Dan Rooney
Dan Rooney
Daniel Milton "Dan" Rooneyis the former United States Ambassador to Ireland, who served from July 3, 2009 until his resignation in 2012. He is chairman of the Pittsburgh Steelers football team in the National Football League, which was founded by his father, Art. Rooney was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2000 for his contributions to the game. He is credited with spearheading a requirement that NFL teams with head coach and general manager vacancies interview at...
ProfessionPolitician
Date of Birth20 July 1932
CityPittsburgh, PA
Being from Pittsburgh had a little to do with hiring him, because we had coaches in the past who didn't believe in Pittsburgh the way Bill and Chuck Noll do. They thought Pittsburgh was a special place.
So far, it's great. We haven't punched anybody yet.
I'll never forget this because our doctor told (Rooney) he didn't think Rod would be able to make the trip and that they were thinking about checking him into the hospital,
I really feel that when you're changing coaches, it's almost like you're an expansion team, starting over again.
I'm very proud of the way this team played. We played super defense, and how about our quarterback making that tackle?
If you have good people, why change? If you keep making changes all the time, you're like an expansion team, always starting over. Stability is everything. I believe if you get the right person, he's going to come through.
I could see in him a guy who would have success over the long haul. And that's what he's been. His roots have helped him. He's not one of those people who come to Pittsburgh and look around and think he's in some provincial town. He knows Pittsburgh, he understands the people, and he thinks of it as home. It's great to have him.
He's meant so much as a player, but he's also done so much as far as motivating and showing these young people just what they should do. He's been a real leader.
I'm not really for that. But I have to listen to what's being said. He's not the commissioner for the small markets. He's not the commissioner for the big markets. They have the same goal.
I guess what all this does is determine some specific measurement that may equate to athletic ability. But it's hard to get excited if a guy doesn't play well on film.
I knew it was a good one, a good symbol and said what we were. It said steel. It's still good.
The complaining about Bill was not in Pittsburgh. The fans know it's not our style to be impulsive. This is a tough league, which makes good coaching very meaningful. In a time of parity, when things can happen fast, that's vital.