RICHMOND, Va. -- It was a genuine thrill to see Bill Cowher, Alan Faneca, Donnie Shell and especially Troy Polamalu, maybe my all-time favorite player, be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame last weekend. If you didn’t get a chill or two watching Troy’s speech, you might want to check yourself for a pulse:
I grew up a stone’s throw from the Hall, and my first trip was a gift for my 10th birthday back in 1981. A rabid Steelers fan even then, I recall being disappointed at how they were represented, in relation to the Bears, the Packers, even the (ugh) Browns. After all, they had been the best team in the league my entire life … where were Terry Bradshaw, Lynn Swann, Franco Harris? Well, the gift shop was cool.
I didn’t make it back until a couple days after Christmas in 1989, the week between the Steelers’ dramatic capture of a playoff berth on the season’s final day, and their thrilling Wild Card victory over the Oilers in Houston….and my, how things had changed. Joe Greene, Jack Ham, Bradshaw and Mel Blount had been inducted, with so many others on the way. The number has probably quadrupled since my first visit 40 years ago. It’s a powerful testament to how consistently good the team has been for the last 50 years.
All that said, the Steelers wing in the Hall of Fame absolutely WILL NOT be complete until L.C. Greenwood takes his place in it. Get it done already!
ROB ULLMAN / DKPS
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