Caleb Harris
Bill Cowher’s initial goal in becoming the Steelers head coach was simple. Born in Pittsburgh and raised less than 15 miles from Three Rivers Stadium, Cowher was just 34 when he was tasked with succeeding Chuck Noll, who guided the Steelers to four Super Bowls during the 1970s.
“If I don’t screw this up in three years, I can go back to my 20th high school reunion at Carlynton High School as head coach of my hometown team,” Cowher said. NFL Movies in 2020. “That was my initial goal.”
Cowher accomplished that and more during his 15 years as Steelers head coach. A former NFL linebacker for the Browns who later began training with Marty Schottenheimer, Cowher guided the Steelers to a Super Bowl title, two AFC titles and seven division titles. Cowher’s success in Pittsburgh led to his inclusion in the 2020 Hall of Fame class. Cowher was inducted alongside former Steelers player Troy Polamalu.
On Wednesday, Cowher celebrated his 67th birthday. Here are five things you might not have known about the former head coach and current CBS NFL analyst.
A record start
Cowher’s career began with six consecutive trips to the playoffs, tying Paul Brown’s record for most consecutive playoff seasons for a first-time head coach. Led by a dominant defense that included Hall of Famers Rod Woodson and Kevin Greene, along with perennial Pro Bowlers Greg Lloyd and Carnell Lake, the “Blitzburgh” Steelers won five division titles during that span, establishing themselves as a of the most physical teams in the NFL. . Among the highlights during Cowher’s first six seasons was a 1994 playoff victory over Bill Belichick’s Browns, the first time the two franchises met in the postseason.
History of the Super Bowl
After falling short in the 1994 AFC Championship Game, Cowher’s 1995 team suffered an early setback when Woodson suffered a knee injury in Week 1 that kept him out for the remainder of the regular season. After a slow start, the ’95 Steelers became the first team to reach the Super Bowl after a 3-4 start. A big reason for the Steelers’ second-half surge was the emergence of rookie Kordell Stewart, whose versatility as a quarterback, running back and receiver earned him the nickname “Slash.”
In the playoffs, the Steelers cruised past the Bills before surviving a last-second Hail Mary to beat the Colts in the AFC title game. With the victory, Cowher, 38, became the youngest coach to take his team to the Super Bowl.
A huge underdog in Super Bowl XXX, Cowher helped stem the tide of the game minutes into the fourth quarter. With his team trailing 20-10, Cowher called what at the time was the first onside kick attempt in Super Bowl history. With the Cowboys’ returning men running off the field, the Steelers surprised everyone when Norm Johnson dribbled to Deon Figures, who recovered the ball just before midfield with 11:20 remaining. The Steelers, who banked on Cowher’s punt on a touchdown, fought back but were unable to complete what would have been a historic comeback.
The Steelers’ best regular season
In 2004, Cowher oversaw the most successful regular season in Steelers history. After losing the season opener in Baltimore, the Steelers would win the final 15 games of the regular season. Among the key catalysts for the Steelers’ success in 2004 were second-year safety Troy Polamalu, linebackers Joey Porter and James Farrior, offensive linemen Casey Hampton and Aaron Smith, defensive lineman Alan Faneca, receivers Hines Ward and Plaxico Burress, and the QB-RB. combination of rookie quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and Jerome Bettis. Roethlisberger won each of his 13 starts that season, while Bettis — who began the season as a backup — earned the final Pro Bowl selection of his Hall of Fame career.
A season of Cinderella
After a 7-5 start to the 2005 season, the final 100-yard rushing game of Bettis’ career began an eight-game winning streak that culminated in the Steelers’ 21-10 victory over Seattle in Super Bowl XL. Along with winning the franchise’s fifth Vince Lombardi Trophy, Cowher’s team became the first sixth seed in NFL history to win the Super Bowl. The Steelers also became the first NFL team to win the Super Bowl after winning each of the previous playoff games on the road.
Woodson ruled supreme
Cowher said Woodson was the greatest player he coached during his 15 years in Pittsburgh. A dominant force at cornerback and as a defender, Woodson earned seven of his 11 Pro Bowl selections during his time with the Steelers. The league’s Defensive Player of the Year in 1993, Woodson became the first professional athlete to undergo major knee surgery to return and play that season, starting for Pittsburgh while containing Hall of Fame receiver Michael Irvin during Super Bowl XXX . Woodson was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2009.
