Facing The Pittsburgh Steelers

Even die-hard fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers can only imagine what it was like to play against the premier teams and players in the black and gold’s history. Just how hard did Jack Lambert hit? How did opponents plan for Franco Harris’s combination of speed and power? What was it like trying to block Joe Greene and Dwight White? What was the feeling seeing a Ben Roethlisberger pass soaring downfield toward Hines Ward, or Troy Polamalu taking a bead on a receiver cutting over the middle? In Facing the Pittsburgh Steelers, John McFarland takes Steelers fans inside the locker rooms, onto the sidelines, and out on the field with opposing players. McFarland interviews some of the biggest names in the game to get their perspectives on playing against the best teams in Steelers history. He covers the most dramatic moments, most intense rivalries, and most memorable games from Pittsburgh’s pro football lore—from the other side of the line of scrimmage. It’s been said that seeing is believing. With Facing the Pittsburgh Steelers, Pittsburgh fans can go beyond seeing to hear what it was like to play against the greatest Steelers teams, in the words of players who did just that. Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Sports Publishing imprint, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in sports—books about baseball, pro football, college football, pro and college basketball, hockey, or soccer, we have a book about your sport or your team. Whether you are a New York Yankees fan or hail from Red Sox nation; whether you are a die-hard Green Bay Packers or Dallas Cowboys fan; whether you root for the Kentucky Wildcats, Louisville Cardinals, UCLA Bruins, or Kansas Jayhawks; whether you route for the Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, or Los Angeles Kings; we have a book for you. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to publishing books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked by other publishers and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

Even die-hard fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers can only imagine what it was like to play against the premier teams and players in the black and gold’s history. Just how hard did Jack Lambert hit? How did opponents plan for Franco Harris’s combination of speed and power? What was it like trying to block Joe Greene and Dwight White? What was the feeling seeing a Ben Roethlisberger pass soaring downfield toward Hines Ward, or Troy Polamalu taking a bead on a receiver cutting over the middle? In Facing the Pittsburgh Steelers, Sean Deveney takes Steelers fans inside the locker rooms, onto the sidelines, and out on the field with opposing players. Deveney interviews some of the biggest names in the game to get their perspectives on playing against the best teams in Steelers history. He covers the most dramatic moments, most intense rivalries, and most memorable games from Pittsburgh’s pro football lore—from the other side of the line of scrimmage. It’s been said that seeing is believing. With Facing the Pittsburgh Steelers, Pittsburgh fans can go beyond seeing to hear what it was like to play against the greatest Steelers teams, in the words of players who did just that. Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Sports Publishing imprint, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in sports—books about baseball, pro football, college football, pro and college basketball, hockey, or soccer, we have a book about your sport or your team. Whether you are a New York Yankees fan or hail from Red Sox nation; whether you are a die-hard Green Bay Packers or Dallas Cowboys fan; whether you root for the Kentucky Wildcats, Louisville Cardinals, UCLA Bruins, or Kansas Jayhawks; whether you route for the Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, or Los Angeles Kings; we have a book for you. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to publishing books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked by other publishers and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

Chuck Noll won four Super Bowls and presided over one of the greatest football dynasties in history, the Pittsburgh Steelers of the '70s. Later inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, his achievements as a competitor and a coach are the stuff of legend. But Noll always remained an intensely private and introspective man, never revealing much of himself as a person or as a coach, not even to the players and fans who revered him. Chuck Noll did not need a dramatic public profile to be the catalyst for one of the greatest transformations in sports history. In the nearly four decades before he was hired, the Pittsburgh Steelers were the least successful team in professional football, never winning so much as a division title. After Noll's arrival, his quiet but steely leadership quickly remolded the team into the most accomplished in the history of professional football. And what he built endured well beyond his time with the Steelers—who have remained one of America's great NFL teams, accumulating a total of six Super Bowls, eight AFC championships, and dozens of division titles and playoff berths. In this penetrating biography, based on deep research and hundreds of interviews, Michael MacCambridge takes the measure of the man, painting an intimate portrait of one of the most important figures in American football history. He traces Noll's journey from a Depression-era childhood in Cleveland, where he first played the game in a fully integrated neighborhood league led by an African-American coach and then seriously pursued the sport through high school and college. Eventually, Noll played both defensive and offensive positions professionally for the Browns, before discovering that his true calling was coaching. MacCambridge reveals that Noll secretly struggled with and overcame epilepsy to build the career that earned him his place as "the Emperor" of Pittsburgh during the Steelers' dynastic run in the 1970s, while in his final years, he battled Alzheimer's in the shelter of his caring and protective family. Noll's impact went well beyond one football team. When he arrived, the city of steel was facing a deep crisis, as the dramatic decline of Pittsburgh's lifeblood industry traumatized an entire generation. "Losing," Noll said on his first day on the job, "has nothing to do with geography." Through his calm, confident leadership of the Steelers and the success they achieved, the people of Pittsburgh came to believe that winning was possible, and their recovery of confidence owed a lot to the Steeler's new coach. The famous urban renaissance that followed can only be understood by grasping what Noll and his team meant to the people of the city. The man Pittsburghers could never fully know helped them see themselves better. Chuck Noll: His Life's Work tells the story of a private man in a very public job. It explores the family ties that built his character, the challenges that defined his course, and the love story that shaped his life. By understanding the man himself, we can at last clearly see Noll's profound influence on the city, players, coaches, and game he loved. They are all, in a real sense, heirs to the football team Chuck Noll built.

