Steelers' Andy Russell Threw A Brutal Flag Football Game Against The Cowboys In 1988 That Left A Pile Of Shameless Injuries

Every Pittsburgh Steelers fan knows about the team's history with its old archenemy, the Dallas Cowboys. The two teams both built dynasties and were physical powerhouses in the 1970s. They've met in the Super Bowl three total times, with the Black and Gold coming out on top 2-1. 

They were two consistently dominant teams throughout the 70s specifically, however. The Cowboys appeared in five Super Bowls during that time span and won the two that weren't against Pittsburgh. Meanwhile, the Steelers appeared in four Super Bowls between 1975-1980, winning all four. It would be impossible for two teams to square off in championships as often as they did and not develop a serious rivalry. However, that rivalry also bred respect between the two teams.      

That respect led to former Steelers linebacker Andy Russell getting the gang together again in 1988, but this time for a good cause. The two teams met in Pittsburgh at Three Rivers Stadium and played flag football to raise money for several causes in Pittsburgh. 

The game was heavily promoted, with promises to see many big names from Pittsburgh and Dallas. Some of the Cowboys expected to be there included: Roger Staubach, Tony Hill, Cliff Harris, Charlie Waters, Golden Richards, and Butch Johnson. Some of the Steelers expected included Russell, Jack Ham, Jack Lambert, Franco Harris, Rocky Bleier, Joe Green, L.C. Greenwood, Terry Hanratty, Joe Gilliam, and Ray Mansfield. 

In Sean Deveney's book Facing the Pittsburgh Steelers, former Cowboys defensive end Larry Cole, reminisces about that wild game. Cole said they appreciated Russell's invite and were eager to help, but taking the competitor out of the players was hard. 

"It's funny, maybe, 10 years later, Andy Russell invited a bunch of us to come in to Pittsburgh and play a flag football game in Pittsburgh at the stadium, one of those charity games," said Cole in Deveney's book. "For fun and for the fans. But we went into it and we just couldn't quite handle playing flag football. It was still Cowboys vs. Steelers. It wound up being a pile of injuries. [John] Frenchy Fuqua broke his ankle. Franco Harris got hit in the face, broke his nose. Andy Russell tore his Achilles. There were maybe three of us that pulled hamstrings. Terry [Bradshaw] wasn't there, but we won the game. It was stupid, of course. But that's sports, you are a competitor and you want to win. For us, it was like we wanted to beat them somehow, some way."

After the game, Lynn Swann joked that the Cowboys of the 1970s finally came back and won a Super Bowl. It should be noted that the Cowboys beat the Steelers in the Super Bowl at the end of the 1995 season, but that was a different era, and this flag football game was well before that. That makes the Cowboys' passion to beat the Steelers easy to understand.

The Steelers didn't go down without a fight. Like in real games during the 1970s, Pittsburgh's defense almost outright won the game for them, with Greene stripping flags from Staubach instead of the football. But Gilliam could not channel his inner Terry Bradshaw, and didn't pick up the yardage they needed to win. 

"We stayed with them that night, and hung around those guys, and they were a really great bunch of guys," added Cole. "After that, though, they never had another Cowboys-Steelers flag football game again. I think that was the end of that rivalry."

Both teams put on quite a show for a nearly packed stadium with fans eager to see their childhood heroes. The players showed that while Father Time is still undefeated, that competitive fire isn't easily extinguished.  

While the rivalry doesn't have the same intensity it once did, it rears its head every four years or so, and younger fans get regaled with stories of the "good old days." That cycle will come back around during the 2024 season when the Steelers face the Cowboys during a Sunday night game in October.

Steelers-Cowboys Rivalry Has Created A Begrudging Respect

The two teams might have "hated" each other on the field back then, but now, many can admit begrudging respect. While stories like the one of Lambert pile-driving Harris on his head for teasing Steelers kicker Roy Gerela for missing a kick are the kind you hear most often, there are others.  

Recently, Harris, who played safety for the Cowboys, was asked who was the toughest quarterback he had ever played against; his answer was Bradshaw. Harris said that Bradshaw always seemed to have their number during the Super Bowl, and it is hard not to admire that. 

Do you remember the Steelers-Cowboys rivalry of the 1970s? Do you think charity events like the one mentioned make sense, or is it just an injury waiting to happen? Click to comment below. 

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