What’s Been Happening Lately? Bill Hillgrove, Andy Russell, And More
I don’t know about yinz, but I was really expecting more exciting news from NFL combine week than we got.
Photo by Brook Ward.
Don’t get me wrong, shit happened. Xavier Worthy, the wide receiver from Texas, broke the combine’s 40-yard-dash record, getting it done in 4.21 seconds. Participants showcased, throughout the entire combine, that human beings are simply stronger and faster (more consistently) than we have ever been. Also, rumors are emerging that the Washington Commanders are looking to trade up for quarterback Caleb Williams. ESPN and NFL Network have enough shit to work with to keep eyes on their shows as we all await NFL free agency, which begins on March 13th at 4 pm (ET). But, this ain’t no football blog. This is a fuckin PITTSBURGH BLAHG. So what the hell has happened lately that’s relevant to us?
Well, for starters, we have to acknowledge the retirement of Bill Hillgrove. Hillgrove was hired by the Rooneys to call Steelers games back in 1994. This one’s a tough one for me. I am not like the more mature yinzers that grew up in the 70s with the likes of Myron Cope and Jack Fleming. I was born in 1995, just one year after Bill Hillgrove was hired by the team. Whenever I go back and relive some of my favorite memories as a Steeler fan, it’s Bill Hillgrove’s voice I hear making the call. Hillgrove was a part of four Super Bowl appearances and two Super Bowl wins as the Steelers’ play-by-play guy. I will miss hearing his voice on game day.
Art Rooney II put out a statement, which included: “Bill will be truly missed by Steelers Nation, but we are excited for him and his family to enjoy his retirement.” Also, if you haven’t had the chance, you should watch his emotional farewell interview, which was conducted by his grandson. Awesome.
We’ve had some significant Steeler birthdays in the last week or so, as well. Our lord and savior Big Ben Roethlisberger celebrated his 42nd birthday on March 2nd. I’m not sure if I’ll ever be as emotional about an athlete’s retirement as I was about his. I hope he’s doing well. Santonio Holmes, the former WR who gave me my favorite memory as a Steeler fan, celebrated his 40th birthday on March 3rd. George Pickens celebrated his Jordan birthday (23) on March 4th. And last, but certainly not least, the legendary Rocky Bleier celebrated his 78th birthday on March 5th. What a run of birthdays. Happy Belated Birthday to yinz.
In other news, we lost a legendary yinzer last week. Andy Russell passed away from complications from Alzheimer's disease and RSV on March 1st. As a captain of the team, he won two Super Bowls with the Steelers, and was selected as an all pro linebacker seven different times. Russell rounds out what is probably the best linebacker trio in the history of football, along with Jack Ham and Jack Lambert. Russell’s contributions to Steelers Nation, to the country, and to charity cannot be shortchanged. What a man. What a life. R.I.P.
Lastly, I’d like to point out some of the comments made on Get Up, on Wednesday, by Ryan Clark and Louis Riddick. During Ryan Clark’s soliloquy about the Steelers’ plans at QB for the 2024 season, he had this to say: “Kenny Pickett is not going to be your leader to the promised land of excellence.”
Louis Riddick, during the same segment, seemed to disagree initially, saying that he didn’t feel that Kenny Pickett has gotten a fair shake with Matt Canada as his OC throughout his career to this point. However, he followed that up with: “Justin Fields might fall right into the Steelers hands; what would be more Pittsburgh Steelers than that? Than for them to wait, stay true to the game as they see it and let it come to them. I would not put that past happening, I would bet on that kinda thing happening.”
In many ways, both of them are right. I’m a Kenny Pickett believer, and I think that he deserves a chance to play under an Arthur Smith offense. However, a plan should be in place in the event that his play doesn’t improve significantly. All that is true, I’m just so exhausted thinking about that. I cannot wait for these questions to be answered.
Being a football fanatic has been boring these last few weeks. Not much has been going on. But there is hope for the next several weeks. Free agency begins next week, which should bring about some exciting news across the league. Then, we will have the NFL draft, which begins April 25th, followed by the release of the regular season schedule in May. By that point, we will know most of our presumptive 53-man roster, and we can start to have some real conversations about this team’s expectations.
Here. We. Go.
Subscribe to receive email updates about new posts and follow me on socials!
