL over the National Football Conference champion Seattle Seahawks ten years later. With that victory, the Steelers became the third team to win five Super Bowls, and the first sixth-seeded playoff team to reach and win the Super Bowl since the NFL expanded to a 12-team post-season tournament in 1990.

Cowher resigned from coaching the Steelers on January 5 2007, citing a need to spend more time with his family. He did not use the term 'retire', leaving open a possible return to the NFL as coach of another team. A three-man committee consisting of Art Rooney II, Dan Rooney, and Kevin Colbert was set-up to conduct interviews for the head coaching vacancy.[12] The candidates interviewed included: offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt, offensive line coach Russ Grimm, former offensive coordinator Chan Gailey, Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Mike Tomlin, and Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Ron Rivera. On January 22 2007, Mike Tomlin was announced as Cowher's successor as head coach. Tomlin is the first African-American to be named head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers in its 74-year history.

Since the NFL merger in 1970, the Pittsburgh Steelers have compiled an overall record of 334-217-2, reached the playoffs 22 times, won their division 17 times, played in 13 AFC championship games, and won five of six Super Bowls.

Ownership restructure

On July 7, owners of the Steelers, including Art Rooney's five sons who own 80% of the franchise,[13] looked to re-structure the ownership plan of the franchise in order to comply with NFL ownership regulations.[14] Current Steelers Chairman, Dan Rooney, and his son, Art Rooney II, President of the franchise, wished to stay involved with the franchise. While the remainder of the brothers — Art Jr., Timothy, Patrick and John — wished to further pursue racetracks that they own in Florida and New York.[15] Since 2006, many of the racetracks have added video slot machines, causing them to violate "NFL policy that prohibits involvement with racetrack and gambling interests".[16] On July 11, it was confirmed that investor Stanley Druckenmiller had been in discussion with the five Rooney brothers.[13] A Steelers fan for many years, Druckenmiller "has been known to paint his face black and gold" during games.[17] Coach Tomlin stated that the situation could become a distraction, but "I'm here to coach, [the players are] here to play. Those questions will be answered by the Rooneys."[18] On September 18, Druckenmiller withdrew his bid to purchase the team.[19]

Season-by-season records

Main article: Pittsburgh Steelers seasons

Through the 2007 season, the Steelers have a 541-517-21 all-time record, including playoffs. In recent seasons the Steelers have generally performed well, qualifying for the playoffs five times and winning the Super Bowl once in the past seven seasons.

Logo and uniforms

(1963-Present)
File:Steelers.PNG
Stylized Logo

The Steelers have used black and gold as their colors since the club's inception, the lone exception being the 1943 season when they merged with the Philadelphia Eagles and formed the "Steagles"; the team's colors at that time were green and white as a result of wearing Eagles uniforms. Originally, the team wore solid gold-colored helmets and black jerseys. Unique to Pittsburgh, the Steelers' black and gold colors are now shared by all major professional teams in the city, including the Pittsburgh Pirates in baseball and the Pittsburgh Penguins in hockey. These also are the colors of the city's official flag.

The Steelers logo was introduced in 1962 and is based on the "Steelmark," originally designed by Pittsburgh's U.S. Steel and now owned by the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI). In an ironic twist, it was Cleveland-based Republic Steel that suggested the Steelers adopt the industry logo. It consists of the word "Steelers" surrounded by three astroids (hypocycloids of four cusps). The original meanings behind the astroids were, "Steel lightens your work, brightens your leisure, and widens your world." Later, the colors came to represent the ingredients used in the steel-making process: yellow for coal, orange for iron ore, and blue for scrap steel.[20] While the formal Steelmark logo contains only the word "Steel," the team was given permission to add "ers" in 1963 after a petition against AISI.

The Steelers are the only NFL team that puts its logo on only one side of the helmet (the right side). Longtime field and equipment manager Jack Hart was instructed to do this by Art Rooney as a test to see how the logo appeared on the gold helmets; however, its popularity led the team to leave it that way permanently.[21] A year after introducing the logo, they switched to black helmets to make it stand out more.

