Legrusky Gets No Love... In Pittsburgh at Least

Kevin Colbert might have an uncanny knack for uncovering previously overlooked gems in the form of undrafted rookie free agents. Chuck Noll, Bill Cowher and Mike Tomlin likewise have an ironclad dedication to giving these guys a fair sake on the fields of St. Vincents.

• But the Steelers can be downright unsentimental when it comes to showing these men the door.

Fast Willie Parker made Super Bowl XL the Steelers to lose. Willie Parker left Pittsburgh without a contract. James Harrison was asked to take less, and when he balked James Harrison found himself playing for far less money for the Cincinnati Bengals.

In that sense Doug Legursky finds himself in good company. Legursky cracked the Steelers roster in 2009 as an undrafted rookie free agent, and one year later he was starting for them in Super Bowl XLV.

• He returned the following year to start 10 games as part of the continuing carousel on offense line.
• He suited up and started 3 more in 2012, and was proving himself to be an excellent 4th interior lineman.

But that wasn’t enough for Tomlin and Colbert, as Legrusky has come to terms with with Neal Coolong of Behind the Steel Curtain is calling “Steelers Northeast” aka the Buffalo Bills, who also employ former Steelers cast offs Kraig Urbik, Chris Scott, Corbin Byrant, and Frank Summers aka Frank “The Tank” Summers.

• In a move that only adds to the irony behind the story, to make room for Legursky, the Bills waived Greg Lloyd Jr., son of the Steelers legend Greg Lloyd.

Steel Curtain Rising will have more to say about the Legursky defection later, but for now we’ll simply say “Thanks Doug. You came through when we needed you. Best of luck to you in Buffalo, as long as it doesn’t come at Pittsburgh’s expense.”

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Fans Name James Harrison's 99 Yard Pick Six as Steelers Favorite Super Bowl Moment

All things must eventually draw to a close and in the case of this blog that includes our “Steelers Favorite Super Bowl Moment” poll.

Born during the Steelers 2010 playoff run, the poll got deleted by mistake after the Steelers 2010 AFC Championship victory over the New York Jets when it had at least 500 votes.

The poll immediately went back up, and was kept after the disappointment of Super Bowl XLV as sort of a rallying cry.

However, in the fall of 2012 Google Blogger’s polling function ran into problems, and votes began disappearing from polls. While Blogger fixed it, the patch did not seem to apply to older polls, as this one had close to 1000 votes on it in October, and it closed at 800 and change.

So its time has come.

James Harrison's 99 Yard TD Tops List

And what was the favorite Super Bowl moment of the Steel Curtain Rising faithful? See for yourself:

There’s little wonder why. |

James Harrison made one of the most dramatic game-changers in the history of the Super Bowl. Ben Roethlisberger’s final drive in Super Bowl XLIII comes in second on this list. The only other two moments to get any real “love” were the Lombardi Trophy presentation to Art Rooney Sr. following Super Bowl IX and Lynn Swann’s acrobatic catches in Super Bowl X.

Thanks to all who voted. Steel Curtain Rising is always running a poll of some sort, so if you found this page via Google and have read this far, please scroll up and vote!

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Jerome Bettis, Kevin Greene, and Bill Cowher Headline NFL Hall of Fame Ballot

Its only September, but the Pro Football Hall of Fame has already announced its list of eligible candidates for its 2013 class. Could this be another Black and Gold strewn summer in Canton?

It certainly is possible as several high-profile Steelers lead the lists. The Steelers best shot is Jerome Bettis, who played in the NFL for 13 years and retired after Super Bowl XL. Currently Bettis remains 6th on the list of All Time NFL rushers.

The Steelers next shot is likely former Head Coach Bill Cowher, who coached in Pittsburgh from 1992 to 2006, a span where the franchise won more games than any other NFL franchise. During that time Cowher only had 3 losing seasons, earned 8 AFC Central/AFC North division championships, 10 playoff appearances, two AFC Championships, and of course Super Bowl XL.

Gary Anderson is likewise eligible. Anderson of course played for six different NFL teams, but kicked in Pittsburgh from 1982 to 1994.

Kevin Greene only played 3 of his 15 NFL seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers, but it was in the Black and Gold that Greene first won national acclaim. The Steelers also give Greene his only Super Bowl appearances, which came in their losing effort in Super Bowl XXX. Greene, a member of the Dick LeBeau coaching tree, did get a return trip to the Super Bowl, serving as the linebackers coach for the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XLV.

