Born a Pittsburgh Steelers Fan 1990s
This is a continuation of the “Born a Pittsburgh Steelers Fan” series. This is “Born a Pittsburgh Steelers Fan 1990s.”
Oh Boy!
The Steelers opened the 1990s by not scoring an offensive touchdown in the first five games. For some reason, Chuck Noll hired Joe Walton as the new offensive coordinator. He had failed miserably as the head coach of the New York Jets, and I knew before the season even started that he was going to fail here too.
I’m usually a patient person, but I was concerned with the failure to score touchdowns. We didn’t have a top running back, and I didn’t have a lot of faith in quarterback Bubby Brister. And, Joe Walton was less creative than an infant with crayons.
More Help is on the Way
The rebuild continued in the 1990 draft. The Steelers added a huge tight end named Eric Green, quarterback Neil O’Donnell, and running back Barry Foster. Neil O’Donnell replaced Bubby Brister as quarterback. Barry Foster started breathing down Merrill Hoge’s neck at running back. And, Eric Green was a force at tight end giving the fans something to be excited about.
Gaming
In 1992, I purchased a Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and the Tecmo Super Bowl game. It simulated video football games using 1991 player statistics. I would play the Steelers against all of the teams. I became so good at it that Bubby Brister and Merrill Hoge played like Hall of Famers. In fact, Hoge usually gained over 200 yards per game. As usual, I set up leagues and kept player statistics.
Bye Coach
Chuck Noll retired at the end of the 1991 season. And, I immediately thought to myself, “please dear God, don’t let them name Joe Walton the new head coach.”
The Local Boy
In 1992, the Steelers turned to a local boy from Crafton, Pennsylvania, as it’s next head coach. Bill Cowher was a linebacker who mostly played on special teams in the NFL. He also coached in Cleveland and Kansas City before joining the Steelers. I didn’t know much about him, but I absolutely loved him from the time he was introduced. He was the opposite of the reserved Chuck Noll. He was passionate about the game and he wasn’t afraid to show his emotions. This is exactly what the team needed.
Return to Glory
Cowher went right to work to acquire his kind of players, drafting offensive tackle Leon Searcy, linebacker Levon Kirkland, and nose tackle Joel Steed. He elevated Neil O’Donnell to the starting quarterback position and he made Barry Foster the featured running back. Running behind an upgraded offensive line, Barry Foster amassed almost 1,700 rushing yards during the season. The team finished at 11-5, and lost in the first round of the playoffs. But, I could see hope coming back to Steelers fans.
Cowher continued to build out the team, drafting linebacker Chad Brown, wide receiver Charles Johnson, linebacker Jason Gildon, running back Bam Morris, tight end Mark Breuner and quarterback Kordell Stewart. They acquired free agent linebacker Kevin Greene, and wide receiver Yancey Thigpen. Greene joined Greg Lloyd as bookend outside linebackers that would dominate for years.
Another Hall of Fame Center
Following Mike Webster at center promised to be a huge task. But, the Steelers had Dermontti Dawson. He was big, but he was very light on his feet. Dawson was really good at protecting the quarterback, but he was better at creating huge holes for the running game. He was the center for the Steelers for years, and eventually was inducted into the Hall of Fame. The Steelers knew how to draft centers.
The Thumb Stays Bare
The Steelers finished the 1995 campaign with a 11-5 record and advanced to Super Bowl XXX to play the Dallas Cowboys. This was the third time the Steelers played the hated Cowboys in the Super Bowl, which was the most between any two teams. Steelers fans cheered to get “one for the thumb” referencing that they already won four Super Bowl wins with a ring on each finger, and they wanted to get another ring on the thumb.
Both the Steelers and Cowboys were looking to match the San Francisco 49ers five Super Bowl wins. But, there would be no thumb ring for the Steelers. The Cowboys won 27-17, and the Steelers lost their first Super Bowl. Neil O’Donnell threw two heart braking interceptions to Larry Brown, a 12th round draft choice of the Cowboys. I was speechless. Without those two interceptions, I believe the Steelers would have won the game. Selfishly, I wanted the Steelers to win every Super Bowl. It was sobering, but I had hope for the coming seasons.
Trade of a Lifetime
During the 1996 draft, the Steelers pulled off the trade of a lifetime. It would change the course of the franchise for years to come. The Steelers traded a pittance to the Los Angeles Rams to obtain running back Jerome Bettis. He gave us a featured back who ran hard and could wear down opposing defenses, and he fit Cowher’s smash mouth style of football. He was also a great team leader. I thanked the Rams every day I watched him play. He became another Steelers Hall of Famer. And, the fans gave him the nickname “The Bus.”
The Journeyman
Neil O’Donnell got a big paycheck from the New York Jets after the Super Bowl and departed the Steelers. It continued a trend of Steeler players leaving in free agency and failing miserably with their new teams. So, Mike Tomczak, a journeyman quarterback, took the reins.
They made the playoffs with Tomczak at quarterback, but they were a run first team. Bettis alone had over 1,400 yards rushing. And, Kordell Stewart, known as “Slash” because of his versatility, threw, ran and caught his way into the hearts of Steelers fans, including me. They didn’t get to the Super Bowl, but I had high hopes for the future because of our roster.
This was Cowher’s sixth straight playoff appearance since being hired. That tied him with Hall of Fame coach Paul Brown for the most playoff appearances to start coaching a team.
What Happened?
The Steelers did not make the playoffs again in the 1990s. They stumbled to a 7-9 finish in 1998 and a 6-10 finish in 1999. Bettis was still solid, but Kordell Stewart was cutting his teeth as the new quarterback.
They added wide receiver Hines Ward and offensive lineman Alan Faneca in the 1998 draft. And, they added emotional linebacker Joey Porter and underrated defensive lineman Aaron Smith in the 1999 draft.
Vrabel
The Steelers drafted linebacker Mike Vrabel in the third round of the 1997 draft. He came highly billed as a smart, tough linebacker. But, he couldn’t crack the starting lineup because of our other magnificent linebackers. Vrabel went to the New England Patriots in free agency, and became one of the few Steelers to do better after leaving. He was a big part of New England’s dynasty and Super Bowl legacy, and is now the head coach of the Tennessee Titans.
The Cleveland Baltimore Ravens
In 1997, Art Modell, owner of the Cleveland Browns, picked up and moved his team to the city of Baltimore. He left behind the history of the team, and started fresh. The nice thing about Baltimore was that my friend and I could go to Baltimore to see the Steelers play the Ravens. We tried to get to one game per year. And, we would buy tickets outside the stadium when we got there. We always got in.
The Ravens fans were odd. They would blow into these bird whistles that made a ridiculous noise that sounded like a kazoo. They would blow these into our ears during the game.
In 1997, the Steelers were getting smacked by the Ravens 24-7 at halftime, and we were so disappointed. But, we hung in there hoping things would take a turn. And, they did. The Steelers scored 14 points in the third quarter. In the early fourth quarter, Kordell ran 74 yards for a touchdown. Cowher kissed him on the helmet when he returned to the bench. To this day, it’s one of the best plays I’ve see live. And, the bird calls stopped, as we beat them 42-34.
The Man With No Teeth
Being from Pittsburgh, I wanted my wife to experience a Steelers game in the city. So, we packed up and headed to a game. We had a great time. When we left the stadium and got in our car to go home, we got stuck in a parking lot jam. No surprise there. I was being patient, but doing a little bobbing and weaving to miss other cars. Suddenly, a man with no teeth started banging on my window and threatening me. The doors were locked and he eventually retreated. But, I don’t think my wife has been the same since. We joke about it now.
