Under Noll, Steelers enjoyed unparalleled success

[stillers4me]

Chuck Noll wasted little time stamping his impression on the Steelers franchise.

Hired the day before the 1969 draft, Noll insisted on selecting Joe Greene with the fourth overall pick despite considerable sentiment inside the organization to draft Notre Dame quarterback Terry Hanratty, a Butler native.

Noll, then just 37 years old, discovered Greene the year before while watching North Texas State's spring drills as a Baltimore Colts assistant. He was convinced teams won with defense, and Greene was college football's best defensive lineman in 1968.

“They were all set to take Hanratty,” said Hall of Fame coach Don Shula, who allowed the Steelers to hire Noll from his Colts staff before the draft, breaking from the accepted practice of the day because he knew Noll was eager to accept the job. “Chuck got there and said, ‘Wait a minute. I know this big defensive lineman that I scouted the past few years. We would be better off taking him.'

“You know how tough it was talking the Rooneys into taking Joe Greene instead of Hanratty of Notre Dame? Chuck had the courage of his convictions.”

Noll won twice that day: He drafted Hanratty in the second round............


Read more: http://triblive.com/sports/steelers/...#ixzz34ekN7EzV

[ALLD]

One could take all of the Cleveland coaches over the last 20 years, Belichek and throw in the Harbaugh brothers add them up and still not have in a coach what the Steelers had. Chuck did nothing to embarrass the team and was a brilliant coach too.

[tube517]

I was too young to know about Hanratty. Was he really that good coming out of college?




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