Steelers Great Bill Cowher Once Accidentally Ran A Risky Play And Became Forever Known As A "Riverboat Gambler"

The Pittsburgh Steelers have had their fair share of successful trick plays over the years. There was a time where it seemed like they ran a fake punt or field goal at least once per year, among other interesting plays. They may even have the most famous trick play of all-time, when they ran a reverse that became a touchdown pass from Antwaan Randle El to Hines Ward in what would be a 21-10 victory in Super Bowl XL. Then-head coach Bill Cowher definitely liked to think outside of the box sometimes. 

While making an appearance on The Christian Kuntz Podcast, Cowher spoke about his first-ever trick play, and how it happened by complete accident due to a distraction. 

"I told John Guy, our special teams coach, 'Check with me. We're going to run this fake punt because [the Houston Oilers] aren't covering anybody,'" Cowher said. "We get across the 50-[yard line], and we get a sack. We go back. Now it's like fourth and 18. I'm just on the phone like, 'What happened on that protection,' and John Guy comes up to me and he's going, 'Thumbs up.' I'm going, 'Yeah, yeah, punt, punt.' And I wasn't thinking anything about the 50."

Cowher was so busy trying to figure out why the offensive line allowed the quarterback to get crushed in the pocket in that game that he was not paying much attention to his special teams coordinator trying to get permission to run the fake punt. Cowher gave his coordinator the thumbs up back and Guy took that as a sign that he could do it, even though his head coach did say to punt. He called the risky play on fourth and long.

Once Cowher got off the phone, he tried to stop the play from happening, but it was too late.

"I said, 'What was the thumbs up?' I said, 'We're going to punt.' He goes, 'No, the fake,'" Cowher recalled. "I go, 'No, no, no, not now.' I go, 'It's fourth and 18.' And by the time that happened, Kendall [Gammon] had snapped the ball, and all of a sudden, Mark Royals takes it, throws it over the middle to Warren Williams, and he goes down the field, scores a touchdown. We go on to win, and everyone still calls me a riverboat gambler from that time on."

After going down 14-0 to the Houston Oilers in that game, the Steelers needed a big play to turn the tide. That fake punt was exactly what they needed, even though Cowher tried to stop it from happening. After that, they took full control of the game in all phases and completed the comeback to win the game 29-24. It was chaotic; it was ugly, but it was effective. It was also a great start to Cowher's tenure. 

Cowher also spoke about how he had a tell on the Oilers' coaching staff with how they like to defend punts where opponent was booting the ball in plus territory. He knew that the fullback would be wide open in the middle of the field, but he clearly thought it would be too risky to run that play in a fourth-and-long like that. Who knows if he would have ever run that play if it weren't for that miscommunication?

Steelers' Conservative Style Makes Aggressive Plays More Effective

For most of their history, the Steelers have been a conservative team that relies on close games that come down to a final drive in the fourth quarter. When they do come out with an aggressive play like that fake punt or another fake inside their own red zone, it becomes more effective, and guys are left wide open. That's why Pittsburgh has so many successful trick plays.

What do you think about Cowher's first-ever trick play happening due to a miscommunication and an accident? Let us know on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.

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