OTD - On This Day in Steelers History

[6Trophies]

OTD in 1974….

The greatest single draft day by one team in sports history

The Steelers draft 4 future Hall-of-Famers including Lynn Swann, Jack Lambert, John Stallworth, and Mike Webster.

After the draft, they sign another HoF’er in Donnie Shell.

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On January 29-30, 1974, the Pittsburgh Steelers orchestrated the greatest draft in NFL history, selecting four future Pro Football Hall of Famers—Lynn Swann, Jack Lambert, John Stallworth, and Mike Webster—within the first five rounds. The team further solidified their dynasty by signing eventual Hall of Fame safety Donnie Shell as an undrafted free agent.

The 1974 Draft Class Highlights:



Lynn Swann (WR, Round 1): Elite playmaker and Super Bowl X MVP.



Jack Lambert (LB, Round 2): Defensive anchor and 1974 Defensive Rookie of the Year.



John Stallworth (WR, Round 4): Legendary deep threat.



Mike Webster (C, Round 5): The "Iron Mike" anchor of the offensive line.



Donnie Shell (Undrafted Free Agent): Signed after the draft, finishing his career as one of the best safeties in league history.

[Sir Lambert]

1 amazing thing about this team: In 1974, the rookie year for those 5 Hall of Famers, only 1 of those rookies was a regular starter, and they were still the Super Bowl champions in '74. In retrospect, it's not surprising that they won 3 more by 1980.

[Stosh-67]

And drafting in January...
Not April

[Jobu]

That picture of Webster is great!

[BouldernBun]

The '71 draft wasn't half bad either. Jack Ham is the only HOFer but Gerry Mullins, Dwight White, Larry Brown, Ernie Holmes, Mike Wagner.. We need a few more drafts like these!

[Dan Smith--BYU]

The 70s drafts after 74 were pretty meh and set up the 80s lean years, I don't think they had another good draft until '87.

[6Trophies]

OTD in 1973….

Steelers draft Loren Toews in the 8th round

Initially forced into a reserve linebacker role, Toews still finds a way to make an impact, wears the Black & Gold for 11 years, and starts 62 games.

Toews INT in 1978 AFC Championship

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[SteelerDayTrader]

The 70s drafts after 74 were pretty meh and set up the 80s lean years, I don't think they had another good draft until '87.

Exactly which HOF quality player are you cutting for a draft pick ???

The real deal is this

That 70s defense could easily have 8+ guys in the HOF were it not for league wide jealousy

Hell the Steelers GAVE Brown to the Hawks and he went on to put up HOF numbers


The offense is much the same


Easily 7 guys from those teams OUGHT to be in

[SteelerDayTrader]

And let’s face it

Agree with me or not

Those 70s teams were LOADED at every position

Zero weak links

And Noll hooked them up with absolutely the best steroids

Great players + league leading drug use = championships

[6Trophies]

https://x.com/Steelersdepot/status/2018 ... 84334?s=20

17 years ago today, the game-winning TD drive against @AZCardinals in Super Bowl XLIII #Steelers #NFL

[6Trophies]

How good was Big Ben in his prime?

This good...

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[6Trophies]

https://x.com/Steelersdepot/status/2018 ... 84334?s=20

17 years ago today, the game-winning TD drive against @AZCardinals in Super Bowl XLIII #Steelers #NFL

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[6Trophies]

James Harrison's amazing, most incredible SB play in history? Or was Santonio Holmes' catch better?

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20-years ago today Joey Porter made headlines at media day...

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17-years ago today Santonio Holmes made what could have been the greatest catch on what might have been the greatest throw in SB history...

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[6Trophies]

And the Steelers winning the SB and the Pens winning the SC, in the same season...

City of Champions (if only the Bucs...)

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[6Trophies]

17-years ago today Santonio Holmes made what could have been the greatest catch on what might have been the greatest throw in SB history...

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[6Trophies]

Twenty years ago this week Willie Parker went for a run

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[6Trophies]

The year was 2009...

https://x.com/steelers/status/2017979753802956922?s=20

[Louis Lipps Service]

https://x.com/Steelersdepot/status/2018 ... 84334?s=20

17 years ago today, the game-winning TD drive against @AZCardinals in Super Bowl XLIII #Steelers #NFL

I completely forgot we were only down by 3 on that game winning drive.