Art Rooney Jr.'s name once again is appearing on the Hall of Fame ballot. Often overlooked, Art Rooney Jr. is Dan Rooney's younger brother, and directed the Steelers scouting department and had a HUGE hand in drafting the players that would from the Super Steelers, who went to the mountain top in Super Bowl IX, Super Bowl X, Super Bowl XIII, and Super Bowl XIV.

Rooney Jr. probably will not make it in -- but that is a crime. He deserves induction into Canton, alongside his brother and father.

The HOF list also includes one strong Pittsburgh connection. Buddy Parker, who coached the Steelers from 1967 to 1954, appears on the list.  Parker was below .500 with the Steelers, barely, but did win two NFL Championships while coaching the Detroit Lions.

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Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers Reup for 3 Years

The Pittsburgh Steelers are less than 24 hours away from convening training camp at St. Vincents Collegein Latrobe and almost as if on cue came the announcement that they had extended the contract of head coach Mike Tomlin.

The move will keep Tomlin on the Steelers sidelines through the 2016 season.

The Steelers policy has been to extend their head coach when he has two years remaining on his contract. The Steelers did just that two years ago, although at the time Joe Starkey of the Tribune Review noted that the extension was for 2 years plus an option, a departure from their standing operating procedure of offering straight three year extensions.

The Steelers move in 2010 was somewhat logical, as the team had suffered a mighty post-Super Bowl hangover during the 2009 season.

Since then Tomlin should, and apparently has, erased any doubts. In 2010, the Steelers became the first NFL team to begin its season with its starting quarterback serving a suspension – Pittsburgh landed in Super Bowl XLVnonetheless.

The Steelers fortunes during the 2011 season weren’t quite so rosy, but Tomlin kept the team in contention despite roster ravaged by injury.

No Surprises This Time

There was little serious doubt that the Steelers would renew Mike Tomlin this time around. The only naysayer was Ron Cook of the Post Gazette, who suggested that Tomlin might resent Art Rooney II forcing him to fire Bruce Arians so much that he would refuse an extension.

Today it became clear why Cook could offer no reporting to back up his claim.

Although financial terms were released with the deal, one would figure that the contract extension would include a hefty increase for Tomlin. If this is true then it also dispels the notion that the Rooneys would refuse to pay top dollar for a quality head coach.

The bottom line is that Mike Tomlin is happy coaching the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Steelers are happy to have him. That’s a win for both sides in addition to a win for Steelers Nation.

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A Triumpth of "Position Flexibility" - Steelers Sign Trai Essex and Doug Legursky

You and I call it versatility.

Dictonary.com defines versatility it as: capable of or adapted for turning easily from one to anotherof various tasks, fields of endeavor.

Mike Tomlin simply calls it “Position flexibility.” The concept is simple, and ultimately a fundamental differentiator in the salary cap era:

• The more positions you can play, the more you contribute, the bigger bang a team gets for its salary cap buck it invests in you

No one will ever accuse Trai Essex or Doug Legursky for being world-class athletes or even elite offensive lineman. But both men have position flexibility.

The Steelers picked Trai Essex in the third round of the 2005 NFL draft and since that time he’s played in 75 games. So far so good.

• But normally, you project and expect a third round pick to develop into a stable starter.

Essex has failed to do that multiple times in his seven seasons with the Steelers. Before you write Essex off as a bust, the man entered the 2011 season capable of playing both tackle and both guard positons and in 2012 he added center to his bag of tricks when injures sidelined Doug Legursky and Maurkice Pouncy.

That’s a boast few NFL athletes can make, and its undoubtedly the reason why the Steelers signed Essex to a one year deal which bind him to the team for 8 years.

Doug Legursky Signs Restricted Free Agent Tender

Unlike Trai Essex, Doug Legursky’s phone did not ring on draft day. The Steelers signed him as an unrestricted rookie free agent in 2008. After spending the 2008 season on the practice squad, Legursky made the team in 2009 as a back up lineman.

Legursky saw some action at guard in 2009.

In 2010 he continued to practice at guard but also picked up center, and in the process helped make Justin Hartwig expendable. That year he started at guard a few times during the season and when injuries felled Maurkice Pouncey in the AFC Championship game, Legursky found himself starting at center in Super Bowl XLV.

Last season, Legursky started at both guard positions and also spent time starting at center.

Oh, and Legursky has also been known to line up at fullback on occasion.

• That my friends, is position flexibility.

Today Legursky followed in Ramon Foster’s footsteps and signed his restricted free agent tender, binding him to the team for one more season.

The Steelers took a mild risk with Legursky, as they would have received nothing in compensation had a team signed him. But in the end their patience paid off because at 25 going on 26, Legursky’s still got some upside in him.

