Pittsburgh Steelers celebrate 90 years since founding

CBS News Pittsburgh

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Ninety years of hard hits, touchdowns, trials, and tribulations.

On July 8, 1933, Art Rooney Sr. founded a professional football team that would encompass the very nature of the town it was based in.

(Original Caption) New York: Off On 11-Yard Run, Bulldogs' Paul Shoults dances away from Steelers' Darrell Hogan after taking a short pass form Bobby Lane, in second quarter at Polo Grounds. Steelers' Jerry Skipkey lowered Shoults to the muddy turf at midfield. Bettmann

In a town forged by steel, Pittsburghers have earned a reputation of being a hard-nosed, determined group who try to win at all costs.

When the Pittsburgh Steelers became an officially recognized member club of the NFL, they joined the Eastern Division and were one of only 10 teams in the league. Only five teams from that group remain today: the Steelers, Chicago (Arizona) Cardinals, Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears, and New York Giants.

The early years of the team are often highlighted by poor on-field results, global conflicts that disrupted the league, and a franchise that always seemed to take one step forward and then two steps back.

Defensive tackles Ernie Stautner and Eugene "Big Daddy" Lipscomb of the Pittsburgh Steelers look to cover on a pass play in a 20 to 13 win over the Los Angeles Rams on October 1, 1961 at the Los Angeles Memorial Colesium in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Vic Stein/Getty Images) Vic Stein

The glory years of the 1970s Steelers remain a source of fond memories for those that grew up during that time. A Steel Curtain defensive unit and an offense led by a gunslinger quarterback with a cast of dominant offensive weapons that created some immaculate plays.

Pittsburgh Steelers' running back Franco Harris is mobed by fans at Three Rivers Stadium after scoring the winning touchdown, nicknamed the "Immaculate Reception," during the American Football Conference (AFC) semi-final game against Oakland. Harris made the touchdown, one of the most famous single plays in the history of professional American football, on a tipped pass from quarterback Terry Bradshaw to Frenchy Fuqua to Harris for the score in the fourth quarter in Pittsburgh. Bettmann

All good things must come to an end, and by the start of the 1980s, those players that had helped win four world championships were showing signs of decline. It would mark the start of another lull period, with new faces having the impossible task of filling the shoes of the elite that came before.

PITTSBURGH, PA - CIRCA 1986: Bubby Brister #6 of the Pittsburgh Steelers circa 1986 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Brister played for the Steelers from 1986-92. George Gojkovich/Sporting News via Getty Images via Getty Images

By 1991, after 23 seasons managing the same team, Chuck Noll had stepped aside. Enter a Crafton, Pa. native that took the reins into a new millennium.

PITTSBURGH, PA - CIRCA 1990's: Head Coach Bill Cowher of the Pittsburgh Steelers in this portrait with his arms folded watching the action from the sidelines circa mid 1990's during an NFL football game at Three River Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Cowher was the head coach of the Steelers from 1992-06. Focus On Sport / Getty Images

Cowher would come close to adding more hardware to the Steelers' trophy cases but failed the reach the mountaintop in Super Bowl XXX, losing to the Dallas Cowboys.

28 Jan 1996: Kordell Stewart of the Pittsburgh Steelers during the Steelers loss to the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl XXX at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, AZ. Albert Dickson/Sporting News via Getty Images via Getty Images

While Bill Cowher's only world title came at the very end of his coaching tenure, his demeanor endeared him to fans much the same way Noll had done in years prior.

DETROIT, MI - FEBRUARY 5: Bill Cowher head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers celebrates after Super Bowl XL played between the Pittsburgh Steelers and The Seattle Seahawks at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. The Steelers defeated the Seahawks by a score of 21 to 10. Rob Tringali / Getty Images

Into the present day, stability has been the name of the game, with the Steelers only employing a grand total of three head coaches since 1969. The aforementioned Noll, Cowher, and at the time of his victory, the second Black man and youngest head coach to win the Super Bowl: Mike Tomlin.

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger holds the Vince Lombardi trophy after defeating the Arizona Cardinals 27-23 in Super Bowl XLIII at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, on February 1, 2009 as owner Dan Rooney (R) and head coach Mike Tomlin (2nd R) look on. AFP PHOTO/Timothy A. CLARY (Photo credit should read TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images) TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images

Tomlin, alongside another franchise cornerstone and holder of several all-time Steelers passing records, Ben Roethlisberger, remained a dynamic duo throughout the majority of Roethlisberger's 18-year career.

PITTSBURGH, PA - OCTOBER 26: Ben Roethlisberger #7 of the Pittsburgh Steelers drops back to pass during the game against the Indianapolis Colts on September 26, 2014 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Justin K. Aller / Getty Images

Fast forward to 2023, the Steelers are synonymous with championships, earning six Super Bowl victories, having nearly 30 players forever enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and a rabid fan base that touches all corners of Earth.

PITTSBURGH, PA - DECEMBER 11: Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett (8) is announced during the national football league game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers on December 11, 2022 at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA. Mark Alberti/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

From Joe Greene and Ben Roethlisberger to Ernie Stautner and Jack Butler, hundreds of men have donned the black and gold colors that have come to identify all aspects of this city.

Ninety years and multiple generations later, even as legendary players have come and gone, the Pittsburgh Steelers remain a constant in a league that continues to grow and become more competitive at astronomical rates.

"If I could start my life all over again, I would be a professional football player, and you damn well better believe I would be a Pittsburgh Steeler." -Jack Lambert

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