Steelers set the standard for diversity in the NFL

Among NFL franchises, the Steelers have been at the forefront in terms of diversity and employing Black players and coaches.

The Steelers are among several NFL teams that closed team headquarters on Friday in observance of Juneteeth as a company holiday. The holiday commemorates the day that slavery was abolished in the United States in 1865. The state of Pennsylvania began recognizing Juneteenth in 2001.

While the Steelers and the NFL are working toward a commitment to employ minorities of all racial backgrounds, this post will focus specifically on the Steelers’ history of hiring individuals from the Black community.

Art Rooney

Art Rooney founded the Steelers (then known as the Pirates) in 1933. He was known for his progressive disposition, especially toward Black athletes. While operating the Pirates, he offered financial support for the Homestead Grays, the famed Negro League baseball team located near Pittsburgh.

(AP Photo/Harry Cabluck, File)

Rooney also brought in Duquesne tackle Ray Kemp, who was an original member of the Pirates when they entered the NFL in 1933. He was the sole Black player on the team and one of only two Black players in the league.

According to this Pro Football Hall of Fame profile on Ray Kemp, he was released after a 21-6 loss to the Boston Redskins on Oct. 4. “I received a letter saying I had been dropped from the roster,” Kemp recalled, according to the Hall of Fame article. “I talked with Art Rooney, and I can recall his exact words. He said, ‘Ray, I feel you are as good a ballplayer as we have on the club, but I am not going over the head of the coach [Jap Douds]. You know how I feel about you personally.’ I didn’t talk to [head coach] Douds personally, but he was a player-coach at my position — tackle — and he had a lot of cronies on the team. I just think it was a combination of things.”

The Pirates won just two of their remaining eight games that season, and at one point, Kemp received a call from the team asking him to return. “I guess I could have felt humiliated about being cut earlier and said no. I didn’t need the money — I only got $60 a game. But I felt someone had to keep the door open. You have to pay a price for being a pioneer,” Kemp said.

Kemp returned for the Pirates’ last game of the 1933 season, then was hired as the head football coach at Bluefield State College in West Virginia; thus, his tenure in the NFL was short-lived. “The Pirates didn’t ask me to come back,” Kemp recalled, “but I wouldn’t have anyway because I really wanted a coaching job.”

No other African American would play in the league again until 1946. In January 1952, fullback Jack Spinks (11th round) and halfback Bill Robinson (25th round) became the first Black players to be drafted by the Steelers. Spinks appeared in three games, and Robinson didn’t play in any.

That spring, Pittsburgh went out an signed 6-foot-5 Black tackle, Ted Benson, out of Morris Brown University. Kemp had recommended Benson to new Steelers head coach Joe Bach.

Also on the training camp roster were four other Black players: tackle Charlie Thomas, offensive guard/tackle Ray Newman, and halfbacks Willie Smith and Clyde Atkins. Newman made it through camp but was released before the Steelers’ first preseason game. Benson and Smith were two of 12 players cut on July 30, 1952. It’s unclear how long Atkins’ and Thomas’ tenure lasted.

Photo courtesy of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

In 1953, Rooney selected wide receiver Lowell Perry in the eighth round of the draft. Perry was committed to the Air Force ROTC for three years and would not play for the Steelers until 1956. In his sixth game, he sustained a broken hip and dislocated pelvis, which ended his playing career.

Upon Perry’s release from the hospital, Rooney offered him a position as a wide receivers coach. In 1957, he became the first Black coach in modern NFL history. The next year, Perry worked in the Steelers’ scouting department until leaving to obtain his law degree at Duquesne.

Recognizing the importance of integrating Black players on his team, Rooney hired Bill Nunn, the NFL’s second Black scout.

Nunn, a sports editor at The Pittsburgh Courier, an African-American newspaper, had his finger on the pulse of football programs at historically Black colleges. Rooney found exceptional value in the knowledge Nunn could bring to the Steelers and hired him as a part-time scout in 1967. He became a full-time employee in 1969. By 1970, he was promoted to assistant director of player personnel.

Over the next decade, Nunn discovered a bevy of players from Black colleges and universities who went on to help the Steelers win four Super Bowls. Among them were cornerback Mel Blount (Southern), defensive end L.C. Greenwood (Arkansas-Pine Bluff), defensive tackle Ernie Holmes (Texas Southern), defensive back Donnie Shell (South Carolina State), wide receiver John Stallworth (Alabama A&M), and defensive end Dwight White (East Texas State).

