Steel Curtain
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The Steel Curtain was the nickname given to the front four of the famous defensive line of the American football team the Pittsburgh Steelers during the 1970s. This defense was the backbone of the Steelers dynasty, which won 4 Super Bowls (IX, X, XIII, and XIV).
In the 1976 season alone, the Steelers' defense was dominant, perhaps the best defense of all time. After the Steelers started 1-4 and lost their quarterback, Terry Bradshaw, the Steelers defense took over, holding their opponents to a single touchdown over the next nine games, and shutting them out five times, including three consecutive. During this stretch the Steelers allowed an average 3.1 points per game. Eight of the Steelers starting eleven defensive players were selected for the Pro Bowl.
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[edit] Steel Curtain lineup
The Steel Curtain's famed front four were:
- #75 "Mean" Joe Greene - defensive tackle, 1969-1981 (1969 Defensive Rookie of the Year; 1972 & 1974 Defensive Player of the Year; NFL 1970s All-Decade Team; Hall of Fame)
- #68 L.C. Greenwood - defensive end, 1969-1981 (NFL 1970s All-Decade Team)
- #63 Ernie Holmes - defensive tackle, 1972-1977
- #78 Dwight White - defensive end, 1971-1980
[edit] Origination of the nickname
The nickname "Steel Curtain", a play on the phrase "Iron Curtain" popularized by former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, originated in a 1971 contest sponsored by Pittsburgh radio station WTAE to name the defense. The contest was won by Gregory Kronz, then a ninth grader at a suburban high school. According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, "he was just one of 17 people who submitted the 'Steel Curtain' moniker to the WTAE contest, necessitating a drawing for the grand prize," which Kronz won.
[edit] Steel Curtain generalization
The Steel Curtain was the nickname given to the front four of the famous defensive line of the American football team the Pittsburgh Steelers during the 1970s. Over the years, the nickname evolved into a reference to the entire defensive squad. But the true meaning of the "Steel Curtain" refers to the famed front four of the Steelers' dynasty years.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- Ruth Ann Dailey (2006). Rev. Kronz and the Steel Curtain. Retrieved January 30, 2006.
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