Home >  Sports >  Columnists

Sunday, August 05, 2001

CANTON, Ohio -- We've been here before. Have we ever! Seems like almost every year. It was another one of those special Saturday afternoons in August, another one of those steamy summer days in Ohio. It was another day for the Steelers' nation to swell with pride, another day to reaffirm the greatest team in NFL history.

If this was the Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony, there almost had to be a Steeler on the podium, almost had to be a couple of thousand Steelers fans in the grandstand.

It was a special day for the Steelers and a special day for Pittsburgh as Lynn Swann, who delivered a gracious and stirring acceptance speech, was inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Swann had waited 14 years for this induction, and he made the best of it with a heartfelt speech that aroused the memories of what made he and his teammates, winners of four Super Bowls in six years, so exceptional.

There was a time when these induction ceremonies received scant attention in Pittsburgh. But when the doors to the Hall of Fame flung open in 1987 to Joe Greene, the greatest Steeler ever, it began an almost annual pilgrimage by Steelers and their followers. The players were there to receive their due, the fans to spread the gospel of the Steelers' greatness and to honor the men who brought so much to their lives.

Greene opened the floodgates. He was followed a year later by Jack Ham. In 12 months, it was the time of Mel Blount and Terry Bradshaw. Franco Harris and Jack Lambert were on the podium the next year. In 1993, Chuck Noll was enshrined. Four years later, it was Mike Webster's turn. Last year, Dan Rooney was honored. This year, it was Swann.

As always, the Steelers' faithful made themselves noticed. As always, they dominated the day by waving their towels and making certain their players were the recipients of the longest and loudest applause. As always, any mention of Pittsburgh or a Steeler received applause.

One departure from the norm was the failure to present the inductees in alphabetical order. Such an arrangement, which previously had been standard, would have made Swann the fifth of seven inductees to be presented. That would have meant a significant portion of the crowd would leave after his speech and Ron Yary and Jack Youngblood would be left talking to a nearly half-empty grandstand. The Hall wised up to that reality, and Swann was introduced last. Everyone waited until the end.

Festivities opened with the introduction of past inductees. The loudest applause, by far, was for the Steelers in attendance -- Blount, Ham, Harris, Noll and Rooney. By comparison, the applause for Canton's native son, Dan Dierdorf, who remains in the public eye because of his television career, was a blip. Same with Leroy Kelly, who played his Hall of Fame career at Cleveland, much closer to Canton than Pittsburgh.

There long had been doubt as to whether Swann's induction would take place. No one who saw him play could question his greatness. But his numbers paled beside other wide receivers. He was a quality guy more than a quantity guy.

Swann was introduced by his teammate, John Stallworth, who is still a candidate for enshrinement.

Swann gave a spectacular speech.

"I could not have chosen a better place [to play]," he said. "I could not have chosen a better team. I'm not here because I was that good. I'm here because the people around me made me that good. John Stallworth forced me to work. Going against Jack Ham in practice every day made me work. Watching Franco Harris take the ball and run it 40 yards every time he carried the ball made me work. Watching Franco Harris work in the community day in and day out made me work. Those are the things that made our football team."

Swann's appearance served as a campaign for Stallworth.

In introducing Stallworth, master of ceremonies Chris Berman said, "His time, too, will come as well. If you've got Lynn Swann, you've got to have John Stallworth."

Swann said: "If this is the greatest hour of my life, then I will tell you at this moment, it's only a half hour. It will be the greatest hour when I can sit in that back row and John Stallworth is wearing a gold jacket and making this speech."

His conclusion couldn't have been more appropriate.

"It's a great moment for me and my family," he said. "It's a greater moment for the people of Pittsburgh."

Bob Smizik can be reached at bsmizik@post-gazette.com.