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 piece is pencil art. The original is 11" x
16".
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