XL Super Bowl
January 12th, 1975. I don’t remember many dates from my childhood, but I remember that one. I was 10 years old at the time, growing up in the North Hills of Pittsburgh, Pa. The center of my world revolved around a place that I had never even heard of before, and a Championship game that consumed my day. What was supposed to be the first Super Bowl to be played indoors was instead played at Tulane stadium, because the Super Dome was not yet complete for Super Bowl IX.
36 years later that team remains the only NFL team to win four Super Bowls in six years, yet what might separate the Steel Curtain Steelers of the 1970s from other NFL champions is what they did off the football field. Lynn Swann is running for governor of Pennsylvania. John Stallworth founded an aerospace company in his native Alabama that employs hundreds. Franco Harris launched a successful bakery and is one of the most visible NFL players from the 1970s, making numerous public appearances. Jack Ham runs his own company in Pittsburgh and is a color analyst for NFL games on Westwood One radio and for Penn State's vast radio network. Dwayne Woodruff must be called "Your Honor." A successful Pittsburgh attorney, he was elected an Allegheny County Common Pleas Court judge last year. Mel Blount, runs a youth home for disadvantaged youngsters in Canonsburg, Pa. Tony Dungy, obviously is the Head Coach for the Indianapolis Colts. And of course, Terry Bradshaw might be the most recognizable TV studio host in NFL history. And I knew them when!
All these players have moved on. I’ve since moved away from Pittsburgh, and have resided in Atlanta the last 14 years. You can take the boy out of the city, but you can never take the Steelers out of the boy. I love football, but more importantly, Steelers football. I still never miss a game because of a wonderful product called TiVo, but watch the vast majority of the games live thanks to NFL Sunday Ticket. My daughter watched her first football game with me only days old in Piedmont Hospital for a Monday Night Football game against the Tennessee Titians.
I took a look at the series of draft picks that built the Dynasty of 70’s. 1969: Joe Greene, DT, North Texas St. 1970: Terry Bradshaw, QB, Louisiana Tech 1971: Frank Lewis, WR, Grambling 1972: Franco Harris, RB, Penn St. 1973: J.T. Thomas, DB, Florida St. and 1974: Lynn Swann, WR, Southern Cal. Now let’s take a look at some of the last few years that built the team that made Super Bowl XL: 2001: Casey Hampton, DT, Texas 2002: Kendall Simmons, OG, Auburn 2003: Troy Polamalu, SS, USC 2004: Ben Roethlisberger, QB Miami (Ohio) and 2005: Heath Miller, TE, Virginia. That’s some key drafts that between 2001 and 2005 that could arguably be the best since 1969 through 1974.
I don’t know about another run of 4 Super Bowls in 6 years for this team. I do like our odds in this Super Bowl, and I enjoy dreaming about what this team could be in the next few years. With free agency, it will most certainly be more difficult to keep this team in tact. However, the Steelers have been the model of consistency year in and year out for as long as I can remember. I’ve only known two Head Coaches in the long history of following the Steelers. I was 5 when they hired Chuck Noel in 1969. Since Bill Cowher has was hired 14 years ago, there have been 95 Head Coaching changes in the NFL.
I’ll close this weeks entry with a Prayer for Super Bowl XL.
Our Father, who is Art Rooney in Heaven, football be thy game.
Thy kingdom come, 4 Super Bowls won, on earth as it is at Heinz Field.
Give us this day our playoff victory, and forgive us our penalties,
As we defeat those who play against us.
Lead us to a playoff victory, and deliver us to Detroit.
A-Ben
Go Steelers!
Doug & Ronda Bauknight
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