Sometimes in sports, you need to call your shots, and that’s exactly what Steelers legend Lynn Swann did in 1974.
In a recent interview of News Talk 1480 WHBC Canton Ohio, Swann recalled bugging head coach Chuck Noll to be put in the game during the AFC Championship.
“I go Chuck, I got a play,” Swann said when recalling the game. “And he didn’t even ask me what the play was, he said, ‘alright, go in…’ I ran the route, Terry threw the ball. Caught it, touchdown. We go ahead. We win the game. We go to our own Super Bowl.”
The play Swann is referring to was in the Steelers’ massive fourth quarter during the 74’ AFC Championship. Swann, a rookie at the time, ran a quick slant route late in the game with the score even at 10-10.
He easily beat the cornerback, allowing the team to take the lead for the first time, never again relinquishing it for the game. They would eventually win to the tune of 24-13. As Swann stated, the team would then ride that momentum into the Super Bowl where they would knock off the Minnesota Vikings 16-6.
The Super Bowl would kick off a four-title dynasty for the team who famously dominated the 70’s thanks in part to Swann.
Learning that the play, which may have ultimately changed the fate of the Steelers franchise, was a call-your-shot play by Swann adds to the lore of it.
Noll was a coach who notably allowed his players the freedom to make plays and call plays on their own, something Swann also noted in the interview.
“Chuck would listen to people and take their input and then make a decision,” explained Swann
Terry Bradshaw shared a similar sentiment recently on Julian Edelman’s podcast.
“I called all my plays in the pros and not realizing that people don’t call their plays,” Bradshaw explained. “That is one of the things about my life I get the biggest kick outta saying I call my own plays. Brady didn’t call his own plays. He flipped a card.”
Obviously, this strategy worked for the Steelers as Noll listening to his players not only resulted in iconic plays, but also one of the greatest runs by a team in NFL history.
