PITTSBURGH — On this day 82 years ago, Arthur J. Rooney founded the Pittsburgh Pirates, also known as the Rooneymen until the team officially adopted the name Steelers in 1940.
The ownership of the team has remained in the Rooney family for its entire existence.
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Now, in 2015, the Steelers remain as a staple and one of the iconic teams in the National Football League.
Moments like the “Immaculate Reception,” to players like Jerome “The Bus” Bettis have helped make the Steelers the franchise they are today.
Now, 82 years and six championships later, there have been dozens of memorable moments in the history of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
History
The franchise won only 22 games its first seven seasons.
The team would play games in other cities outside of Pittsburgh to avoid competition with baseball and college football.
In 1938, Rooney signed All-American Byron “Whizzer” White to a $15,800 contract – BIG money for the time period.
The Steelers’ first winning season came in 1942 when they were led by leading rusher Bill Dudley.
The team merged with the Eagles in 1943 and the Cardinals in 1944.
The team’s first-ever playoff game was a 21-0 loss to the Eagles in 1947.
Success
The Black & Gold earned eight consecutive playoff berths, seven AFC Central titles and four AFC championships from 1972 to 1979.
The Steelers became the third team to win five Super Bowls after they defeated the Seahawks in Super Bowl XL.
That year, the Bill Cowher-led team became the first wild-card team in history to win three road playoff games and the Super Bowl.
In 2009, the Steelers became the first team to win six Lombardi Trophies with a victory in Super Bowl XLIII over the Cardinals.
Logo/Helmet/Uniforms
Like most of Pittsburgh’s sports organizations, the Steelers are known for wearing the black and gold.
Unlike its hockey and baseball brethren, the Steelers uniform includes a touch of red, orange and blue on the right side of the helmet. The Steelers are the only NFL team with a logo on just one side of their helmet.
The three diamonds on the side of helmet are based on the logo for the American Iron and Steel Institute, or AISI.
The colors themselves represent materials used for steel production. Red represents ore, and blue for steel scrap.
Super Bowls
The Steelers have played in eight Super Bowls, winning six of them, including four in six years.
- Super Bowl IX (Jan. 12, 1975) – Steelers 16, Minnesota Vikings 6
- Super Bowl X (Jan. 18, 1976) – Steelers 21, Dallas Cowboys 17
- Super Bowl XIII (Jan. 21, 1979) – Steelers 35, Dallas Cowboys 31
- Super Bowl XIV (Jan. 20, 1980) – Steelers 31, Los Angeles Rams 19
- Super Bowl XXX (Jan. 28, 1996) Dallas Cowboys 27, Steelers 17
- Super Bowl XL (Feb. 5, 2006) – Steelers 21, Seattle Seahawks 10
- Super Bowl XLIII (Feb. 1, 2009) – Steelers 27, Arizona Cardinals 23
- Super Bowl XLV (Feb. 6, 2011) – Green Bay Packers 31, Steelers 25
Hall of Fame
- Bert Bell (1941-1946)
- Jerome Bettis (1996-2005)
- Mel Blount (1970-1983)
- Terry Bradshaw (1970-1983)
- Jack Butler (1951-59)
- Len Dawson (1957-1959)
- Dermontti Dawson (1988-2000)
- Bill Dudley (1942, 1945-1946)
- Joe Greene (1969-1981)
- Jack Ham (1971-1982)
- Franco Harris (1972-1983)
- Robert (Cal) Hubbard (1936)
- John Henry Johnson (1960-1965)
- Walt Kiesling (1937-1939) (1940-1942, 1954-1956)
- Jack Lambert (1974-1984)
- Bobby Layne (1958-1962)
- John (Blood) McNally (1934, 1937-1938)
- Marion Motley (1955)
- Earle (Greasy) Neale (1943)
- Chuck Noll (1969-1991)
- Art Rooney (1933-1988)
- Dan Rooney (1955-Present)
- John Stallworth (1974-1987)
- Ernie Stautner (1950-1963)
- Lynn Swann (1974-1982)
- Mike Webster (1974-1988)
- Rod Woodson (1987-1996)
WPXI
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