Sports History
Remembering the Steel Curtain
Passing of White and Holmes Brings Back Memories
By Anne Madarasz

When Chuck Noll arrived to coach the Steelers in 1969, he found a team that had lost more than they had won, the "same old Steelers." Though Noll experienced no success on field his first year as the Steelers went 1-13, he immediately began to build the foundation for the great teams of the 1970s. In his first draft as a head coach, the Steelers and Noll added Joe Greene and L. C. Greenwood to the roster. One was the first pick in the draft, the other, a tenth round addition. They provided the defensive core on the line. By 1972, Dwight White and Ernie Holmes had joined them up front. These four owned the line of scrimmage, anchoring the best defensive unit in NFL history. In 1976, they shut out five opponents and held three others from scoring a touchdown. Greene, Greenwood, White and Holmes became known as the Steel Curtain; the most feared and respected front four ever to play the game.

A consensus All-American in 1968, Joe Greene played defensive tackle for North Texas State. His size, combined with his speed and quickness, earned him first round status. Greene proved to be a valuable addition to the Steelers, combining leadership skills with athletic talents. Named Rookie of the Year in 1969, Greene made the All Pro team 10 times and picked up defensive player of the year honors in 1972 and 1974. He pioneered the technique of lining up at an angle, rather than lining up square to the line of scrimmage, disrupting opponents' blocking schemes. This technique, when coupled with his incredible quickness off the ball, enabled Greene to wreak havoc on his opponents. "Mean" Joe became the on and off field leader of the Steel Curtain defense that garnered four Super Bowl victories. In 1987, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Not only did L.C. Greenwood join the team the same year as Joe Greene, eventually they would be matched together on the left side of the line providing strength, speed and height to the defense. A 6'6" defensive lineman and Ebony All-American at Arkansas AM&N, Greenwood led the team in sacks and shared the NFL record for fumble recoveries within his first two years. He recorded 73.5 sacks and recovered 14 fumbles in his career. From 1969 through 1981, he stood out on the field both for the quality of his play and the color of his shoes. In the days before record-breaking deals with shoe companies, Greenwood wore distinctive high-top gold shoes. He was fined every game for wearing them, but the fines were never more than $100, and the Steelers' organization "forgot" to collect the money from him. Called "Hollywood Bags" by his teammates, Greenwood played a key role in Super Bowl IX, knocking down three of Fran Tarkenton's passes, and again in Super Bowl X when he sacked Roger Staubach three times.

Like the metal it was named for, the Steel Curtain was tough, forged into a single, impenetrable unit. Dwight White, a first team All-Lone Star Conference defensive end out of East Texas State, served as a central element of the mix. Playing from 1971-80, White and the Steel Curtain dominated the field. In 1974 and '75, only twice in each season did opponents score more than 17 points. In Super Bowl IX, the Steelers held Minnesota to17 total yards rushing. White had spent much of the week leading up to the Super Bowl in the hospital and was not expected to play. He left his hospital bed and scored the first points in the game, sacking Fran Tarkenton for a safety. A two time Pro Bowler, White had 46 sacks in his career, seventh most in Steelers history. He passed away on June 6.

Ernie Holmes provided the final piece of the Steel Curtain. Drafted out of Texas Southern, he played for the Steelers from 1972-77 and was key defensive force during the first two Super Bowl seasons. Though never selected to a Pro Bowl, Chuck Noll identified him as one of the team's best lineman in the '74 and '75 seasons. Nicknamed "Fats," Holmes brought size, heart and a relentless desire to succeed to the line. Holmes died in a one-car accident on January 17, 2008.

Mad Dog and Fats

Dwight White
"Dwight always found a way to make you laugh, you know. Underneath all that was a serious person, but he could fill up a room for sure. He was like a little brother." - Joe Greene

"Dwight will be remembered by those who knew him for being a wonderful and caring person. He was always willing to lend a helping hand to those less fortunate than himself." -- Steelers chairman Dan Rooney

"We were all very close. We weren't just teammates, we were very close friends." - L.C. Greenwood

"As hard as he played, his mouth worked even harder. He always amazed me he had so much energy. Dwight was going to make life miserable for anybody who didn't have our jersey on." - Former Steelers teammate Mike Wagner

"When I think of Dwight White, I think about a guy who was a hard-nosed football player but had a great sense of humor. A really funny guy who always kept the locker room loose and lively." - Hall of Fame teammate Mel Blount

Ernie Holmes
"Ernie was an original. He was out there. In today's environment, he may have spent a few hours in the commissioner's office." - Hall of Famer Lynn Swann

"Ernie was one of the toughest players to ever wear a Steelers uniform. Many people who played against him considered Ernie almost impossible to block. Ernie was always one of our most popular players whenever he returned to Pittsburgh for team events." -- Dan Rooney

"He was devastating and would just destroy the opponent across from him. Sometimes I had to remind him to tackle the guy with the pigskin. He was a brilliant player. He played all with his heart." - Former teammate Andy Russell

"He had a split personality. He was a maniac on the field and a teddy bear off it. But he was a terrific guy." -- Longtime Steelers director of communications Joe Gordon

Anne Madarasz is Director of the Western PA Sports Museum which features the story of the Steel Curtain. This column is dedicated to Sports Museum Champions and friends Dwight White and Ernie Holmes.