Three with Steelers ties to be honored by HOF
One of the 2024 honorees of the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s “Awards of Excellence” will be Bob McCartney, the longtime video director for the Steelers who is currently the team’s director of facilities. In addition, Dan Edwards, the former media relations director of the Steelers from 1985 to 1994 who later spent 29 years with the Jacksonville Jaguars, and former assistant coach Lionel Taylor, who played for the team from 1970 to 1976 and was a member of two Super Bowl championship teams, are also being honored.
The Awards of Excellence, which were established in 2022 to recognize individuals in five categories that support the team’s performance, are in their third year. Assistant coaches, athletic trainers, directors of films and videos, managers of equipment, and public relations staff are among them. Tony Parisi, the equipment manager, and Joe Gordon, the former public relations director for the Steelers, were among the first recipients of the “Awards of Excellence” in 2022.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame Museum in Canton will have a special section where the names of the winners of the “Awards of Excellence” will be displayed. The 2024 Enshrinement Week will be open to award recipients, and they will be honored in Canton this August.
Having worked for the Steelers for 51 seasons, McCartney’s first game on camera was a memorable one.
During the 1972 season, McCartney occasionally recorded team practices, but he never recorded a game because he was working part-time to assist in other areas, such as the training room and equipment.
However, McCartney was asked to shoot the game from the end zone site high atop Three Rivers Stadium on December 23, 1972, when the Steelers were meeting the Raiders in the AFC Divisional Playoffs, and assistance was needed.
Additionally, McCartney missed the opportunity when Franco Harris captured the “Immaculate Reception.”
just because his film ran out.
“I cruise through the first three quarters, and I changed my last magazine on my camera,” said McCartney. “Of course, things got tense in the game as I started to shoot. I also don’t want to overlook anything. I’m going to start early and finish the plays quickly.
“And as it happens, I ran out of film at the two-minute warning.
“I had a film changing bag and if you were good at it, you could do it in under two minutes. Well, I had never done it before, but I tried it. I was like this isn’t going to work right. The game comes back, referee blows the whistle and we’re going to start again. There’s no way I’m going to do this. It wasn’t required as part of the exchange at that point in time. I literally packed up the gear and went downstairs on the elevator and I walked up the hallway. I was going to drop the equipment that we had off in Les Banos’ office, which was behind home plate based on the layout of Three Rivers.”
And the rest, as they say, is history. McCartney didn’t get video of the Immaculate Reception because he ran out of film.
Taylor was a part of the Steelers Super Bowl IX and X coaching staffs, leaving after the 1976 season to take a similar position with the Los Angeles Rams. He retired from coaching in 1998 after additional stints in the NFL and college. Prior to his coaching days, he had a 10-year career in the NFL with the Chicago Bears, Denver Broncos and Houston Oilers.
In an interview with the Logan Banner in 2021, he said he had only one regret during his time with the Steelers.
“The dumbest thing I did was that I left,” Taylor joked.
He went on to give credit to Hall of Fame Coach Chuck Noll, who hired him for his first coaching job.
“I had the greatest job in pro football,” said Taylor. “The best thing that ever happened is that I went with the right coach, Chuck Noll. He was perfect for me with me being a rookie coach.”
Taylor coached two future Hall of Famers in Lynn Swann and John Stallworth, helping the duo develop into NFL stars. He also helped develop and guide the careers of Frank Lewis and Ron Shanklin.
“When you have John Stall Lynn Swann,worth, Frank Lewis and Ron Shanklin all you do is throw the football and get the hell out of the way. All four All-Pros,” said Taylor. “I had the best four receivers in the NFL and the fifth guy, Reggie Garrett, went to my alma mater, New Mexico Highlands University. He was a good fifth receiver.”
Edwards spent 10 seasons with the Steelers, before joining the expansion Jaguars as one of their first employees. During his time in Pittsburgh, Edwards worked under two head coaches, Hall of Famers in Noll and Bill Cowher, and was hired by Gordon, who was part of the first class to earn the honor.