Nunn also was responsible for the Steelers drafting their first Black quarterback. Joe Gilliam was drafted in the 11th round of the 1972 draft. In 1974, Gilliam battled with Terry Bradshaw and Terry Hanratty to earn the starting QB spot. Gilliam became the first Black quarterback to serve as an opening-day starter in the NFL, although his 45.3% completion rate led him to lose the spot after six games.

Joe Gilliam, Chuck Noll
Steelers quarterback Joe Gilliam consults with head coach Chuck Noll. (Tony Tomsic-USA TODAY NETWORK)

Nunn retired from his full-time position with the Steelers in 1987 but continued as a talent consultant and advised in draft preparation until he died in 2014. He was one of the longest-tenured employees of the organization and one of the few with six Super Bowl rings to his name.

“The one doggone thing I’m proud of is the way I might have been a part of opening some doors to pro football for Black men, not just as players, but as coaches and front-office personnel. I’ve been able to see progress,” said Nunn in a 2007 interview with the Pittsburgh-Post Gazette.

The Rooney Rule

Dan Rooney, the son of Art, was often by the family patriarch’s side in team operations throughout the years. His first role with the team was director of personnel. Though Art remained the face of the franchise until he died in 1988, Rooney was given full operational control in 1975.

Rooney shared his father’s progressive nature. He served as chairman of the NFL’s diversity committee and authored the Rooney Rule.

First adopted in 2003, the Rooney Rule was created to help ensure that minority candidates would receive equal opportunities when applying for head coach vacancies and various senior football positions. The rule requires teams to interview at least one minority candidate. It was conceived as a way to hire more minority coaches in a profession where almost 70% of players are black, but just 6% were minority head coaches at the time.

In the early days of the Rooney Rule, teams that violated it faced hefty fines from the NFL. In 2003, the Detroit Lions hired Steve Mariucci without interviewing a minority candidate and were slapped with a $200,000 fine. Since then, teams arguably have figured out ways to sidestep being penalized, as no penalties have been handed down even though there are only three current black head coaches in the league.

(Photo by Aude Guerrucci-Pool/Getty Images)

While there have been a few points when the number of Black head coaches was much higher (six in 2006, seven in 2008, seven in 2018), the number has since reverted to the same level as when the rule was first created.

Because of this, many observers feel the Rooney Rule is ineffective, and concerns remain about implementation and enforcement. Critics say it allows teams to merely check a box saying they’ve addressed diversity without any further action.

Since its implementation, the Rooney Rule has assisted in the hiring of 14 coaches with minority backgrounds. But Steelers president Art Rooney II knows those numbers should be significantly higher.

“I think where we are right now is not where we want to be, not where we need to be,” Rooney told NFL Network’s Steve Wyche in a January interview.

“We have about one-third of the coaches in the National Football League are from the minority communities. That’s really not a bad pipeline,” said Rooney. “And so, the question is, why aren’t more of those people getting interviews? Why aren’t more of those people advancing through the process? Like I said, there are a lot of pieces to it that we have to look at. We have a lot of work to do that.”

Rooney, as chairman of the NFL’s Workplace Diversity Committee, outlined the expansion of the rule, following a recent owners meeting.

“There are three things in particular that we got done today that are very important,” said Rooney. “No. 1, we are going to ask all clubs to develop a diversity and inclusion plan over the next year that really impact all levels of hiring at the league and club levels; No. 2, we approved a series of enhancements to the Rooney Rule that will require two minority candidates to be interviewed for a head coaching position, one minority candidate to be interviewed for any coordinator position, and one minority candidate to be interviewed for any senior football or GM position, and for other senior-level positions around the league and the clubs, there must be an interview for a minority or a female candidate; and finally No. 3, we passed a resolution that is aimed at increasing mobility throughout the league.”

Coaches

Four years after the Rooney Rule was enacted, Rooney interviewed and hired a minority candidate as Pittsburgh’s head coach. Mike Tomlin became the 10th Black head coach in NFL history and the first for the Steelers franchise. On Feb. 1, 2009, he became the second Black head coach to win a Super Bowl. He is the longest-tenured Black head coach in the NFL.

