Steelers 1969 Draft Class

The 1974 Pittsburgh Rookie Class is the one that is most remembered for making a dynasty of the Steelers inthe 1970s. However the 1969 Class built a great foundation in the trenches for the dynasty to roost. We look at this mainly forgotten first draft class of Chuck Noll and the fantastic players that came out of it.

The NFL Draft is on the horizon, and mock drafts as well as polls on the greatest picks and draft classes of all time are rampant across the web. One such that comes up quote a bit is the remarkable, franchise changing draft of the 1974 Steelers. It was truly amazing, and probably the best rookie class any NFL team has ever had or will ever have.

Our friend and fellow Sports History Network partner, author and historian Joe Zagorski always has some brilliant insights and stories from the 1970s era of pro football. Recently Joe posted a story about remembering the 1974 Pittsburgh Steelers NFL Draft that maybe the best draft class by any NFL team ever! Check out this brilliant post and podcast by Joe called The Incredible Rookie Class of the 1974 Pittsburgh Steelers:

1. Lynn Swann
2. Jack Lambert
3. John Stalworth
4. Mike Webster
5. Donnie Shell

Make sure you give Joe's post a read and his podcast a listen!

Thanks to Pro Football Reference for the data and Wikimedia Commons for the banner photo found in the public domain

The foundation of the Steelers 1970s dynasty might of beeen the work done in the first draft that Chuck Noll was involved in, in 1969. Here the Steelers built the cornerstones of Steelers football in the trenches with the big guys. The Steelers had the top pick in the Draft in 1969 and made it count.

The Number One Pick

Mean Joe Greene was a former defensive tackle from North Texas State. Joe Greene was known as a pretty nice guy off of the football field, but he was tabbed with the "Mean" part of his nickname by the mascot of North Texas State being called the Mean Green. North Texas with Joe in the lineup allowed less than 2 yards per carry in the 29 games from 1965 through the 1968 season. Joe was a consensus All-American in college football in 1968. The Pittsburgh Steelers used the first pick in the 1969 NFL draft to bring the 6'-4" , 275 pound d-lineman to the Steel City. The Steelers were rewarded in this selection by Greene becoming the NFL Rookie of the YEar for the 1969 season and in his 13 year career he went to 10 Pro Bowls and was the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year in both the 1972 and 1974 seasons! 1972 was special as Joe recorded 5 of his 11 season high sacks in a crucial must-win game against the Houston Oilers to propel the Steelers into their first playoff game ever in franchise history! The Steelers a couple of years later won their first of four Super Bowls with Big number 75 anchoring the famed "Steel Curtain Defense." Joe Greene was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1987 & the College Football Hall of Fame in 1984.

Second Round - Pick 30

The Steelers turned around and grabbed a top QB prospect next in Terry Hanratty out of Notre Dame. Hanratty eventually would push the top pick of the following season for the starting job under center, Terry Bradshaw along with Joe Gilliam. Terry H. was with the Steelers through the 1975 season when in 1976 the expansion Tampa Bay Buccaneers hired his services to play for their franchise.

Second Round - Pick 42

Warren Bankston a running back from Tulane was the net selection for Pittsburgh. Not bad either as Warren stuck in the League for 10 seasons, 4 with the Steelers and six more in Oakland, two pretty succesful teams then.

Third Round - Pick 56

Offensive line was now the priority and the Steelers grabbed good one. Jon Kolb a Tackle from Oklahoma State joined the franchise and stayed with the club as a key piece of the O-Line for 13 NFL seasons.

The next few picks had some limited success. Bob Campbell played part of the 1969 season, and Chuck Beatty stayed in the NFL for four years. Chadwick Brown and Joe Cooper had a cup of coffee in camp and were gone. John Sodaski a line backer from Villanova played with the Steelers for a year then went back home to play two more seasons for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Ark-Pine Bluff

The next two picks came from the same small school, Ark-Pine Bluff, an HBCU school down in Arkansas. No doubt this was Super Scout Bill Nunn and his amazing nose for talent that played a hand in these decisions.  L.C Greenwood and Clarence Washington from the D-line of Ark-Pine became Steelerswith picks in the 10th and 11th rounds.

L.C Greenwood would go on to play with Joe Greene on the Steel Curtain Defensive front for 13 seasons and unofficially record 78 sacks and 14 fumble recoveries.

The banner photo is of 100th Anniversary Intercollegiate Football - 1869-1969 - 6-cent 1969 issue U.S. stamp. Bureau of Engraving and Printing. Designed by Robert Peak.

A Very Special thanks to information obtained from the following brilliant internet sites: Joe Zagorski, the Sports Reference's family of website databases & Stathead.com