The Pittsburgh Steelers could see two more members inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in the Class of 2024 as part of the Senior Class.
The Hall of Fame’s 12-person Seniors Committee trimmed a list of eligible nominees to 60 Semifinalists who advance to the next round of consideration. Among the 60 semifinalists announced Wednesday, the Steelers franchise has two members: Art Rooney Jr., whose fingerprints were all over the organization’s historic 1974 NFL Draft, and former head coach Buddy Parker.
Art Rooney Jr., who is currently the Steelers vice president and member of the Board of Directors, has been employed with the Steelers since 1961. From 1964 through 1986, Rooney Jr. worked in the Steelers’ Scouting Department. Rooney Jr. was inducted into the Steelers Hall of Honor as a member of the Class of 2018.
Rooney Jr. was instrumental in the Steelers’ scouting department, working alongside the likes of Bill Nunn, Chuck Noll, and others to build the 70s dynasty. He served as the team’s scouting director from 1965 to 1986.
Along with Rooney Jr., Parker is a semifinalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Parker was the Steelers’ head coach from 1957 to 1964. Though known for his hatred of rookies and draft picks — there were years where Pittsburgh didn’t have a draft pick until the seventh or eighth round — he helped lead the franchise to its first sustained success, posting a winning season in 1958 as the team finished with a 7-4-1 record. The Steelers’ best mark under Parker came in 1962, finishing the year 9-5. Parker helped facilitate the trade for Bobby Layne, the Hall of Fame quarterback who finished his career in Pittsburgh. Parker is best known for his success working with Layne in Detroit. There, he won two championships and posted a winning record in all but one year as head coach.
On the players side, former Steelers quarterbacks coach Ken Anderson is a Hall of Fame finalist due to his time as the quarterback of the Cincinnati Bengals from 1971-86. He was the NFL MVP in 1981 and one of the most accurate passers in league history. Anderson was the quarterbacks coach from 2007-2009 and helped Ben Roethlisberger win Super Bowl XLIII over the Arizona Cardinals.
According to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the Coach/Contributor Committee members will meet Aug. 15 to select one Coach or Contributor for final consideration for the Class of 2024. The Seniors Committee will meet Aug. 22 and may select up to three Seniors for final consideration as members of the Class of 2024.
