Steelers Optimistic for Future

There was public dissension and disillusionment only a year ago after the Pittsburgh Steelers, once pro football’s most dominant team, were crushed in the National Football League playoffs by the Raiders, 38-10.

Players criticized other players, a previously un-Steelerlike practice. Even club President Dan Rooney, never one to seek headlines, found himself on the front page after unprecedented criticism of Chuck Noll, his coach for 15 years.

The team that rightfully could have called itself America’s Team after winning four Super Bowls in six years suddenly was in danger of losing its distinction as Pittsburgh’s team. The new-kid-in town Pittsburgh Maulers of the United States Football League were winning away both fans and media attention with the highly piblicized signing of Heisman Trophy winner Mike Rozier.

Now, another Steelers’ season has ended with a one-sided playoff loss, a 45-28 American Conference championship game blowout to the Miami Dolphins. The 1984 record, 10-8 was even worse than the 10-7 mark that resulted in so much hand-wringing and finger-pointing last year.

But while the similarities in seasons are there, the attitudes aren’t. To a man, the Steelers say the disappointment of 1984 has been replaced by the optimism of 1985. Some Steelers who couldn’t wait for the 1983 season to end can’t wait for the new season to begin.

” I’m as proud of this team as any team,” Noll said. “I have a very positive attitude. The score of (the Miami) game didn’t diminish what we accomplished. And we accomplished a lot. Obviously, I’m pleased with the direction we’re taking.”

“It’s the opposite direction we were taking a year ago,” Rooney said.

After winning their final two regular-season games to clinch the AFC Central Division title, the Steelers surprised favored Denver Broncos to reach their seventh AFC title game. Finishing one game away from the Super Bowl seemingly has lit the Steelers’ competitive fires, even players who were around for the four Super Bowl titles.

“Will I be back? I’ll be back,” said veteran center Mike Webster, ending speculation he might retire after 11 seasons. “I don’t know if people know how far we’ve come. This is going to be a heck of a team.”

And the Maulers? They’re history, having folded after one dismal season on both the field and at the ticket window.

When Rooney chastised Noll for the Steelers’ play selection and his players for their questionable commitment to improvement, he may have signaled a new direction for a team that had failed to reach the second round of the playoffs for four years.

“The thing about last year was not only was it such a disappointing finish, when we won only one of our last six games, but to win that one we had to go back and pull Terry Bradshaw from the past to do it,” Rooney said, recalling a 34-7, Bradshaw-led victory over the New York Jets.

The increased intensity was visible on the first day of pr-season training camp, when there was a dramatic increase in the amount of full-scale contact work--and on the first day when the Steelers began cutting players.

Even veteran running back Franco Harris, locked in a contract dispute, wasn’t immune from the ax that fell on 19 players on the Steelers’ roster for the January 1984 Raiders’ game.

Ten of the Steelers’ 12 draft choices made the team and there were 15 first-year players on the final regular-season roster. It was the biggest infusion of young talent since 1974, when players such as Webster, John Stallworth, Lynn Swann aand Jack Lambert first wore a black-and-gold uniform.