PITTSBURGH — The NFL Draft will be a celebration of football, and there is no better place to highlight the game than Western Pennsylvania.
There is a rich football history in the region that ranges from high schools to the pros.
“That’s really going to be the theme of this draft. It’s really all aspects of football and that rich winning tradition that’s come out of western Pennsylvania,” NFL Vice President of Global Events Nicki Ewell said.
Few people have the perspective on that winning tradition like Steelers President Art Rooney II. He is anxious to see it on full display next week.
“The draft is going to be a very bright spotlight on the North Shore, on the city, the region, and it will be amazing to see that many visitors find their way into town,” Rooney said.
Visitors will be encouraged to see more than just Downtown Pittsburgh.
“There’s so much history in this region and it’s living kind of on the streets and in the neighborhoods,” Chief Historian and Director of the Franco Harris Sports Museum Anne Madarasz said.
The Franco Harris Sports Museum is at the Heinz History Center, which is encouraging visitors to tour the city’s notable spots in sports history. Those include the Immaculate Reception Monument on the North Shore or the Forbes Field outfield wall in Oakland.
They’re calling it Pittsburgh’s Sports Heritage Trail.
“I really encourage people, start your visit here if you wanna learn about sports history and then there’s so much all around the area to do,” Madarasz said.
The history center is also zooming out to celebrate the region’s impact on football.
They’re also encouraging visitors to travel to the hometowns of notable athletes, like Joe Namath’s Beaver Falls or Mike Ditka’s Carnegie. It is all a nod to the seemingly never-ending pool of talent from Western Pennsylvania.
“We’ve identified more than 900 Western Pennsylvania high schoolers who went on to play at least one game in the professional leagues. I mean, that’s incredible. It’s probably about one in every 23 players that played in the NFL,” NEEDS ATTRIBUTION.
“You say WPIAL anywhere in Pennsylvania and even around the country, and people know that high school, the quality, the talent, the depth from this region of producing great football players,” NEEDS ATTRIBUTION.
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