The Pittsburgh Steelers announced the 2022 Hall of Honor class Saturday at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe in an event at the Fred Rogers Institute on Day 4 of training camp in the black and gold’s return to Chuck Noll Field for the first time since 2019.
Prior to the inductees Saturday, the Steelers’ Hall of Honor had 45 contributors honored in the Hall of Honor at now-Acrisure Stadium.
Longtime Pittsburgh radio and television host and member of the Hall of Honor selection committee, Stan Savran, hosted the Hall of Honor show, and was joined by Steelers President Art Rooney II, as well as selection committee members Bob Labriola and Bill Hillgrove.
The Steelers created the franchise’s Hall of Honor in 2017 after Rooney II came up with the idea along with late Chairman Dan Rooney, with the goal of recognizing former players, coaches, and front office personnel who played an integral role in the success of the franchise, from the beginning in 1933 to present day.
To be eligible for induction into the Hall of Honor, a player must be retired at least three years and played a minimum of three seasons for the Steelers, while former coaches and contributors had to make significant contributions to the team and community, according to Steelers.com.
On Saturday, Stan Savran announced that RB/WR Ray Mathews, OL Sam Davis, TE Heath Miller, and color commentator Myron Cope would be inducted into the Steelers Hall of Honor. The announcement was also shown live on the team’s YouTube channel.
Mathews was drafted by the Steelers in the seventh round (81st overall) of the 1951 NFL Draft. He was a RB that moved to WR while also serving as a kick and punt returner. Mathews was a two-time Pro Bowler and played in Pittsburgh from 1951-1959, accumulating 230 receptions for 3,919 yards and 34 touchdowns with 300 carries for for 1,057 yards and five touchdowns. Mathews also returned 61 punts for 779 yards and three TDs along with 42 kickoffs for 1,069 yards. He was named to the Pittsburgh Steelers Legends Team in 2007.
Davis joined the Steelers as an UDFA in 1967. He didn’t start in his first three seasons in Pittsburgh, but developed into a starter that became a key cog in the offensive line that protected QB Terry Bradshaw and paved the way for RB Franco Harris for the great Steelers teams of the 70s. Davis was a starter at LG for Pittsburgh from 1970-1979 and played in 168 games, starting 114 of them. He was a four-time Super Bowl champion and was named to the Pittsburgh Steelers 50th Anniversary Team.
Miller was drafted by Pittsburgh in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft out of The University of Virginia. The John Mackey Award winner ended up becoming arguably the best TE in team history, setting the team record for receptions (592), receiving yards (6,569), and TDs (45) at the TE position. He was a well-rounded TE, being a sure-handed pass catcher as well as a capable run blocker that served as Ben Roethlisberger’s security blanket for over a decade. Miller played 11 seasons in Pittsburgh, starting 167-of-168 games played, and was a two-time Pro Bowler as well as a two-time Super Bowl champion in Pittsburgh.
Cope was a sports journalist, radio personality, and sportscaster who was known as the voice of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Cope served as the color commentator for the Steelers for 35 years, and played a large role in the creation of the Terrible Towel, urging fans to take yellow dish towels and twirl them during the 1975 playoff game against the Baltimore Colts. Cope was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2005 and received the Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award the same year.
