The Pittsburgh Steelers of the 1970's are a special memory for a generation of fans. In a time of three networks and limited choices on Sundays, the Steelers were a constant presence on NFL broadcasts. The Steel Curtain, Franco Harris, and the leader of the offense, Terry Bradshaw, were more than names on the screen. Those of us that are a certain age may look back on that time protectively of our childhood heroes, but ultimately it reminds us of our own mortality when one of our idols is stricken with health issues. Bradshaw opened up to the Today Show about his recent health struggles.
Exclusive: Terry Bradshaw opens up to @HarrySmith about his cancer battle and why he waited a year to go public with it.
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) November 2, 2022
“Cancer shows no favoritism,” the former Steelers quarterback told TODAY. pic.twitter.com/r4U3DCd3OY
"I couldn’t breathe, that’s when everybody noticed," Bradshaw shares. "'What’s wrong with him?' Social media went, 'Get rid of him, he needs to be off the air. He's an embarrassment.' I’m like, 'Embarrassment, I’ve got cancer.' They didn’t know that."
Bradshaw holds a special place in Steeler Nation. The former first round draft pick overcame so much from fans early in his career. The current rookie quarterback is enduring some hardship, but most of the fans still love Kenny Pickett. Bradshaw was mercilessly booed and benched and overcame all of it to lead the team to four Super Bowls in six seasons. A segment of fans to be sure criticized the Fox Sports staple, but most fans were genuinely concerned about his health.
“I wasn’t scared,” Bradshaw tells NBC reporter, Harry Smith regarding the cancer diagnosis. “I never was scared. I guess cancer didn’t think (I was larger than life). Cancer shows no favoritism. Honestly, Harry I said, 'What do we do?' As a man of faith, a Christian, I was like, 'If I go, it’s okay. If I stay, I’m okay.'”
Terry Bradshaw (12) calls a play against the Bengals in a 1974 game. | Harry Homa/Pittsburgh Steelers
Bradshaw isn’t playing at being a small-town boy with big American dreams. From the moment he arrived in Pittsburgh from Louisiana Tech University, he has been the same likable good old boy, that too often was perceived as less than intelligent. It wasn’t fair to him and more importantly, it wasn’t true. Bradshaw has been in the public eye for over 50 years and is wildly successful. You can’t achieve that status by accident.
MIAMI, FL - JANUARY 21: Terry Bradshaw #12 of the Pittsburgh Steelers throws a pass against the Dallas Cowboys during Super Bowl XIII on January 21, 1979 at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida. The Steelers won the Super Bowl 35-31. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
Harry Smith, who was the former host of the CBS morning program, The Early Show, now works for NBC. The 71-year-old Smith related that after Bradshaw was diagnosed and recovered from bladder cancer, and just when he thought he was healthy, he got devastating news.
“I had nerve pain in my neck and shoulder,” Bradshaw explains. “I have injured my neck before, so it’s not uncommon. You got a tumor, they checked here (pointing to his right side), but they saw it over here (left side). This bothered me.”
Bradshaw was diagnosed with a rare skin cancer known as Merkel cell. Smith does a masterful job drawing out Bradshaw’s tough guy response by asking if the incident where he was out of breath and leaning on Howie Long, was a blessing in disguise.
“How do you talk about your problems, when everyone else has got the same problems,” Bradshaw responds. “I didn’t talk about it because I didn’t want pity. The millions around the country would say, 'Aw, look at him, he has cancer, bless his heart. My husband died of cancer or my kids,' I didn’t want that. It took me a long time before I told my family.”
AP Photo / 1978
Bradshaw, despite being a public figure, and the star of The Bradshaw Bunch reality television show, wanted to keep his troubles to himself. It took almost 20 years after he retired from the NFL to let Pittsburgh fans know he battled depression during his entire playing career and that some of his desire to stay away from the Steelers and fans was due to that condition. He lives in public, but suffers in silence.
“The doctor calls me to tell me what it is,” his wife Tammy Bradshaw tells Smith. “Then, I’m shook because I was a radiation therapist for 10 years. I knew where this could go. I knew what the outcomes could be, and it did scare me the second time with that diagnosis. I never said this to him, but inside, I carried a lot more worry and stress.”
Until Joe Montana started winning Super Bowls and Tom Brady earned the moniker TB12 and the Greatest of All Time, Bradshaw was the heavyweight champion of winning. Modern fans look back and see the 50/50 touchdown to interception ratio and dismiss him out of hand when you talk about the great quarterbacks of the NFL, but Bradshaw is more than stats and it is virtually impossible to compare NFL eras. Bradshaw is a football icon and most NFL fans only know him as a broadcaster who used to play football and don't truly understand what he went through in his playing career.
“I can’t put into words how thankful I am for her [his wife],” Bradshaw poignantly concludes. “I can’t imagine not holding her hand when we take off on a plane or when we snuggle up when we are in bed. When she’s sitting over there with our sick puppy, and she doesn’t know I’m looking at her and I’m so thankful. We’re going to go to Europe, I’m going to get all this in. I may have 25 years left, but I’m going to act like I have one.”
1978 AFC Championship Game. | Harry Homa/Pittsburgh Steelers
Bradshaw’s love for his wife and the realization that he needs to start checking things off a bucket list at 74 years old is endearing. Franco Harris is due to be the third number retired in the storied history of the Pittsburgh Steelers on Christmas Eve. They are playing the Las Vegas Raiders at 8:15 PM that night on the 50th anniversary of the Immaculate Reception. Bradshaw has not publicly stated if he will attend and based on the attention to his health status, may stay away, so as not to draw attention from his teammate.
The Steelers Hall of Honor Museum just opened at Acrisure Stadium and Harris deserves his moment in the sun, but the man who threw the pass does as well. It is probably too late and might seem contrived, but it would be a great moment for Harris to be honored and convince Bradshaw to attend and surprise him with a jersey retirement of his own. Harris and Bradshaw are linked by the greatest play in NFL history, their jerseys should hang side by side permanently.
What do you think, Steeler Nation? Do you want to see Terry Bradshaw get the appreciation he deserves from the franchise while he still can? Please comment below or on my Twitter @thebubbasq.
