Any Steelers fan who has seen clips from the 1970s era has come across the legendary tip drill catch Lynn Swann made over Mark Washington in Super Bowl X. What most fans might not remember is how Swann earned his Super Bowl MVP award that day by making multiple catches that rank among the best in the history of Super Bowl lore.
This trip back to 1976 features footage from the original broadcast of the game and covers just how incredible Swann's feats were that day, when he immortalized his name in NFL history:
SETTING THE TONE
It's well-known that Swann's health was in question coming into this game after being clotheslined by George Atkinson when the Steelers beat the Raiders in the AFC Championship. Swann was carried off the field by Joe Greene, something he could not even remember happening due to the concussion he suffered.
But after not making a single reception in the Steelers' Super Bowl IX victory, Swann was determined to catch the first pass thrown to him, and it was a perfect sideline grab between solid coverage from a cornerback and safety:
Swann came off the line and took on the bump from Washington without it letting him break his stride along the sideline. Although Washington's bump did not do much to deter Swann, Washington did a solid job of recovering and getting in front of Swann along the sideline.
The only problem was that Terry Bradshaw threw the ball well over the head of Washington and Swann, and Swann's attacking the ball at its highest point took away any chance Washington had of making a play. Despite the solid footwork, the bump and the recovery, Swann still made a spectacular grab that would grant the Steelers the solid field position that would eventually lead to their first touchdown.
THE CATCH
The play that everyone remembers is another example of how unfortunate Washington was on this day. He was not out of position for most of the game and even in standard coach-specified spots to defend the different passes that were thrown to Swann.
But several times, Swann got the upper hand through his insane ball skills. Bradshaw underthrew Swann a bit on this pass, which allowed Washington to make a solid play for the ball.
Yet again, Swann jumped over Washington to make a spectacular grab, even recovering and making the catch after Washington tipped the ball instead of a straightforward reception by Swann:
So many times throughout this game, Washington was in position just the way a defensive backs coach would want him. But early in the game he was still victimized twice by Swann's acrobatic catching ability that standard well-schooled football skills could not alone neutralize.
Swann was spectacular in that he was good at the fundamentals of getting in and out of his breaks, but compounded that with ball skills that were above what any NFL cornerback could expect when a receiver was in his zone.
The typical phrase about defensive backs is that they're the receivers who just can't catch, indicating that they match the athleticism of wide receivers but without the ball skills. While today there are several defensive backs who could say their ball skills are on par with the average NFL receiver, back in the 1970s it was a different story.
Players like Washington who were good role players in a secondary were used to dealing with receivers who could make difficult catches at times, but what Swann did was beyond any difficulty that a cornerback could simulate or prepare for in practice.
BACK SHOULDER
As the game continued, Swann was targeted by Bradshaw and he started to create more space as he wore down Washington. Here you can see him convert a first down from an underneath route in which he had to make a solid back-shoulder catch with Washington charging in:
This was still a younger and not-as-polished Bradshaw whose accuracy could be very inconsistent at times. Swann still knew he had to make the difficult catch after the last three times Bradshaw targeted him resulted in incomplete passes.
Most of those, mind you, were not because Swann was blanketed. He started to gain the upper hand on Washington before this point but was not able to get the right throw from Bradshaw for the Steelers to capitalize. But that would change with Bradshaw's last throw of the game in the fourth quarter.
BEATING WASHINGTON DEEP
For the most part, Washington did a good job of not allowing Swann to get behind him with a clear path to the end zone. There were times he was beat, but the rest of the Cowboys' defense was able to cause enough problems for Bradshaw not be able to capitalize on it.
That changed when their blitz was just a second late to Bradshaw when he connected with Swann on a 64-yard touchdown bomb:
This was the best broadcast view to show the spoils of Swann's victory on the play over Washington, but what no live camera angle showed was how Swann was able to play off Washington's coverage that had been all over him throughout the game.
Washington was using his physicality to try and intimidate and disrupt Swann from running his routes. As the game went on, Swann noticed when Washington would try to rely on contact to keep a close distance or negate Swann's athletic advantage.
On this play, Swann recognized Washington's attempt to disrupt him and got the one step he needed to get beyond Washington. This time, Bradshaw threw the perfect pass right before he was concussed, and Washington could do nothing but drape the back of Swann's jersey as he jogged into the end zone.
So many aspects of the Steelers of the 1970s get lost in how historians lump all the greatness of that dynasty into simple explanations and romanticized memories. Their follies and their obstacles helped to define why their successes made them the great team that they were.
Swann was a receiver who was typecast into the role of being a diva simply because of his size, demeanor and background. But he worked just as hard as anyone else at his craft and was never afraid to throw his body on the line to make a ridiculous play for his team.
Remember how I mentioned Swann was knocked unconscious the game before the Super Bowl? Here's footage from a guerrilla documentary filmed for public television the week of the Super Bowl as Swann and the Steelers were preparing for their chance to repeat as champions:
Swann was still processing what had happened to him just the week before when he was knocked out of a key game on an icy field. But that never stopped him from leaping into the air and exposing his body to big shots from opponents just to make the amazing plays that built his legend to become a Hall of Fame NFL player.
This happened a year after after Dwight White rose from his hospital bed after suffering from pneumonia during the week of Super Bowl IX to lead the Steelers' defense that scored the opening points of their first Super Bowl victory on a safety.
It is safe to say that these athletes were more than just simply talented stars who happened to be on the same roster. They were gutsy individuals who established and embraced a mentality that carried the Steelers into being a great dynasty and a great franchise.
Swann, however "soft" Atkinson might call him after that hit, should always be remembered as much of a warrior as any who played on the gridiron.