The thank you I never got to give to Dan Rooney

I never met Dan Rooney, at least not officially. My only “story” of the former Steelers Chairman is seeing him walk into the Pro Football Hall of Fame ceremony several years ago to witness Jerome Bettis‘ induction. Mr. Rooney, enshrined in the Hall himself in 2000, slowly crept off of a bus parked as close to an entrance to what is now known as Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, and walked through what I’d like to call a “normal” gate; that is one, where all of the Average Joe’s (like myself) were walking in.

The sea of people flooding through the area was a cause for concern among the older players, coaches, and contributors who adorned their gold jackets. The stadium was midway through a major renovation, and a crowd could easily knock over the elder Rooney if someone wasn’t paying attention. Nonetheless, the little security that was there to stop everyone needn’t do the job of more men: the crowd stopped, as did I, in awe of the titans of professional football who stood before us.

Keep in mind, Steelers Nation was in full force to support The Bus. Dan Rooney, much like his father Art before him, was a recognizable and popular figure in the city of Pittsburgh, and to all Steelers, and even NFL fans outside of it. The gathering parted like Moses parting the Red Sea, allowing Hall of Famers such as Dan, John Madden and many others safe passage.

It was in that moment I wanted to reach out and say thank you. And I literally could have reached out and touched Dan Rooney. That’s how close he was. But out of respect, and like the others gazing nearby, our human wall made sure that no one would cause harm to the Hall of Famers.

Unfortunately, that would be my last chance to possibly thank Mr. Rooney in person. Some may be asking, “thank him for what exactly?”

I would like to thank Dan Rooney and his entire family for this: all of this. This is Steel City Underground, but without the Pittsburgh Steelers, this doesn’t exist. Without the Rooneys there is no Pittsburgh Steelers team to talk about. There is no website, no podcast, and no chatting with fans around the world.

There are no Sundays filled with joy or tears. There are no memories of games no matter how little or gigantic the moments within them are. There are no high-fiving strangers, twirling of Terrible Towels, or singing along to Renegade. The streets on the North Shore would be void of a sea of people wearing black and gold if not for the Rooney family.

Dan Rooney represented a lot of good in this world. The outpouring of emotion by current and former members of the Steelers organization and the entire football community speaks volumes about his character. But it’s those who never met Mr. Rooney that was still touched by his grace, through a form of osmosis carried on by those persons; the staff, coaches, players, and everyone who he was responsible for, carried themselves in a manner in which an individual like myself can feel proud the Steelers symbol emblazoned on a shirt or cap, as if it were passed directly from the man himself.

For that, I thank you, Mr. Dan Rooney. Godspeed.