Twenty-six years since they won the Super Bowl, many Super Steelers still are finding ways to score off the field.
Lynn Swann is seeking the Republican nomination for governor. Dwayne Woodruff is an Allegheny County judge. And Franco Harris has teamed up with the backers of the proposed Harrah's Station Square Casino.
They are among the many members of the 1970s Super Bowl-winning teams who stayed in Pittsburgh long after their playing days -- parlaying their exploits on the field into successful second careers in business, politics and philanthropy.
"Sports was a big part of our life during that time, but now after that, what are the things that you're doing?" said Harris, 55, a former Hall-of-Fame running back and now a businessman. "There's so much more to do after sports because you're so young. If you can take that same energy and enthusiasm and drive, and put it into something new, it's amazing what you can achieve."
The bond between athletes and their adopted hometowns varies by person, said Andy Masich, chief executive officer of the Sen. John Heinz History Center, which runs the Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum. The Strip District museum last week unveiled a statue of Harris at Pittsburgh International Airport in Findlay.
"Some of them really bond with the community, and others feel they're just sojourning here," Masich said. "Some of them feel loved and welcomed. It's a real personal, individual thing."
Several former players said it's more than coincidence that they and their teammates settled in Pittsburgh. It made sense to stay because they already had friends here -- or in some cases, family. Their fame led to business opportunities. And their football success remains real for so many Pittsburghers.
"When they realize who we are, you see their eyes sparkle because they have great memories they go visit," said former safety Mike Wagner, 56, of Pine, who now works in commercial real estate.
Even in the moments leading up to Super Bowl XL on Sunday, former defensive end L.C. Greenwood -- one of the team's famed "front four," who painted his shoes gold to distinguish himself on the field for announcers -- has one more shot to relive the greatest moments of his career.
The Squirrel Hill resident appears for the final time as a modern-era candidate on the ballot for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, where he would join nine former teammates. Players are eligible under that status for 25 years after retirement and then can be eligible as senior candidates.
Joining Greenwood on the Hall of Fame ballot is Steelers assistant head coach/offensive line coach Russ Grimm, a native of Scottdale, Westmoreland County. He played 11 seasons for the Washington Redskins and won three Super Bowl championships.
The Hall of Fame selections will be announced today.
"I really can't think about that," said Greenwood, 59. "I can't go that far to think about what it would mean to get the honor. ... It probably would be a shock."
Ever since 1991, when he failed to make it to the Hall on his first attempt, Greenwood said he has tried to lower his expectations. If he doesn't make it again this time, he has plenty of successes to fall back on.
While he was still playing football, Greenwood started the coal and gas company Greenwood Enterprises to supplement his income, which did not match players' salaries today. Now he runs three companies from an office in Carnegie.
"It really doesn't surprise me that a lot of the guys stayed here, because they were here so long," Greenwood said. "On those teams, during that time, we had guys play 10, 12, 13 years. They were pretty much already embedded."
Or, as former running back Rocky Bleier said, the decision to stay can be a simple thing. He married a Pittsburgh girl, sealing his fate.
"Where else am I going to go?" said Bleier, 59, of Mt. Lebanon. "You have to understand Pittsburgh and the mentality. Once you've married a girl from Pittsburgh, you ain't leaving Pittsburgh."
Bleier travels the country as an inspirational speaker, making about 90 engagements a year. He will speak to a group in Orlando, Fla., during Super Bowl weekend.
Others said they have stayed in Pittsburgh because their fame led to business opportunities.
Former linebacker Andy Russell, who played through the mid-1970s, now works as an investment adviser in Downtown. As part of that success off the field, Russell formed his own foundation in 1999 to raise money for children's charities.
He credits the Rooney family, which owns the Steelers, and former Hall-of-Fame coach Chuck Noll with laying the groundwork for his giving.
"You were just taught that it was important to give back to the community," said Russell, 64, who lives in Collier Township. "You were lucky enough to be part of something this much fun. If you have that good fortune, you should give back. All of us have that."
Commitment to the community drove Woodruff to run for a seat on Allegheny County Common Pleas Court, he said. The former cornerback led a class of seven lawyers elected in the Nov. 8 general election, and he now serves in Family Court.
"The Steelers have always been known for drafting guys with a lot of drive and great character," said Woodruff, 48, of McCandless. "After being here so many years and being embraced by the community, you want to stay because it's a great place to be, and you want to do your part to continue to improve the community."
Perhaps no former Steelers player has embraced that challenge as much as Swann, who retired from broadcasting this month to seek the Republican nomination for governor. He faces Bill Scranton, a former lieutenant governor, in the May 16 primary.
"When I see my former teammates doing stuff like that, it does make you feel good," Harris said. "It just does."
Where are they now?
If it seems like just yesterday that you recall seeing the Super Steelers. That might be because you actually did. Many players from the 1979 Super Bowl-winning team still live in Western Pennsylvania. They include:
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