The Pittsburgh Steelers had one of the most menacing defensive units of all time in the 1970s and into the early 1980s. Known as The Steel Curtain, they punished opposing offenses consistently and had more than their fair share of big hits.
One of the many players who got laid out by a member of the Steel Curtain was Cincinnati Bengals WR turned NFL Analyst Cris Collinsworth. Chris recounted his welcome to the NFL moment, which came against the Pittsburgh Steelers on The Rich Eisen Show.
“If you grew up when I did, the Steelers won everything.” Collinsworth recounted. “I had to get over the fact that I was playing against the Steelers, it was mindboggling for me.”
The Steelers dominated the 1970s as Collinsworth referred to. They took home four Super Bowl titles from the years of 1974 to 1979. Anyone following football during that era knew that the Steelers were the team to beat.
Collinsworth recalled a game from his rookie year in 1981 against the Steelers.
“The one in particular I remember is Kenny Anderson calling a slant early in the game. I’m thinking I gotta take about five steps up here and turn left and run right into where Jack Lambert’s gonna be. Collinsworth remembered. “I take a hard left and run in towards Jack Lambert. That sucker hit me so hard, he’s lying onto of me, and he took his elbow into my throat, and he grabbed my facemask and he said ‘Collinsworth if you ever come over the middle again I’m going to kill you.’ “
While many players would have been worried about the state of their brain cells after a hit like that, Collinsworth had another conclusion.
“I waddle back over to the huddle and I have a big smile on my face,” he noted. “Anthony Munoz looked at me and said ‘What the heck are you smiling about? Jack Lambert almost killed you.’ I responded, I know but he knew my name.”
While the focus of the NFL today is all on the quarterbacks, back then guys like Jack Lambert are as popular as any. Lambert had one of the best careers of any Steelers as well as any defensive player. He made the all-decade team in both the 1970s and the 1980s and also made six All-Pro teams. Searching for Jack Lambert’s biggest hits on YouTube also provides plenty of lengthy videos featuring him absolutely destroying opposing players.
Despite how starstruck he was, Cris Collinsworth was no slouch himself. Even in his rookie year, he picked up over 1,000 yards receiving and made both the Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro. But Lambert had no problem turning one of the better receivers in the league into a tackling dummy.
It’s hard to imagine going up against the Steel Curtain in their prime. Not only did their talent play a part in their success, but also the intimidation factor they posed. You thought twice about going across the middle against those guys. And when you think about how hard Jack Lambert is going to lay you out instead of catching the ball, there’s a much higher likelihood for mistakes. If any team could punish you for those mistakes, it was the Pittsburgh Steelers of old. Just look at their Super Bowl rings and other accolades for proof.
Watch the full segment below:
