Steelers veteran cornerback Ike Taylor announces retirement

Dan Rooney and Ike Taylor — call them the modern day odd couple.

A Hall of Fame 82-year-old owner of one of the NFL's most storied franchises and a mid-round draft choice from Gretna, La., separated by almost 50 years in age, shouldn't be trading fist bumps or posting selfies on social media.

Or sleeping in “Papa” Rooney's office, either.

Taylor, who will turn 35 next month, retired Tuesday, ending not only a 12-year run as one of the top cornerbacks in franchise history, but one of the most unique owner/player relationships.

“I've got to thank the Rooney family just for treating me as one of their own,” Taylor said. “Just think, I became a Steeler to darn well near become a Rooney.”

That's the type of relationship Taylor and Rooney fostered over the years.

It wasn't unusual for Taylor to call “Papa” Rooney just to say hello. It was common for Taylor to stop in Rooney's office just to have a conversation.

One day, that conversation turned into something else.

“I was in there doing work, and he came in and after a while, he said he was really tired,” Rooney said. “I told him to lie down on the couch. He fell sound asleep. So I got up and closed the door and left. I told the (secretaries) not to bother him.”

Taylor slept for a couple of hours before finally waking up in the quiet office of the team owner. It is something Taylor never forgot.

“A Hall of Famer, a six-time Lombardi Super Bowl champion, one of the pioneers of the NFL … he came up with the minority rule (for coaching hires) and for a guy like that to have his door open for me to come in because he saw I was tired and let me fall asleep and him leave out … that is unheard of,” Taylor said.

Another example of Taylor's relationship with Rooney was captured in last year's team photo. Taylor made sure Rooney was standing next to him even if his boss was noticeably out of place by his positioning.

“He said, 'Come on now, get in there,'” Rooney said. “I said that I am supposed to go in this spot. He pushed the other guys down. That's the way he is.”

On the field, Taylor was one of the most polarizing players in Steelers history. For a good portion of his career, Taylor shadowed the other team's best receiver all over the field, and usually did a good job of shutting him down.

However, bad hands and a handful of poor games in big spots — a 2011 playoff game against the Broncos and nationally televised games in 2005 against the Colts and 2012 against the Titans come to mind — left Taylor open for criticism. He had only 14 career interceptions and no more than three in any year.

Taylor never made a Pro Bowl, but he was on three defenses that finished first in the NFL, won two championships and played in another.

His 135 consecutive games played until hurting his ankle late in the 2012 season was the most of any cornerback at the time.

Even though he played all but 24 snaps in 2013, Taylor wasn't 100 percent and his play suffered to the point where he had to take a significant pay cut to return.

Last year, Taylor missed half the season with a broken forearm and never got back to speed when he returned late in the season. Taylor pulled himself from a December game in Cincinnati after giving up a pair of long receptions.

“Showed me how to play the game, showed me how to face (adversity). Showed me how to handle my business like a man,” former Steelers cornerback Keenan Lewis said via social media. “One of the best cornerbacks to ever play the game.”

Taylor plans to continue his career in the media. He will be part of the NFL Network's programming this week before heading to NFL Films to do some work for them next week.

Taylor also hopes to be a coaching intern for the Steelers this year for OTAs and training camp.

“I want to have experience in broadcasting, experience in coaching,” Taylor said.”I want to be well-rounded.”

Mark Kaboly is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. Reach him at mkaboly@tribweb.ccom or via Twitter @MarkKaboly_Trib