The More You Know: Random facts about your Pittsburgh Steelers, Harold edition

It’s the offseason for the Pittsburgh Steelers and there are so many topics to talk and write about. Free agents, the coordinator conundrum, the next quarterback, the NFL Draft, signings, retirements and breaking news will all be covered here at BTSC. But who’s going to give you little-known-facts out of the 500 Level?

Luckily, your one-stop, and non-stop, shop for everything Steelers employs a Steelers fan that was allegedly dropped on his head as a one-year-old during the Immaculate Reception. Useless and somewhat fascinating facts are his forte. So, here we are with off-the-wall thoughts from the dark side of a black-and-gold brain that nobody asked for. But the joke’s on you as you’ll be telling your peeps something you read here later.

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BTSC Steelers Jeopardy

(Answer at bottom of article)

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Middle Name Madness - Jack Harold Lambert

Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images

We love citing the second name of members of the Men of Steel here at Behind the Steel Curtain. We always cite Benjamin Todd Roethlisberger, Christopher Lynn Boswell and Trent Jordan Watt, but who else? Hence, the “More You Know Middle Name of the Week”. This week we honor a legend who celebrated his 71st birthday on Saturday. Lambert, one of the most intimidating players of all time had a middle name that didn’t strike the fear into others. Fortunately, his play on the field was much more menacing.

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Strange Sights for Steelers Nation Eyes - Adrian Cooper

Not every NFL player retires with their original team, having played with no other franchise. We may try to forget the image of our Steel Heroes wearing another uniform, but it’s a part of fandom and legends sometimes change team colors. Cooper was selected in the fourth round out of Oklahoma in Chuck Noll’s final draft, but was a wildcard to make the roster, but injuries to incumbents Eric Green and Mike Mularkey afforded Cooper opportunities. No. 87 caught 11 passes for 147 yards and two TDs, was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team for 1991, and was selected by Steelers as their Rookie of the Year as the Joe Greene Great Performance Award Winner. In 1992, Cooper became a starter for new coach Bill Cowher’s division champs. After his third and final season with the Steelers, Cooper left as a free agent and landed in Minnesota for two seasons before a final season out west with San Fran.

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Varsity Blues Black & Golds - Patrick Peterson

Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images

Even though fans remember Patrick Peterson as an Arizona Cardinals All Pro, he came to Pittsburgh via Minnesota and the Vikings. Bryant McFadden’s cousin donned the purple and gold previously as a college star at Louisiana State University. At LSU, the 3× First-team All-Pro and 8× Pro Bowl selection had a stellar career. Named the SEC Special Teams Player of the Year, won the Chuck Bednarik, Jim Thorpe and Jack Tatum awards, and was a unanimous All AMerican in 2010 for the Tigers. This precipitated in Peterson being selected fifth overall by Arizona in the 2011 NFL Draft,

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Hypocycloids Gone Hollywood

Franco Harris was featured in many advertisements, but this one in the early 2000s might be the most entertaining.

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Steelers Jeopardy Answer in the Form of a Question: Who is Jimmy Allen?

James Allen became a part of the greatest draft in NFL history when he was drafted in the 4th round by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1974 out of UCLA. Although he was the only player of the first five men selected in that celebrated draft, the man known as “Spiderman” still had a very successful career in the NFL. Allen played for the Steelers for four seasons and was a member of their first two Super Bowl teams before being traded to the Detroit Lions in 1978. When the Lions recorded their own version of “Another One Bites the Dust”, Allen was the lead singer. In his career, Allen had 31 career interceptions, seven of them in four seasons as a Steeler.

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So, there you have it. Anybody can spout out stat after stat, but not everybody can embrace the colorful and personal side of the Pittsburgh Steelers. So, the more you know, the more you can stupefy your friends, family and neighbors with your big, black-and-gold brain.

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We’ll see you right here next week. Until then keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the hypocycloids.