By G.Stryker
SteelerNation.com
Yesterday we discussed the single greatest draft in NFL History, the 1974 Steelers draft that saw them add Hall of Fame players: Lynn Swann, Jack Lambert, John Stallworth, Mike Webster, and Donnie Shell. Five of the six Hall of Famers from that season went to the Steelers. Though this is by far the best acquisition of rookies in league history, the Steelers drafting dominance started in 1969 when the Steelers rookie head coach, Chuck Noll drafted his very first player.
Noll was hired by Pittsburgh from the Baltimore Colts, where he served as their defensive coordinator. As a defensive minded coach and former defensive line coach of the AFL’s Chargers franchise, it was no surprise that his first pick was a defensive lineman. Mean Joe Greene joined the Steelers as the 4th pick in the 1969 draft and would become the keystone of the Steel Curtain defense, winning NFL Defensive Player of the Year twice in 1972 & 1974. L.C. Greenwood was also added in the 10th round and some speculate he may make the Hall of Fame some day. Offensive tackle Jon Kolb was also picked up in the 3rd round. All of those players mentioned would go on to start and win four Super Bowls with the Steelers. Five Hall of Fame players were drafted in '69, amazing that Noll was able to select one of them with his very first pick.
The 1970 draft had the Steelers competing with the Chicago Bears for the first pick. Both teams only had one win, and since neither played the other, the tiebreak came down to the flip of a coin. Luck was on the Steelers side as they won the toss, and with the very first pick, they took quarterback Terry Bradshaw from Louisiana Tech. Bradshaw would have some ups and downs early on before he became the franchise quarterback that led the Steelers to all four of their first Super Bowl victories. Not to be outdone, the first pick of the 3rd round saw them draft another Hall of Famer, cornerback Mel Blount from Southern University. Mel would go on to be named to six All Pro teams, and five Pro Bowl teams. He would finish his career holding the Steelers franchise record for interceptions with 57. The Steelers drafted the only two Hall of Famers this year, though the Miami Dolphins would pick up Jim Langer as an undrafted rookie offensive lineman. Either way, two of the three Hall of Famers that year were Pittsburgh Steelers.
In 1971, the Steelers picked up a tremendous amount of talent. Their first pick WR Frank Lewis would play in Pittsburgh until 1977, only to leave and become a Pro Bowl talent for the Buffalo Bills. In the 2nd round, the Steelers would find their next Hall of Fame linebacker, Jack Ham from Penn State. Jack was named to eight All Pro teams, eight Pro Bowl teams, and won NFL Defensive Player of the year in 1975. The Steelers would continue to draft Pro Bowlers DE Dwight White, TE Larry Brown, & S Mike Wagner. TE Gerry Mullins was also drafted and all of these players mentioned would go on to win four Super Bowls with the Steelers. A lot of talent to be sure and the Steelers were still able to acquire one of the five Hall of Famers from that year’s crop of rookies.
In 1972, only one player was a Hall of Famer. Wouldn’t you know, the Steelers managed to draft him with their first pick. Franco Harris, a running back from Penn State won offensive rookie of the year honors. His most important play that season was his catch and run score on the "Immaculate Reception" which gave the Steelers their first playoff win in nearly 40 years of existence. Franco earned nine Pro Bowls, 3 All Pros, and was the Super Bowl MVP of the Steelers first Super Bowl appearance.
The 1973 draft didn't see the Steelers add any more Hall of Famers, but they did add one player of note. J.T. Thomas was a cornerback from Florida State. He would play alongside Mel Blount for most of his career and receive one Pro Bowl invitation in 1976. Though he missed all of the 1978 season with a blood disorder, he did play and start for three Steelers championships as he earned four Super Bowl rings. Sadly, the Steelers missed out on all four Hall of Famers taken that season, but they would make up for that in spades the following year.
1974 we all know about and you can see my article from yesterday for a more in depth analysis. Final numbers from all of the drafts between 1969 and 1974, in six seasons, the Steelers drafted a Hall of Fame player in five of those six years. There were 24 Hall of Famers from those seasons, and the Steelers had 10 of them. That means nearly 42% of all Hall of Fame players acquired wore black and gold for Pittsburgh. This is an amazing acquisition of talent, and a far cry from the draft strategies prior to Noll when the Steelers looked to gain players in exchange for their draft picks. It is unbelievable to think how a franchise’s fortunes changed after making a commitment to build their team through the draft, targeting the type of players they valued. Fortunately for Steelers fans, this drafting dominance was the foundation for four Superbowl victories, and the groundwork laid to turn Steeler Nation into one of the most devoted and passionate fan bases in the NFL!
I'm sure you have a favorite player taken in one of these drafts. Share your thoughts on your favorite picks below in the comments section.
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