Welcome to Steelers Takeaways!

CJ Goodwin: “Ben is another great dude. My father passed away last year – at the end of March – two weeks before the offseason. But when I came back he was he first person to offer his condolences – he, then Coach T. It was humbling. Ben didn’t have to say anything – I was surprised he knew my dad passed and that he would be the first person to send his kindness.”

Jaylen Samuels: “Well, he helped me on the field. Helped me with routes and plays, that sort of stuff. Off the field it’s my job to watch film and prepare myself to play the best that i can. He has his own part. But he’s a great leader – on and off the field.”

Continue reading “Happy Birthday Big Ben: Some Comments from Steelers Players on Ben:”

Hopefully there are a few of you reading this that remember me. My name is Garry Howe.  Some of you might remember me as Stumpy.  Myron Cope gave me that nickname my rookie season.  I think it was because I was the lineman closest to his height.  I had a chance to visit training camp a couple years back.  I can’t believe how things have changed.

I signed a free agent contract with Pittsburgh in 1991 after graduating from the University of Colorado. Some of you may not know this, but I transferred to Colorado after spending my first year and a half of college attending and playing football for Drake University in Des Moines, IA.  I’m sure all of you remember the mass of Colorado players that played for the Steelers in the early to middle 1990’s.

Continue reading “In His Own Words: Garry Howe”

Can I just say that Twitter has opened a few doors in my life that would not have been opened if this whole thing did not exist?  Every week I go through the “I don’t have a clue what I’m going to write in the column” anxiety.  Well, maybe not anxiety, but my mind is always blank on what to write about every Monday to Sunday.  But every week something happens that makes me go, “there it is”.  This week was no different.  As you may know I have my @VintageSteelers account on Twitter and it has been extremely cool to see where it has gone and where it has taken me.  The people who have followed me and that I have followed provide entertainment.

Continue reading “Vintage Steelers: That 1976 Season”

If you’re old you better sit down.  When I say old I mean old enough to remember watching the Steel Curtain.  February 10, in 1982 we saw the retirement of one of the greatest…I say the greatest…defensive player in the history of the NFL.  Charles Edward Greene called it a career after 13 seasons wearing the black and gold.  How many players stay with one team for that amount of time?  Not many.  You can say he had a pretty good career.  10X Pro Bowler.  4X All Pro (should have been this every year).  1969 AP Defensive Rookie of the Year.  1972 and 1974 AP Defensive Player of the Year (again, should have won this every year).  4X Super Bowl Champion.  And now he resides in Canton.  Not a bad career.

Continue reading “Vintage Steelers: Don’t let that Terrible Towel get dusty”

In an exclusive with Steelers receiver and kick returner Ryan Switzer, he talks about a number of things,  and below, shares his thoughts and experiences showing why Ben critics are wrong:

It’s funny. Ben takes a lot of heat. As a young dude I see all of it. No one says anything about the good things he does though. You see them bashing him on First Take and all. But my experience is the opposite. Hey-Bey reached out to me with the do’s and don’ts of the team. I owe him a lot. But Ben jump-started my career.

Continue reading “Report: Ryan Switzer Says Critics are wrong about Ben Roethlisberger”

One could say that Chuck Noll’s second year was a little better than his first as head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers.  Even though he won his first game as the guy in charge things didn’t go well after that in 1969.  They lost every game after that.  The 1970 season couldn’t come soon enough for him and the Steelers.  The 1970 season started with what may have been their second best draft in the history of the organization.  Anytime a team drafts a Hall of Famer it is considered a successful draft.  In the 1970 draft the Steelers drafted two Hall of Famers, Terry Bradshaw and Mel Blount.  Throw in second round pick Ron Shanklin and you’ve got yourself an extra special draft.  The 1969 and 1970 drafts are arguably the most successful consecutive drafts in the history of the NFL.  This will lead to a 5-9 record.  Things are definitely looking up.  

Continue reading “Vintage Steelers: The Start of the 70’s”