Steelers Takeaways

In Steelers Takeaways: Player Memories Through the Decades, author Ron Lippock, interviewed over four hundred Steelers players and personnel. This book spans across seven decades of Steelers history. And it approaches the Steelers organization and players in a way no other book has.

From those who played in the 1950's to those who have just recently retired, players reveal the humor behind the game. They share the jokes teammates played on one another in the locker rooms, meeting rooms and hotels. They also reveal the on-field pranks and the silly antics that fans are otherwise unaware of. The players faced many adversities and trials. Interesting topics are brought out such as the physical impact of the game, the stress of making and keeping one's position on the team, mentoring younger players - even as they sought to take your roster spot, moving from team to team. You will read more exclusive tales in Steelers Takeaways: Player Memories Through the Decades.

These stories and memories are amassed not only from the household names like L.C. Greenwood, Donnie Shell, Antwaan Randle El, Rocky Bleier, and Tommie Maddox, but also from the hundreds of players who fought just to make the practice squad. Their contributions and struggles, successes and failures, all helped to define the Steelers as an organization just as much as the many Hall of Famers.

Steelers Takaways: Player Memories Through the Decades is the insider's history of the organization, a very personal view shared from the players perspectives. There is something for every Steeler fan here - and these stories simply can't be found elsewhere.

About the Author

Ron Lippock is the Publisher of the Pittsburgh Sports Daily Bulletin, a daily newsletter that covers Pittsburgh sports news. Over the five-plus years of publishing the newsletter, Lippock has interviewed hundreds of former Pittsburgh athletes, coaches, media, artists, and more, focusing on their more personal experiences and insights.   

Praise for Steelers Takeaways

“Ron Lippock has collected an amazing number of outstanding comments from some of the top NFL players.  They are responses to very good questions, making those top players have to think before answering.  The comments are extraordinarily candid, informative, some emotional and often very detailed, giving the reader an inside view of what it’s like to play in the NFL.”

~ Andy Russell: Steelers linebacker 1963-1976

“I thoroughly enjoyed Steelers Takeaways.  Reading the stories of the players that wore the Black and Gold before me and the stories of the Steelers that played after me was very interesting.  The common thread through all the decades is, anyone that played for the Steelers was very proud to put on the uniform.  The memories and stories of my teammates and coaches took me back to my playing days.  Great book, Great read.  Every Steeler fan will get an idea of what we went through no matter what decade they are from."

~ John Banaszak: Steelers’ defensive end 1975-1981

Distributed by Cardinal Publishers Group