Currently, there are five Black coaches on the Steelers staff: defensive line coach Karl Dunbar; tight ends coach Adrian Klemm; running backs coach Eddie Faulkner; wide receivers coach Ike Hilliard; senior defensive assistant Teryl Austin; and coaching assistant Denzel Martin.

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Former Steelers coach Woody Widenhofer dies at 77

Former Pittsburgh Steelers linebackers coach and defensive coordinator died Sunday in Colorado.

Robert “Woody” Widenhofer, 77, Butler, Pa. native and four-time Super Bowl-winning coach with the Steelers, died Sunday in Colorado Springs, Colo. from stroke complications.

“Woody played an important role coaching our famed Steel Curtain defense when he helped us win four Super Bowls in the 1970s,” said Steelers president, Art Rooney II. “He coached some of the best linebackers in NFL history during his time in Pittsburgh and was later elevated to defensive coordinator, where he guided the defense in our Super Bowl XIV victory over the Los Angeles Rams.”

Widenhofer served as linebackers coach from 1973 to 1978 and defensive coordinator from 1979 to 1983.

After being promoted to DC, the Steelers took home their fourth Super Bowl title in six years. His defense was second in yards allowed and fourth against the run.

The Steelers made the playoffs again in 1982 and 1983 before Widenhofer left to become head coach of the USFL Oklahoma Outlaws in 1984.

The Outlaws went 6-12, and Widehofer went to Missouri. He was head coach of the Tigers from 1985-88 and the Vanderbilt Commodores from 1997-2001. In between colleges, Widenhofer was DC with the Detroit Lions and LB coach of the Cleveland Browns.

It’s hard to believe, but the Super Bowl teams of the ’70s had three different defensive coordinators. Bud Carson was the coordinator for Super Bowl IX and X, George Perles for Super Bowl XIII, and Widenhofer for Super Bowl XIV.

A team with that much turnover doesn’t usually have that kind of success, but it is the Steel Curtain we’re talking about.

Before taking over as Steelers DC, Widenhofer coached Hall of Famer linebackers Jack Lambert and Jack Ham, and Andy Russell, Henry Davis, and Loren Toews — all critical parts of the Steel Curtain.

In 2007, Widenhofer finished his coaching career as DC at Mexico State.

 

Redskins nominate Adrian Peterson for Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award

Peterson has been a picture-perfect example of a leader in his two years with the Redskins, and he’s now getting recognized for it.

He’s only been with the team for two years now, but running back Adrian Peterson is a great example of what an exemplary athlete looks like in the NFL, and the Washington Redskins have now nominated him for the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award.

Peterson is one of 32 nominees in the league, and his 34-years of life experience makes him one of the oldest nominees for the award. Not only is AP a great modicum of leadership on the field, but he is a sure-shot to make the NFL Hall-of-Fame later in his career, as he currently ranks sixth in history in rushing yards and fifth in touchdowns.

“There’s nothing you can’t ask him that he wouldn’t do,” head coach Bill Callahan said. “He’s first in line in every drill, he’s first forward in the meeting room, he sits right in front of the room when the plays are being installed, and it’s like he’s a rookie on Day 1 just looking at the first play going in for the install of the week. There are so many things that impress me about Adrian.”

Peterson has been asked to shoulder the load on offense in two straight seasons now as second-year running back Derrius Guice has missed time with injuries, and in that time, he’s become one of the most important players for the Redskins organization.

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Jaguars nominate Calais Campbell for 2019 Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award

Calais Campbell earned his second consecutive nomination for the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award Thursday.

It’s that time of the year where each of the NFL’s 32 teams selects a nominee for the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award, and just as they did last year, the Jacksonville Jaguars have elected to go with team captain Calais Campbell.

The award, of course, is named after the late Art Rooney Sr., who was the founding owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers and is a Pro Football Hall-of-Famer in Canton. The award has existed since 2014 and is given to a player who shows exemplary sportsmanship qualities on the field annually.

Last season, Campbell was named one of eight semifinalists for the award which ultimately went to New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees. Some of the notables who joined him in the process were quarterback Andrew Luck (Colts), defensive backs Eric Weddle (Ravens) and Tramon Williams (Packers) to name a few.

The winner will be announced at the NFL Honors show which will air on Fox on Saturday, Feb. 1. The winner will also be awarded a $25,000 donation to the charity of the players choice.

Georgia football has the most NFL players nominated for sportsmanship award

The NFL recognized four former UGA football players on Thursday, the most of any other program.

