Dan Rooney Read online

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Dedication

  PREFACE By Commissioner Roger Goodell

  PREFACE By Paul Tagliabue

  Introduction

  PROLOGUE

  Chapter 1 - IMMACULATE RECEPTION

  CHAPTER 2 - GROWING UP ON THE NORTH SIDE

  CHAPTER 3 - JOHNNY U AND ME

  CHAPTER 4 - COMING OF AGE: “THE GAME’S CHANGING, DAD”

  CHAPTER 5 - SUPER STEELERS

  CHAPTER 6 - STEELERS DYNASTY

  CHAPTER 7 - A NEW ERA

  CHAPTER 8 - HANDING OFF

  CHAPTER 9 - FORWARD PAST

  Acknowledgements

  INTERVIEWS

  WE ARE PARTNERS

  INDEX

  Copyright Page

  To all the Steelers who played or coached, the support staff,

  and those who managed the team—for 75 years.

  And to our fans—the Steelers Nation—

  the best in the National Football League.

  PREFACE By Commissioner Roger Goodell

  The story of Dan Rooney is the story of the National Football League.

  When Dan was born in 1932, the NFL was still in its formative stages, a struggling league of eight teams that was considered a minor attraction on the American sports scene. The following year, Art Rooney, Dan’s father, took a leap of faith based on his love of football and bought one of three new franchises in the NFL. He called his team the Pittsburgh Pirates and later changed it to the Steelers to better reflect the city.

  Dan Rooney, the Steelers, and the NFL grew up together. There were the normal growing pains, but as they flowered into maturity over the past seventy-five years, all three became unparalleled stories of inspirational success.

  Football was my passion as a kid growing up in the 1960s and 1970s in Washington, DC, and the New York City area. But I had no real appreciation for the Steelers until I attended Washington and Jefferson College in Western Pennsylvania in the late seventies. That’s when I experienced the tremendous influence that the game of football, the Steelers, and the remarkable Rooney family have on the entire region.

  The Steelers were in the process of winning an unprecedented four Super Bowls in the seventies, with Chuck Noll, Terry Bradshaw, Joe Greene, and many other supremely talented contributors leading the charge. It was an amazing phenomenon—the region’s passion for football, the way the Steelers united the community, and the love and respect that the fans had for Art, Dan, and the rest of the Rooney family. It was clear that it was all very special.

  A few years later in 1982, I had the good fortune to land an internship with the NFL commissioner’s office in New York. It didn’t take long to figure out that Dan Rooney held a unique place among the NFL’s leaders.

  Dan was an owner who was active in league affairs. He was a man of integrity and dignity who was always willing to be involved and helpful. He was deeply immersed in the NFL’s labor negotiations, playing a key role for decades. He was seen as a voice of reason during many difficult discussions because he had a strong sense of the best interests of the game; he was practical; and he knew how to forge a consensus.

  At league meetings, you could see how the other owners and the commissioner valued Dan’s opinion. He knew the game and league as well as anyone. He had good football and business sense. He understood the complex partnership aspects of a sports league. He was a good listener. He gave sound advice and fought for his beliefs, but he was always supportive when decisions were made. You could see how Commissioner Rozelle and then Commissioner Tagliabue relied on Dan.

  Now Dan Rooney is the patriarch of the league. He has been there longer than anyone else. He knew the NFL’s pioneers and listened to their stories. He is like a father figure to many of us in the NFL. He praises us when we do something good. More important, he lets us know when he disagrees with a decision and always offers alternatives. He is the conscience of the league. He reminds us of the special values that the NFL and the game of football represent.

  I have been so privileged to have Dan as a mentor. As he has done for so many others, he helped bring me along with his support and his wisdom. When he became co-chairman of the search committee to find a new commissioner to succeed Paul Tagliabue, I knew that Dan would not do me any favors. I knew he would simply do what was best for the NFL by managing a fair and thorough process for all of the NFL owners.

  At the end of that process, I was sitting in my hotel room in Chicago where the league owners were meeting to choose the new commissioner. There was a knock at the door. I opened it and there was Dan Rooney. He said, “Commissioner.” It is a moment we shared that I will never forget.

  What a journey it has been for Dan Rooney, his wonderful family, the Steelers, and the NFL. This is a story that captures the rich history of America’s passion for football, the importance of family, and the unique success of the National Football League. Enjoy the ride and thanks for the memories, Dan. Let’s keep them coming.

  NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell

  August 13, 2007

  PREFACE By Paul Tagliabue

  Dan Rooney’s life has been dedicated to the Pittsburgh Steelers and the National Football League—first observing league affairs as a wide-eyed youngster and then actively participating for decades as an owner, team executive, and league committee member.

  In the mid-1940s, Dan watched his father, Art, and other league owners select Bert Bell as the league’s first post-World War II commissioner. Last year, Dan co-chaired, with Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson, the league committee that recommended Roger Goodell to be the NFL’s current commissioner.

  Between these events, Dan worked inexhaustibly with his father, his fellow owners, and with commissioners Bell, Rozelle, and me for six decades to help shape NFL football into America’s sports passion. He and his family will continue to do so with Commissioner Goodell.

