The Pittsburgh Steelers have had some historic players wear the black and gold throughout the history of the organization, and most of them that are recognized often include the guys who were a part of the Super Bowl teams from the 1970s. It's the players from that dynasty, or players that were with the team during the mid-2000s when the organization captured its fifth and sixth Lombardi Trophies, that are heavily favored. However, there were some fantastic players in Pittsburgh that never got the chance to hoist the Lombardi Trophy and win a Super Bowl ring.
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Former Steelers head coach Bill Cowher looks onto the field from the sidelines during an NFL game.
A lot of the players that fit this criteria were on the team during the 1990s, and that includes former middle linebacker Levon Kirkland. He anchored the front seven throughout the 1990s, and he was an All-Pro twice during his time with the Steelers. One of the players he played alongside was Greg Lloyd, who was an outside linebacker for those teams. Lloyd was always known to be an intimidating player, and Kirkland would have some issues keeping Lloyd in check.
In a recent appearance on Not Just Football With Cam Heyward, Kirkland broke down a moment when he and Lloyd got into it in the middle of a game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Lloyd was unhappy with how loud Kirkland called the huddle.
"I called the huddle and he was like, 'Don't call the huddle so effing loud,'" Kirkland said. "My temperature went up to here. I was tired of Greg Lloyd, and an angel and a devil came on my shoulder. You know, like the old cartoons? The devil was like, 'Don't let him talk to you like that?' I thought the angel was going to sort of calm it down, but the angel was like, 'Yeah, don't let him talk to you like that.' The quarterback was under center, and I was like, 'Hey, G! I call this huddle as f*cking loud as I want to.'"
These were two players going back and forth while the opposing offense was lining up to run a play. It is also important to note that these were two of the best players on the defense for the Steelers, and they were both considered leaders on the team.
Steelers.com
Former head coach Bill Cowher speaking to linebacker Greg Lloyd during a home Pittsburgh Steelers' game.
Picking a fight with Lloyd is a bold move. He had been with Pittsburgh since 1987, and Kirkland was not drafted until 1992. It is still unclear what year this might have happened in, but it is fair to assume that this was a major moment for Kirkland as he became a true leader on the defense. Kirkland spoke more about what happened after this exchange.
"I went in the next morning, I go into the weight room, he is in the weight room with no shirt on, just rocked up with an eight-pack on the bench press," Kirkland said. "I'm like, 'Oh my god, I'm going to have to fight this guy. I know I'm going to have to fight him, right?' So, I go to my locker and his locker is across from mine, he just has his towel on and he's walking towards me. I grab my helmet, planning to put the logo on his face. He's like, 'That's what I'm talking about, you don't let anybody intimidate you.'"
Kirkland thought he was about to have to fight his teammate, but Lloyd was proud of the way he handled the situation. This is a good example of great leadership, even if it wasn't on purpose.
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Steelers' Levon Kirkland and Greg Lloyd make a tackle during a Super Bowl loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
Steelers' Defense Was Led By A Great Duo
Kirkland and Lloyd played together on the Steelers from 1992 through 1997 when Lloyd suffered some injuries and finished his career up by playing one season with the Carolina Panthers. The two were a great defensive duo, and Kirkland actually had the best years of his career while Lloyd was stuck on the sideline dealing with injuries.
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