Pittsburgh Steelers

by Abby Mendelson

Published 1 October 1996
As the Steelers rolled to a Super Bowl victory in 2006 by winning three straight playoff road games in a row, led improbably by a second-year quarterback and an aging superstar, the fervor of Pittsburgh fans reached a pitch unequaled since the team's last trip to the Super Bowl in 1995. After more than seventy years, the proud tradition of Steelers football is as stirring and vibrant as ever. The Pittsburgh Steelers: The Official Team History is the thundering account of a team whose heritage is characterized by the same rugged confidence and gritty determination displayed by their many fans through the years. Combining more than 290 photographs with riveting text, author Abby Mendelson highlights the players, coaches, games, and legends cherished by fans of the Men of Steel. Hear tales of renowned team owner Arthur Rooney (affectionately known as 'the Chief'), the Pittsburgh native who founded the franchise in 1933 as the Pittsburgh Pirates. Now enshrined in the Hall of Fame, Rooney stuck with the team-through many hard times-for more than forty years before passing the reins to his son, Dan.
Meet the stars of Steelers past such as Byron 'Whizzer' White, who went on to serve thirty-one years as a United States Supreme Court Justice, and rowdy Hall-of-Famer Johnny 'Blood' McNally, who played and coached for the Steelers in the 1930s. Relive the glory days of Chuck Noll's dynastic tenure as head coach in the seventies, when he led the team to four Super Bowls with such legendary names as Bradshaw, Swann, Stallworth, Blount, Harris, and Greene. Finally, view the achievements the Steelers have collected over the last fourteen years under Bill Cowher, from the triumphs of his early tenure to the present crop of players that comprise the 2006 Super Bowl champions. Peppered with anecdotes, rich with interviews from players past and present, and produced with the full cooperation of the team, The Pittsburgh Steelers is an essential keepsake for every true fan.