Cowher and Donahoe launch new Steelers Era with resounding success: Redrafting 1992

[Steeler Nation]

In this retrospective series, we’ll use 20/20 hindsight to play General Manager of the Pittsburgh Steelers to review past drafts – focusing primarily on top 2-3 selections – and personnel decisions year-by-year and redraft or implement trades based on the Steelers roster at the time.

General rule: Any “redrafted” pick will generally fall within a 15-pick range and trade propositions being realistic and attainable.



Steelers situation and needs:

• 1990 was a disappointing and underachieving 7-9 season for the Steelers, Chuck Noll had a job as coach for life as far as Dan Rooney was concerned and when he resigned it initially surprised Rooney.
• Noll believed the 1991-1992 Steelers were a Super Bowl team, but shared with his wife “It’s time.”
• Bill Cowher was brought in to take over as head coach, allegedly the owner of the Kansas City Chiefs Lamar Hunt tried to dissuade Rooney by inferring Cowher wasn’t ready – but Chiefs head coach Marty Schottenheimer was very transparent in the support of his defensive coordinator.
• Tom Donahoe assumed de facto General Manager role when promoted to Director of Football Operations and completing the transition from Dick Haley. For the first time since 1969, the Steelers would have a completely new Coach/General Manger dynamic towards player drafting and player acquisition.
• Rookie QB Neil O’Donnell assumed the starting QB position from Bubby Brister sparked from replacing Brister in the 3rd quarter down 20-0 vs. the defending Super Bowl Champion New York Giants and throwing 2 TD passes that tied the game up and forced OT.

“The Steelers have no outstanding weaknesses” Bill Cowher – 1992​

1992 Steelers Draft: 1st Round – #11 Overall; 2nd Round – #38 Overall

When Bill Cowher stated in a press conference that the Steelers had “no outstanding weaknesses” in 1992, the comment was scoffed at by many “experts.” But Cowher saw what Noll saw and was the right man to guide the Steelers to an 11-win season, the AFC Central Division Championship and #1 seed in the AFC. The influence of Donahoe in the draft over the previous two years was about to become obvious as they had reason to believe O’Donnell was one of the better young QBs in the NFL at the time and RB Barry Foster was seen on film by new OC Ron Erhardt as the guy who could be their workhorse (*note: he was right as Foster still maintains the team’s greatest single season rushing total – 1690 yards).

The defense was shaping up to be special so Cowher/Donahoe took that #11 pick and drafted stud OT Leon Searcy. He was immediately better than all the other OL save for Dermontti Dawson and perhaps long time standout but then a 35-year old Tunch Ilkin (playing in his final season), but the problem was coming from the culture of University of Miami, he “knew” it and it was a transition for him as he was not a starter as a rookie.

Leon Searcy – per Ron Lippock. Steelers Takeaways: Player Memories Through The Decades (p. 145).

I learned on the fly. I didn’t want anyone to disrupt my game. I came from the University of Miami – we won three championships and lost four game in four years when I was there. I didn’t want anyone to take away my edge and tell me how to approach the game – I came from a winning program. I wanted my own swagger.

I would get myself in trouble though sometimes – maybe I was too arrogant. I think the only reason I didn’t start was because I held out. My agent said Pittsburgh was notorious for underpaying players. The agent said I needed to hold out to make a statement, so I missed training camp and was behind everyone else. The newspapers said I was a bust that rookie season – it was a tough first year.

I thought they intentionally didn’t want to play me – to teach me a lesson. It all rubbed me the wrong way. I remember one day after practice – we’d run gasses for conditioning. I was in tip-top shape and was outrunning the other offensive linemen – except maybe Dermontti Dawson. All the vets were pissed off that I was showing them up. They came into the locker room and told me I needed to stop outshining them. Cowher would get on them…

So, the next day they run gasses, but I just stand there for a good five seconds. Cowher came up to me and asked what I was doing. I told him I was giving them a good five lead but I’d still pass them up, and I did. Cowher just smiled – I think he knew I practiced my *** off and he liked that about me. But that’s how I reacted to things – I didn’t react to things very well sometimes and that rubbed others the wrong way.

If the Steelers had the cash flow that would eventually come through the building of Heinz Field and TV deals, I have no doubt Searcy would have gone down as the Steelers All-Time best OT. Instead the Jacksonville Jaguars used their immense cap space to offer him a $17M contract (the largest for an offensive lineman in history at the time).

For the first time since 1974, the Steelers struck gold in the 1st and the 2nd round, drafting ILB Levon Kirkland. Kirkland slid into the rotation behind starters Hardy Nickerson/David Little along side Jerry Olsavsky. When Nickerson departed via FA the following season, the Steelers didn’t miss a beat as Kirkland was bigger, stronger and faster. Kirkland would be the Steelers staple LB over the decade of the 90s, being named team MVP 2x, a 2x All Pro, earning NFL All Decade Team honors and was a front runner for Super Bowl XXX MVP had the Steelers completed their comeback. It was a surprise move when he became a cap casualty following the 2000 season at just 31 years old, giving insights into how FA prior to Heinz Field really struck the Steelers harder than most teams.

