One of the most influential people in NFL history is no longer with us. Former Pittsburgh Steelers chairman Dan Rooney passes away at the age of 84.
It’s a sad day in Western Pennsylvania and across the entire NFL. Former chairman of the Pittsburgh Steelers Dan Rooney has passed away at the age of 84. His impact in the NFL will never be forgotten.
Rooney took over the Steelers in 1975 from his father Steelers founder Art Rooney. He was the president of the AFC powerhouse from 1975 to 2002. Under Rooney’s leadership, the Steelers would win six Super Bowls and reach two more since he first began working for the organization back in 1960.
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) April 13, 2017
He would be inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame back in 2000 for his many contributions to the game. His biggest impact is the rule that carries his name: The Rooney Rule. Implemented in 2003, it requires NFL teams to interview at least one minority candidate for head coaching and football operations positions.
This progressive hiring rule came about after successful African-American head coaches in Tony Dungy and Dennis Green were fired at the end of the 2002 NFL season. The Rooney Rule is something that the NFL can be proud of.
During the first term of the Barack Obama Administration in Washington, D.C., President Obama asked Rooney to the the American ambassador to Ireland. He served in that capacity for three years before resigning in 2012.
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Because of Rooney’s commitment to doing things the right way, the Steelers have been a model organization in the NFL for well over the last 40 years. While he did turn over the reigns to the Steelers empire to his oldest son Art Rooney II, Pittsburgh continues to be a bastion of all things good with the NFL. The Steelers Family and the NFL mourns the loss of the great man that was Rooney.