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Pittsburgh Steelers History
The Pittsburgh Steelers began in 1933 when owner Art Rooney, Sr. paid the Nation Football League’s $2,500 franchise fee. The club started at the bottom of the league as the Pittsburgh Pirates, only breaking even one season and posting losing records the other six seasons.
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About The Pittsburgh Steelers
The team changed its name to the Steelers in celebration of the steel industries’ prominence in the city. The name change did not do much good, as the team went 2-7 and 1-9 in the first couple of years under the new name. Things began to turn around in 1942 when the Steelers finished the season with their first winning record, 7-4.
The good news was followed immediately by World War II. The war sapped the NFL of talent and the Steelers twice merged with other teams, once the Eagles and once the Cardinals, to just field a team.
World War II ended and the Steelers returned to the bottom of the league with a 2-8 record. Once again things began to be on the verge of changing as Steeler halfback Bill Dudley won the MVP Award in 1946 and the club followed the season with its first playoff birth in 1947.
Unfortunately, the 21-0 loss to the cross-state Philadelphia Eagles was the last playoff appearance for a quarter century. The modern image of the Steelers began in 1972, when the club would return to the playoffs.
The Steelers of the ‘70s became a true football dynasty with head coach Chuck Noll leading a team with Hal of Famers quarterback Terry Bradshaw, wide receiver Lynn Swann, center Mike Webster, wide receiver John Stallworth, running back Franco Harris on offense and Hall of Famers defensive tackle “Mean” Joe Greene, cornerback Mel Blount, linebacker Jack Ham, and linebacker Jack Lambert.
The explosive offense and the defense, nicknamed “The Steel Curtain”, went to the playoffs eight times in the decade and won four Super Bowls in six years. The offense and defensive stars seemed to trade individual accolades every year, with Terry Bradshaw, Lynn Swann, and Franco Harris winning four Super Bowl MVPs and Joe Greene, Jack Lambert, and Mel Blount winning five Defensive MVP Awards.
The ‘80s saw the retirement of the legends of the ‘70s and the Steelers moved to the middle of the pack. Running back Merrill Hoge and safety Rod Woodson were two players who came to the club in the late ‘80s that would be part of the great team in the ‘90s.
The Pittsburgh Steelers won the Super Bowl in 2009, meaning that every team is taking aim at them or trying to poach their winning strategy and their players. The Steelers managed to keep most of that championship defense and all the key offensive players, which means the Steelers actually have a chance to repeat as NFL champions.