You just know that the 2025 version of Tomlin would have gotten past the 50 yard line and would have immediately taken his foot off the gas to play for the FG.

You can argue that we were going no huddle and Ben was calling his own plays, but I’d counter by saying that 2025 Tomlin would have still found a way to screw it up.

And I do remember Tomlin being more aggressive in his first few years, and I don’t think it changed entirely because Ben left, because the paradigm shift seemed bigger than just with play calling. It seemed to echo in every decision the organization made at all levels.

[Deebo]

https://x.com/Steelersdepot/status/2018 ... 84334?s=20

17 years ago today, the game-winning TD drive against @AZCardinals in Super Bowl XLIII #Steelers #NFL

I completely forgot we were only down by 3 on that game winning drive.

You just know that the 2025 version of Tomlin would have gotten past the 50 yard line and would have immediately taken his foot off the gas to play for the FG.

You can argue that we were going no huddle and Ben was calling his own plays, but I’d counter by saying that 2025 Tomlin would have still found a way to screw it up.

And I do remember Tomlin being more aggressive in his first few years, and I don’t think it changed entirely because Ben left, because the paradigm shift seemed bigger than just with play calling. It seemed to echo in every decision the organization made at all levels.

Once the Killer B's were no longer, the offensive approach moved to being more conservative.

[6Trophies]

Remember when Le'veon Bell WANTED to run?

https://x.com/i/status/2018401810055061919

[6Trophies]

On this day in history, the Steelers won SB XL

20 years ago today: ‘One for the thumb.’
PIT 21, SEA 10

• Willie Parker’s 75-yard TD run is longest in game’s history
• Big Ben became youngest QB to win SB
• MVP: Hines Ward

The final game for Jerome Bettis, featuring his individual entrance, organized by Joey Porter Sr.

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[6Trophies]

On this day 25 Years Ago Three Rivers Stadium was demolished

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[6Trophies]

Happy Birthday Levon Kirkland

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[CKSteeler]

Remember when Le'veon Bell WANTED to run?

https://x.com/i/status/2018401810055061919

I'm just going to say it. Bell was always overrated and the hype went to his head. He had a unique running style certainly. It was entertaining to watch and had old school RB coaches pulling out their hair. But there were even quotes from Munchack shared at the time that he could have usually just run the play as designed and gotten yards but chose not to. It was a lot of flash with definite substance, but not always called for.

So, he had a top OL. He also had one of the most dangerous passing attacks in the league. Teams they faced each week would have much rather had the Steelers feeding Bell than seeing the Ben/Brown connection going off. If it was a heavy Bell day, it meant the team was probably scoring 20 points or so and you had a chance. That the Steelers were slowing down their offense and that's what most teams playing them wanted.

Bell almost never had to deal with unfavorable boxes. He faced deep safety looks and coverage shells that really allowed him to operate on the Steelers in his unique way. He fit the offense well at that time. He just was never the guy the way he was made out to be.

And that's why his career exploded upon leaving the Steelers. It wasn't the year he stupidly decided to sit out. It was that he went to a dumpster fire of a team with little talent around him and they expected him to be the engine of the offense and he wasn't capable of doing that in that environment. Not even close.

Brown was legitimately special. Ben was of course obviously special. Bell was unique, but not special.

And I said all this at the time. I did not want the Steelers to pay Bell. James Conner stepped in and played well as long as he was healthy. In some ways he out produced Bell (better red zone runner) and while not as flashy, he has had more sustained success than Bell. Guy is still quietly doing his thing and being productive as of 2024.

Letting Conner walk when he got paid peanuts was a mistake. Said that at the time, too. It shows just how badly Tomlin and co evaluated the RB position over the years. Bell ended his career with 500 more yards than Conner currently has. Conner may very well surpass him when it's all said and done. And Conner wasn't a headcase as Bell proved to be.

[.Kodiak]

Not sure I completely agree with that take on Bell.

He had lost a step by his final year with PIT, and then he sat out a year. Though he was only 27 when he went to the Jets, Tomlin ran the wheels off.