Another distinctive feature of the helmets is that a player's number appears on both the front and back (the Steelers are one of only two teams in the NFL to this). The numbers traditionally do not appear on the helmet fronts during the exhibition season.

The Steelers have made only a few changes to their jerseys over the years. The team added Northwestern-style stripes to the sleeves in 1936, and with the team finishing 0.500 for the first time in team history that season (at 6–6), the stripes have remained on the uniforms since, with three exceptions:

  • The aforementioned "Steagles" season didn't feature the stripes because the team wore the Eagles uniforms as a cost-saving measure. The Eagles' jerseys at the time were green with white shoulders and no stripes.
  • As part of experimentation with the uniforms in the 1960s, the Steelers wore two types of white jerseys from 1962 to 1965, one of which featured a gold diamond on the sleeves in place of the stripes, with the "TV numbers" situated on the diamonds. The other jersey featured gold sleeves and a black version of the stripes.
The Steelers' "Batman"-style uniforms the team experimented with in 1966-1967.
  • In 1966, the team experimented with the now-infamous "Batman"-themed uniforms, named as such because they were similar to the Batman outfits Adam West wore on the popular TV series. The jersey had no stripes on either the black or white jerseys and had a gold triangle-like diamond covering the shoulders.
File:AFCN-PIT-19681996.jpg
Pittsburgh Steelers uniforms, 1968-1996. The team wore white pants with the white jerseys in 1970-1971.

After just two years with the "Batman" uniforms, the current uniform designs were introduced in 1968. The design was a modernized version of the pre-1966 home design and consists of gold pants and either black jerseys or white jerseys, except for the 1970 and 1971 seasons when the Steelers wore white pants with their white jerseys. The helmet is solid black with a gold central stripe and small white player numbers on the forehead. Last names were added to the jerseys in 1970, as part of a new NFL mandate resulting from the AFL-NFL merger (the AFL teams had last names on the back of their jerseys). In 1997, the team switched to rounded numbers on the jersey to match the number font (Futura Condensed) on the helmets, and a Steelers logo was added to the left side of the jersey.

The Steelers are one of a dwindling number of NFL franchises that strictly wears its team color jerseys at home, always opting for black. The Steelers last wore white at home on a regular basis in 1969, Chuck Noll's first season as coach and the last year the team played in Pitt Stadium. The team has done this for much of its history and has continued to do so as more NFL teams wear white jerseys in at least one home game. They are one of 13 teams since 1999 that have not worn white at home (14 if you count the New York Giants, who wore white in their 2005 "away" game against the New Orleans Saints at Giants Stadium as well as their numerous "away" games against the New York Jets since 1984.), and are the only ones in the AFC North to practice this. The Cleveland Browns have traditionally had on again/off again periods of wearing white at home, while the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals, like some other NFL teams, wear white in their home opener before wearing their darker jerseys in their remaining home games.

Because of the team's unofficial policy of always wearing their black jerseys in home games, the team gained some notoriety when, as the designated "home" team for Super Bowl XL, the team elected to wear their white jerseys, becoming just the third NFL team to elect to wear white as the "home" team in the Super Bowl. But while the other two teams that have elected to wear white as the "home" team in the Super Bowl (Dallas and Washington) traditionally wear white at home, a variety of reasons were rumored as to why the Steelers elected to wear white in Super Bowl XL. Reasons included the fact that the team wore white in all three playoff victories that year (all on the road) to former head coach Bill Cowher's comments that since it wasn't at Heinz Field, it was a road game (a statement contradicted by the fact that ten years earlier in Super Bowl XXX, Cowher's squad was the "home team" and chose to wear their black jerseys away from Three Rivers Stadium, where they had played both playoff games). However, it should be noted though that the game took place in Detroit, which is only a five hour drive from Pittsburgh and with the league preferring to have the Super Bowl in subtropical or Mediterranean climates or in domed/retractable roof stadiums due to the winter weather, is likely the closest the Steelers would have to a home game in a Super Bowl in the foreseeable future. (Not surprisingly, there were also an overwhelming number of Steelers fans at the game compared to the number of supporters of their opponent, the Seattle Seahawks. One ESPN.com columnist suggested that Steelers fans outnumbered Seahawks fans by a ratio of 25 to 1.[22]) Also, the Steelers were the designated "home" team in Super Bowl XIV and elected to wear black (also a season in which they played both their playoff games at home).

