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Chuck Noll's choice.

Noll is THE man! The whole organization changed in his time period. Built from nothing to the best group you will ever see on a football field. I'm glad I got to watch it first hand when I was a kid. I'm happy I ran into Coach Noll and his wife by chance down here in Florida many years ago. One of the few times I've ever been awe struck by any human. Maybe it was from watching him all of those years on t.v. leading a group of guys I saw as larger than life. Ahhh great times.

That is incredible. And what you said about him turning that franchise around (with the help of Bill Nunn) seems spot on.
 
Perhaps too much credit give to Noll for his drafting of players and not enough to THE man... Bill Nunn.

It was the genius of Nunn that sought out "nobodies" from small black colleges...Stallworth, Mel Blount, Donnie Shell, LC Greenwood, Ernie Holmes...and not from a black college, but a smaller one Mean Joe was drafted out of North Texas State.

I read somewhere that after Joe Greene was drafted the Pittsburgh paper headline read "Joe who"?

http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/...teelers-scout-dies-at-89/stories/201405070182



TOTALLY agree but Dan Rooney was a part of that also. I think he was the scouting department head at the time. Like said....... the STEELERS were horrible but many people went to watch to see how beat up the other team would get. The STEELERS may have lost a lot of games but they had that TOUGH reputation and that carried with our beloved STEELERS until recently. Oh those were the days........................................ BAM in the chops





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It was a collaborative effort getting this franchise on track between Dan Rooney who was a true visionary in his time, Chas Noll a young and ambitious young assistant coach who as a player was a messenger guard for the old Cleve. Brownies back in the Paul Brown era, Bill Nunn and Blesto our scouting system.

This is what turned it all around for the Steelers. It wasn’t one man it was this culmination of people and
scouting system. Add in a bit of luck too which was long overdo for this franchise. Picking future HOF players like Lambert, Webster, Ham, Blount and Stallworth to name a few help ed turn things around in a hurry. Franco who was not the feature back for the Nittany Lions that distinction went to Lydell Mitchell was a shocker at the time but was exactly what this team needed. The drafting between 69 and the late 70’s was the best maybe ever in the NFL.

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TOTALLY agree but Dan Rooney was a part of that also. I think he was the scouting department head at the time. Like said....... the STEELERS were horrible but many people went to watch to see how beat up the other team would get. The STEELERS may have lost a lot of games but they had that TOUGH reputation and that carried with our beloved STEELERS until recently. Oh those were the days........................................ BAM in the chops





Salute the nation

Drink, Dan took over team operations and hired Noll, who brought in his staff. Art Rooney Jr. (Dan’s older brother) ran the scouting for the FO during the that time until the late 70’s. Art was the pulse of those great drafts that brought all those Steeler greats. Chuck wanted Joe Greene, not only for his awesome play, but for the attitude he would bring the franchise to contenders.


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Drink, Dan took over team operations and hired Noll, who brought in his staff. Art Rooney Jr. (Dan’s older brother) ran the scouting for the FO during the that time until the late 70’s. Art was the pulse of those great drafts that brought all those Steeler greats. Chuck wanted Joe Greene, not only for his awesome play, but for the attitude he would bring the franchise to contenders.


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Thanks for the clarity as memories can fade a little. I just wanted Dan acknowledged also. Amazing how it all came together in such a short time. Literally 1968 losing season was the start of the NEW STEELERS.




Salute the nation
 
Thanks for pointing that out Ike. Art Jr. was a huge part of their success in turning things around. I should have acknowledged Art but glad you did.


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