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From Black to Gold: A Pittsburgh Steelers Transformation

From Black to Gold

The title feigns simplicity. At a glance one quickly concludes that Tim Gleason’s 260 page volume simply covers everything Steelers, from Black to Gold.

But From Black to Gold tells a more profound story, lending its title deeper significance.

Perhaps it’s appropriate then that I read the book on a trip to Uruguay that included a day in Piriapolis, the city founded by Francisco Piria the New World’s most famous Alchemist.

Why you ask?

Because medieval Alchemists sought to turn lead into gold.

While Gleason never mentions Alchemy, he might as well have, because one of the most remarkable transformations in sports history – the metamorphosis of the Pittsburgh Steelers from a 40 year perennial loser into North America’s most prestigious professional sports franchise is From Black to Gold’s tale.

He Knows Enough to Write a Book…

How often do we hear, “So-and-So knows enough to write a book…”? Perhaps no one ever told Gleason that, but he separated himself from the pack by having the guts to go out and self-publish his own book on the Pittsburgh Steelers.

I first found Gleason’s work, under the pseudonym of Mary Rose, on Behind the Steel Curtain, one of the net’s best, if not simply the best fan-based Steelers sites (full disclosure, I am an occasional contributor to BTSC.)

Mary Rose first caught my attention with a retelling of the Rocky Blier story that was at once fresh and engaging. Since then he’s told and retold many stories of Steelers Nation in prose that always captivates.

If you seek an example look no futher than his article on the Immaculate Reception. All of us know the story, but the hair on everyone’s neck will stand straight up by the time you’re done with Gleason’s rendition.

The quality of Gleason’s writing in From Black to Gold is perhaps a smidge bit below the standard he sets for himself at Behind the Steel Curtain, but he did not alter his style explaining, “I only know how to write one way, so whatever and wherever I write, it’s pretty much the same style,” although he does concede that “There is a difference in the way you write based upon the subject matter.”

All of which simply means that prose of From Black to Gold is good or very good, and it is certainly well above the watered-down mushy middle schoolesque writing that plagues too many sports books.

Pittsburgh’s Story. The Steelers Story. Our Story.

The Pittsburgh Steelers count themselves as one of the NFL’s most storied franchises, anchored by a wide-spread and fiercely loyal fan base. Steelers Nation faces no shortage of reading material. A simple search for “Steelers Books” on Amazon.com brings back 468 results.

Storytellers have spun and re-spun the yarns that comprise the Steelers 79 years countless times.

Gleason follows in step, telling stories of World War II’s Stegals, Johnny Unitas getting cut, Jack Lambert’s confrontation with Chuck Noll over a short-lived health-food kick one summer at St. Vincents, and the all-important inclusion of Bill Nunn Sr. into the Steelers scouting department.

What then, sets From Black to Gold apart?

From Black to Gold stands apart from other Steelers literature because Tim Gleason narrates it with his own voice.

The first rule they teach in Journalism 101 is “Never Make Yourself Part of the Story.” Tim Gleason breaks this rule with relish throughout From Black to Gold.

Into each of the Steelers well-trod stories, Gleason weaves tales from his life, and that of his family. Don’t be fooled. Not all of these anecdotes end happily. In fact, one of the Steelers greatest moments, perhaps the franchise’s pivotal play, happened just two weeks after his family suffered a terrible tragedy.

But if you’re reading this, you’ll understand how that lends Gleason’s narrative both depth and authenticity. The Steelers hold great importance for all of us, and key moments in Steelers history not only remind us of our Beloved Black and Gold’s glories or failures but also serve as touchstones for remembering personal aspects of our lives that happened to coincide with events on the gridiron.

For example, Gleason shares how watching the late John Henry Johnson upset the mighty 1964 Cleveland Browns served as a key bonding moment between him and his father.

A generation later, he tells of how his daughter Mary Rose grew into a natural affinity for the Steelers, and he relives how watching the Steelers shocking upset of the Colts in the 2005 playoffs served as an important bonding moment between him and his daughter.

Such stories bring back my own memories, such as my 79 year old Argentine father-in-law staying up late in solidarity to watch Super Bowl XL, his first American football game. As nice as that was, it paled to the richness of enjoying the glory of Super Bowl XLIII in Buenos Aires with my Argentine wife. Likewise, the back injury my wife suffered while in Brazil during Super Bowl XLV left me with no need to be reminded that “it was just a football game.”