Hines Ward wearing the Steelers 75th anniversary uniform in 2007

At a press conference on April 27, 2007, it was announced that the Steelers would wear a throwback uniform for two home games during the 2007 season, as part of the celebration of the Steelers' 75th Season. They were worn for the Steelers' home opener against the Buffalo Bills on September 16 and again during the Monday Night Football game on November 5 against the Baltimore Ravens. Both games resulted in victories. The jersey is black with the numbers, names and stripes all in gold and it also contains a 75th Season logo on the right side of the upper chest part of the jersey. The jersey is considered to be from the 1960 season. The pants are white with a single gold stripe running down the length of the outside of each leg, surrounded by thinner black stripes on either side of the gold stripe. The helmets are gold with the Steelers logo on the right side and a single black stripe running down the center from front to back. The helmet was worn during the 1962 season, which was the first year that the present Steelers logo began to appear on their helmets. The only two differences are that the logo on the original helmet read 'Steel', whereas Steelers appears on the helmet that the team wore for the two games in 2007 and that the face mask on this version of the helmet is black, whereas the original face mask color on the gold helmet was gray. The throwbacks, minus the "75th season" patch, are now officially the team's alternate uniform as of the 2008 season.[23]

Mascot

Steely McBeam signing autographs for fans at Steelers training camp on August 2 2007

Prior to the 2007 season, the Steelers introduced Steely McBeam as their official mascot.[24] As part of the 75th anniversary celebrations of the team, his name was selected from a pool of 70,000 suggestions submitted by fans of the team.[24] Diane Roles of Middlesex, Pennsylvania, submitted the winning name which was "meant to represent steel for Pittsburgh's industrial heritage, "Mc" for the Rooney family's Irish roots, and Beam for the steel beams produced in Pittsburgh. And also for Jim Beam, her husband's favorite alcoholic beverage."[25] Steely McBeam is visible at all home games and participates in the team's charitable programs and other club-sponsored events.[24]

The new mascot has not been embraced by Steelers fans. In poll of over 33,000 voters, McBeam received approval from less than 10%.[26] The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette named McBeam as one of the city's "dishonorable mentions" for 2007.[26] Some have created Anti-Steely apparel, dubbing the mascot "Steely McStupid."[27]

Rivals

The Pittsburgh Steelers have three primary rivals, all within their division: (Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens, and Cincinnati Bengals). They also have rivalries with other teams that arose from post-season battles in the past, most notably the New England Patriots, Oakland Raiders, and Dallas Cowboys.

They also have an intrastate rivalry with the Philadelphia Eagles, but under the current scheduling rules the teams only play each other once every four years. The two teams do, however, meet every year in preseason games, and are usually nationally televised on ESPN. In 2007, however, the two teams played their ritualistic preseason game on the NBC Network.

