One of the most storied and feared defensive fronts in gridiron history were the four men in the trenches for the Pittsburgh Steelers during the 1970s NFL Dynasty. To celebrate this group, I was lucky to sit down recently with three experts in Steelers' history; Harv Aronson, Aron Harris, and Steve Massey. Listen to this excellent discussion of the Steel Curtain.
Steel Curtain
The Dominant Pittsburgh Steelers Defensive Line of the Mid-1970s Remembered
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What was the Steel Curtain?
The Steel Curtain Defense was a dominant force in the NFL during the 1970s. The D-line was in the foundation of the squad led by players like Mean Joe Greene, L.C. Greenwood, Ernie Holmes, and Dwight White, the defense was known for its ferocious pass rush and ability to shut down opposing offenses. They won four Super Bowls during their reign of dominance, and their legacy as one of the greatest defenses in NFL history lives on to this day.
We celebrate these legends of the game, and the outstanding memories that live on from their play on Sunday afternoons.
Who Were the Players On the Steel Curtain?
The athletes on this defensive unit were all skilled and extremely talented. We celebrate them as individuals and what they brought collectively as a well oiled machine on the field.
A select few NFL players are selected to be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.
Mean Joe Greene
Born September 24, 1946 Joe Greene was a former defensive tackle from North Texas State and the Pittsburgh Steelers. A number one Draft Pick of the Steelers Greene anchored the Steel Curtain defense that won four Super Bowls in the 1970s. Greene played defensive tackle for Pittsburgh from 1969 to 1981. A=Mean Joe received two NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards, five first-team All-Pro selections, and ten Pro Bowl appearances. Many experts consider the Pro Football Hall of Fame player that wore Number 75 to be one of the top defensive linemen in NFL history.
Dwight White
Dwight White was born July 30, 1939, in Hampton, Virginia, and graduated from James Madison High School in Dallas, Texas. The big man played college football at East Texas State University. White was a two-time Pro Bowl defensive end. Dwight finished his career with 46 quarterback sacks, as recorded unofficially by the Steelers sacks were not an official NFL defensive stat until 1982.
Ernie Holmes
Born July 11, 1948, in Burkeville, Texas, was Ernie Holmes the former defensive lineman of the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was known as "Fats" by teammates. He was also called Arrowhead because of his championship arrow haircut and was selected by the Steelers in the eighth round of the 1971 NFL Draft and won two Super Bowl titles with the team. He later played with teh New England Patriots.
L. C. Greenwood
Born September 8, 1946, in Canton, Mississippi, was legendary Defensive Tackle L.C. Greenwood. L.C. was selected in round ten of the 1969 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers, the same Draft that the team took Joe Greene with the fourth overall selection. Greenwood stood 6 ft 6 in, tipped the scales at 245 pounds, was a six-time Pro Bowl player, and was named to NFL All-Pro teams in 1974 and 1975. L.C. was All-AFC five times. He also led the Steelers six times in sacks with a career total of 78. His gold-colored shoes made him stand out, along with his ferocious play.Meet our guests
We thank our guest experts that joined us in this great disussion in the above podcast. Here is a bit more abou them:
About Author Steve Massey
Author Steve Massey has a passion for history. He lives in Georgia with his wife, Tammie. He is a graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi. He has written books depicting the history of pro football teams all the way to Civil War battles. His titles include:-The Battle of the Big Black River Bridge
-The Battle of the Big Black River Bridge
-The 4th Mississippi Infantry in the Civil War
-The 4th Mississippi Infantry in the Civil War
-Starless: The 1947 Pittsburgh Steelers
-Britain, Persia and Russia 1814-1857
We love Steve's passion and knowledge for the subject matter and value his expertise on these topics.
Harv Aronson and his book
Harv Aronson the talented and knowledgable SportsHistorian and writer was born and raised in Pittsburgh but now lives in Florida. Harv graduated from North Hills High School in Pittsburgh and Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania where he earned a degree in Communications with a minor in Journalism.
He authored the book "Pro Football's Most Passionate Fans" in 2012. Harv has the distinction of being named Visa's 2001 "Hall of Fans Award." As an award honoree, a plaque was presented to him at Heinz Field and placed in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Mr. Aronson is aregular contributing writer to Gridiron Greats Magazine , has managed and hosted the Pittsburgh Steelers site 'Steelers Hotline", and puts out some great sports history videos on his Sports History Remembered Channel
About Aron Harris
Aron Harris, a long-time Steelers fan, is the creator of the Football Odyssey Website and the host of the Football Odyssey and Game Film podcasts. Aron shares with us the Football Odyssey is a collection of articles curated to fill the void of underappreciated football topics that are not often touched upon in mass media.Special Thanks
Special thanks to our guests for their sharing of time and knowledge. Also thanks to Steelers.com, Newspapers.com, NFL.com, Sports Remembered, Football Odyssey and Pro-Football-Reference.com for inspiring the information shared in this post.
Orville Mulligan: Sports Writer
We invite you to take a ride through 1920's sports history in the audio drama that takes the listener through the sounds and legendary events of the era through the eyes of a young newspaper journalist. You will feel like you were there!
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Sports Jersey Dispatch
If you like remembering players of the NFL by their numbers then you may also enjoy going uniform number by number in other team sports as well. We have it for you on our other website in baseball, basketball, hockey and more on the Sports Jersey Dispatch.
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Gridiron Legacy: Pro Football's Missing Origin Story
Author Gregg Ficery tells the story of the beginnings of Pro Football through the pro football career of his Great Grandfather, Bob Shiring
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Sports History Network
A Proud Partner in the Headquarters of Sports Yesteryear, SHN.
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Bears versus Cardinals: The NFL's Oldest Rivalry
Author Joe Ziemba the master historian of football in Chicago has released another beauty. It is titled Bears versus Cardinals: The NFL's Oldest Rivalry.
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