A Steelers Depot daily segment. A quick hit of some Pittsburgh Steelers-related stories that may not require a complete article but nuggets worth mentioning and passing on to you guys.
Your Depot After Dark for June 17.
Ryan Clark’s Dream
Former Pittsburgh Steelers safety and current ESPN analyst Ryan Clark was recently featured in Men’s Health. The article revolved around the relationship with his son Jordan Clark, Ryan serving as his trainer and mentor, Clark’s other “job” when he’s on TV.
Ryan Clark says he officially decided to retire after the 2014 season to help his son train and the two still work together today. The article even included a couple Steelers-centric nuggets.
“Many of the lessons were physical, like after Jordan missed three tackles against Livonia High School running back Patrick Queen (now with the Steelers) in a game his sophomore year. In the pre-dawn hours of the next morning, 205-pound, 37-year-old Ryan, in his old Riddell helmet from the Super Bowl, too-small shoulder pads, and Lululemon pants, lined up for tackling drills against 15-year-old, 135-pound Jordan.”
Jordan Clark, now 180 pounds, transferred to Notre Dame after spending his career at Arizona State. He finished 2023 with 50 tackles and nine pass breakups. Even if Jordan ends up having a tough path to the NFL, he can again look towards his father. Ryan was an undrafted free agent who spent 14 years in the league.
Brady Broadcast Debut
If you caught Sunday’s UFL Championship Game between the Birmingham Stallions and San Antonio Brahmas, a Stallions shoutout victory, you also caught Tom Brady’s FOX broadcasting debut. After a giant contract and two years of speculation and waiting, Brady finally got in the booth to provide some analysis.
Fox Sports shared some of Brady’s “best moments,” though he was only in the booth for a couple of minutes. While potentially painful for a Steelers fan to listen to, Brady admittedly did a solid job and has a good voice and presence. He’ll call his first full NFL game in Week 1 between the Dallas Cowboys and Cleveland Browns.
Colbert’s Hall Of Fame Plea
For former Pittsburgh Steelers GM Kevin Colbert, there’s one front office name missing from Canton, Ohio. And he’s not talking about himself. Appearing on the All Things Covered podcast earlier this month, Colbert made the case for Art Rooney Jr. to be included in the Hall.
“The Steelers didn’t have a GM, but he was the GM with Coach Noll and put those great 70s teams together,” Colbert told the show. “And he’s been nominated for the Hall a few times. He hasn’t gotten in. But if there’s anybody that deserves a Hall of Fame, it’s Art Rooney Jr. by far. Because nobody’s ever matched the four [Super Bowls] in six years. And he had the greatest draft in NFL history.”
Rooney Jr. held the role of Personnel Director throughout the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s before being named Vice President in 1987, a title he still carries today at the age of 88. While others like Bill Nunn played key roles in roster building, Rooney also had a major influence on shaping the roster and building the dynasty of the 70s. As Colbert references, Rooney also oversaw the 1974 NFL Draft, one that produced five Hall of Famers, including UDFA Donnie Shell. It’s a feat that will never be matched again.
The NFL has struggled to get senior members into the Hall of Fame. Former head coach Buddy Parker was snubbed out of a spot after being considered a shoo-in as the committee’s senior coach/contributor nominee.
