The 1975 Pittsburgh Steelers were the club's second championship team. For the first time in the Steelers' 40-year existence, they began the season as defending champions. The squad won Super Bowl X over the Dallas Cowboys, 21-17, thanks to a dominant defense and a speedy offense. The Steelers' roster featured many stars including quarterback Terry Bradshaw, wide receivers John Henry Johnson and Lynn Swann, running back Franco Harris, and defensive ends Mel Blount and Lydell "Tiger" Thomas.
They are known as the Steel Curtain because their defenses were considered top-notch at the time. The team's nickname came from a fan contest where they asked fans for the name of their new dynasty. The Steelers won two out of three games with "Steelers" being voted as the winner by readers of the Pittsburgh Press. The other finalists were the "Broncos" and the "Raiders - not sure if either of those teams had any relation to this one!
Here's how the players on that team described themselves in an interview after the Super Bowl: "Me and Franco have been talking about having a barbecue tomorrow night. I think it'll be fun." "I don't know what else to say," said Bradshaw. "We made good plays and didn't make good plays. It was a team effort."
The Pittsburgh Steelers' 45th season in the National Football League began in 1977. The team finished with an 8-8 record, their second straight eight-win season, but failed to make the playoffs for the third consecutive year.
In 1978, the Steelers lost their first four games before winning five out of seven. They finished with a 7-9 record, failing to return to the postseason for the fourth time in five years.
Pittsburgh returned to the playoffs in 1979 at the invitation of the Miami Dolphins. The Steelers defeated Miami 26-14 in the first round before losing to the Dallas Cowboys 14-7 in the next round. Denny Green started all 16 games at quarterback for Pittsburgh that season.
In 1980, the Steelers went 9-7 and made their first playoff appearance since 1970. They were eliminated by the Cincinnati Bengals 24-14 in the first round. Joe Greene, who had won the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year Award, retired after the season.
Pittsburgh missed the playoffs in 1981 and 1982. In 1983, the Steelers finished with a 10-6 record and won their first Super Bowl title after defeating the Los Angeles Raiders in San Francisco 28-21.
The 1995 Pittsburgh Steelers season marked the team's 63rd year as a professional sports club and part of the National Football League. The Steelers won the Super Bowl for the first time in sixteen years this season (Super Bowl XIV). They defeated their rival Baltimore Ravens 21-10 at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.
This season saw the arrival of quarterback Kordell Stewart from the San Diego Chargers and his replacement by veteran Mike Tomczak. Injuries plagued both quarterbacks, with Stewart missing most of the season with a knee injury and Tomczak being replaced in the starting lineup by Byron Leftwich after Stewart's return from injury. Leftwich would go on to have a very good season himself, finishing with 2,429 yards passing and 16 touchdowns against only seven interceptions. The offense as a whole struggled throughout much of the season, only winning six games before getting into the playoffs.
The defense was the team's strength this season, led by middle linebacker James Harrison and defensive ends Brett Keisel and Joey Porter. All four players were selected to the Pro Bowl after they recorded 99 and 100 tackles, respectively. Linebacker LaVar Arrington also made the trip to Hawaii after he finished with 94 tackles. The Steelers ranked third in total defense (276.4 yards per game) and fourth in scoring defense (15.7 points per game).
The 1970s Steelers were universally regarded as the decade's best team. Thanks to Hall of Fame head coach Chuck Noll and a bunch of Hall of Fame players, they won four Super Bowls. But the enchantment faded in the 1980s, and the Steelers struggled for years simply to make the playoffs. They never went further than the AFC Championship game during this period.
Noll coached the Steelers from 1970 to 1991, and he had a record of 117-67-3. During his tenure, the Steelers won three NFL Championships. He also led them to the Super Bowl after the 1974 season when they defeated Dallas in one of the most famous games in football history. The score was 14-10 but the game is mostly remembered for the cold weather that took place during the match. It was so cold that both teams wore sweatsuits while playing.
Before becoming the Steelers' coach, Noll worked with several other teams including the Baltimore Colts where he first showed his talent as an assistant coach. He then moved on to be the offensive coordinator for the Cincinnati Bengals before being hired by Bill Cowher to be the new head coach of the Steelers.
During his time at the Steelers, Noll not only managed to lead them to victory after victory but also helped them build a strong identity of their own. The players loved him because of his no-nonsense approach to coaching and his commitment to building the team through the draft.
On February 6, 2011, they lost their most recent title appearance, Super Bowl XLV. The Steelers, whose origins can be traced back to a provincial pro club founded in the early 1920s, entered the NFL as the Pittsburgh Pirates on July 8, 1933. They changed their name after the inaugural season to avoid competing with another team named the Pirates. The Steelers went undefeated that first season, winning their first game 21-0 over the Chicago Cardinals and finishing with a perfect 10-0 record. They also earned the nickname "The All-Steel Team" for their dominant performance on both sides of the ball. Quarterback Ben Rothlisberger led the way with 11 touchdown passes and zero interceptions while earning MVP honors. Center Mike Webster became one of the league's best defensive players during his 14 seasons with the Steelers. He was selected for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1999. Linebacker James Harrison has emerged as one of the NFL's top linebackers since coming over from West Virginia University where he was a three-time all-American. Wide receiver Hines Ward is considered by many to be the greatest Steeler ever; he has won several awards including being named to the NFL's All-Decade Team for the 2000s. Running back Jerome Bettis led the league in rushing twice and also captured the award for MVP in 1995. The Steelers have appeared in at least the next season's playoffs every year except for 1943 when World War II prevented them from playing football that season.
In honor of the 40th anniversary of the Steelers and Pirates winning championships, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania- It was the year of Stargell's stars, "We are Family," and the Pirates' most recent World Series victory.
On Jan. 21, 1979, the Steelers won their third Super Bowl, defeating the Dallas Cowboys 35-31 at the Orange Bowl in Miami. The Steelers entered the game with a 14-2 regular season record and playoff wins against the Denver Broncos and Houston Oilers.
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