Divisional rivals

  • The Cleveland Browns and the Steelers have been divisional rivals since the two cities' teams began playing against each other in 1950. After posting a 9-31 record in first 40 games of the series between the two cities, the Steelers recently took over the all-time series lead for the first time ever (56–55-1); partly due to holding an overwhelming 17–3 record against the post-1999 expansion Cleveland Browns franchise, including winning the last ten straight. Additionally, the Browns lost 16 straight years in Pittsburgh from 1970–1985 and posted an abysmal 5–24 record at Three Rivers Stadium overall. Former Steelers head coach Bill Cowher coached the Browns special teams and secondary before being hired by Pittsburgh after his brief tenure with Kansas City, which has only served to intensify this rivalry.
  • The Baltimore Ravens and the Steelers have had several memorable match-ups and have a bitter divisional rivalry. Both teams handed the other their first losses at their current home fields. The Steelers won the inaugural game played at Baltimore's M&T Bank Stadium in 1998, 20–13, and three years later the Ravens handed the Steelers their first-ever loss at Heinz Field, 13–10. Later that season (2001) Pittsburgh won a divisional playoff game 27–10 against Baltimore, which had appeared in its first Super Bowl the previous season. During their world championship season in 2000, the Ravens defeated the Steelers in Pittsburgh, 16–0, in the season opener with the Steelers later exacting revenge, 9–6, in Baltimore (the Ravens' final loss of the season). The Steelers lead the series (begun in 1996), 15–9. The two teams complement each other by consistently fielding strong defenses in their division.
  • The Cincinnati Bengals rivalry with Pittsburgh dates from the 1970 season, when the NFL-AFL merger was completed. One of the most memorable games was the 2005 AFC Wildcard playoff game, in which the Steelers, en route to a Super Bowl title, won a 31–17 come-from-behind victory after Bengals QB Carson Palmer was forced to leave the game with a knee injury. The Steelers and Bengals finished 2005 and 2006 with identical records (11-5 and 8–8 respectively), splitting both regular-season series, the Bengals winning the tiebreaker both years due to having a superior division record. The Steelers also are responsible for ending the Bengals' season in Cincinnati two years in a row, eliminating them from the playoffs in 2005 and taking them out of contention in 2006.

Historic rivals

  • The rivalry between the Steelers and the New England Patriots emerged when the "cinderella" Patriots upset the Steelers in the 2001 AFC Championship game at Heinz Field. Pittsburgh did not exact revenge until ending the Patriots record-setting 21-game winning streak in week #6 of the 2004 NFL season. Later that season, the Steelers lost to the eventual champion Patriots in the AFC Championship game after a 15-1 season. The two also had a brief rivalry in the mid 1990s when the Steelers and Patriots split playoff meetings in 1996 and 1997, in which the Patriots had two young stars with Pittsburgh-area roots in Ty Law and Curtis Martin. Martin played his last game as a Patriot against the Steelers in the second playoff game before signing with the rival New York Jets during the offseason, where he became more well known. The Patriots have won 5 of the last 6 meetings, including both AFC Championship match-ups. The teams' next meeting will be at New England on November 30, 2008.
  • The rivalry between the Steelers and the Oakland Raiders was the most heated of the 1970s. The Steelers' first playoff win was a 13-7 victory over the Raiders by way of Franco Harris's Immaculate Reception on December 23 1972. Pittsburgh was knocked out of the playoffs the following year by the Raiders, but fired back with two straight AFC Championships in 1974 and 1975 over Oakland. Oakland responded with a victory over Pittsburgh in the 1976 AFC Championship (the third consecutive AFC title game between the two teams), but not before Chuck Noll referred to Oakland's George Atkinson as part of the NFL's "criminal element" after his hit on Lynn Swann during a regular-season matchup. Atkinson and the Raiders later filed a defamation of character lawsuit against Noll, but lost. While the rivalry has dissipated over the years (mostly due to Oakland's decline in recent seasons), the teams have had notable games against each other including an upset Raiders victory in week #8 of the 2006 NFL season (20-13), which helped cost the Steelers a playoff berth. The teams' next meeting will be at Pittsburgh in 2009.
  • The rivalry between the Steelers and the Dallas Cowboys started with the Cowboys' first game as a franchise in 1960 (against the Steelers) at the Cotton Bowl with the Steelers coming away with a 35-28 victory. These teams hold a record for the most times (three) that two teams have met in a Super Bowl. The first two times the Steelers and Cowboys met came with Pittsburgh victories in Super Bowl X and Super Bowl XIII to become the Team of the '70s (in fact, between the Cowboys and Steelers, Super Bowl XIII had the highest number of future hall of famers participating). The teams featured an all-star matchup at quarterback between the Steelers' Terry Bradshaw and the Cowboys' Roger Staubach, both of whom are in the Hall of Fame. In 1977, Staubach and the Cowboys went on to win Super Bowl XII, their second and last loss of that season being inflicted by Bradshaw and the Steelers, 28-13 at Three Rivers Stadium in November. In 1979, Staubach's final season, the two defending conference champs met again at Three Rivers, the Steelers winning 14-3 en route to winning their fourth Super Bowl title. The Steelers won two of three meetings during the 1980s, with the Cowboys winning all four meetings during the 1990s, including the teams' record third Super Bowl meeting in 1996, as this time the heavily-favored Cowboys beat the Steelers 27-17. Dallas cornerback Larry Brown intercepted Pittsburgh quarterback Neil O'Donnell twice and was named the game's MVP. The teams' first meeting of the 2000s (and 21st century) went to the Steelers in 2004. Their next meeting will be at Pittsburgh on December 7, 2008, which has already gotten some hype after Ben Roethlisberger mentioned that he plans on sending Tony Romo and Jessica Simpson to Mexico after the game.[28] This is in reference to Romo and Simpson going to Mexico shortly before the Cowboys loss to the eventual Super Bowl Champion New York Giants in the playoffs.