Levon Kirkland – per Ron Lippock. Steelers Takeaways: Player Memories Through The Decades (p. 144).

One of the players who mentored me was Jerry Olsavsky, I was new to the position – I was an outside linebacker in college. I wasn’t familiar with the inside linebacker position and it was an adjustment. The speed of the game and how mentally and physically tough NFL players are. Plus, I was thrust into the leadership role, having to call signals.

Jerry slowed the game down for me and gave me advice on who to follow and how to read other teams’ players. Jerry and I had a ball on special teams. By my second year I caught on to things more. Kevin Green and Greg Lloyd were also helpful – instrumental on showing me how to play the game. They set the standards for all of us and if we didn’t play at that level, they let us know.

Grade A+ ​

• The Steelers did not just hit 2 home runs in 1992, because the best draft the team had seen since 1974 was a grand slam.
• 3rd rounder Joel Steed took over as starter at NT and owned it for the rest of the decade. Steed was the prototype for Casey Hampton as he ate blockers up and freed the LBs to make the big plays that became the standard for NT in the Dick LeBeau “Blitzburgh” scheme.
• 8th round pick FS Darren Perry made everyone forget who departed FA Thomas Everett even was as Perry stepped in immediately as the starter and intercepted 6 passes (led team, 1st Steelers rookie to do so since 1955) en route to earning the “Joe Greene Great Performance Award” for the top Steelers rookie. Perry was named UPI All-Pro in 1994 and his 32 Interceptions rank him 7th in team history.
• 11th round pick Kendall Gammon was a reserve OL for the Steelers through 1995, but also served as long-snapper up through Super Bowl XXX.
• After being cut by the San Diego Chargers just one season after being a 4th round draft pick, the Steelers signed FA WR Yancey Thigpen. Thigpen was the best WR on the team in the 90s being named All-Pro 2x.
• The Steelers dipped into Free Agency for a veteran and landed G Duval Love who would be a stalwart at LG for 3 seasons.

Ironic Notes:

• Perry was the only player of the above 6 who did not earn Pro Bowl honors (despite being named UPI All Pro).
• Searcy was not so good with the big free agency money as he showed up on an episode of ESPN 30-for-30 titled “Broke” discussing former athletes suffering from financial problems.
• The 1992 Draft Class was the only one in the 1990s which has no Hall of Fame selections (31 on decade.)

Redrafting 1992: Not grading on a Curve​

Best described with an analogy: When I took Microeconomics in college, I missed a grand total of 3 questions combined on the previous 3 exams. But 1 of them that was marked wrong was due to the professor’s error as he included a question/topic he specifically addressed it in the first lecture after the exam. I immediately recognized it and approached the professor to question him on it. Despite direct evidence when he looked at the test and my class notes, he never admitted to the mistake. However, he had a vexed look on his face as he gave into the fact I just got a 98% when the class average was a 65% before grading on a curve. Then he more than inferred given my two other 98% scores, I could literally not attend another lecture or even take the final exam and I would still earn an “A” for the course.

1992 required no curve and no do-over. The top 3 draft picks were arguably the “best set” of 1st, 2nd, 3rd round picks in a single draft class since at least 1970 (Terry Bradshaw, Ron Shanklin, Mel Blount) and recalling 1974 lacked a 3rd round pick. The Steelers snagged 5 key starters to what should have been back-to-back Super Bowls and built upon these players.

Questions for debate:

• How would Searcy have fared for the Steelers been able to retain him?
• Should Levon Kirkland merit Hall of Fame consideration and join the Steelers wing? Should he be considered over Greg Lloyd?
• Tampa fans will argue that Nickerson was better than Kirkland, citing his tackles (214 in his first year in Tampa vs. 114 his last year in Pittsburgh) — numbers that shame the padding of Ray Lewis tackle stats.
• Nickerson wasn’t even the best starting LB on the Steelers with Lloyd next to him — so which ILB was better and why?

Please leave your thoughts and add to discussion with a comment below!

#SteelerNation

Support SteelerNation by clicking here to read the story..

 

[BLITZ]

in the 90s Kirkland was on the Mt Rushmore of Steelers for me. Loved the guy. As big as he was, he should not have been able to be so fast.

 

[Coach]

1992, a great draft.

 

[Omar10213245]

the 92 draft, the 92 season. such great memories as a 10-11 yr old kid

 

[Punxsutawney]

1992, a great draft.

Probably only 1974 was better in franchise history.

 

[FSF]

Probably only 1974 was better in franchise history.

There are a few others coming up that were on par. But for the drafting of 1, 2, 3 — 92 was seriously good.

 

[FSF]

the 92 draft, the 92 season. such great memories as a 10-11 yr old kid

1992 was the first season that SteelerNation came alive again. There were sporadic times of Terrible Towels in 1980s, but so few big home games where they took over. Most of the time it was on the road.... regular season big games like Bradshaw’s final game to clinch playoffs in 1983 and the finales in 1984, 1989 & 1990 where they needed to win to make playoffs all were on the road.

The first time those Terrible Towels took over 3 Rivers in a decade was the matchup of 5-2 vs. 5-2 Houston Oilers where they had that exciting comeback win.