pittsburghsportsdailybulletin – Page 4 – Welcome to Steelers Takeaways!

Exclusive with Former Steelerette Dianne Rossini

First off, can you let me know a bit about how the Steelerettes got started?

Bill Day was the VP of what then was Robert Morris Junior College – and he was also the Entertainment Director for the Steelers. He was good friends with the Rooney family. Back then the Steelers didn’t win a lot of games as you know – those teams from the ’40s through the ’60s we called the SOS – “Same Old Steelers”. Not a lot of people went to those games.

So, Bill Day had this idea to generate excitement for fans. He wanted us to be the first-ever NFL cheerleaders – he thought that would be a great idea to get fans excited at the games. He held tryouts at RMU. Cheerleaders were required to be full-time RMU students and to maintain at least a 2.0 GPA. That’s how we became the Steelerettes – we started in 1961.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelerette Dianne Rossini”

Exclusive with Former Steelers Cornerback Curtis Brown, 2011-2103

First off, what have you been up to since your playing days?

I went through a real rough patch – it was a tough transition. Really rough. But I’m a single dad now with two daughters. I love being a father. I also started a BBQ business – Kickback Kitchen and Grill here in Houston. I started that with a cousin from the University of Texas. We’re trying to get that up and running now.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers Cornerback Curtis Brown, 2011-2103”

Exclusive with Bubby Brister, Steelers Quarterback, 1986-1992

First, I know you have your hands in so many things since you retired. Tell me a bit about from the three-hundred foot level on what you’ve been working on that you want readers to know about?

When I was out of football I moved from Denver to Southern Louisiana and have been there since 2002. I’ve been in the oil and gas business – I started by working for a man named Bill Jenkins.

I’m now at Troy Construction in Houston in the pipeline industry. It was hard to leave Bill but it was a career move to work at one of the best pipeline construction companies. I’ve been blessed to work for some great people and organizations – the Steelers, Broncos and Bill Jenkins. In Pittsburgh I met a lot of great people and a lot of them helped me to make this transition.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Bubby Brister, Steelers Quarterback, 1986-1992”

Exclusive with Former Steelers Defensive Lineman Caushaud Lyons, 2015-2016

First off, what have you been up to since your time in the NFL?

I had a kid not too long ago – in fact we just recently had his birthday party. The whole time I played football I knew I wanted to open up my own plumbing company once football was over. I moved back to Knoxville and opened up a full service plumbing company here.

Was the post-football transition difficult?

It wasn’t hard. I had an opportunity to play in the XFL and USFL but I decided with a new kid – I knew I wanted to start that net chapter and start my plumbing business.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers Defensive Lineman Caushaud Lyons, 2015-2016”

Exclusive with James Campbell, Game Day Assistant for the Steelers 1970-1977

First, what have you been doing since your association with the Steelers?

Well, that ended in 1977 and there is a lot between then and now!

I started in Pittsburgh as a game day assistant in 1970. In 1972 I started working for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton but would work every Sunday for the Steelers on gamedays.

In 1977 NFL Properties hired me and then I went to work for the NFL Alumni Association in Ft. Lauderdale. But I decided I had to get the hell out of Florida – the heat and humidity were too much – especially after having lived in L.A. when I was with NFL Properties.

I moved back to Pittsburgh and that let me be with my parents who ended up needing some help anyway. I did some freelance writing and wrote a book on the Steelers-Raiders rivalry with Ed Gruver called Hell with the Lid Off: Inside the Fierce Rivalry between the 1970s Oakland Raiders and Pittsburgh Steelers .

That was really my last writing assignment.

Continue reading “Exclusive with James Campbell, Game Day Assistant for the Steelers 1970-1977”

Steelers at Falcons: Referee Notes Via NFLRefStats’ Joe Gibbs

Steelers at Falcons: Referee Brad Rogers

Home teams are 39-37 SU & 38-38 ATS in Rogers’ career
HOME teams were 13-4 SU & 11-6 ATS with Rogers in 2023, by far the most advantageous season for the home team in his career
Brad Rogers is 43-33 to the over in his career, fueled in large part by an unsustainable over run in the 2019/2020. Since the start of 2022 Roger’s numbers have changed significantly. Rogers is 20-13 (61%) to the UNDER the last two seasons (2022/2023)

Continue reading “Steelers at Falcons: Referee Notes Via NFLRefStats’ Joe Gibbs”

Exclusive with Former Steelers Running Back Eric Wilkerson, 1989

Let’s start with football? I know you were a very good track athlete as well as football player in high school- why did you choose football?

It’s funny – I didn’t want to play football, really. I didn’t want to get tackled. I just wanted to do something that would get me out of the house. I was fast but not fast enough for the Olympics or anything like that. I was successful playing football so I stayed with that.

Were there coaches early on that helped you then?

I was a loner in high school, so I didn’t get much help. My mother would give me some advice on life – my uncle too. But I was really on my own. I stayed with my auntie and she didn’t really know I even played football then.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Former Steelers Running Back Eric Wilkerson, 1989”

Exclusive with Comedian Eddie Ifft

First, what are you up to now? Any projects we should be looking out for?

I’m just happy to get off the ground my Snow Joke Tour soon!. I’ve had one of the more popular shows at the Comedy Store in L.A. for a while now – Eddie Ifft and Friends. I have guys like Bill Burr, David Spade, Ron White – people I’ve gotten to know from doing this for over 29 years now.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Comedian Eddie Ifft”

Exclusive with Behind the Yoi Author Dan Joseph

First off, what made you decide to write the book?

I’m a native Pittsburgher – I grew up watching and listening to Myron Cope. He was inescapable – he was on the news, commercials, billboards – I was a fan like so many people.

My wife is friends with a woman who is a friend of Elizabeth Cope, and she learned that Elizabeth had all of Myron’s work materials still – tapes, contracts, notes… Elizabeth wanted to do something with it all – maybe write a book. So we ended up meeting.

Continue reading “Exclusive with Behind the Yoi Author Dan Joseph”

Projected 53 Man Roster

My projected Steelers *roster

*Guessing Roman Wilson starts off on IR to buy time
*Steelers will likely make moves to bolster depth quality at CB and OL
*The Steelers will likely add players from other team cuts – this only accounts for Steelers players as there’s no way to predict cuts and who they’d acquire.

QB (3)

Wilson
Fields
Allen

RB (3)

Harris
Warren
Patterson

Continue reading “Projected 53 Man Roster”