Fanbase

Main Article: Steeler Nation.

The Steelers have a tradition of having a large fanbase, which has spread from Pittsburgh. In August 2008, ESPN.com ranked Steelers' fans as the best in the NFL, citing their "unbelievable" sellout streak of 299 consecutive games.[29][30] While the team gained a large fan base nationally based on their success in the 1970s (and are also second to the Dallas Cowboys as the most popular pro football team in Mexico), many consider the collapse of the steel industry in Pittsburgh at the end of the 70's dynasty into the 1980s to be a large catalyst for the unusually high fan base in other cities[31], since many native Pittsburghers were forced to move elsewhere, causing Western Pennsylvania in general (and Pittsburgh in particular) to lose nearly half of its population. Examples of this has been shown when the Steelers are on the road, and the stadiums still having a sizable amount of Steeler fans; in particular, teams with usually low fan turnout at home that would otherwise require a local blackout on television usually end up selling out when hosting the Steelers due to Steeler fans buying up the tickets. The Cincinnati Bengals (especially during their "Bungals" years in the 1990s and early 2000s) used to be perhaps the best example of this, as the team only sold out home games when the Steelers or Cleveland Browns were playing in Cincinnati, with the respective fans of the other teams buying up the tickets.

In 1997, the Steelers indirectly influenced Tennessee Oilers owner Bud Adams to move the team to Nashville a year early after the Oilers season finale against the Steelers in the Oilers temporary home of Memphis due to the low turnout of fans in all games played at the Liberty Bowl except for the Steelers, whose own fans filled up the stadium. This occurred despite the fact that both teams were playing in a meaningless game (The Steelers, who already locked up the AFC Central title and a first round bye, were resting starters while the Oilers were already eliminated from the playoffs.), and the Steelers on the losing end 24-6. After moving the team from Houston the year before, Adams originally wanted to play in Memphis for two years while Adelphia Coliseum in Nashville was under construction since Vanderbilt Stadium had a small seating capacity below NFL levels. However, after the chorus of boos that greeted the Oilers at the start of the contest. Adams decided to move.

The team has sold out every home game since the 1972 season.[32] In November 2007, the Steelers were ranked as the most popular sports franchise out of the 122 teams in the NHL, NBA, MLB and NFL, by a study from Turnkey Sports.[33][34] Another study ranked Pittsburgh as having the highest percentage of female fans of their local football team, ranking twice as high as the average city.[35] An aspect of Steelers fandom, the Terrible Towel, is "arguably the best-known fan symbol of any major pro sports team".[32] Invented by broadcaster Myron Cope in 1975,[32] the towel's rights have since been given to the Allegheny Valley School in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania which cares for over 900 people with mental retardation and physical disabilities, including Cope's autistic son.[36] Since 1996, proceeds from the Terrible Towel have helped raise more than $2.2 million for the school.[36]

