The Pittsburgh Steelers are known for their legacy of dominance on the field. Even though they have struggled to reach those highs as of late, they still are tied for the most Super Bowl titles in the NFL, with a lot of help from the Steel Curtain dynasty in the 1970s. A piece from that dynasty even sort of helped the Steelers win two more Super Bowls in the 2000s, as Kevin Colbert, the general manager of the Steelers in the 2000s, learned what it takes to truly be great.
As a guest on the North Catholic Athletic Podcast, Colbert talked about greatness, and mentioned that “Mean” Joe Greene taught him what it was and how to achieve it.
“Joe Greene taught me that. Joe Greene was on our coaching staff after he retired and [finished] coaching. He said ‘You want to be great? Do it again.'”
According to Greene, greatness is being able to replicate whatever worked in the first place. There are very few teams that won just one Super Bowl and are considered great. The 1970s Steelers are one of the greatest teams in NFL history because they were able to win four Super Bowls in a six-year span. They had success, and they were able to reach that level of success again and again.
The Steelers had their share of struggles since the dynasty, but Colbert wanted to make sure that the Steelers could celebrate as champions again. He was successful when he built the team that won Super Bowl XL. Despite that, his work was far from over. He had to sustain that greatness and prove that he built a true competitor, as opposed to a fluke that would be forgotten about in a couple years.
For starters, he traded a package of picks to the New York Giants to draft a highly-talented wide receiver that could make the offense even more explosive. Santonio Holmes would bring a new dimension to the offense, but Colbert’s toughest task lied ahead. Bill Cowher retired after the 2006 season, so Colbert would have to nail his next hire. Even the best teams need a good leader to take them to victory.
While there may be some concerns about him now, Mike Tomlin was the right man to lead the Steelers, and Colbert knew it. In Tomlin’s second season, the Steelers won another Super Bowl, their second in four seasons. They made another Super Bowl in 2010, but they fell short there. Either way, Colbert can say that he achieved true greatness. He made three Super Bowls in a six-year span and won two of them. He had that sustained success that equaled greatness.
During the two Super Bowl appearances under Tomlin, a Steeler also won Defensive Player of the Year in the same season. The Steelers’ constant success revolved around one of the most talented defensive units in football. They found what made them great and continued on that path. The Super Bowl XL-winning defense was nothing to scoff at either, as they held all of their opponents in the playoffs to fewer than 20 points.
Colbert’s gamble to improve the team paid off as well. Holmes may have only been to one Super Bowl, but he was more than just a regular receiver. His contribution on the final drive, as well as arguably the best catch in Super Bowl history, lead to him winning MVP of Super Bowl XLIII. Without him, who knows if the Steelers win that ring?
