Friday, Feb. 04, 2011
Long Live the Emperor
In 1969, the Steelers were spurned by Joe Paterno, then a highly successful head coach at Penn State. The franchise turned to the lesser-known Chuck Knoll, who was at the time an assistant coach of the Baltimore Colts. Noll's first season was a nightmare — the team went 1-13. But the Steelers stuck with their coach, who'd go on to have a glorious 22-year run with the club, winning four Super Bowls — more than any other coach in NFL history — while making the Steelers one of the sport's best-known teams. His squads were famous for their stellar defense, dubbed the "Steel Curtain." For his own prowess, Noll would earn the sobriquet "The Emperor."