  Dan and the Rooney family have also lead the Steelers through decades of great black and gold football, creating legends (e.g., the “Immaculate Reception”) and legendary players (too many to name) along the way.

  Over the decades, Dan’s leadership has extended to an extraordinary array of subjects, initiatives, and changes as the NFL evolved and became the globe’s strongest sports league.

  When I first met Dan Rooney in the early 1970s, the Steelers had just begun play in the American Football Conference. They had switched conferences along with the Baltimore Colts and Cleveland Browns to join the ten teams of the former American Football League in the AFC, rather than stay in the NFC. The Steelers’ alignment in the AFC was not entirely popular with Steelers fans or within the Rooney family. But Dan saw that while it involved unsettling change, it reflected the NFL’s growth and was critical for fan interest nationwide. So he worked intensely to make a success of the Steelers’ new AFC divisional alignment.

  Dan’s leadership did not stop there, however. He was deeply involved in resolving disputes and reaching agreements with the NFL Players Association from the 1970s into the present decade. His integrity and understanding of both football and team economics made him invaluable in negotiations on the college draft, the need for competitive balance on the football field, free agency, and player safety matters.

  Dan often served as a spokesman for the league, locally and nationally. Dan’s personal qualities, wide experience in and out of football, and commitment to Pittsburgh’s people, neighborhoods, and community organizations prepared him well for this role. When the league faced congressional issues in the 1970s and 1980s, for example, Dan was usually the first person to be called by Commissioner Rozelle to join him in Washington to explain the league’s position. And Dan would frequently bring not just himself or other Rooneys, but allies and supporters of
the Steelers from across the political spectrum—Pittsburgh’s leading companies, not-for-profit organizations, and labor unions.

  New stadiums were another of Dan’s longtime priorities. Understanding what Three Rivers Stadium had meant to the Steelers, Dan pushed in the eighties and nineties for league policies that could help all teams build state-of-the-art stadiums. As an increasing number of NFL teams became frustrated in the nineties with difficult new stadium issues, Dan offered bold ideas. I’ll never forget Dan telling me, “We can’t have the Patriots leaving Boston and their fans just because some local politicians are creating trouble. All of us in the NFL need to put up some money to help all clubs build new stadiums and stay where they belong.” Shortly thereafter, the league’s membership endorsed an innovative program for leaguewide financial support of new stadium construction.

  But Dan Rooney is not just an innovator, consensus builder, and peacemaker. He is a fighter who relishes a good argument or—when his convictions or core interests are challenged—even a tough lawsuit. For Dan, his right to fight to defend his principles, his Steelers, or his NFL in a courtroom is as crucial as a Steelers Super Bowl victory. Many pretenders and adversaries have learned this, including the USFL, the NFL Players Association, and others both inside and outside the NFL.

  Dan Rooney’s love of the Steelers and the NFL grows out of his love for football, especially Pennsylvania football. “Do you know,” he would ask me, “that Pennsylvania leads all states in having the most Pro Football Hall of Famers?” “So what,” I would counter, “they didn’t all play for the Steelers.”

  It didn’t matter to Dan. Often the objects of his admiration are athletes or coaches, especially those with ties to the Steelers, Pittsburgh, or Pennsylvania. Mention Unitas, Noll, or Dungy; Joe Paterno, Roberto Clemente, Mel Blount or Joe Greene; Tony Dorsett, Dan Marino, or Joe Namath—and Dan Rooney will recall a story or incident featuring their talents on the playing field or leadership in the community.

  But Dan’s serious heroes are patriots, explorers, revolutionaries, poets, and men and women of faith. Mention Jefferson, Lewis and Clark, Michael Collins, Yeats, or Mother Teresa and you will have begun an illuminating conversation with Dan Rooney.

  For Dan, these are the visionaries and achievers who inspire his leadership, not just in Pittsburgh or in the NFL, but in other lands and walks of life—such as with the American Ireland Fund and the Rooney Prize awarded annually to outstanding young Irish poets and fiction writers.

  For Dan, these are the visionaries and achievers who provide the inspiration, values, and example that he believes we should all strive to display, whether in the NFL or in other aspects of our lives. These individuals understand history and tradition but are not irrationally bound by it. They combine conviction with openness to new ideas. And they have understood that the right course sometimes requires peacemaking—and sometimes fighting.

  The story of Dan Rooney’s life focuses on the Rooney family, football, the Steelers, and the NFL. But it is a story that teaches much more. Whatever our career or interests, it is a story that offers invaluable lessons not just for our time but for generations to come.

  Paul Tagliabue

  NFL Commissioner (1989-2006)

  August 15, 2007

  INTRODUCTION

  By Andrew E. Masich and David F. Halaas

  All of us wonder, at one time or another, about our purpose in life. Some people are lucky enough to discover their life’s work, while others struggle to find meaning. This is the story of a man who has a clear sense of himself, and his purpose. Dan Rooney is a man of family, faith, and football. The clarity of his vision attracted us to this project. We are honored and privileged to work with a man who has been at the very center of building the Pittsburgh Steelers, one of the most beloved and successful sports franchises in history. At the same time, he has been an integral part of the growth of the National Football League as football evolved into America’s game.

