The Pittsburgh Steelers Rookie Collection

We’re inching closer and closer to wrapping up my quest to collect one item featuring each Steelers player in team history!

Featured today is 1951 Steelers v. Eagles program, and the two new players are in the top row: Dick Tomlinson & Truett Smith!

Only 36 players remain. #Steelers

OTD in Steelers History, 1996:

The Steelers improve to 5-1, defeating Cincinnati 20-10 at Three Rivers.

Chad Brown set (and still holds) the single-game Steelers record for sacks with 4.5. This was also the 2nd time in franchise history the Steelers recorded 10 sacks in one game. #HereWeGo

OTD in Steelers History, 1939:

Chester “Swede” Johnston scored the 25th rushing TD in team history, with a 1-yard plunge versus NYG.

The Steelers ultimately lost the contest 14-7. #SteelerNation

The 1933 Pittsburgh Pirates: An Under-Appreciated Career If you read anything about the earliest years of Steelers history, chances are you’ll read that it was just bad— and overall, it was less than the standard.

Very excited to bring you the next installment of The 1933 Pittsburgh Pirates.

Click the link below to learn more about Bill Sortet’s place in Steelers history!

#HereWeGo #SteelerNation

Always a Steelers history account at heart, but absolutely excited to welcome back hockey tonight! #LetsGoPens

Old programs are just a fun window to the past.

These pictures come from the 1960 Steelers v. Bears Armed Forces Benefit Game! #Steelers

So close. The hunt for everyone is nearly finished.

50 players left to find. We’re going to make it! #SteelerNation

Collecting every player in team history means searching through some obscure items, but really cool ones at that!

This 1936 Spalding NFL Rules Guide is one of those. Featuring an early picture of The Chief and the 1935 team photo, this item helps identify some of the earliest Steelers! #Steelers

The 1933 Pittsburgh Pirates: The Great Receiving Race of 1933 One common theme that we’ve explored in the first two editions of this project is that football is vastly different from 1933 to modern day.

Up now on Substack! Excited to share this next edition of The 1933 Pittsburgh Pirates with you! We’re looking at the tight race for the 1933 Receiving Crown! #Steelers

Vintage #Steelers programs have been part of my main focus recently!

This 1948 program v. the Boston Yanks represents a 24-14 win for Pittsburgh.

Hall of Honor member Elbie Nickel scored his first career TD and RB Norm Mosley scored his only career TD in this game.

In 1970, the Steelers drafted 3 receivers in the NFL Draft.

Shanklin or Smith would lead the team in receiving each year between 1970-1973 (Shanklin 70, 72-73 & Smith 71)

Staggers also added his talent in the punt return game!

This trio combined for 33 touchdowns while in Pittsburgh #Steelers

I do not buy as many modern cards anymore. But every once in awhile, I come across one that I feel is just needed for my collection!

This 2025 Donruss Bomb Squad of Aaron Rodgers fit that category! #HereWeGo #SteelerNation

A nice pickup that arrived yesterday!

1932 Illustrated Current News Poster that features the 1932 NCAA All-American Team.

#2 is Warren Heller who was the Steelers leading all-time rusher until 1946.

#11 is Paul Moss who led the Steelers and NFL in receiving yards in 1933!

#SteelersNation

Here’s the original photo from the article. The 1931 JP Rooneys were champions of the Senior Football Conference of Western Pennsylvania during this season! #Pittsburgh

1933 Pittsburgh Pirates: The Sandlot Standouts Professional football was not a foreign concept in Pittsburgh.

New today on Substack: The Sandlot Standouts

Football was alive and well long before the Steelers came to Pittsburgh in 1933. Read here about the sandlot circuit and those who lasted long enough to become Steelers! #Steelers

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The 1971 Topps set features two of the best Steelers rookie cards of all-time!

Two faces of the franchise!

There are plenty of other great Steelers rookies in this set too, including John Fuqua, Roy Gerela, and Preston Pearson!

1933 Pittsburgh Pirates: The First Quarterback Throughout the 2025 season, I will be profiling members of the 1933 Pittsburgh Pirates football team.

Throughout 2025, I’ll be honoring all the inaugural members of the Steelers franchise.

We begin today with the first Quarterback in team history. #SteelersNation

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It’s been awhile since I’ve found myself on Bluesky. Been trying to build up other platforms and I ignored this one. Oops!

Anyone, hoping to be more active on here with some new content on the way!

But for now, enjoy this 1954 Browns Team Issue of Chuck Noll! #HereWeGo #SteelersNation

Steelers Collecting Corner: 1935 National Chicle I’ve always felt trading cards are as much a part of history as the sports they represent.

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Green’s rookie comes in 1965 Philadelphia, or if you want the “first card” you can come back to the 1962 Post set where Green is featured as a Steeler! Either card works just fine in honoring the career of this long tenured punter! #Steelers

After two years in Pittbsurgh, Green went to spend the final 14 years of his career with the Chicago Bears! Green would twice lead the league in punts and once again in punt yards. He also won a title and made one Pro Bowl with the Bears! #Steelers

No not that Joe Greene. Bobby Joe Green! Green became an instant league leader in 1960 when he led the league in punts, punt yards, and longest punt as a rookie! Green would come back that next season and improve his punts and punt yards but didn’t lead the league! #Steelers

The final player with a card from our 1960 debuts spent his entire career as a punter. His first two seasons were in Pittbsurgh before a lengthy stay in the Windy City. Today we feature, Bobby Joe Green! #Steelers

Wren’s rookie is from 1959 Topps as a member of the Cleveland Browns! If you are looking for Wren in his Steelers threads though, you can check out his only other standard issue card from 1961! #Steelers

Wren was drafted in ‘52 by the Cleveland Browns but didn’t play his first game until 1956. From ‘57-‘59, Wren started all 36 games at safety for Cleveland before coming to Pittsburgh for his one season. Wren grabbed 2 ints in ‘60, before playing his final season in ‘61! #Steelers

We have finally reached our final one season DB from the 1960 season. Seems crazy that we’ve been doing it for 5 days! Our final feature in this category is Junior Wren! #Steelers

Williamson’s rookie comes in 1962 Fleer and is a prominent rookie for the year! Whether you know The Hammer from the field or the screen, it’s a great way to collect a man who made quite a career for himself wherever he was! #Steelers

Right after his playing career, Williamson went to the big screen and small screen with a plethora of roles in movies and television. Williamson was a pioneer in the genre of “blaxploitation” and has acted from 1968-2021. #Steelers

In ‘62 & ‘63, Williamson was named first team All-AFL both seasons. After one more year in Oakland, he was off to Kansas City where he’d play his last three years, and win the AFL Title in ‘66 and play in SB 1 with the Chiefs! #Steelers

Williamson was undrafted out of Northwestern, and he started with the Steelers at safety. After one season, and six starts, he was off to the AFL, and he became a start with the Oakland Raiders. Williamson made three straight All-Star Games in his next three years. #Steelers