Some notable fans include actors Adam Sandler[37], Burt Reynolds[38], Jeff Goldblum[39], & Michael Keaton[40], singers Hank Williams, Jr.[37], Bret Michaels (of Poison fame)[31], Charlie Daniels[41], & Snoop Dogg[42], professional wrestler Kurt Angle[43], comedian Dennis Miller[37], and conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh[37], among others. Out of those fans, Keaton, Goldblum, Angle, and Miller are Pittsburgh natives, while Michaels is a native of nearby Butler (also the home of former Steelers backup quarterback Terry Hanratty), and Limbaugh once worked at Pittsburgh radio station KQV in the early 1970s. Angle, who played football in high school in addition to freestyle wrestling, also tried out unsuccessfully for the Steelers as a fullback in 1996 following his gold medal win in the 1996 Olympic Games before going on to fame with World Wrestling Entertainment and currently Total Nonstop Action Wrestling.

Team statistics and records

Further information: Pittsburgh Steelers statistics

Players of note

Current roster

Pittsburgh Steelers roster
Quarterbacks (QB)

Running backs (RB)

Wide receivers (WR)

Tight ends (TE)

Offensive linemen (OL)

Defensive linemen (DL)

Linebackers (LB)

Defensive backs (DB)

Special teams

Practice squad

Reserve


As of November 9, 2024. Rookies in italics.

53 active, 14 reserve, 16 practice squad (+2 exempt)

Pro Football Hall of Famers

The following list was taken from the Pro Football Hall of Fame's official website:[44]

Inductees

Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Famers
Name Position Year Inducted
Bert Bell[45] Co-owner 1963
Mel Blount[46] CB 1989
Terry Bradshaw[47] QB 1989
Len Dawson[48] QB 1987
Bill Dudley[49] RB / DB 1966
"Mean" Joe Greene[50] DT 1987
Jack Ham[51] LB 1988
Franco Harris[52] RB 1990
Robert "Cal" Hubbard[53] T 1963
John Henry Johnson[54] RB 1987
Walt Kiesling[55] G / Head Coach 1966
Jack Lambert[56] LB 1990
Bobby Layne[57] QB 1967
Johnny "Blood" McNally[58] RB 1963
Marion Motley[59] FB 1968
Chuck Noll[60] Head Coach 1993
Art Rooney[61] Founder / Owner 1964
Dan Rooney[62] Executive / Owner 2000
John Stallworth[63] WR 2002
Ernie Stautner[64] DT 1969
Lynn Swann[65] WR 2001
Mike Webster[66] C 1997

Award recipients

Retired numbers

Super Bowl MVPs

The following Steelers players have been named Super Bowl MVP:

All-time team

As determined by a fan vote in 2007:[68]

*Pro Football Hall of Famer

Italics - Entire career spent with the Steelers

Coaches

Main article: List of Pittsburgh Steelers head coaches

The Steelers have had sixteen coaches through their history. Their first coach was Forrest Douds, who coached them to a 3-6-2 record in 1933. Chuck Noll had the longest term as head coach with the Steelers, he is one of only four coaches to coach a single NFL team for 23 years.[2] Hired prior to the 2007 season, the Steelers current coach is Mike Tomlin.[69]

Current staff

Pittsburgh Steelers staff
Front office
  • Owner/president – Art Rooney II
  • Vice president – Art Rooney Jr.
  • Vice president of player personnel – Dan Rooney Jr.
  • General manager – Omar Khan
  • Assistant general manager – Andy Weidl
  • Director of player scouting – Mark Sadowski
  • Assistant director of player scouting – Max Gruder
  • Director of college scouting – Dan Colbert
  • Director of pro scouting – Sheldon White
  • Senior scouting assistants – Kelvin Fisher
  • Senior personnel assistant – Quentin Harris
  • Director of football administration – Cole Marcoux
  • Director of player development – Darrel Young
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
  
