Add in the likes of Joe Greene, Jack Ham, Jack Lambert, Franco Harris, Mel Blount, John Stallworth, Lynn Swann, L.C. Greenwood and Mike Webster — all draftees. Soon, the Steelers were dominating pro football.
Rooney returned in 2012 and went right back to work in the family business, becoming a fixture at the team's headquarters well into his 80s. He is survived by Patricia, his wife of 65 years, as well as seven children, 20 grandchildren,http://www.soccerpro.us.com/Atletico-Madrid-FC/, five great-grandchildren and four brothers.
Under Rooney,Cheap Wholesale Jerseys, two stadiums were built in Pittsburgh, securing their place in a small market where they are sporting kings. Rooney's ability to reach across status, class, race and gender made him beloved in a city that identifies itself with its teams with a passion few others can match.
Dan Rooney, the powerful and popular Pittsburgh Steelers chairman whose name is attached to the NFL's landmark initiative in minority hiring, died Thursday. He was 84.
Born July 20, 1932, in Pittsburgh, Rooney was a high school quarterback, then attended Duquesne, receiving a degree in accounting. The family business was his calling, and he soon became involved in every area of the Steelers.
"Dan Rooney was a great friend of mine, but more importantly, he was a great friend to the people of Pittsburgh, a model citizen, and someone who represented the United States with dignity and grace on the world stage," former President Barack Obama said in a statement. "I knew he'd do a wonderful job when I named him as our United States Ambassador to Ireland, but naturally, he surpassed my high expectations, and I know the people of Ireland think fondly of him today."
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell called Rooney "one of the finest men in the history of our game," adding Rooney's "dedication to the game, to the players and the coaches, to his beloved Pittsburgh, and to Steelers fans everywhere was unparalleled."
Rooney also served as the U.S. ambassador to Ireland from 2009-2012, becoming the first ambassador from the U.S. to visit each of Ireland's 32 counties.
While Jones likened the Rooneys to NFL royalty, Rooney's personal touch and irrepressible good nature never made it seem that way even as turned the Steelers from also-rans to champions. He watched firsthand as the league his father bought into for $2,500 in 1933 became a multi-billion dollar,Wholesale NFL Jerseys, year-round business. Yet he never lost sight of its roots and made sure the focus remained on the people and the game itself.
When the franchise briefly stumbled during the turn of the millennium, missing the playoffs each year from 1998-2000, the Steelers signed Cowher to an extension. In 2001 they were back in the AFC championship game and Super Bowl champions again after the 2005 season.
In 2000, Rooney was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, joining his father. Dan Rooney's son, Art II, has been the Steelers president since 2003, with Dan Rooney becoming chairman.
"He's just down to earth, humble, regardless of his stature," said former cornerback Ike Taylor, an African-American who grew up in Louisiana but developed a close bond with Rooney during his 12-year career.
A confidant of three commissioners, he played a major role in negotiations with the players' union and in league expansion in 1976 to Seattle and Tampa. He also was involved in scheduling and realignment decisions.
Then-Commissioner Paul Tagliabue and league lawyers recognized the need for a hiring policy that was fair and transparent; the NFL had many critics over the lack of minorities in high-profile jobs, particularly as head coaches.
Few in the history of the modern NFL have loomed larger.
The team announced his death but details were not immediately available.
Rooney brought new employment requirements to his fellow owners and got the measure passed.
"The National Football League, the game is your legacy," Rooney said during his Hall of Fame speech. "Protect it. Don't let anyone tarnish it."
As the team searched for Cowher's replacement following his retirement after the 2006 season, they settled on Tomlin,Cheap Jerseys Wholesale, an energetic 34-year-old largely unknown defensive coordinator of the Minnesota Vikings. Over the last decade
Rooney was such a fixture in the Steel City that he regularly walked to home games. He mingled with fans, much as his father did before him, and made his players feel supremely comfortable in his presence. He would frequently have lunch with members of the staff, players and