When I was growing up as a kid, I loved to watch NFL football.

Maybe that was because it was on once a week and you only had two games to choose from — the one on NBC and the one on CBS.

But during its heyday in the 1970s, I can remember liking two teams other than my home-state Detroit Lions.

In the early 1970s it was the Miami Dolphins. The rest of the decade belonged to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

I cannot remember exactly why I liked following the Dolphins and Steelers. I am sure winning had something to do with it, but that wasn’t the only reason.

In Miami they had the great offense with Bob Griese, Jim Kiick, Mercury Morris, Larry Csonka and Paul Warfield. Then there was the “No Name” defense led by linebacker Nick Buonticonti, Manny Fernandez and Vern Den Herder.

Following the Dolphins as they completed an undefeated season was something I will never forget.

Neither will be the day I received an autographed photo of the 1972 Dolphins championship team in the mail.

For some reason my attention shifted to the defensive side of the football about the time the Pittsburgh Steelers were becoming a great team.

Chuck Noll, who for my money is the best coach the NFL has ever seen, led that team.

He took over a Pittsburgh franchise that was the laughing stock of the NFL pretty much for its entire existence.

He was hired by the Steelers in 1969 and led them to an NFL record four Super Bowl titles. He remained with the Steelers until 1991.

During that time, Noll’s teams were 209-156-1. Under his direction, the Steelers’ won Super Bowl XIV, XIII, X and IX. They also won the 1974, 75, 78 and 79 AFC championships.

Noll drafted 10 future Hall of Fame members, including Terry Bradshaw, Joe Greene, Jack Ham, Mel Blount, Franco Harris, Jack Jambert, Lynn Swann and John Stallworth.

A lot of people may not know that Harris’ “immaculate reception” was the Steelers’ first playoff victory — ever!

He was a tough, no-nonsense coach who expected his players to know what they were supposed to do and execute.

He was also a coach that believed that you could get your work done and still have time for family. He was not one of those coaches who spent several nights a week sleeping in his office.

There have been other great coaches. But Paul Brown, Tom Landry, Bill Walsh, Hank Stram, George Halas and John Madden don’t hold a candle to what Noll did in my book.

Vince Lombardi is the one coach, who measures up, but there was no Super Bowl for most of Vince’s career and his five NFL championships will be a record no one touches.

 

Scott Novak is sports editor for Leader Publications. He can be reached at scott.novak@leaderpub.com.