Author Description

This is a collection of stories about some Steelers and people associated with the Steelers that merit our attention and admiration. The majority of them are young men and they have accomplished a great deal in a short time. They have brought honor and joy to Pittsburgh and the surrounding tri-state area, as well as the Steeler Nation everywhere. Picture the smiling faces of Jerome Bettis, Hines Ward, Ben Roethlisberger and Bill Cowher, for starters, as well as the Rooney family that founded the franchise and still directs the operation. They symbolize the Steelers of this decade. They have feel-good stories to share with us. We can learn valuable lessons from their life experiences and the way they go about their work. They play and look after the Steelers with a special passion. They have magic about them, like so much sprinkle dust—black and gold in color, of course—that sparks us all. The story of the Steelers who won Super Bowl XL is incredible. It was too hokey for Hollywood. As Bettis, known affectionately as "The Bus," said of his final season and the journey to his hometown of Detroit, "If anyone turned in a script like this, it would get turned back. It was too unbelievable." This is a team that people genuinely like. There are no jerks in the ranks to ruin the picture. The majority of these men are thoughtful and humble about their heroics, and their place in Pittsburgh. Jim O'Brien interviewed many of these super Steelers especially for this book, and there are also stories he has written in recent years that offer special insights into these Steelers and the sports scene in his hometown.