The Life and Legacy of Chuck Noll

When it comes to the greatest coaches of all time, there are names like Bill Belichick, Mike Ditka, Tom Landry & Bill Walsh. However, a name that’s gotten skipped over is one of the most dominant coaches of the 1970s, Chuck Noll. The man who helped build the Steel Curtain and was a part of all six of the Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl winning teams as a coach & administrator. Here’s a look back at the life & legacy of the architect of the Steel Curtain, and the catalyst of the Steelers’ run of dominance for more than forty years, Chuck Noll.

Early Life & Collegiate Career

Charles Henry Noll was born on January 5, 1932 in Cleveland, Ohio as the youngest of three children. His father was unable to work due to Parkinson’s, and his mother was a florist. Noll grew up near East 74th Street, a neighborhood with a large African American population. That helped Noll’s championship of providing African American opportunities in the NFL. Noll attended Benedictine High School, a private all-boys Catholic school in Cleveland. He played running back and tackle and earned All-State honors. As a freshman in college, Noll planned on playing at Notre Dame. Before the year started, Noll suffered an epileptic seizure, and coach Frank Leahy refused to risk playing Noll. Chuck rebounded at the University of Dayton, where he played as a lineman and a linebacker. He was a co-captain while at Dayton, and he graduated with a degree in secondary education.

Cleveland Brown

Noll was picked 239th overall in the 1953 NFL Draft to his hometown Cleveland Browns, where he played as a guard and linebacker. In his first season, the Browns lost to the Lions in the NFL Championship game. Noll was an undersized guard, but he was used to help send play calls to Otto Graham. Noll only made around $5000 a season, and he also worked as a substitute teacher at Holy Name High School in Parma Heights, Ohio. He also went to the Cleveland-Marshall School of Law, but chose against being a lawyer because he hated the confrontation and arguments that came with it. After losing his starting spot at guard to John Wooten, Noll retired as a player at the age of 27, and was almost immediately hired to be a defensive line coach for the Los Angeles Chargers in the AFL.

LA/San Diego Chargers & Colts

Chuck Noll is considered to be part of Sid Gillman’s coaching tree alongside the legendary Al David. In 1960, Noll was hired to be the defensive line coach for the Chargers, then moved up to be their defensive coordinator in 1962, a position he would hold until 1965. Sid Gillman remembered Noll as an offensive specialist, and someone who the players loved. In 1966, Noll went to the Baltimore Colts where he served alongside the legendary Don Shula as their defensive coordinator. Noll’s first trip to the Super Bowl was in Super Bowl III, where his Colts infamously lost to ‘Broadway’ Joe Namath, the most overrated quarterback to stumble his way into the Hall of Fame besides George Blanda.

The Steel Curtain

Noll was hired on January 27, 1969 to become the 14th head coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers, a job that Joe Paterno turned down. Art Rooney credited Shula for recommending Noll for the job, and at the time he was the youngest head coach in NFL History at the age of 36. Noll’s coaching style earned him the nickname Emperor Chaz by legendary radio announcer Myron Cope. He also implemented a defensive system that soon gave rise to the Steel Curtain, arguably the greatest defensive unit in NFL History. The secret to their success was unbelievably great drafting. His first pick in the Steel City, was a guy from North Texas by the name of Joe Greene, the anchor of the Steel Curtain and one of the greatest defensive players in the history of the game. However, the Steelers went 1-13 in his first year, and they had the top draft pick. He selected current FOX analyst and LA Tech standout Terry Bradshaw with the top pick. In the third round that year, the Steelers drafted Mel Blount, arguably the most violent DB in NFL History. After a couple more of mediocre seasons, the Steelers selected Penn State running back Franco Harris in 1972, and the Steelers went to the AFC Championship game, losing to the undefeated Dolphins. Also in the 1972 postseason, the Steelers’ legendary rivalry with the Oakland Raiders began thanks to the Immaculate Reception. In 1973, the Steelers lost to the Raiders in the divisional round. Then came what may be the greatest draft any team has had in a given year. With four of their first five draft picks, the Steelers drafted John Stallworth, Lynn Swann, Mike Webster, and Jack Lambert. All four of those men are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. With this core in place, the Steelers went 10-3-1 and defeated the Minnesota Vikings 16-6 in Super Bowl IX. The next year, the Steelers went 12-2 and successfully repeated, winning Super Bowl X against Tom Landry’s Cowboys 21-17. In 1976, the Steelers boasted one of the strongest defensive performances ever, surrendering only 9.8 points per game and five shutouts. They lost to the Raiders in the AFC Championship game, robbing them of a potential three-peat. In 1978, the Steelers went back to the Super Bowl, defeating the Cowboys in a high scoring affair, 35-31. Noll won his fourth title the next year against the Vikings. Noll became the first, and one of two coaches to have won four Super Bowls. After a couple of years of not making the playoffs, the Steelers kicked off the eighties with playoff losses to the Chargers in the Wild Card, the Raiders in the divisional round, and Miami in the 84 AFC Championship. 1984 was the last time the Steelers won the division under Noll’s tenure as head coach, and they would make the playoffs in 1988, and they lost to the Broncos in the divisional round. After the 1990 season, Noll retired as the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers. He had a coaching record of 193-148-1, and a 16-8 postseason record. To this day, Noll remains the only coach in NFL History to go 4-0 in the Super Bowl. 

