DAVID MAXWELL/AFP via Getty Images Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinee Lynn Swann (L) stands with his presenter, former Pittsburgh Steelers teammate John Stallworth (R) during the enshrinement ceremony on August 04, 2001 at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.
In 1974, the NFL Draft was nothing like the made-for-television event it is today. Back then it was 17 rounds, held in January over two weekdays, and wasn’t even televised. But that year the Pittsburgh Steelers had what is widely regarded as the single-best draft in NFL history.
Pittsburgh’s 1974 Draft
On January 29-30, 1974, Pittsburgh selected 21 players, with its first pick coming at No. 21 overall. Wide receiver Lynn Swann (USC) was taken in the first round, with linebacker Jack Lambert (Kent State) picked No. 46 overall in round two.
The Steelers didn’t have a third-round pick, but reeled in wide receiver John Stallworth (Alabama A&M) with the No. 82 selection in round four. Then came defensive back Jimmy Allen (UCLA), also in round four, before the Steelers took center Mike Webster (Wisconsin) in the fifth round at No. 125 overall.
Notably, some NFL observers weren’t enthused about the team’s selections in the immediate aftermath. Steelers.com points out that a columnist for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette wrote the following after the first day of the draft was over:
“The Steelers seem to have come out of the first five rounds of the draft appreciably strengthened at wide receiver but nowhere else. They didn’t get a tight end, and the ones remaining are more suspect than prospect. They didn’t get a punter, although none of the nation’s best collegiate punters went in the first five rounds. They didn’t get an offensive tackle who might’ve shored up what could well become a weakness. What they did get was Swann, who seems to be a sure-pop to help; Lambert, who figures to be the No. 5 linebacker if he pans out; and three question marks.
As it turns out, Swann (Class of 2001), Lambert (1990), Stallworth (2002) and Webster (1997) have all long-since been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Safety Donnie Shell, who was signed in 1974 as an undrafted free agent, will have his enshrinement ceremony this summer as a member of the Class of 2020.
Only one other player selected in the 1974 Draft has been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, that being Dave Casper, who was chosen by the Oakland Raiders in the second round (No. 44 overall). Historically, most NFL drafts have produced fewer than four Hall of Famers all-told.
Bill Nunn: ‘The Dynasty Builder’
A major reason for Pittsburgh’s success in the 1974 Draft—not to mention many other Steelers drafts—was the influence of Bill Nunn, who was part of the organization’s scouting department from the late 1960s until he passed away in 2014.
Nunn, who was recently profiled by ESPN in a special segment titled ‘The Dynasty Builder,’ was integral in finding talent at Historically Black Colleges and Universities. That includes the aforementioned Stallworth and Shell (South Carolina State), as well as defensive end L.C. Greenwood (Arkansas Pine Bluff, 1969), Mel Blount (Southern University, 1970), wide receiver Frank Lewis (Grambling State, 1971), defensive tackle Ernie Holmes (Texas Southern, 1971), defensive end Dwight White (Texas A&M-Commerce, 1971), Ernie Holmes (Texas Southern, 1971) and quarterback Joe Gilliam (Tennessee State, 1972).
Bill Nunn is a Hall of Fame Contributor Finalist for 2021
Nunn’s name is particularly relevant at the moment, as he is among the finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2021. The Hall of Fame selection committee has already met and voted on this year’s nominees. The Class of 2021 will be introduced during the NFL Honors show the night before Super Bowl LV.
In addition to Nunn, Former Steelers offensive guard Alan Faneca is also among this year’s finalists. Faneca played for Pittsburgh from 1998-2007 before finishing his career with the New York Jets and Arizona Cardinals.
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On This Day: Steelers Select Greatest Draft Class in NFL History