It might not be the tastiest or everyone's go-to brand for the morning cereal, but there is no doubt of the pulling power that Wheaties has generated because of its packaging.
Instead of the typical Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Cheerios, or the Special K, Steelers fans might consider allowing the 101-year-old cereal brand to occupy some space in the pantry come early August.
Steelers superstar T.J. Watt will grace the cover of the box along with future Hall of Famer J.J. Watt as the first set of brothers to do so in the history of Wheaties cover athletes. Youngest brother and former Steeler Derek Watt will join the two on the back of the box.
GENERAL MILLS
Left, J.J. and T.J. Watt on the front of the Wheaties box. Right, brother Derek Watt joins on the back of the Wheaties box.
“I'm super excited to be a part of the Wheaties cereal box," T.J. said in a video posted to his Twitter Tuesday. "It's something you can't even dream of as a kid. It means you're doing something right. To be able to share the cover with my brother is super special to me."
Growing up my brothers and I would sit at the breakfast table together and share “the breakfast of champions” while reading the inspiring biographies of the cover athletes. Fast forward to today, I am incredibly humbled and honored to be on the cover of this years box with my… pic.twitter.com/SS9BNd89C2
— TJ Watt (@_TJWatt) July 11, 2023
While the Watts have become the first set of brothers to grace the same box, T.J. is not the first Steeler to be a part of the Wheaties family. The Steelers have seen a few athletes singled out as cover athletes across the General Mills' brands, and two teams have earned the spotlight for accomplishments within the cereal's history.
“Built around a uniting love for football, the Watt family is grounded in perseverance, togetherness, and a commitment to doing the right thing when it matters most, while serving communities in their lives outside of football,” said Kathy Dixon, the senior brand experience manager for Wheaties, in a news release. “That’s what being a Wheaties Champion is all about, and one of the many reasons we’re so proud to feature J.J. and T.J. on the cover of this limited-edition box.”
The 1992 AFC Central Division champion Steelers earned a Wheaties cover, after finishing 11-5 and earning the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs. Featured on that box were Neil O’Donnell, Greg Lloyd, Barry Foster, Merril Hoge, and Carnell Lake. The 1995 AFC champion Steelers earned a spot on the Wheaties box after finishing as the No. 2 seed in the conference at 11-5 and defeating the Colts in the AFC Championship Game. Featured on that commemorative box were O'Donnell, Bam Morris, Yancey Thigpen, Kevin Greene, and Greg Lloyd.
Those teams were two of many to earn the spotlight in a group setting, joining the Penguins' 1991 Stanley Cup championship team to have graced a cover out of the 412. Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr earned a tandem cover for the Penguins in 1992.
The Steelers, established one year before the Wheaties cover athlete, were strangers to the box until that 1992 AFC Central champion team. Hall of Famer Bobby Layne, who played for the Steelers from 1958-'62, graced the cover in 1956 when he played for the Lions. Rod Woodson, one of the most prolific defensive players in Steelers history, was on the cover in 2001 as a part of the Ravens' Super Bowl XXXV champion team, but he didn't grace the cover as a Steeler.
One would have to look to 1996 to find Terry Bradshaw's appearance on the box to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Super Bowl. He was chosen as the representative of "Decade II" on the box, with Bart Starr representing Decade I and Troy Aikman representing Decade III.
In 1997, two Steelers earned their spotlights on the packaging. Mean Joe Greene was a cover athlete in 1997, but not for the plain Wheaties brand. His face was depicted on a Crispy Wheaties 'n Raisins box, the cousin to the plain Wheaties. In that same year, Franco Harris earned the Wheaties cover for the Immaculate Reception.
The Wheaties cover athlete dates to 1934, when Lou Gehrig became the first official one -- as he did twice more, in 1992 and 1999. Jimmie Foxx became the next Wheaties cover athlete in 1934, and two covers later featured the first female, Elinor Smith, who was a pioneer in aviation. The first female Wheaties athlete was Mildred "Babe" Didrikson Zaharias, who won two Olympic gold medals and later founded the LPGA, in 1934.
The first football player to grace the Wheaties box was Benny Friedman in 1935. Friedman was an All-American tailback and quarterback for Michigan in 1925 and 1926, and later played eight NFL seasons. He is credited for revolutionizing the forward pass in the college game, with a "New York Times" story once noting that Michigan had "a new and dazzling gridiron meteor" in Friedman.