Defensive coaches
  • Defensive coordinator – Teryl Austin
  • Defensive line – Karl Dunbar
  • Outside linebackers – Denzel Martin
  • Inside linebackers – Aaron Curry
  • Secondary – Grady Brown
  • Assistant secondary – Anthony Midget
  • Defensive quality control – Jason Brooks
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
  • Head strength and conditioning – Phil Matusz
  • Assistant strength and conditioning – Justus Galac
  • Senior conditioning coordinator – Garrett Giemont
  • Sports science coordinator – Roderick Moore

→ Coaching staff
→ Front office
→ More NFL staffs

Radio and television

As of 2006, the Steelers' flagship stations were WDVE 102.5FM and WBGG 970AM. Both stations are owned by Clear Channel Communications. Games are also available on 51 radio stations in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio, and West Virginia.[70] The announcers are Bill Hillgrove and Tunch Ilkin. Craig Wolfley is the sideline reporter. Myron Cope, the longtime color analyst who popularized the "Terrible Towel," retired after the 2004 season, and died in 2008.

Pre-season games not shown on one of the national broadcasters are seen on KDKA, channel 2; WPCW, channel 19; and FSN Pittsburgh. Coach Mike Tomlin's weekly press conference is shown live on FSN.

National NFL Network broadcasts are shown locally on KDKA, while national ESPN broadcasts are shown locally on WTAE, channel 4.

Figures with broadcasting resumés

The Steelers franchise has a rich history of producing well-known sportscasters over the years: the most famous of which is Myron Cope, who served as a Steelers radio color commentator for 35 seasons (1970-2004).

Additionally, several former players for the Pittsburgh Steelers picked up the broadcast microphone:

