Steelers legend Dick Haley passes away at 85
Haley was instrumental in building the Steelers’ dynasty on the 1970s.
Former Pittsburgh Steelers player and executive Dick Haley has died at the age of 85.
Dick's son, former Steelers offensive coordinator and NFL head coach Todd Haley, announced his father's passing via Twitter.
“We lost an amazing football mind and a better man with the passing of Dick Haley,” Steelers president Art Rooney II said in his statement. “He was a valuable part of this franchise for 23 years, the first four of those as a player and the final 19 as a member of the player personnel department.
Haley played his college ball at Pitt, and would find himself back in the Steel City in 1961. The Midway, PA native was traded to Pittsburgh that season and ended up finishing his seven-year career with the Steelers. He played in 49 games for the franchise from 1961-64, tallying 13 interceptions as a defensive back.
What became Haley's legacy was his post-playing career. The Steelers hired him as their director of player personnel in 1971, a position he would hold for two decades. It goes without saying that he was instrumental in orchestrating the league's dynasty of the 1970s.
In Haley's first NFL Draft, Jack Ham was selected. Franco Harris was a pick the following year. In 1974, Haley and the Steelers drafted four future Hall of Famers in Jack Lambert, John Stallworth, Lynn Swann, and Mike Webster. Four Super Bowls would follow, and such an draft feat has never been replicated.
Haley would move on as the director of player personnel for the New York Jets from 1991-2007. Four years later, Haley's legacy was cemented as an inaugural member of the Pittsburgh Pro Football Hall of Fame.
