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Coming into the 1969 draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers had been the laughingstocks of the NFL, with a total of two postseason appearances in almost four decades of existence. Going into that draft, newly hired coach Chuck Noll targeted little known Joe Greene out of North Texas State University. The next year, Pittsburgh drafted quarterback Terry Bradshaw with the first overall pick. To open up the third round, they then drafted defensive back Mel Blount.
Over the next two seasons, Pittsburgh would continue their run of great drafts. The 1974 draft was the best of them all.
On the field to this point, the team had become a playoff team. However, their run to the AFC Championship in 1972 was then preceded with a quick exit at the hands of the Oakland Raiders. “Mean” Joe Greene had become the spearhead for the league’s top defense. On offense though, Terry Bradshaw’s inconsistent play was hurting the team. Any offensive production came on the legs of second year running back Franco Harris. In 1974, the team had to make improvements on the offensive side of the ball.
With the 21st selection in the draft, the team drafted USC standout receiver Lynn Swann. Swann As a Trojan, Swann’s hands and grace captured the eyes of fans. He spent his rookie year in Pittsburgh as a premier punt returner, leading the league with 577 yards, before blossoming into a Hall of Fame wide receiver.
In the second round, the team decided to fill up the hole between outside linebackers Andy Russell and Jack Ham with a middle linebacker. Despite being called too skinny, Kent State’s Jack Lambert was drafted with the 46th pick. In his eleven seasons in Pittsburgh, Lambert went to nine pro bowls and became the face of the Steelers’ defense. He was a first ballot Hall of Famer.
Without a third round pick, Chuck Noll and scout Bill Nunn prayed that little known John Stallworth would not be picked up. Nunn had integral knowledge of historically black universities. Playing ball at Alabama A&M, many teams were not aware of John Stallworth. Pittsburgh snatched him up in the fourth round, setting up one of the greatest wide receiver duos in history and giving them three Hall of Famers in the draft.
Their final Hall of Famer, center Mike Webster, was drafted with their next pick in the fifth round. With four draft picks, the Pittsburgh Steelers had drafted four Hall of Famers. And they still weren’t done! The team would sign strong safety Donnie Shell, who went undrafted. Shell went to five pro-bowls, four all-pro teams, and retired as the all-time interception leader at strong safety with 51. Now they were finished.
In the 1974 NFL season, Pittsburgh won their first Super Bowl. Before the decade ended, they would win three more times, creating one of the greatest dynasties in North American sports history. The once pathetic Steelers has since become a standard for professional franchises to emulate. A constant winner, Pittsburgh’s six total Super Bowl victories are the most in the NFL today.
I look back on that once-in-a-lifetime draft class as the final push to get Pittsburgh over the hump. They graduated from a good team to arguably the greatest team football has ever seen.
Daniel Johnson is a Beat Writer for Rant Sports. Follow him on Twitter. “Like” him on Facebook. Add him to your network on Google.
