The Pittsburgh Steelers are one of the most successful franchises in the NFL. They have won six Super Bowls which is tied with the New England Patriots for the most of any team. Pittsburgh has always been a franchise that is well run by coaches on the sidelines and executives in the front office.
The franchise began in 1933 as the Pittsburgh Pirates. They became the Steelers for the first time in 1940 and then again for good in 1945. The Steelers have had just three head coaches since 1970. That says all you need to know about the stability of their franchise.
There are countless Hall of Famers who have either played for or coached the Steeler, and after careful consideration, here is their all-time Mount Rushmore.
Art Rooney
None of this would be possible without Rooney. He founded the team in 1933 when he paid $2,500 to start a franchise in the city of Pittsburgh. From that point on, Rooney became popular with other owners and led the franchise to be one of the best and most respected.
Rooney owned the Steelers until his death in 1988. His son, Dan Rooney, took over and ran the team until his passing in 2017. The Steelers are still in the Rooney family with Art Rooney II having most of the control today. It is safe to say that the Steelers will never leave the Rooney family.
Chuck Noll
From the front office to the sidelines. Noll took the Steelers' job in 1969 and had the team in the conference championship by 1972. Beginning that year, Noll led the Steelers to 13 straight winning seasons. This included 11 playoff appearances and a perfect 4-0 mark in Super Bowls.
Noll spent 23 years as the head coach in Pittsburgh. He won 193 games in Pittsburgh and nine division titles. Noll was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1993 and named to the NFL 100 All-Time Team in 2019. He made a name for himself as one of the best coaches in the world and is still widely regarded as a top 10 head coach of all-time.
Terry Bradshaw
In 1970, the Steelers selected a quarterback out of Louisiana Tech with the first overall pick in the draft. The player was Bradshaw and the decision paid off immediately. Bradshaw would go onto quarterback Pittsburgh from 1970-1983. The three-time Pro Bowler was named First Team All-Pro in 1978. He would win MVP that same year leading the league with 28 passing touchdowns.
Bradshaw won four Super Bowls along with Noll. He was named Super Bowl MVP in 1978 and 1979. Bradshaw brought winning to the franchise. He started 158 regular-season games in 14 years and won 107 of them. In 1989, Bradshaw was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame and will forever be remembered as one of the best quarterbacks in Steelers' history.
Joe Greene
Greene arrived in Pittsburgh at the same time as Noll and one year before Bradshaw. The steelers selected the North Texas State product with the fourth overall pick in 1969. He would go on to become one of the best defensive tackles in history. He won Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1969 and would go on to be named Defensive Player of the Year twice.
Greene was the leader of the Steel Curtain defense during their run of four championships in six years. Greene was a 10-time Pro Bowler who was named First Team All-Pro four times. He played in 181 games for the Steelers, making 171 starts in 13 years. To this day, Greene is considered a top-five defensive lineman of all-time.
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