Fresh Insights Gleamed from Old Stories

From Black to Gold goes beyond simply repackaging the Steelers experience from Gleason’s view point. Very few will fail to learn something new while reading it.

Do you know why players like Len Dawson and Earle (Greasy) Neal get listed (in lower case letters) as part of the Steelers Hall of Fame contingent while Bobby Layne of Detroit Lions glory joins Joe Greene-John Stallworth et. al. in all upper case letters?

For decades I’d seen this in Steelers Media guides, and figured that some over zealous Steelers PR guy pulled a fast one by in claiming Layne was one of their own. Alas I was wrong, and I learned why reading Gleason’s book.

People under 40, such me, likely grew up needing to be convinced that the Steelers were atrocious during their first 4 decades. Could things have been different? Gleason convincingly making the case for a baker’s dozen of could have, would have, should have been history changers in a poignant chapter titled “If Only They Had Stayed.”

Everyone knows the story of Myron Cope’s Terrible Towel, and how proceeds of it sales benefit a home for the developmentally disabled in Western Pennsylvania. All of us have our superstitions about both how to use this talisman for greatest effect, as well as excusing it in the face of inconvenient truths.

But do you know why opposing players might really want to think twice about abusing the Terrible Towel? Gleason spins a yarn of players who’ve abused the golden towel at their own peril – the record is so consistent that it’s hard to write these off as mere coincidence.

Believe it or not, men whose names were not Noll, Cowher or Tomlin did once coach the Steelers. Gleason goes to the trouble of rating the seven of them who lasted more than a season – the only such rating I know of in existence.

Gleason devotes a chapter to stories on how he acquired a memorabilia/autograph collection that would be the envy of any Steelers fan. He’s got two Steelers helmets, one Black, one Gold, adorned by autographs of everyone from a member of the Steelers first squad in 1933 to players who started in Super Bowl XLV.

A Personal Primer on the Pittsburgh Steelers

From Black to Gold exemplifies the fact that you can tell a complete and compelling story in just a few words. Gleason begins his tale by recounting his meeting with Ray Kemp, the first African American NFL player and a member of the inaugural 1933 Pittsburgh Pirates squad, and then Gleason takes the reader through to the end of the first decade of the 21st century.

If Gleason’s book is complete, it is not all-inclusive. It contains very little on the Steelers of the ‘80’s, a period about which I was hoping to learn more.

Likewise material from the 1990’s is surprisingly thin, especially when one considers this was a decade where Pittsburgh returned to contender status. This represents a deliberate decision by Gleason as he explains “but I didn’t want to give equal time just to give equal time. There really was no correlation between the team being good and the amount of ink I used.”

Those who cut their teeth as Steelers fans during the Cowher-power inspired renaissance of the 1990’s will likely quibble that Gleason did not rank the Alfred Papuni AFC Championship loss more prominently on his list of playoff heart breaks.

While Gleason empathizes to some degree, he reminds us that the ’95 49ers team won the Super Bowl that year explaining: “For some reason, knowing that San Francisco would be the next opponent, that loss didn’t hurt as much as some others.”

While From Black to Gold is many ways a first-person story told by Gleason, he meticously researched the book admitting “My memory gets distorted with time. It was amazing how many things were a bit different than what I remembered.”

Beyond his own research, Gleason shares that he sent a manuscript to be vetted by the man he calls Mr. Steeler aka Dick Hoak, and was impressed that the only error Hoak found in 80,000 words was the fact it was in Palm Springs, and not in San Diego, that Frank Sinatra enjoyed his induction into Franco’s Italian Army.

A number of good Steelers history books have hit the market over the past few years. Dan Rooney’s self-titled autobiography and Art Rooney Jr. Ruanaidh provide an excellent inside view. The Ones Who Hit the Hardest by Chad Millman and Shawn Coyne tells many of same Steelers stories from the ground up.

From Black to Gold covers much of the same ground, but does in a way that allows it to serve as an almost personalized primer on Pittsburgh Steelers history, making it must read for every serious Steelers fan.

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Super Bowl XLV from the Tabapitanga, Porto Galinhas; Brazil

Regular readers undoubtedly noted Steel Curtain Rising’s conspicuous dearth of commentary both before and after Super Bowl XLV. And before the Steelers set out in their quest to capture Super Bowl XLVI I'd like to pause for a moment to explain why.

A hellish work schedule prevented me from posting much in week following the Steelers victory over the Jets in the AFC Championship. A vacation during Super Bowl week at the Tabapitanga en Porto Galinhas, Brazil, prevented me from entering into the pre-game fray.

