There have been numerous instances in NFL history
where a
very good player is overlooked because he toils for a
very bad
team. This, however, was not the case for Ernie
Stautner.
During his 14-year career, all with the Steelers,
Stautner never
played for a winning team. He did, however, have no
problem
gaining attention for his stellar play. Undersized for a
defensive
lineman, Stautner was incredibly persistent and tough as
nails.
He would beat on a player until he would eventually
wear him
down.
Though Stautner never won any championships with the
Steelers, he made enough of an impact to be selected
Pro Bowl
9 times and be inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1969,
his first
year of eligibility.?A native of Bavaria, Stautner
emigrated to
Albany, N.Y. at the age of three. He later served in the
Marines
before embarking on a career as a professional football
player.
Throughout his playing career, which spanned 14 years,
Stautner
played in nine Pro Bowls and missed just six games. He
remains
the only player in Steelers franchise history to have his
jersey
number retired and he was inducted into the Pro Football
Hall of
Fame on the first ballot in 1969.
Drafted out of Boston College in the third-round in 1950,
Stautner was a member of the Steelers long before their
dominance in the 1970s. Though he played at just 6 feet
1 inch,
230 pounds, Stautner retired as the NFL leader in
safeties and
ranked third in fumble recoveries. While undersized for
his
position, Stautner was known around the league for his
blue
collar work ethic and non- stop energy.
Ernie's physical and relentless style of play helped the
Steelers
earn a reputation for being one of the NFL's toughest
teams in
the 1950s,” Rooney said. “He was undersized for his
position,
but his strength and power were among his greatest
assets.”
After retiring as a player, Stautner joined the Dallas
Cowboys as
an assistant coach. He helped coach the team to two
Super Bowl
titles in 1971 and 1977. Stautner is credited with
developing
some of the greatest defensive lineman in Cowboy’s
history,
including Randy White and Ed “Too Tall” Jones. Stautner
also
served as an assistant with the Steelers, Washington
Redskins
and Denver Broncos.
This is my “Collector Card” art that I did for Art Rooney,
Jr.
featuring my pencil of Ernie Stautner.
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