The night before the NFL Draft, the Pro Football Hall of Fame held a private enshrinement for its 2021 inductees who had already passed away.
Chief among those inductees was Bill Nunn, the Steelers scout who played a pivotal role in the organization's rise during the 1970s and how it continued to find talent over the decades before he completely retired in 2014. His insight helped the Steelers find talented players at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) that were being overlooked in the NFL.
"He is the first African-American contributor in the Hall of Fame," said Hall of Fame President David Baker to Steelers.com's Teresa Varley after the enshrinement. "I think the heritage of Bill, he is in here already because he is in the Black College Football Hall of Fame. The Pittsburgh Steelers would turn over every stone to find the best talent, the people who were going to be Pittsburgh Steelers, Donnie Shell, LC Greenwood, Mel Blount, all of these guys came from Historically Black Colleges and Universities."
Even after the 1970s, Nunn's influence on the Steelers' personnel department was clear.
"Bill meant everything to the Steelers organization," Kevin Colbert said. "It's been documented, the players he was instrumental in bringing to the Steelers and the success they had. We as young scouts were fortunate to be around Bill and try and learn things they implemented when they put those teams together. There were a lot of lessons being taught to us."
Colbert's success as the Steelers' general manager speaks loudly to how Nunn's legacy carries forward even today. As Colbert prepares for his 22nd NFL Draft with the Steelers, Art Rooney II and everyone in the organization knows the Steelers' personnel department's strong track record of finding exceptional talent. As the Steelers have won Super Bowls, three AFC Championships, 10 division titles and made 13 appearances in the NFL Playoffs.
Though Nunn is no longer leading the Steelers' scouts day-to-day, his legacy has built the foundation for the department's continued success.
YOUR TURN: Is Bill Nunn's legacy still part of the Steelers' NFL Draft successes?