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SuperBowlConcierge.com > Super Bowls > SB 9 Champion Pittsburgh Steelers |
Super Bowl History |
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But en route to Super Bowl IX, the Steelers had started the regular season slowly,
as Bradshaw and Joe Gilliam fought to be the team's starting quarterback. Gilliam
had started for the first four games of the season, but Noll eventually made
Bradshaw the starter. Although Bradshaw ended up completing only 67 out of 148
passes for 785 yards, 7 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions, he helped lead the
team to a 10-3-1 regular season record. But the Steelers main offensive weapon
was running the ball. Harris rushed for 1,006 yards and five touchdowns, while
also catching 23 passes for 200 yards and another touchdown. Running backs Rocky
Bleier, Preston Pearson, and Steve Davis also made important contributions, gaining
a combined total of 936 yards and eight touchdowns. |
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SB 9 Champion Pittsburgh Steelers |
Pittsburgh advanced to their first Super Bowl and were playing for a league championship
for the first time in team history. Their 73-year old owner Art Rooney
founded the Steelers as a 1933 NFL expansion team, but suffered through losing
seasons for most of its 42-year history and had never made it to an NFL championship
game or a Super Bowl. But in 1969, Rooney hired Chuck Noll to be the team's
head coach and its fortunes started to turn. Noll rebuilt the Steelers through the NFL draft, selecting defensive tackle Joe Greene and defensive end L.C. Greenwood in his first season as head coach. In 1970, Noll drafted quarterback Terry Bradshaw and cornerback Mel Blount. In 1971, linebacker Jack Ham, defensive tackle Ernie Holmes, defensive tackle Dwight White, and defensive back Mike Wagner were selected by the team. Running back Franco Harris was drafted in 1972. And in 1974, the Steelers picked linebacker Jack Lambert, center Mike Webster and wide receivers Lynn Swann and John Stallworth. Bradshaw, Webster, Swann, Stallworth and Harris ended up being hall of fame players on offense, while the others formed the core nucleus of their "Steel Curtain" defense. |
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Super Bowl MVPs |
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But the Steelers main strength during the season was their "Steel Curtain" defense,
who led the league with the fewest total yards allowed (3,074) and the fewest
passing yards allowed (1,466). Greene won the NFL Defensive Player of the Year
Award for the second time in the last three seasons, and he and Greenwood were
named to the Pro Bowl. Both of the team's outside linebackers, Ham and Andy Russell,
had been also selected to play in the Pro Bowl, while Lambert already had
two interceptions for 19 yards in his rookie year. And in the defensive backfield,
Blount, Wagner, and Glen Edwards made an impact against opposing passing
plays. |
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AFC champion Pittsburgh, in its initial Super Bowl appearance, and NFC champion Minnesota,
making a third bid for its first Super Bowl title, struggled through
a first half in which the only score was produced by the Steelers' defense when
Dwight White downed Vikings' quarterback Fran Tarkenton in the end zone for a
safety 7:49 into the second period. The Steelers forced another break and took advantage on the second-half kickoff when Minnesota's Bill Brown fumbled and Marv Kellum recovered for Pittsburgh on the Vikings' 30. After Rocky Bleier failed to gain on first down, Franco Harris carried three consecutive times for 24 yards, a loss of three, and a 9-yard touchdown and a 9-0 lead. Though its offense was completely stymied by Pittsburgh's defense, Minnesota managed to move into a threatening position after 4:27 of the final period when Matt Blair blocked Bobby Walden's punt and Terry Brown recovered the ball in the end zone for a touchdown. Fred Cox's kick failed and the Steelers led 9-6. Pittsburgh wasted no time putting the victory away. The Steelers took the ensuing kickoff and marched 66 yards in 11 plays, climaxed by Terry Bradshaw's 4-yard scoring pass to Larry Brown with 3:31 left. Pittsburgh's defense permitted Minnesota only 119 yards total offense, including a Super Bowl low of 17 rushing yards. The Steelers, meanwhile, gained 333 yards, including Harris's record 158 yards on 34 carries. |
GAME RECAP |
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Steelers 0
2 7 7
16 Vikings 0 0 0 6 6 |
BOX SCORE |
1 2 3
4 Total |
Date January 12, 1975 Stadium Tulane Stadium City New Orleans, Louisiana MVP Franco Harris, Running back Favorite Steelers by 3 National anthem Grambling State University Band Coin toss Bernie Ulman Referee Bernie Ulman Halftime show "Tribute to Duke Ellington" with Mercer Ellington and Grambling State University Band Attendance 80,997 TV in the United States Network NBC Announcers Curt Gowdy, Al DeRogatis and Don Meredith Nielsen Ratings 42.4 Market share 72 Cost of 30-second commercial US$107,000 |
Super Bowl 9 Information |
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Super Bowl Champs |
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Future Super Bowl Locations |
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Super Bowl XLII, Glendale, Ariz. Feb. 3, 2008 Super Bowl XLIII, Tampa, Fla. Feb. 1, 2009 Super Bowl XLIV, South Florida TBA, 2010 Super Bowl XLV, North Texas TBA, 2011 |
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