When Rooney Sold the Steelers: An Offbeat History of Pittsburgh's Beloved Team

Steelers linebacker Leo Nobile once nearly drowned-during a game. Placekicker Booth Lusteg routinely warmed up by kicking paper cups instead of footballs. Buff Donelli served as head coach of the Steelers and the Duquesne University gridders-at the same time. Quarterback Cliff Stoudt earned two Super Bowl rings without once stepping onto the field. And Frank Sinatra and Franco Harris sipped wine together-at a Steelers practice.

These and many other unusual stories are featured in When Rooney Sold the Steelers: An Offbeat History of Pittsburgh's Beloved Team. You'll read about the Steelers linebacker who went on to fame ... as Tarzan; the team's male cheerleaders, who were terminated not long after a cannon mishap; the only individual to suit up for both the Steelers and the Pirates; and the time owner Art Rooney, a former boxing champion, punched out his head coach.

When Rooney Sold the Steelers (yes, he actually did) covers key moments (and some little-known ones) in franchise history: how the Steagles, a team formed by a wartime merger of the Steelers and the Philadelphia Eagles, finished with a winning record despite dealing with two constantly bickering head coaches; how a spelling lesson inspired Terry Bradshaw to become a Super Bowl hero; how Joe Greene drained 27 16-ounce bottles of Coca-Cola during filming of an iconic television commercial; how a lopsided Steelers victory might have prevented casualties from a plane crash; and how head coach John "Blood" McNally missed a game because, incredibly, he didn't realize the Steelers were playing that weekend.

When Rooney Sold the Steelers also shines a spotlight on the O.J. Bowl; the Steelers standout who went on to become a Supreme Court justice; a game that featured a mind-numbing total of 31 punts; the birth of the Terrible Towel; the die-hard fan who rooted for the Steelers even after death; and how the Immaculate Reception-a play that altered the trajectory of a franchise-got its name.