"There are 29 teams in pro football, and then, there are the ." That quote, offered by legendary NFL Films narrator John Facenda, was said at the beginning of . The quote perfectly summarizes the 1970s Steelers, a team that was, quite simply, in a league of their own. After four decades of futility, the '70s Steelers helped transform Pittsburgh into The City of Champions after becoming the first
Dave Cash Jersey team to win four Super Bowls. After a 26-year hiatus, Pittsburgh added to their Lombardi Trophy collection in 2005, with a new cast of characters leading the Steelers to another Super Bowl win. Many of those same faces helped Pittsburgh win another Super Bowl just three years later, as the Steelers became the first team in NFL history to win six Super Bowls. Throughout that time, the Steelers boasted some of best players in pro football history, players that helped create the current standard of excellence that permeates throughout the organization. As part of CBS Sports' "Franchise Five" series, we've engaged in the tough a signment of determining the Steelers' greatest coach, quarterback and three other players that make up the five most prominent figures in franchise history. We arrived at these names with input from 's Jim Wexell; ' Dale Lolley; 's Andrew Fillipponi; and J.J. Cooper, who also happens to be one of most knowledgeable Steelers historians. While we were limited to just one quarterback for the CBS Sports Pittsburgh Steelers' Franchise Five, our esteemed advisors provided candidates for our list: : Chuck Noll, Joe Greene, , Terry Bradshaw, Rod Woodson : Noll, Roethlisberger, Greene, Mel Blount : Noll, Bradshaw, Greene, Jack Lambert, Jack Ham : Noll, Bradshaw, Greene, Woodson, Troy Polamalu Coach Chuck Noll Known as "The Emperor" in Pittsburgh, Chuck Noll helped turn the Steelers from a losing franchise into the NFL's most succe sful organization since the AFL-NFL merger. Noll, along with Steelers team president Dan Rooney and a talented scouting department, reshaped the Steelers through the draft, acquiring nine Hall of Fame players (and signing another Hall of Fame player, Donnie Shell, as an undrafted rookie) between 1969-74. These players, who meshed with other talented newcomers and a few holdovers from pre-Noll era (most notably linebacker Andy Ru sell and center Ray Mansfield), helped the Steelers win their first division title in 1972. Two years later, they won their first of four Super Bowls over a six-year span. An education major in college, Noll was a teacher at heart, instructing his players to master their techniques and game plans in order to operate at a nearly flawle s level on Sundays. And while he wasn't known as a
Andrew McCutchen Jersey motivator, Noll's speech to his team prior to the 1974 AFC Championship is regarded as the turning point in the history of the franchise. Noll's speech came after coach John Madden told that the Raiders and were the league's two top teams following Oakland's playoff win over Miami.Gary M. Pomerantz described the scene in his book, "Their Life's Word: The Brotherhood of the 1970s Pittsburgh Steelers." " Noll told the Steelers what Madden had said and then, his eyes tightening at the corners, Noll said that Madden was wrong. 'The best team in the NFL,' Noll said, thumping his index finger on a table, 'is sitting right here in this room.' "It took his players a moment to react, to decide whether their coach had just said what he had just said. Then their reaction was like a small dam breaking, hoots and howls, broad smiles and hand slaps, and Franco Harris saying 'Yep!' No player reacted more demonstratively
Chuck Klein Jersey than Joe Greene. ... Much as he respected Noll, Greene had long craved more emotion from his coach -- for his teammate, not himself -- and now he had gotten it. It wasn't Noll said in the meeting room, or he said it. It was simply he said it. It caught Greene, and the entire team, by surprise." The inspired Steelers wiped out the Raiders, 24-13, to advance to their first Super Bowl. Noll, the coach of the Super Bowl's Golden Anniversary Team, went onto became the first coach to win four Super Bowls and, a year after he retired, received induction into the Pro Football Hall
Jim Thome Jersey of Fame. QB Ben RoethlisbergerThe Steelers had some very good teams from 1984-2003, but were unable to add to their Lombardi Trophy collection during that span largely because of the quarterback position. While Neil O'Donnell and Kordell Stewart led the Steelers to four AFC title games between 1994-2001, Pittsburgh came up short in three of those games. And after defeating the in the 1995 AFC title game, three O'Donnell interceptions largely contributed to Pittsburgh's lo s to Dallas in Super Bowl XXX.Pittsburgh's championship drought shortly ended after the team drafted Ben Roethlisberger in 2004. As a rookie, Big Ben helped lead the Steelers to a 15-1 record and trip to the AFC title game. But after a tough showing against the in the AFC Championship, Big Ben vowed to get the Steelers to the Big Game in 2005, coaxing Jerome Bettis to delay retirement another year. Roethlisberger backed up his talk with his play, leading the Steelers to three road playoff wins before Pittsburgh defeated Seattle in Super Bowl XL. Three years later, Roethlisberger led the Steelers to their sixth Super Bowl win, throwing the game-winning touchdown pa s to Antonio Holmes in the final minute of Pittsburgh's win over Arizona in Super Bowl XLIII. After helping lead the Steelers to another Super Bowl in 2010, Roethlisberger has re-written the Steelers' record books. The franchise's all-time leader in just about every pa sing category, Big Ben is eighth all-time in career pa sing yards (56,545) and ninth with 363 career touchdown pa ses. His 157 career victories as the Steelers' starting quarterback is the sixth-highest total in league history.DT Joe GreeneRegarded as the greatest player in franchise history, Greene's No. 75 was officially retired by the team in 2014. Chuck Noll's first-ever draft pick, Greene immediately added a spark to a Steelers franchise that sorely needed one. A two-time Defensive Player of the Year, Greene was virtually unblockable during his heyday, as his lethal combination of speed and power made him a regular in opposing backfields. Greene's greatne s was complemented by a group of defensive teammates that became known as the "Steel Curtain." With Greene leading the way, Pittsburgh's defense, a unit that also included L.C. Greenwood, Dwight White, Ernie Holmes, Dwight White, Jack Lambert, Jack Ham, Andy Ru sell, Mel Blount, Mike Wagner and Donnie Shell, shut out the ' offense in Super Bowl IX. While running back Franco Harris was the game's MVP, Greene put up
Didi Gregorius Jersey a convincing argument, as he came down with a key interception as well as a fumble recovery near Pittsburgh's goal line. Greene continued to grow as a leader as the Steelers' championship run continue