References

  1. ^ "Breakdown of Hall of Famers by Team". ProFootballHOF. Retrieved 2008-05-06.
  2. ^ a b "Steelers history" (PDF). PittsburghSteelers.com. Retrieved 2008-05-06.
  3. ^ Team - Pro Football Hall of Fame
  4. ^ http://www.nfl.com/history/teams/PIT
  5. ^ a b Official site of the Pittsburgh Steelers - Team History
  6. ^ :The U.S. Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals:
  7. ^ World War II Steagles to be honored at tonight's game - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
  8. ^ Pittsburgh Steelers Team Encyclopedia - Pro-Football-Reference.com
  9. ^ The Playoff Bowl (Bert Bell Benefit Bowl)
  10. ^ Pittsburgh Steelers Draft History, Stats and more on databaseFootball.com
  11. ^ History: 1974 Draft - Pro Football Hall of Fame
  12. ^ Official site of the Pittsburgh Steelers - Article
  13. ^ a b Fitzpatrick, Dan (2008-07-11). "Investor confirms talks with 5 Rooneys". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2008-07-13.
  14. ^ "Steelers Ownership Transition". PittsburghSteelers.com. 2008-07-07. Retrieved 2008-07-13.
  15. ^ "Rooneys look to restructure Steelers ownership". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 2008-07-07. Retrieved 2008-07-13.
  16. ^ Dulac, Gerry (2008-07-08). "Steelers ownership in turmoil". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2008-07-13.
  17. ^ Fitzpatrick, Dan (2008-07-09). "Steelers suitor Druckenmiller 'loves Pittsburgh'". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2008-07-13.
  18. ^ Bouchette, Ed (2008-07-23). "Tomlin says ownership situation a potential distraction". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2008-07-24. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  19. ^ Dulac, Gerry (2008-09-18). "Druckenmiller withdraws name from Steelers sale". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2008-09-19.
  20. ^ AISI | The Story Behind the Pittsburgh Steelers Logo
  21. ^ Official site of the Pittsburgh Steelers - Logo History
  22. ^ [http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/recap?gameId=260205023 ESPN - Steelers get past Seahawks for fifth Super Bowl win in club history - NFL Football Recap
  23. ^ http://news.steelers.com/catalog/product/91379/
  24. ^ a b c Dvorchak, Robert (2007-08-09). "Catching up with their competitors, the Steelers christen a mascot". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2008-04-27. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  25. ^ Byko, Maureen (2007-08-19). "Middlesex grandmother won Steelers 'Name the Mascot' contest". Retrieved 2008-04-27. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  26. ^ a b "2007's dishonorable mentions". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 2007-12-23. Retrieved 2008-04-27.
  27. ^ "SteelyMcStupid.com". Retrieved 2008-04-27.
  28. ^ Roethlisberger Ribs Romo
  29. ^ "ESPN ranks Steelers fans No. 1". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. 2008-08-30. Retrieved 2008-08-30.
  30. ^ Mosley, Matt (2008-08-29). "NFL's best fans? We gotta hand it to Steelers (barely)". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2008-08-30.
  31. ^ a b MySpaceTV Videos: Steeler Nation by INDY STEELERS - Indyburgh(SCM 35)
  32. ^ a b c Associated Press (2008-02-28). "Steelers' former radio announcer Myron Cope dies at 79". USA Today. Retrieved 2008-06-07.
  33. ^ Anderson, Shelly (2007-11-07). "Penguins Notebook: In this case, No. 20 ranking is huge". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2008-06-07.
  34. ^ Collier, Gene (2008-05-25). "This is Hockeytown?". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2008-06-07. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  35. ^ "Survey: Steelers Have Best Female Fan Base". KDKA. 2007-09-13. Retrieved 2008-06-07. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  36. ^ a b "Allegheny Valley School Mourns the Loss of Myron Cope". Allegheny Valley School. 2008-02-27. Retrieved 2008-02-29. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  37. ^ a b c d Pittsburgh Steelers News - a Pittsburgh Steelers Aggregation Site
  38. ^ Burt Reynolds (I) - Biography
  39. ^ Jeff Goldblum - Mahalo
  40. ^ Michael Keaton - Biography
  41. ^ In America by The Charlie Daniels Band Songfacts
  42. ^ ESPN - Another great improviser: Snoop Dogg on Romo - NFL
  43. ^ IGN: SmackDown Countdown 2005: Kurt Angle
  44. ^ Franchises - Pro Football Hall of Fame
  45. ^ Member - Pro Football Hall of Fame
  46. ^ Member - Pro Football Hall of Fame
  47. ^ Member - Pro Football Hall of Fame
  48. ^ Member - Pro Football Hall of Fame
  49. ^ Member - Pro Football Hall of Fame
  50. ^ Member - Pro Football Hall of Fame
  51. ^ Member - Pro Football Hall of Fame
  52. ^ Member - Pro Football Hall of Fame
  53. ^ Member - Pro Football Hall of Fame
  54. ^ Member - Pro Football Hall of Fame
  55. ^ Member - Pro Football Hall of Fame
  56. ^ Member - Pro Football Hall of Fame
  57. ^ Member - Pro Football Hall of Fame
  58. ^ Member - Pro Football Hall of Fame
  59. ^ Member - Pro Football Hall of Fame
  60. ^ Member - Pro Football Hall of Fame
  61. ^ Member - Pro Football Hall of Fame
  62. ^ Member - Pro Football Hall of Fame
  63. ^ Member - Pro Football Hall of Fame
  64. ^ Member - Pro Football Hall of Fame
  65. ^ Member - Pro Football Hall of Fame
  66. ^ Member - Pro Football Hall of Fame
  67. ^ "Ernie Stautner Biography". PittsburghSteelers.com. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  68. ^ Official site of the Pittsburgh Steelers - Article
  69. ^ Dulac, Gerry (2007-01-18). "Tomlin, 34, is NFL's rising coaching star". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2008-04-27. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  70. ^ Official site of the Pittsburgh Steelers - Broadcasts

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pittsburgh Steelers.

The 50 Greatest Plays in Pittsburgh Steelers Football History: http://www.amazon.com/Greatest-Pittsburgh-Steelers-Football-History/dp/1600781055/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1204666458&sr=1-4

Preceded by Super Bowl Champions
Pittsburgh Steelers
1974 and 1975 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Super Bowl Champions
Pittsburgh Steelers
1978 and 1979 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Super Bowl Champions
Pittsburgh Steelers
2005 		Succeeded by
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pittsburgh_Steelers&oldid=240150722"