  When Dan first mentioned to us that friends and colleagues had suggested his story should be told in a biography, we encouraged him to pursue the project, not as a traditional biography but as an autobiography. We thought the story should be told from his point of view. At first he resisted the idea. He is a genuinely humble man and said, “That’s just not me.” But we at the History Center, his family, and his friends persisted. His story is important. He has made history.

  Over the course of the last two years, we spent thousands of hours interviewing him, traveling with him, and just plain getting to know him. We talked to his family, who shared their experiences and insights as well. In addition we met with players, coaches, colleagues, and friends. We pored over archives, old newspapers, and scrapbooks to fill in missing pieces and confirm Dan’s recollections. All in all, his memories are remarkably accurate and vivid, considering they span seventy-five years—years of great change filled with a bewildering array of people and events. We found a man devoted to his family and friends, a man of abiding faith, and a man of uncompromising dedication to football. Football to him is more than a game. In many ways, it symbolizes the strength and vitality of the people and place he loves—Pittsburgh. You can’t really separate Dan Rooney from Pittsburgh any more than you can separate him from football. It’s in his blood; it’s part of his character. As we worked with the Steelers organization—at the South Side complex, at Heinz Field, on the road—we saw his mark everywhere. The closeness of the organization, from the team and coaches and secretaries to the front office and grounds crew, feels more like a family than a corporation. Steelers center Jeff Hartings said it best: “We honestly love each other. I honestly felt that I would rather lose a game like this with this team than win a Super Bowl with a team I didn’t enjoy playing with.”

  We found this attitude remarkable, considering this is a five-time Super Bowl championship team with the best record in the NFL over the past twenty years. It’s also a very successful business. This didn’t just happen. Dan likes to say there are four things that make a winning football team—talent, coaching, closeness, and management. He doesn’t talk much about the management part. But make no mistake. From top to bottom, the Pittsburgh Steelers organization reflects Dan Rooney’s business acumen, values, integrity, and character. And perhaps most important, it reflects his determination to win. You can see it in the Steelers mission statement: “The mission of the Pittsburgh Steelers Football Club is to represent Pittsburgh in the National Football League, primarily by winning the Championship of Professional Football.”

  Consider: Five Super Bowl championships. Six conference titles. And twenty Steelers elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Dan has been named NFL Executive of the Year, Dapper Dan’s Sportsman of the Year, and he’s been inducted into the Football Hall of Fame.

  He leads off the field as well, serving on the boards of the United Way of America, the American Diabetes Association, Senator John Heinz History Center, and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Dan has assisted American Indian nations in education and youth recreation programs. He was the driving force behind the American Ireland Fund, now the world’s largest private organization funding constructive change in Ireland.

  Tony O’Reilly, former Heinz Company chairman and co-founder of the American Ireland Fund, described Dan Rooney as “a singular man. The level gaze, the humorous yet watchful eyes, the quiet authority that he exudes are products of many tough battles, many triumphs, and some failures.”

  This is the man we have come to know.

  Andrew E. Masich

  David F. Halaas

  Senator John Heinz History Center and

  Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum,

  Pittsburgh, PA

  PROLOGUE

  By Dan Rooney

  George Halas and the founders of the NFL were there at the Hupmobile dealership in Canton, Ohio, when the league was founded in 1920. Then Tim Mara, Charley Bidwill, George Marshall, Curly Lambeau, Bert Bell, Ole Haugsrud, and of course Art Rooney j
oined the league and brought organization and entertainment values with them. Besides these pioneer owners, the NFL was blessed with outstanding commissioners who joined the league at times of need, when their unique talents provided leadership.

  I urged the league to record and preserve the history of the NFL for posterity. But now we have lost them all—the first generation who knew how it happened and put it all together. The story as I know it hasn’t been recorded. This led to my purpose in writing this book—to tell the history of the NFL, the Steelers, and me, as I know it from being there and listening to my father and other men who were there from the beginning—the men who started the league, who worked, scraped, spent their money, and hammered it into reality.

  So as the last man standing, the last to know from hearing, witnessing, and experiencing that history, I guess its up to me to tell the story as best I can. Recently the league and sports world lost a key man from the past. He provided the way, the integrity, the motivation, and criticism—a giant of a man—Wellington Mara.

  The Steelers of Pittsburgh, the Eagles of Philadelphia, and the Redskins, who began in Boston and then moved to Washington in 1936, all came in 1933. Their entrance was significant because it put the league in premiere cities in the east—the big market cities with not only the most people and resources, but the most knowledgeable operators who could manage the league and its teams. This story tells or recalls the difficulties the teams and owners faced to keep going, even meeting the payroll. They helped each other, and they guided those who followed later, particularly the commissioners. That first generation did what had to be done—you will see and hear what they did.

  About the Steelers. How they were special. How Pittsburgh was the birthplace of professional football. Immigrants from Europe came to Pittsburgh and located along the river valley towns. Their sons became excellent football players with great high school teams. The mills and mines had teams and paid the best players so they could win. It began in Western Pennsylvania and Eastern Ohio. They forged modern football and made rules so everyone played the same game.