Examines the effect of the disastrous 1988 Steelers football season on the team and the town.

Legendary chairman of the five-time Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers, Dan Rooney, tells his life story for the first time. From growing up on Pittsburgh's notorious North Side, to vying with Johnny Unitas for top high school quarterback honors in Western Pennsylvania, from learning how to run a major sports franchise from his father, Art Rooney (“the Chief”), to helping shape the modern NFL, Rooney serves up a fascinating account of personal and professional achievement. He also discusses his relationships with players, coaches, NFL commissioners, his beloved family, and the devoted fans known as “Steelers Nation.” Whether advocating hiring more minority head coaches through creation of the Rooney Rule or helping pave the way for the merger of the AFL and NFL, Rooney reveals the dynamics that have made him such a respected force in pro football.

As a Steelers broadcaster, analyst, and former offensive tackle, Tunch Ilkin has lived and breathed Pittsburgh football for the better part of the last four decades. With In the Locker Room: Tales of the Pittsburgh Steelers from the Playing Field to the Broadcast Booth, Ilkin provides insight into the Steelers' inner sanctum as only he can. Featuring conversations with players past and present as well as off-the-wall anecdotes, this is a reader's ticket to some of the most memorable moments and characters in Steel City football history.

A stirring portrait of the decade when the Steelers became the greatest team in NFL history, even as Pittsburgh was crumbling around them. In the 1970s, the city of Pittsburgh was in need of heroes. In that decade the steel industry, long the lifeblood of the city, went into massive decline, putting 150,000 steelworkers out of work. And then the unthinkable happened: The Pittsburgh Steelers, perennial also-rans in the NFL, rose up to become the most feared team in the league, dominating opponents with their famed "Steel Curtain" defense, winning four Super Bowls in six years, and lifting the spirits of a city on the brink. In The Ones Who Hit the Hardest, Chad Millman and Shawn Coyne trace the rise of the Steelers amidst the backdrop of the fading city they fought for, bringing to life characters such as: Art Rooney, the owner of the team so beloved by Pittsburgh that he was known simply as "The Chief"; Chuck Noll, the headstrong coach who used the ethos of steelworkers to motivate his players; Terry Bradshaw, the strong-armed and underestimated QB; Joe Green, the defensive tackle whose fighting nature lifted the franchise; and Jack Lambert, the linebacker whose snarling, toothless grin embodied the Pittsburgh defense. Every story needs a villain, and in this one it's played by the Dallas Cowboys. As Pittsburgh rusted, the new and glittering metropolis of Dallas, rich from the capital infusion of oil revenue, signaled the future of America. Indeed, the town brimmed with such confidence that the Cowboys felt comfortable nicknaming themselves "America's Team." Throughout the 1970s, the teams jostled for control of the NFL-the Cowboys doing it with finesse and the Steelers doing it with brawn-culminating in Super Bowl XIII in 1979, when the aging Steelers attempted to hold off the Cowboys one last time. Thoroughly researched and grippingly written, The Ones Who Hit the Hardest is a stirring tribute to a city, a team, and an era.

An insider history of the Pittsburgh Steelers at the NFL draft. A singular, transcendent talent can change the fortunes of a football team instantly. Each year, NFL teams approach the draft with this knowledge, hoping that luck will be on their side and that their extensive scouting and analysis will pay off. In On the Clock: Pittsburgh Steelers, Jim Wexell explores the fascinating, rollercoaster history of the Steelers at the draft, from Terry Bradshaw through Troy Polamalu and beyond. Readers will go behind the scenes with top decision-makers as they evaluate, deliberate, and ultimately make the picks they hope will tip the fate of their franchise toward success. From seemingly surefire first-rounders to surprising late selections, this is a must-read for Steelers faithful and NFL fans eager for a glimpse at how teams are built.

Multiple division and Super Bowl championship wins prove that the Pittsburgh Steelers are one of the most accomplished NFL franchises in history. Originally known as the Pirates, this team was not successful until forty years after their debut! The Pittsburgh Steelers will steal many hearts in this action-filled book for young readers.

Drawn from personal interviews with the players themselves, a chronicle of the 1970s Pittsburgh Steelers, who won an unprecedented and unmatched four Super Bowls in six years.