Later Years

Noll would remain with the Steelers as the ceremonial Administrative Advisor,  but had no real role in the team operations, and he would serve that role until 2013. In 1993, Noll was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame alongside Bill Walsh, Larry Little, Walter Payton & Dan Fouts. He suffered from chronic back problems that limited his mobility, and he spent most of his time in Florida or his suburban home in Pittsburgh. On June 3, 2014, Chuck Noll passed away after struggling with Alzheimer’s and various other health problems.

Legacy

As I stated earlier, Chuck Noll is often overlooked when it comes to naming the greatest coaches, which is shocking considering the success he’s had in the 1970s. He is one of two coaches to have won four Super Bowl championships, and the only one to win four Super Bowls in a decade. I don’t know why it is that Noll doesn’t get the proper reverence he deserves. Maybe it’s because he was part of perhaps the greatest era of coaches in NFL History, with many Hall of Fame coaches during that time including Tom Landry, Bill Walsh, Joe Gibbs, Bill Parcells, Don Shula, Mike Ditka, and others. In the Steel City, Noll set a herculean standard for their coaches, as well as unbelievable job security. In fifty one years, the Steelers have only had three head coaches, Noll, Bill Cowher, and Mike Tomlin. Although those are three hall of fame coaches, Noll stands head and shoulders above the rest, owning a majority of Steelers coaching records including wins, championships, and playoff wins. Now I’ll pose you a couple of  questions: First, where does Noll stand among the all-time greats, and secondly, do you think he has the proper respect?

The Life & Legacy of ‘Slingin’ Sammy Baugh

Sammy Baugh was one of the most dominant and versatile players in the early era of the NFL, excelling as a quarterback, safety, as well as a punter. Baugh was a pioneer of today’s modern NFL, regularly passing the ball in an era where it was just a few yards and a cloud of dust. Even though he played more than eighty years ago, he is still one of the most respected and revered legends in the 100 year history of the NFL.  Here’s a look at the life and legacy of Texas’ first true football star, ‘Slingin’ Sammy Baugh.

Early Life, College Football & Baseball

Baugh was born on a farm near Temple, Texas on March 17, 1914. His parents divorced while he was growing up, and he moved to Sweetwater, Texas at the age of 16. While playing for the Sweetwater Mustangs, he famously practiced throwing a football through a tire, often on the run, and he’d allegedly practice punting more than throwing. In High School, Baugh actually wanted to play baseball, and almost went to Washington State on a scholarship, but it fell through after he hurt his knee sliding into second base. TCU Coach Dutch Meyer told Baugh that he could play football, baseball, and basketball. That was enough to convince Baugh to enroll at TCU. At TCU, Baugh was a 2x All American, and led TCU to two bowl game victories, a 3-2 win over LSU in the Sugar Bowl, and a 16-6 win over Marquette in the first ever Cotton Bowl Classic, and finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting. His career statistics at TCU over the course of three seasons are 270-587, 3,320 yards, and 40 TDs. As a baseball player, he played as a third baseman. While he was playing baseball, he got his nickname ‘Slingin’ Sammy from a Texas sports writer. He was even drafted to the MLB by the St. Louis Cardinals and played for the AA team Columbus Red Birds while being converted to shortstop. He was sent to the Rochester Red Wings, then quit due to unhappiness.

