Starless: The 1947 Pittsburgh Steelers (w/ author Steve Massey)

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EPISODE SUMMARY

By 1946, when the Steelers played their 14th season, Pittsburgh’s NFL franchise had fielded only two teams above .500, one of which was a merged WW2 team. They were known as the league doormats. The owner of the team, Art Rooney, had earned the moniker “Lovable Loser” and he was regarded more as a wealthy local sports enthusiast than an NFL pillar.

Things were obviously getting better at the end of the season. The Steelers had a superstar MVP named Bill Dudley and one of the greatest head coaches in college football history with Jock Sutherland at the helm. Rooney was confident heading into the next season and the rest of the league’s owners worried about Sutherland’s rise.

1947 was a memorable season for the team. They proved how great they were by beating the powerhouse Redskins, who had Sammy Baugh, and by defeating their arch-rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles. the games were a series of happy surprises. Without Dudley, who had been traded to the Lions, the Steelers were a team of unknowns who played vicious defense and ran the single-wing offense to perfection.

AUTHOR BIO

Steve Massey is a graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi. He is a lifelong Steelers fan.

THE FOOTBALL HISTORY DUDE BACKGROUND

The Football History Dude is a show dedicated to teaching NFL fans about the rich history of the game we all know and love. I’m your host, Arnie Chapman, and I’m just a regular dude that loves football and is a nerd when it comes to learning about history. I created this show to share the gridiron knowledge nuggets I gain from researching various topics about the history of the National Football League. Each episode I welcome you to climb aboard my DeLorean to travel back in time to explore the yesteryear of the gridiron, and yes, that’s a reference to the Back to the Future Movies.

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