February is Black History Month, a time to honor those who have made a difference in our country and broke racial barriers. Steelers.com is highlighting stories from those who were touched by individuals who have broken barriers, to sharing the stories of those who broke barriers themselves.
There are a lot of people who made a difference through the history of the NFL, but there haven't been a lot of people like the late Bill Nunn.
Nunn began his career with the Steelers as a part-time scout in 1967, and then moved into a full-time role from 1969-2014.
And while his title was scout, his role was so much broader.
Nunn was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2021, the first Black Contributor in the 100 plus year history of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
"He never changed," said his daughter Lynell Nunn at the time of his enshrinement. "He was always so concerned about diversity with the players, coaches and front office. That goes back to the time I was young. He was always looking for that, during his pre-Steelers time and after that.
"It was always important to him, and he instilled that in us. Seeing the progress that has been made, and knowing he had a fairly big part in that, means a lot. I am really proud of the legacy that he left."
That legacy is still felt today, even if some aren't fully aware of the role he played in the opportunities they are now afforded.
The legendary scout opened the door for players from Historically Black Colleges and Universities, something that didn't just impact the Steelers, it impacted the entire NFL.
During a time when Black college players weren't getting mainstream attention, Nunn was giving them the recognition they deserved, and it didn't go unnoticed.
Nunn, who passed away in 2014 at the age of 89, attended West Virginia State University, an HBCU, where he was a three-year captain on the basketball team and a member of the school's undefeated team in 1948.
Prior to his time with the Steelers, he embarked on an impactful career in the newspaper business, including as a sportswriter, editor, and then managing editor of The Pittsburgh Courier.
Starting in 1950 he selected the newspaper's annual Black College All-American Team, developing relationships that benefited him in his scouting career and opened the door for Black players who weren't getting attention from teams.
If you are a Steelers fan, the names John Stallworth, Donnie Shell, Mel Blount and L.C. Greenwood are among the ones Bill Nunn brought to the table.
"Bill in my mind was a game-changer for guys in my era that went to Black colleges," said Stallworth. "Bill was a force in the room for us. Most guys in the past, before us, didn't have anyone to talk about their pedigree, how good they were, what their capabilities were, their talent, what kind of man they were. Bill was a voice in the room for guys in Black colleges in the early years. He paved the way."
But there were others, just ask the New York Giants, who drafted future Hall of Famer Roosevelt 'Rosey' Brown in the 27th round of the 1953 NFL Draft, after late owner Wellington Mara learned about Brown through Nunn's All-America team in the Courier. Even Brown's bio on the Pro Football Hall of Fame page references him making Nunn's team.
"In the 1953 National Football League Draft, the New York Giants selected a 1952 Black All-America tackle from little-known Morgan State College in the 27th round. His name was Roosevelt Brown, and his youth and relative inexperience were obvious when he joined the Giants for his first summer training camp."
And Los Angeles Rams fans should forever be grateful to Nunn, as he touted Deacon Jones, a future Hall of Famer they selected in the 14th round of the 1961 NFL Draft.
Nunn was one of the few people to earn six Super Bowl rings with the Steelers, after coming out of retirement to return to the team on a part-time basis.
"You can't write the history of the Pittsburgh Steelers without Bill Nunn," said Blount. "When you look at the Steelers of the 1970s, none of that would have happened without Bill Nunn."
The last Black College All-America Team Nunn selected for the Pittsburgh Courier was in 1974, and a member of that team was Stallworth. Nunn scouted Stallworth, along with other BLESTO scouts who at that time would travel together, on a wet track at Alabama A&M, and the wide receiver didn't time well in the 40-yard dash.
The group was leaving Alabama the next morning, but Nunn said he felt 'ill' and was staying and would catch up with them on the road. What he did, though, was go back and time Stallworth on a dry track and he got the results he wanted. Also, through his relationship with HBCU coaches, he was able to obtain the only game film of Stallworth that existed. He promised to return the film to be shared but never did.
The rest, as they say, is history.
That 1974 Steelers team went on to win Super Bowl IX, with 11 players from HBCUs, and the Steelers 1974 NFL Draft Class that included four Hall of Fame players in the first five picks – Lynn Swann, Jack Lambert, Stallworth, and Mike Webster – plus another – Shell – as an undrafted rookie is acknowledged as the greatest draft class of all-time.
Nunn was a member of the Inaugural Class of the Black College Football Hall of Fame in 2010 and a 2018 Steelers Hall of Honor selection.
He helped the Steelers find talent from HBCUs that other teams largely ignored, and Shell, who played at South Carolina State, is someone who knows he wouldn't have landed with the Steelers, and eventually the Pro Football Hall of Fame as well, without Nunn.
"Bill Nunn has done so much for the league over the years, not only for the Steelers but also when he was a reporter by going to the Historically Black Colleges and Universities and finding all of the talent there and letting the NFL teams know about that talent," said Shell. "And what he did for the Steelers. Look at how many players he brought to the Steelers to help build those championship teams.
"We had side conversations that no one ever knew about. He was a confidant. If I had some issues, if I didn't do well in practice, I would talk to Bill, and it wouldn't go any further than that. He would sit me down and say keep working hard and doing what you are doing, you will be fine. When you are young, that gave you encouragement to keep working hard. Nobody ever knew about that.
"I don't know if he realized it or not, but just being around Bill, his professionalism, the way he carried himself in his life, it meant a lot to me and had a great effect on me. He never would have thought that. That is the way he was, unassuming. That was Bill. That is who he was. He made people gravitate to him. You wanted to be with him. You wanted to be in his presence to listen to some of the wisdom that he had."
