Steelers’ Chuck Noll Reportedly Threatened Opposing Head Coach For Dirty Play: “I’ll Come After You”

The Pittsburgh Steelers experienced a dynasty under the leadership of Head Coach Chuck Noll. During Noll's tenure in Pittsburgh, he led the team to four Super Bowl victories in the 1970s. These legendary teams of the past created many unforgettable memories, which are now often retold in stories. Pittsburgh football fans are always excited any chance they get to hear a piece of the history of past teams.

One of the most memorable non-winning moments from Noll's era occurred during a heated rivalry game in 1987 against the Houston Oilers, known as The Handshake Game. Although Pittsburgh lost 24-16, the game is remembered for Noll's frustration with what he perceived as the Oilers' dirty play style, which he attributed to Oilers Head Coach Jerry Glanville and his tactics.

This game is detailed in Sean Deveney's iconic Steelers book, Facing the Pittsburgh Steelers: Players Recall the Glory Years of the Black and Gold. The story begins with players being ejected from the game, and Deveney recounts that during the game, Noll made a comment to an Oilers player about Glanville.

"The Handshake Game. On the field, the action had been rough. A fight during the game led to the ejection of three players, Oilers Richard Byrd and Doug Smith, and Steelers Frank Pollard, and Chuck Noll was so irritated by Houston's physicality he reportedly told one Oilers player, 'Me and your coach on the sidelines right now. Who would win?' That Oilers coach was now Jerry Glanville, and though Noll refrained from going after Glanville during the game, he met him at midfield after the game and took his hand in a decidedly awkward and extended handshake. It was then that Noll gave Glanville a lecture that was broadcast around the country on video and in photos."

After the game, Noll walked to the center of the field to meet Glanville. His demeanor was unmistakably fiery, his dissatisfaction evident in his every step. Noll was deeply agitated by the conduct of the Oilers' players throughout the game, convinced that their overly aggressive and borderline unsportsmanlike behavior had been encouraged by Glanville himself. Noll felt strongly that the game had crossed the line into dirty play, a sentiment he attributed directly to Glanville's influence.

Upon reaching the center of the field, Noll wasted no time in confronting his counterpart. His voice was firm and resolute as he delivered a stern message to Glanville. Noll made it clear that he held the Oilers' head coach responsible for the reckless and dangerous tactics employed by his team. 

"Here we go listen to me. If you send players after our players like that, I'll come after you. You are going to get your a** whooped. Don't forget that. I'm serious."

At the time, Glanville was in the early years of his head coaching career, while Noll had been the head coach in Pittsburgh for nearly two decades. Glanville later recalled the encounter from his perspective.

“That was when old Chuck fell in love with my hand after the game. We had won, we beat them twice, they actually had players kicked out of that game, but somehow it was all my fault. I went to shake his hand and he grabs it and starts pointing at me. He was screaming, 'I can't wait to get you at our place, you'll pay for this. You'll pay for this when you come to our place.' I respected him and I treated him with the authority and dignity he should be treated with.”

Glanville responded to Noll’s warning in a way he felt very proud of.

“I said, 'OK, we'll be there, good luck to you.' They showed that on TV for 10 days. I was proud of myself, I did not come back at him. I did not raise my voice or make any predictions. The first game after that, the next season, when they were going to get their revenge, it was the worst beating we ever gave them up there. We won by 20-something points... We beat them to death. He didn't say anything after that. But I always respected him because he was a great competitor and his teams were so tough.”

In that game, the Oilers dominated the Steelers, giving Glanville something to be excited about. Despite this loss, Noll went on to secure a few more victories against the Oilers before his retirement in 1991. Glanville always held immense respect for Pittsburgh and the toughness of their teams, frequently acknowledging Noll's influence in fostering that resilience. Under Noll's hard-nosed coaching, Pittsburgh boasted a historic football team.

Steelers Former Rivalry Expired When The Oilers Became The Titans

The matchups between the Oilers and the Steelers were always intense and fiercely competitive, reflecting the high stakes and deep-rooted rivalry between the two franchises. 

These encounters were not just games but epic battles that contributed to the storied legacy of both teams in NFL history. Although the Oilers are no longer a football team, their legacy lives on. In 1997, they became the Tennessee Oilers, and in 1999, they adopted the name football fans now know today: the Tennessee Titans.

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