It’s no secret that Corridor of Fame Pittsburgh Steelers QB Terry Bradshaw and head coach Chuck Noll didn’t get alongside. The 2 had completely different personalities. Although they not often noticed eye to eye, it made the Steelers a greater workforce and Bradshaw a greater participant. Just lately Bradshaw joined the To The Level Dwelling Service Podcast, and spoke about quite a lot of matters. Together with his relationship with Noll and his tumultuous 1974 season, one which resulted in a Tremendous Bowl, but in addition noticed Bradshaw benched within the common season.
After refusing to cross the picket line throughout a strike, Pittsburgh began Joe Gilliam to start the season.
“They referred to as Joe Gilliam, and he crossed the road and went in and began enjoying…Ultimately he began robust, then he began fading,” Bradshaw stated in the course of the Q&A session. “Then they put me again into begin. I didn’t play effectively, and so they benched me, put [Terry] Hanratty in. He didn’t play effectively. They benched him, put me again in, and I completed out the season and we went on and received a Tremendous Bowl.”
Underneath Gilliam, the Steelers scored 30-plus factors in three of their first 5 video games, taking a pass-first strategy not seen earlier than underneath Noll. Nevertheless, Gilliam’s early season magic shortly light as he started turning the ball over and changing into much less environment friendly. A Week Six recreation towards the Cleveland Browns noticed Gilliam full simply 5-of-18 passes for 78 yards. This was sufficient for Noll to tug the plug on Gilliam and insert Bradshaw again within the lineup.
Bradshaw returned as starter for 3 video games earlier than being benched for Terry Hanratty . Hanratty performed one recreation, tossing three interceptions which was led Noll to return to Bradshaw. Bradshaw then completed the season and helped the Steelers raise their first Lombardi Trophy, throwing a landing and finishing 9-of014 passes for 96 yards on a chilly New Orleans day.
The 1974 season is ideal encapsulation of Bradshaw and Noll’s relationship. To at the present time, Bradshaw holds a grudge towards Noll, but he additionally acknowledges that Noll made him a greater participant.
“I didn’t like my head coach in any respect, Chuck Noll,” stated Bradshaw. “He was not a pleasant particular person. And he was imply to me. In all my 14 years of enjoying for him, he by no means shook my hand one time [say], ‘Good job, Terry.’..I used to be strolling out, going onto the sphere to play the Cleveland Browns. And he stopped me and he stated, ‘You mess up on the market right this moment, and I’ll bench your ass within the first half.’”
Bradshaw was an individual who wanted encouragement whereas Noll was a tough-love coach. It’s unhappy to listen to that Noll sucked the love out of soccer for Bradshaw. However regardless that he could not have had the identical love for soccer with the Steelers that he had in faculty and as a child, Bradshaw reached heights others by no means did. Bradshaw was the primary quarterback to win 4 Tremendous Bowls and he performed an enormous half within the Steelers profitable them. With out him, the Steelers don’t win 4 Tremendous Bowls. It’s even honest to surprise in the event that they even win two.
Whereas the connection was poor, Bradshaw nonetheless sees the silver lining.
“I’m glad I performed for him, Sebastian, ’trigger I couldn’t stand him,” he stated. “And I realized, I realized via the damage and the ache of somebody taking one thing from me that I completely love, which was quarterbacking the Steelers.”
Even in the course of the quarterback carousel of 1974, the Steelers had been nonetheless an ideal workforce. Even with Gilliam ending because the workforce’s main passer, Pittsburgh went on to seize its first Tremendous Bowl. The workforce’s success, regardless of points at quarterback, was largely as a consequence of Noll’s skill to educate nice defenses. Noll’s defensive background because the Baltimore Colts’ defensive coordinator opened up Bradshaw’s eyes of how one can learn defenses.
“I realized extra about protection than I did about offense,” stated Bradshaw, who additionally famous he solely had a quarterbacks coach as soon as in his profession. “I don’t know close to as a lot about offense as I find out about protection, ’trigger he taught me protection. By instructing me protection, I’m in a position to take a look at a protection and I can see what it’s… that I thank him for.”
Bradshaw had a full profession arc. From early struggles and benchings, he flourished by the mid-to-late 70s. He completed his 14 yr profession with 27,989 passing yards, 212 touchdowns, and 210 interceptions. However extra importantly, he received 4 Tremendous Bowls, the 1978 MVP Award, and have become a first-ballot Corridor of Famer. He’s thought to be a high quarterback in historical past, although current lists have pushed him outdoors the consensus high ten.
In retirement, Bradshaw’s had a hot-and-cold relationship with the group. He didn’t return to Pittsburgh till 2002 and was met with thunderous applause from followers. Nonetheless, he’s been brazenly essential of Mike Tomlin and the entrance workplace and skipped the funerals of Noll and Dan Rooney. Regardless of public calls, Bradshaw’s No. 12 hasn’t been formally retired and there’s no plan to enshrine it anytime quickly.
Nonetheless, Bradshaw has his legacy. The Blonde Bomber who helped flip Pittsburgh’s franchise round. Noll may be credited with the identical. Two very completely different folks making it work to show the Steelers right into a dynasty.
