Steelers owner, and chairman Dan Rooney dies at 84
Dan Rooney, the longtime Pittsburgh Steelers chairman who led the NFL’s diversity efforts for decades, has died, the team announced Thursday.
He was 84.
Rooney’s first job with the Steelers, a team his family has controlled since 1933, was as a water boy at age 12 and he began working in the front office after he graduated from Duquesne University in 1955. He eventually served as general manager and ran the day-to-day operations of the club from 1975 through 2003 when Dan Rooney’s son, Art Rooney Jr., took over those duties.
The Rooneys and the Maras, who have controlled the New York Giants since 1925, are considered the first families of the NFL, though it wasn’t until the NFL-AFL merger announced in 1966 that the Steelers became a powerhouse.
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NFL community reacts to Steelers owner Dan Rooney’s death
The Steelers shifted to the American Football Conference in 1970, the same season the franchise began play at Three Rivers Stadium, and Pittsburgh became the most dominant team of the decade led by the likes of Terry Bradshaw, Jack Lambert, Franco Harris and head coach Chuck Noll. The team won six consecutive AFC Central titles to close out the decade, a run that included four Super Bowl titles.
Tributes began across social media and other places soon after Rooney’s death was announced.
“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,” said President Obama in a statement. “I knew hed do a wonderful job when I named him as our United States Ambassador to Ireland, but naturally, he surpassed my highest expectations, and I know the people of Ireland think fondly of him today. And I know the people of Pittsburgh, who loved him not only for the Super Bowl championships he brought as the owner of the Steelers, but for his generosity of spirit, mourn his passing today. Michelle and I offer our condolences to the Rooney family, some of the most gracious and thoughtful people we know – even as we celebrate the life of Dan Rooney: a championship-caliber good man.”
“Few men have contributed as much to the National Football League as Dan Rooney,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell wrote in a statement. “A member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, he was one of the finest men in the history of our game and it was a privilege to work alongside him for so many years. Dan’s dedication to the game, to the players and coaches, to his beloved Pittsburgh, and to Steelers fans everywhere was unparalleled. He was a role model and trusted colleague to commissioners since Bert Bell, countless NFL owners, and so many others in and out of the NFL. A voice of reason on a wide range of topics, including diversity and labor relations, Dan always had the league’s best interests at heart. For my part, Dan’s friendship and counsel were both inspiring and irreplaceable. My heart goes out to Patricia, Art, and the entire Rooney family on the loss of this extraordinary man.”
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