Welcome to Steelers Takeaways!
More than 2,000 interviews of Steelers players, coaches, front office staff PLUS interviews with Pittsburgh actors, musicians, authors and more
1992 Steelers-Oilers. Steelers come from behind to win 29-24 on an O’Donnell to Cooper touchdown pass in the 4th quarter. Graham, and Foster also had touchdowns and Anderson kicked three field goals.
The big story is the five interceptions the defense managed against Warren Moon. Two each by Perry and Woodson and one by Griffin.
Continue reading “VIDEO: 1992 Steelers-Oilers Highlights”
First, can you let readers know what you are doing with your time these days – what causes and business ventures you’ve been focusing on, and why?
I am spending most of my time trying to improve my broadcast skills with the elite NBC Football Night in America team. I have been blessed to be working with the creme of the crop in Bob Costas, Chris Collingsworth, Dan Patrick, and the rest of the best in the sports broadcast business. I call them the Mt. Rushmore of broadcasting. So I am pouring my time into learning from the greats, studying film, and doing all that I can to add to the NBC Sports team.
As far as causes go, I am still actively involved in my Helping Hands Foundation as well as the Caring Foundation in Pittsburgh. I also do as much charitable and community work for both Atlanta and Pittsburgh as I possibly can. So life has been pretty busy for me even though I am not playing the game anymore.
Continue reading “Hines Ward, Steelers Wide Receiver, 1998-2011”
First, can you tell us about the new head coaching job with the new Alliance of American Football Birmingham Iron team. What made you decide to take the job?
Well, I’ve been coaching for a long time now. From youth football, high school, college, and at the professional level. As a coach you always think about running your own program – coaching your own team. When the opportunity came up, it was the opportunity to live out a dream. That’s what all coaches aspire to do.
This is being written just after Cleveland losing to that team in Maryland on December 30. I had originally planned on writing about something totally different, but that is not possible. My mind is going faster than my fingers can type. Ugh!!!! The season is now over…probably. Tennessee and Indy need to tie but that never happens, right? So, when you read this we are either complaining about the ten thousand different reasons why we didn’t make the playoffs or celebrating the unbelievable miracle that even Franco Harris wouldn’t believe. This team stresses me out. All week long on my Twitter account, @VintageSteelers, EVERYONE was giving their opinions and reasons why we would make the playoffs and why we would not. Here’s my reason why we didn’t, or would not, make the playoffs…JUST BEAT OAKLAND!!!!! Are you kidding me. We can’t beat the freakin’ Raiders. That is totally inexcusable. Many will blame Coach Tomlin. Many will blame Chris Boswell (psst…Roy Gerela missed more FGs). Many will blame the referees. There sure was a ton of drama surrounding this team this year.
Continue reading “If they just beat Oakland….”
Hi my name is Jovon Johnson, a former player for the beloved Pittsburgh Steelers. Being a professional player for 13 years has given me a much deeper understanding of the sport. An understanding you’d have to experience to truly understand so I decided to think a little deeper from experience.
I come from an era where the best players are supposed to play, but that’s not the case here. We are intertwined with a time where sports politics are ridiculous. Where in fact the best players don’t always play, but instead investments are more important. It’s not what you know, but in fact who you know and your relationship with that team or individual.
Continue reading “In His Own Words: Jovon Johnson”
So around Thanksgiving of 2017 I’m hanging out with my lovely wife and we’re both screwing around on our smartphones. I’m messing around on Twitter scrolling through the hundreds of tweets that the people and accounts that I follow were putting out that day. I had just created my own Twitter page so I was new to this Twitter thing. It’s amazing that there is a Twitter page for virtually everything…dead presidents, cars, favorite sports teams, etc. If you want someone’s opinion about anything, and I mean ANYTHING, you just need to search on Twitter for it.
Anyway, as I was thinking to myself that there is an account for everything it dawned on me that there was something not out there that I couldn’t believe wasn’t actually being discussed. Not one account for the greatest sports team in the history of the NFL, the 1970s Pittsburgh Steelers. Could it be? I told my wife this and she told me to start one. How do you start an account on Twitter that you are not associated with? Has to be some sort of law being broken. So on that day @VintageSteelers was born. How hard can it be? Throwing things out there about the greatest dynasty in NFL history. There’s an endless supply of photos on the internet and ideas in my head. To me, the 70s Steelers, and their success, started in 1969. So, let’s take a look back at 1969.
Continue reading “The Steelers of ’69”
First, can you let us know what you’ve been doing with yourself since your time in the NFL?
Well, I’m still around football. I’m helping raise my family – I have a son who just finished playing football at Maryland. I was coaching but I took off the past four years to officiate games at the high school, middle school and college and semi-pro level.
Does being an official give you a new appreciation for what NFL officials go through?
It definitely does. It gives you a different perspective. You learn a lot of things you can get away with – things you wish you knew when you were playing. Like what the officials do and don’t look at on the field and with players. Continue reading “Exclusive with Steelers Linebacker Donta Jones, 1995-1998”
1992 Pittsburgh versus Green Bay highlights. Despite a big day by Barry Foster, Pittsburgh scores just three points and loses 17-3 to Green Bay. The team went 1-12 on third downs and Brett Favre threw two touchdown passes – including one for 69 yards to Sharpe. .
Continue reading “Video: 1992 Week 4 Pittsburgh @ Green Bay”
What does a retired NFL athlete who played tight end for Pittsburgh Steelers have in common with the cosmetics industry? Much more than meets the eye. As the Founder and CEO of Chella, I made a special connection between my time playing professional football for the Pittsburgh Steelers and the success my mother found when I was growing up.
When I put on that uniform, I became a different person. I felt this tremendous confidence as a man and as a part of a team. It transformed me. I watched my mom transform from a single mother working two jobs into a real estate developer who retired early. It hit me one day, when she put on makeup, she was doing what I was doing when I put on a football helmet: she was transforming, too. announcing her power and her confidence.
Continue reading “In His Own Words: Chris Kolodziejski”
By Joe Lafferty,
Author of Justin Time, A memoir of Faith and Fight for Life.
Who do you cheer for?
Born and raised in Pittsburgh there are only a few who aren’t diehards for the black and gold of every sport. Steeler Nation is only rivaled by the followers of our Boys of Winter.
Championship success breeds that kind of loyalty and passion. Don’t tell me The black hole Raider fans have more fervor than the black and gold Terrible Towel waivers. That franchise hasn’t won a Super Bowl since Michael Keaton made famous the words “Yeah. 220, 221, whatever it takes,” as Mr. Mom.(1983)
Summary, there are very few places with fans like Pittsburgh. I’m one of those fans.
But there is an exception to every rule.
Continue reading “Stuck between a Gronk and a Steel place”