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
It's going to happen. Believe me, it's going to happen.
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.
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.
We have people in the organization who believe in the way we do things. That's very important when the fingers are pointing at you to change.
I knew it was a good one, a good symbol and said what we were. It said steel. It's still good.
The biggest thing my father passed on to me, and I hope we've continued it, is to treat people right. We treat our players as family, not workers. We're concerned for them away from the field and whatever problems they might have. My father always had a relationship with the players. And I've tried to do the same.
The biggest thing he passed on, and I hope we continue it, is to treat people right.
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'm very proud of the way this team played. We played super defense, and how about our quarterback making that tackle?
It was a compromise by all parties and I think that makes it great.
It's wonderful. I think it's a great thing for this city.
So far, it's great. We haven't punched anybody yet.
This was the greatest football team that was ever put together.
Ernie's physical and relentless style of play helped the Steelers earn a reputation for being one of the NFL's toughest teams in the 1950s. He was undersized for his position, but his strength and power were among his greatest assets.