The Tabapitanga is a truly wonderful resort where my wife and I got some sorely needed downtime during a restful week that some unexpected, and unfortunate events, the least of which was missing the Super Bowl…

Super Bowl Week in the Tropics

As fate would have it, the only week available for our vacation was Super Bowl week.

But, we spent the run up to Super Bowl XLIII in Tandil and that Super Bowl XLIII turned out pretty good for the Steelers, so the thought was, “Why not?”

It seemed that we’d be able to watch the game on TV there (far from a certainty in Brazil). With that in mind we packed up and headed off to Brazil, leaving the lap top at home.

Porto Galinhas is a true tropical paradise. My wife and I did some snorkeling and did some other touristy things, but mainly we just crashed on the beach.

I’d put out feelers on Behind the Steel Curtain and the folks at the Post-Gazette's Blog'N Gold had also published a request for recommendations on where to see the game.

In Rio or Sao Paulo seeing the Super Bowl would not have been a problem, but Porto Galinhas is a small town, and the night ends early there.

Still, the resort had cable, and a good friend of mine from work who is Brazilian called ahead to check to see if they were carrying the game and we were pretty sure they had the channel that was showing the game.

No Super Bowl in Porto Galinhas - The Least of Our Problems

On Friday I decided double check that I’d be able to see the game, and to my chagrin, the resort did not carry BandSports the only (and seemingly little known) channel showing the Super Bowl in Brazil.

That worry faded in importance as my wife felt a sharp pinch in her back while reaching for a towel coming out of the shower on Friday morning.

For the first two days the pain was manageable and reduced to discomfort with a few ibuprofen.

On Super Bowl Sunday things began to change. Not only did the pain worsen, but my wife began “dragging” one of her feet when she walked.

Up until this point, I’d been thoroughly impressed by the hospitality of the staff at the Tabapitanga, but on Super Bowl Sunday they went above and beyond.

First, a wonderful staffer named Alice checked around to see if any of the other nearby resorts were carrying the game. They weren’t.

Then she did something which bowled me over. She loaned us her personal laptop to see if we could watch a live feed. (Can you imagine a US hotel worker loaning a foreigner a personal laptop to watch World Cup Soccer?)

Several options were available some free, others requiring purchase of the NFL Live Pass. But there was no way I was going to abuse the generosity of Alice by installing some unknown software on her machine.

We had to settle for a live feed of WDVE’s radio commentary. It was frustrating not being able to see the game, and of course the first half was painful to listen to.

But by half time it became obvious that the real pain was in my wife’s back – I even suggested shutting down the computer and calling a Dr.

In a ironic twist of fate, we could see the ESPN’s game by game text feed before we could hear the radio commentary – so we learned of some of the Steelers frantic late-game successes before we heard of them.

On the last drive I insisted we minimize the text feed, and just listen. Ben’s second last minute Super Bowl comeback was never meant to be.

The Day After

Unfortunately my wife’s condition worsened the day after. And again the staff at the Tabapitanga exceeded all expectations, attempting to call in a house Dr, helping with the travelers insurance.

Alice, the same woman who’s loan us her laptop, sat with my wife as I struggled to figure out who to get her help and/or who we were going to get back to Buenos Aires. The Tabapitanga even opened up an other ground floor room that my wife could wait in without needing to climb the stairs.

Alice, a mesma mulher que nos empréstou o seu laptop,... ela ficou com minha esposa enquanto eu pedia ajuda para saber se iríamos voltar para Buenos Aires. A Pousada Tabapitanga ate abriu uma sala em outro andar térreo para que minha esposa pudesse esperar sem a necessidade de subir as escadas.

To the staff at the Tabapitanga let me say this:

Thank you Alice, thank you Bruno, to thank you to everyone at the Tabapitanga who was so kind, caring and generous during a very difficult day. To anyone interested in staying at the Tabapitanga, let me just say the resort is beautiful and the service there goes above and beyond the call of simple hospitality. Thank you.

Obrigado Alice. Obrigado Bruno. Queremos agradecer a todos no Tabapitanga, que foram tão gentis, atenciosos e generosos durante um dia muito difícil para nos. Para qualquer pessoa interessada em ficar no Tabapitanga, deixe-me dizer que o resort é bonito eo serviço vai acima e além da melhor hospitalidade . Muito Obrigado.

We made it back to Buenos Aires with some difficulty, but we did make it back on schedule. I’d forgotten to record the game, and I supposed that is just as well. I decided that given everything that happened, my watching Super Bowl XLV isn’t meant to be.

Hopefully Super Bowl XLVI will bear different fruit.

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