It has all come down to this, the crowd roars as the two teams jog to the middle of the field getting ready for the snap, the quarterback yells “HUT” and drops back to throw deep to a receiver, BAM! Jack Lambert slams the receiver to the ground! Many things might come to mind when you think of the Pittsburgh Steelers. The record-tying six Lombardi trophies, the three coaches they have had since 1968, and most importantly, their dominance in the 70s! We must include the many legendary players they have had throughout their franchise’s history, Terry Bradshaw AKA The Blond Bomber, Franco Harris AKA Franco Harrahs, Jack Lambert AKA Jack Splat, and many more beasts from the 70s Steelers! Let’s look at one of the most incredible streaks in sports history!

            Now, why was the dominance in the 70s so sweet to see for the fans? Well, for most of the fans at that time, it was a great feeling to finally see a good Steelers team after years of frustration. For the first 40 years of the Steelers franchise, they never won a championship of any kind, until their first AFC title in 1972. From the year they were created in 1933, to around the early 70s, the Pittsburgh Steelers were the definition of mediocrity. They only scored 1 playoff berth in those 38 years, which they lost in the divisional round. And in those years, their best record was 9-5, and their worst was 1-13.

But after those 38 years, the fans finally got a taste of victory. After years of struggle, the 1970s steelers began one of the most incredible streaks in sports history when they earned eight consecutive playoff berths, seven AFC Central titles, and 4 AFC championships from 1972-1979. The Steelers became the first team to win four Super Bowls, and the only team to win back-to-back super bowls twice. The list of heroes goes on and on. Head Coach Chuck Noll, defensive tackle Joe Green, linebackers Jack Ham and Jack Lambert, quarterback Terry Bradshaw, cornerback Mel Blount, and running back Franco Harris were the backbone of this team. Those four Super Bowl-winning years were something to remember.

Now don’t get me wrong, the entire 70s were great for the Steelers, but those four years were the icing on the cake! In 1974 they won their first super bowl title, beating the Minnesota Vikings 16-6. The Steelers ended up going 10-3-1, having a total of 45 touchdowns and a total of 5,465 yards throughout that 1974 season. The following season was no different. In 1975, the Pittsburgh steelers went 12-2 and won their 2^nd consecutive Super Bowl beating the Dallas Cowboys 21-17. In that season, they scored 46 touchdowns and 4,887 yards. The Steelers were the first team to win back-to-back Super Bowls. They went on a short drought for only 2 seasons. And in 1978, the steelers won their 3^rd Super Bowl in only 4 years. In that season, they scored 28 touchdowns total and 4,996 yards. And to end it off, in 1979 the Steelers won back-to-back Super Bowls for the second time in six years, beating the Los Angeles Rams 31-19. The Steelers ended up going 12-4 that season and scoring a total of 26 touchdowns, and 6,258 yards.

            I got the chance to talk to someone who watched this glorious team tear up the field live, my father, Mark Heagy . Now, when asked what was the main thing that made the 70s Steelers so great, he mentioned a quote from the legendary Coach Chuck Noll, “You can accomplish anything if you work as a team.”  He told me that the 70s Steelers always worked as a team and always had a team-first mentality. I also asked him which sides of the ball were better at that time, and he said that they “didn’t have any weaknesses on both sides of the ball, but were known for their dominant defense. Finally, was there anything that carried over to the Steelers team now from the 70s?  He mentioned the consistent ownership of the Steelers that they still have today, and the fact that the Pittsburgh Steelers have only had 3 coaches since 1968, and no team can match that.

            What a great time to be a Pittsburgh Steelers fan! The Steel Curtain era will be at the top of the NFL’s record books forever, as we will probably never see a team that was this dominant for so long.

THAT WAS THE 70s PITTSBURGH STEELERS!!!