Washington Redskins

Baugh was drafted sixth overall by the Washington Redskins in the 1937 NFL Draft, the same year they relocated from Boston. He signed a one year, $8,000 contract with the team, which is equivalent to $143,561.71 in today’s money. In his rookie year, he played quarterback, defensive back, and punter. Baugh made an immediate impact, setting an NFL completions  record with 91 completions from 218 attempts, and threw for a league high 1,127 yards (I know that doesn’t sound like a world beater, but still). He led the Redskins to the NFL Championship game against George Halas’ Chicago Bears, where Baugh was 17 of 33, 335 yards and 3 TDs. His 335 passing yards were the most ever from a rookie quarterback in a playoff game until Russell Wilson broke it in 2012. In 1940, Baugh’s Redskins went back to the NFL Championship and were dominated 73-0 by the Chicago Bears thanks to their overwhelming T-Formation offense. That same year, Baugh & fellow teammate Wayne Millner were assistant coaches for the Catholic University of America’s Cardinals, and helped them go to the 1940 Sun Bowl, which ended in a 0-0 tie. In 1941, Baugh made $6,000, which is around $106,977.66 in today’s money, when he starred in a 12 episode serial. He played a Texas Ranger named Tom King, and the serial was called King of the Texas Rangers. In 1942, Baugh had a run of dominance, leading Washington to a 10-1 record, throwing for 1,524 yards and 16 touchdowns, 5 picks as a safety, and led the NFL in punting average. In the NFL Championship, Baugh threw a touchdown pass and helped pin the undefeated Bears in their own territory for a 10-6 win. The next year in 1943, Baugh had arguably the greatest performance any player had ever. He threw for 1,754 yards, 23 touchdowns, had a career high 50 punts, averaging 45.9 yards per punt, and had an astonishing 11 interceptions as a safety. One game against the Detroit Lions stands out, as he threw four touchdown passes, and intercepted four passes, being the first player to do so. The Redskins went back to the NFL Championship against The Bears, but Baugh suffered a concussion and got knocked out of the game. His Redskins lost 42-21. In the 1945 season, Baugh was the first quarterback to complete 70% of his passes, and threw only 11 TDs to 4 INTs. The Redskins came up short once again in the NFL Championship, losing to the Cleveland Rams 15-14. There was some controversy, as Baugh threw a pass that hit the goal post (the goal posts back then were at the front of the endzone, rather than the back). Owner George Preston Marshall was adamant on a rule change that made passes hitting the goal post automatically incomplete. Baugh had his best season as a passer in 1947, throwing for a career high 2,938 yards and 25 TDs. One performance of note that year was on “Sammy Baugh Day,” which took place on November 23, 1947. The Washington DC Touchdown Club gave Baugh a station wagon and was honored at Griffith Stadium. That game was against the Chicago Cardinals, and Baugh threw for 355 yards and 6 TDs, his finest game as a passer. Baugh continued playing until 1952. In his final game, Baugh played for several minutes before retiring to a standing ovation in Griffith Stadium. Baugh’s career statistics as a passer are 1692-2995, 21,886 yards, 187 touchdowns, and 203 interceptions. As a punter, he had 338 punts, 15,245 punt yards, and an average of 45.1. He stopped playing DB in 1944, and had 31 picks, forced 47 fumbles, and recovered 21 of them.

Coaching and Final Years

After declining to take part in Redskins team activities, he became the head coach for the Hardin-Simmons Cowboys in Abilene, Texas from 1955-1959. He compiled a 23-28 record, and had one bowl game, a 14-7 loss against Wyoming at the Sun Bowl. Baugh was also the first coach of the New York Titans, the modern day New York Jets in 1960 and 1961, getting a 14-14 record. He was also an assistant coach for the University of Tulsa in 1963, the same year he was one of the 17 charter inductees in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. In 1964, he coached the Houston Oilers for a year, going 4-10. After that, Baugh moved to a ranch in Rotan, Texas. His wife, Edmonia Smith died in 1990 after 52 years of marriage, and together they had four boys and a girl. According to Baugh’s son, his father had a lot more fun on the ranch than he ever did playing football, and that if he could live life over again, he probably wouldn’t play football. He spent his final years in a nursing home in Jayton, Texas. On December 17, 2008 Baugh died after complications to his health including Alzheimer’s at the age of 94. He was the last surviving member of the charter inductee class.

Legacy

Sammy Baugh was a player ahead of his time, being one of the very first quarterbacks to use the forward pass regularly rather than a last resort. Baugh’s #33 jersey is the only jersey number that has been officially retired by the Washington Redskins. His #45 jersey was also one of two officially retired by TCU. On the NFL’s Top 100 Greatest Players, Bill Belichick said that Baugh’s versatility was the equivalent of Tom Brady, Brian Moorman, and Ed Reed rolled into one. If you get high praise from Bill Belichick, that means you must have been legendary. Baugh set 13 NFL Records when he retired. As a passer, two of his records stand. Most times leading the NFL in passing with six (tied with Steve Young), and most seasons leading the NFL in the lowest interception percentage. As a punter, Baugh has the second best career average behind Shane Lechler, and has the best single season average for a punter with 51.4 yards per punt. As a safety, he was the first player to have 4 interceptions in a single game, a feat that has been repeated many times, but never broken. I know he threw a ton of picks, but keep in mind that the footballs used back then were a lot bigger than the ones used today, and passing wasn’t really at the forefront like it is today.  A true gunslinger, Baugh’s name is at the beginning of a long list of big arm quarterbacks, and was a true pioneer of the modern game.