The Pittsburgh Steelers are all about consistency and tradition. Whether you are talking about the incredible stability under the Rooney family, only having three coaches since 1969, or having six Lombardi Trophies in their possession, the Steelers stay the course. That consistency and the Pittsburgh standard is what made former Steelers feared linebacker, Greg Llyod, never want to leave.
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Steelers owner and president, Art Rooney II, upholds the Steelers standard year in and year out.
Steelers Fans' Dedication Wowed Lloyd
Lloyd was on The Eddie Mata Show on Thursday, and it didn't take much for Lloyd to start gushing about what the city of Pittsburgh meant to him. The host, Eddie Mata, was talking to Lloyd about how there is just something different about the relationship between the Steelers and their city. Mata mentioned the depth of tradition that exists within Pittsburgh and the way a Steelers football game completely transforms the city, something that blew him away.
"Let me tell you something, traditionally you guys -- I mean, Steelers is like, I know on a Sunday in Pittsburgh when you guys [Steelers] play, the city is empty. They're either at the stadium, or they're inside their homes watching. There's nobody hanging out."
Lloyd didn't just agree with Mata's statement on what the Steelers mean to the city and the way it is put on display. He went deeper and spoke from the heart about how the fans were his foundation.
It's one thing for the stadium to be packed early on game day and for the parking lot to be a mass of humanity all tailgating for the Steelers, but for Lloyd, it was the memory of the night before a game that meant the most. Lloyd told Mata about the feeling he would get as a player to see the fans already outside the stadium, Three Rivers Stadium at the time, on a Saturday night ahead of a Sunday game. That sight and memory planted a seed of pride that never stopped growing within Lloyd for the city of Pittsburgh.
"If you could go to Three Rivers Stadium - and I'm not talking about Heinz Field or whatever it's called now - but if you could go to Three Rivers Stadium on a Saturday night before a game, you would go, 'What in the world?' You would think there was a game going on inside the stadium already. The tailgating and stuff that they did, it was phenomenal."
Three Rivers may not be where Steelers fans congregate any longer, but the passion and inspiration remain. Despite being tested by recent challenges, mainly the 2023 opening day 30-7 loss to the San Francisco 49ers and, of course, Matt Canada, the tradition and passion stay true. There is truly something special about the relationship between zealous fans and the players they cheer for every week, and Lloyd understood it on a personal level.
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Pittsburgh Steelers Offensive Coordinator Matt Canada carries a large share of the blame for the lifeless offense in Pittsburgh lately.
Steelers' Greg Lloyd Upped His Game For The Fans
It's a two-way street between the fans of a team and the players who perform on the field. The fans invest their time, money, and self into the franchise and the players, while the players feed off the crowd and energy on game day. Lloyd understood this relationship, and it was the catalyst behind his often-violent play that came across during a game.
The sight of fans around the stadium a full day before a game inspired Lloyd and was something he never forgot. When you are a professional athlete surrounded by the glitz and money, it can be painfully easy to forget the fans are the reason it all exists. That wasn't the case for Lloyd in any manner at all. When he thought about the fans waiting outside the stadium on a Saturday, especially in Pittsburgh, where the weather can be quite unforgiving, he understood the dedication, and it fed into his own passion.
"It's like, these people think enough of me and my teammates to be out here in this cold friggin' weather, you know, dealing with the elements to watch -- just to get a glimpse of us, to watch us play."
Lloyd never let himself forget that, and it was apparent in the way he attacked the game. Lloyd is widely considered to be among the legendary linebackers in Steelers lore, and the heart he played with was a huge reason for the results he got consistently. It wasn't just inspiration to play hard, though, because the mere thought of letting down those fans wasn't something Lloyd would allow to become a reality. The bond between Steelers player and fan was such that it made him need to be better so that they weren't disappointed.
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Steelers former linebacker Greg Lloyd held himself to a higher standard because of the Steelers fans.
Anytime those challenges arose, all Lloyd had to do was remember that all those fans were relying on him and investing in his performance. For him, that was enough to make him elevate his game to ensure he was never the reason for a letdown.
"You think that I'm going to slack in practice? You think I'm going to hang out [until] 3, 4, 5 [A.M.], drinking, boozing, and partying, and not go do my part? I'm not that guy."
For 12 years, Lloyd held himself to that Steelers standard, and he ended up putting together a truly stellar career. No matter the obstacle before him, Lloyd broke through, and the fire burning within him was fueled by the Black and Gold fans.
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