1977: A Madman Turns 40: 2017- Day 8

   I don't really get into much on my blog, but friends and family know that I am a devoted fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers. I'm such a fan that in the town I live in Hillsborough, NC, I am known by residents as Mr. Steeler. Since the Steelers are playing in the Wild Card today, I thought this would be the perfect chance to reflect on what the Steelers were like the year I was born- good ole 1977!
  

1977 Team Photo taken from the old Three Rivers Stadium.

  1977 wasn't the best year for the team. 3 years of winning two straight Super Bowls and a trip to the AFC Championship had taken a toll. The guys were exhausted and injuries mounted. Though they won their division and did make it to the playoffs, they were trounced by the Denver Broncos.

At this stage of both QBs careers, both had/have
only won 2 Lombardi trophies. I hope Big Ben (right)
can add a third before he retires.

    The team MVP that year was quarterback Terry Bradshaw. The feisty Cajun played 14 games, throwing 17 touchdowns for over 2,500 yards. At this time, Bradshaw had lead the team to 2 Super Bowls and would end his career as the first quarterback with 4 Super Bowl rings.

Antonio Brown's (right) stint on Dancing With The Stars,
seems to have helped him become the premier wide-receiver in the NFL today.

     One of Terry Bradshaw's favorite targets was wide receiver, Lynn Swann (or Swannie as announcer Howard Cosell would refer to him.) In '77, Swann caught 7 passes from Bradshaw for touchdowns and accounted for almost 800 of QB-12's passing yards. Swann was poetry in motion and so very light on his feet. He would credit his love of dance and ballet as attributing to his prowess on the field.

  In 1977, another offensive weapon for the Steelers was running back Franco Harris. Franco is my all-time favorite Steeler. His miraculous catch in a 1972 playoff game (The Immaculate Reception) is credited as the spark to Pittsburgh becoming one of the most dominate teams in the modern era of football. This year was a good one for Harris as his ran for over 1,700 yards and 14 touchdowns!

Despite a 3-game suspension for drug policy violations,
Le'Veon Bell (right) racked up over 1,700 total yards of offense this season.

    If I'm going to talk about the Steelers in 1977, I have to mention the team's defense. Honestly, while the offense was good, their defense was better. The 4 men that made up the Steel Curtain of the front defensive line were the best in NFL history. Greene, Greenwood, Holmes, and White. But my favorite defense-man on the Steelers in the 70s was Jack Lambert. 

The legacy of Ol' #58 lives on
with my Steelcat, Lambert J!

     Lambert was a line-backer who many believe was the last piece of the puzzle needed for the Steelers to become 4x Super Bowl Champs. Having played for Kent State, which practice field was a gravel parking lot (in which Lambert recalls picking stones out of his arms in the locker room afterwards) #58 was a mean son-of-a-gun on the field. He ate quarterbacks for breakfast, lunch, and dinner! Unfortunately, in 1977, sacks weren't recorded by the NFL but I am sure Lambert had quite a few under his belt that year.

    And there you have a look at the Steelers in the year this Madman was born. I love the team we have now. I just wish we'd get a really decent back-up quarterback (Big Ben not gonna be around forever folks.) Hopefully, 2017 will find the team reaping more success than in the year I was born. I may be stuck in the 70s but this is one time that I hope something I love from that era does better than they did in my favorite year of 1977.