The Pittsburgh Steelers franchise never came by things easily. The Steelers waited four decades for their first playoff win and after a hard-fought victory in Super Bowl IX, the Steelers set about defending their first championship in 1975. Chuck Noll and the Steelers rolled through the AFC and piled up a 12-2 record and an AFC Central division crown. It was the first time the NFL saw three teams in one division win 10 games and the Houston Oilers missed the playoffs after going 10-4 and finishing third in the AFC Central.
Photo by Sean Brady/NFLPhotoLibrary
Steelers' Myron Cope waves the Terrible Towel.
The Terrible Towel Is The Symbol Of Steeler Nation
The 1975 Divisional round game marked the debut of Myron Cope’s Terrible Towel. Pittsburgh fans were worried that the new gimmick might be viewed as a jinx since they were breaking it out for the first time against the Baltimore Colts. It appeared in the second half that the towels might be just that, as a feeling of dread spread throughout the crowd as the home team trailed the upstart Colts, 10-7.
The Colts had turned to Marty Domres at quarterback because their star, Bert Jones got hurt on just the fourth play of the game. Domres had an uneven performance, but had led the Colts to a slim three-point lead. He found a wide-open Mel Blount late in the third quarter, and after a 20-yard return, Rocky Bleier plunged into the end zone for the Steelers' go-ahead score. After a poor punt, the Steelers scored again on a Terry Bradshaw run, and trailing 21-10, the Colts turned back to Jones to save the season.
Giant Eagle Supermarket
Steelers' Andy Russell remembered by Giant Eagle Supermarket for a 93-yard return.
On cue, Jones completed a 58-yard pass to Glenn Doughty and the Colts were in business at the Steelers’ three-yard line. What happened next would go down in infamy. Jones dropped back to pass and Hall of Fame outside linebacker, Jack Ham burst through the line, hit the future league MVP, and jarred the ball loose. Andy Russell emerged to recover the ball and a bizarre series of events began to unfold. The play was immortalized in NFL Films' America’s Game Super Bowl 10 Champions documentary.
“Andy picked up that ball and it looked like he was going to sprint to the end zone,” Lynn Swann observed. “The bear just got on his back, he was getting slower and slower.”
Sports Illustrated would end up calling the Russell return the longest, slowest touchdown ever witnessed. Russell was a seven-time Pro Bowl selection during his 12 seasons as a Steelers linebacker and has been overlooked repeatedly by the Hall of Fame because he lined up with Ham and Jack Lambert during his great career. He wasn’t overlooked on December 27th, 1975.
“I was on the ground,” Dwight White chimed in. “When Andy got the ball, I caught Andy, passed him, and blocked for him. The guy was running like a ’39 Chrysler.”
The 93-yard touchdown jaunt seemed to last forever. The return lasted so long that the Colts injured quarterback who lost the ball, did everything he could to stop it. It turned out he would have multiple opportunities to make a play.
Steelers.com
Steelers' Lynn Swann makes a leaping catch during Super Bowl X.
“Bert Jones was actually blocked three times on that one play. He gets blocked, he gets up, and he catches Andy. He gets blocked and knocked down again. He gets up, goes after Andy, and gets blocked a third time by the time Andy Russell gets to the end zone,” Swann observed with a twinkle in his eye.
The Steelers' offense did everything they could to give the game away with five turnovers and the Russell return lasted seemingly longer than some of the Steelers’ offensive possessions. The Pittsburgh linebacker had a sense of humor about the play and said this of the never-ending touchdown run:
“That play has been the source of embarrassment for me for years,” Russell said. “Ray Mansfield said that NBC cut to a commercial during the return and came back to catch me score the touchdown.”
Philip G. Pavely / USA TODAY Sports
Steelers legends Dick Hoak and Andy Russell.
The Steelers marched on to the AFC Championship game where they defeated the Oakland Raiders 16-10 after turning the ball over an astonishing seven times. In two AFC playoff games, the Steelers' offense had turned the ball over 12 times and the defense only allowed 20 points off those turnovers. It is perhaps the finest defensive performance in the Super Bowl era.
Pittsburgh played turnover-free football in Super Bowl X in what many considered the greatest football game played to that point in NFL history, beating the Dallas Cowboys 21-17 to complete the playoff run that began with the birth of the Terrible Towel and a fumble return that still echoes throughout Steelers history.
What do you think, Steeler Nation? Did you know the story of the never-ending fumble return? Please comment below, or on my Twitter @thebubbasq.
