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Posted Jan 12, 2021, 8:33 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Pittsburgh & Miami
Posts: 7,565
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Your city's / region's football heritage
Since we're in the heart of pro football playoff time, I was thinking about how large a role Western Pennsylvania has played in American football history.
Along with neighboring Eastern Ohio, the region is, without question, the crucible of American football, bringing together immigrant groups from all over to work in factories, mills, and mines and to beat the crap out of each other on the field.
The historical and current influence of the area on the sport is rather astounding, considering the numerous "firsts" and the number of highly-notable names from the overall region, anchored by largest cities Cleveland and Pittsburgh.
From Heisman to Brown to Shula to Noll to Ditka to Meyer, the Western PA/Eastern OH cradle of coaches is unparalleld. And the collection of players from this area of the country is staggering when one thinks of the best to play the game.
What cities/regions can claim impressive rosters of players and coaches as their own?
This list is FAR from exhaustive, and only includes players and coaches who are legitimately from the area (born and raised, raised/spent significant part of their lives with their families) and were significant standouts at the professional level, or in rare cases MAJOR standouts at college level.
Here's what I have for Western Pennsylvania:
KEY
^ denotes College Football Hall of Fame
# denotes Heisman Trophy winner
* denotes NFL Hall of Fame
@ denotes active player
OFFENSE
QB- George Blanda, Youngwood *
- Marc Bulger, Pittsburgh
- Jim Kelly, East Brady *
- Dan Marino, Pittsburgh ^*
- Joe Montana, Monongahela *
- Joe Namath, Beaver Falls *
- Johnny Unitas, Pittsburgh *
RB- James Conner, Erie @
- Ernie Davis, Uniontown ^#
- Tony Dorsett, Aliquippa ^#*
- Curtis Martin, Pittsburgh *
- Mercury Morris, Pittsburgh
TE- Mike Ditka (Dyczko), Aliquippa ^*
OL- Jim Covert, Conway *
- Russ Grimm, Scottdale *
- Bill Fralic, Penn Hills ^
- Mark Stepnoski, Erie
WR- Fred Biletnikoff, Erie ^*
- Tyler Boyd, Clairton @
- Steve Breaston, North Braddock
- Brandon Marshall, Pittsburgh @
DEFENSE
DL- Aaron Donald, Penn Hills @
- Sean Gilbert, Aliquippa
- Leon Hart, Turtle Creek #
- Jason Taylor, Pittsburgh *
- Randy White, Pittsburgh *
LB- LaVarr Arrington, Pittsburgh
- Jack Ham, Johnstown ^*
- Sean Lee, Upper St. Clair @
- Joe Schmidt, Pittsburgh ^*
DB- Ty Law, Aliquippa *
- Darelle Revis, Aliquippa
- Demond “Bob” Sanders, Erie
HC (min 1 full season; blue = won NFL Championship/Super Bowl)
- Joe Bugel, Munhall, Cardinals/Raiders
- Bud Carson, Freeport, Browns
- Bill Cowher, Crafton, Steelers *
- Mike Ditka, Aliquippa, Bears/Saints
- Aldo Donelli, Bridgeville, Steelers/Rams
- Frank Flichock, Redstone, Broncos
- Frank Gansz, Altoona, Chiefs
- Todd Haley, Upper St. Clair, Chiefs
- Jim Haslett, Ben Avon, Saints
- Chuck Knox, Sewickley, Rams/Bills/Seahawks
- Marvin Lewis, McDonald, Bengals
- Ted Marchibroda, Franklin, Colts/Ravens
- Ben McAdoo, Homer City, Giants
- Mike McCarthy, Pittsburgh, Packers/Cowboys
- Bill McPeak, New Castle, Redskins
- John Michelosen, Ambridge, Steelers
- Mike Nixon, Burgettstown, Redskins/Steelers
- Harry Robb, Pittsburgh, Bulldogs
- Joe Schmidt, Brentwood, Lions
- Marty Schottenheimer, McDonald, Browns/Chiefs/Redskins/Chargers
- Les Steckel, Whitehall, Vikings
- Elgie Tobin, Coal Center, Pros
- Jim Tomsula, Homestead, 49ers
- Joe Walton, Beaver Falls, Jets
- Dave Wannstedt, Baldwin, Bears/Dolphins
Last edited by pj3000; Jan 12, 2021 at 8:47 PM.
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