Written by the ESPN Staff at ESPN.com
Pittsburgh Steelers chairman Dan Rooney, one of the NFL’s most influential and popular executives, has died. He was 84.
Rooney took over operation of the team in the 1960s from his father, Art, who founded the franchise. From there, Dan Rooney oversaw six NFL championships for a team that had never before played in an NFL title game.
“Few men have contributed as much to the National Football League as Dan Rooney,” commissioner Roger Goodell said 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.”
Under Rooney’s direction, the Steelers won four championships in six years — Super Bowls IX, X, XIII and XIV. He also played a large role in assembling the 1974 draft class, considered the greatest class in NFL history, in which the Steelers picked four future Hall of Famers — Lynn Swann, Jack Lambert, John Stallworth and Mike Webster.
“It is a sad day for my family and me,” Steelers president Art Rooney II said in a statement. “My father meant so much to all of us, and so much to so many past and present members of the Steelers organization. He gave his heart and soul to the Steelers, the National Football League and the City of Pittsburgh.
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