Recently, the NFL announced the nominees for the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award, and four former Georgia football players made the cut.

Among the finalists were former Dawgs Nick Chubb (Browns), Matthew Stafford (Lions), Thomas Davis (Chargers), and Ben Jones (Titans). The award considers a players sportsmanship to opponents on the field as well as things like community service and impact.

The Dawgs had far and away the most candidates of any single college. In fact, the only other school that had multiple finalists was Alabama, as former players Julio Jones and Dalvin Tomlinson were finalists.

This recognition further proves the unparalleled level of activism and community reach that has been and continues to be preached in the Georgia program. Congrats to these Dawgs!

Cowboys’ Byron Jones nominated for 2019 Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award

Cornerback Byron Jones is the Dallas Cowboys nominee for the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award in 2019.

The nominees for this year’s Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award were announced this week, with Byron Jones getting the nod from the Dallas Cowboys. Each team nominates one player from their roster that demonstrates a high degree of integrity on game days, something that can be lacking in such a violent sport.

The honor, established in 2014, was named for the late great Pittsburgh Steelers owner Art Rooney. Previous nominees by Dallas have been Jason Witten, Sean Lee, Brandon Carr, Travis Frederick and Dak Prescott. Not a single Cowboy has won the award, nor has one even moved on to the final eight nominees.

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Former winners include Arizona Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald, retired DB Charles Woodson (as an Oakland Raider), the ageless Frank Gore during his time in Indianapolis, LB Luke Kuechly and QB Drew Brees.

When it comes to on-field performance this season, Jones has excelled in coverage despite not recording a single interception in the first nine games. A hip injury during the offseason limited snaps in the the Cowboys’ Week 1 win, and a hamstring injury cost him time against the shocking loss to the Jets. Still, he’s been the team’s best CB so far, and will be a free agent at the end of the season.

The full list of this year’s nominees for the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award can be found here.

Broncos nominate Von Miller for 2019 Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award

The Broncos have nominated outside linebacker Von Miller for the 2019 Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award.

Each year, every NFL team nominates one of their players for the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award. A panel of four NFL legends then selects eight finalists from those 32 nominees and active players vote for the winner from the finalists on their Pro Bowl ballots.

The Denver Broncos have nominated outside linebacker Von Miller for this year’s award. Miller was also nominated in 2017.

The former players that will choose the finalists are running backs Warrick Dunn and Curtis Martin, safety Leonard Wheeler and linebacker Karl Mecklenburg, who was a key member of the Broncos’ famous “Orange Crush” defense in the 1980s and early ’90s.

“The award is presented each year to an NFL player who best demonstrates the qualities of on-field sportsmanship, including fair play, respect for the game and opponents, and integrity in competition,” the NFL said in a statement.

The winner will be announced during “NFL Honors” on Feb. 1, the evening before Super Bowl LIV. The league will represent $25,000 to the charity of the winner’s choice. Here is the complete list of nominees:

TEAM PLAYER   TEAM PLAYER
Arizona Cardinals C A.Q. Shipley Los Angeles Chargers LB Thomas Davis Sr.
Atlanta Falcons WR Julio Jones Los Angeles Rams S Eric Weddle
Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson Miami Dolphins C Daniel Kilgore
Buffalo Bills LB Lorenzo Alexander Minnesota Vikings DE Danielle Hunter
Carolina Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey New England Patriots WR Matthew Slater
Chicago Bears DB Kyle Fuller New Orleans Saints T Terron Armstead
Cincinnati Bengals DE Sam Hubbard New York Giants DL Dalvin Tomlinson
Cleveland Browns RB Nick Chubb New York Jets DL Steve McLendon
Dallas Cowboys CB Byron Jones Oakland Raiders QB Derek Carr
Denver Broncos LB Von Miller Philadelphia Eagles QB Carson Wentz
Detroit Lions QB Matthew Stafford Pittsburgh Steelers RB James Conner
Green Bay Packers CB Tramon Williams San Francisco 49ers T Joe Staley
Houston Texans QB Deshaun Watson Seattle Seahawks LB K.J. Wright
Indianapolis Colts WR T.Y. Hilton Tampa Bay Buccaneers LB Lavonte David
Jacksonville Jaguars DL Calais Campbell Tennessee Titans C Ben Jones
Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes Washington Redskins RB Adrian Peterson

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