Steelers' Chairman Dan Rooney Sr. has impacted the NFL in so many ways, earning him his due spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Rooney was honored once again for his impact on the game, this time with enshrinement into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame as one of the 10 enshrines at their 10th annual ceremony held at the New York Hilton on Tuesday night.
"When you think about the Pittsburgh Steelers, the words that come to mind are integrity, class, loyalty, performance, and longevity," said Sean McManus, Chairman of CBS Sports and also a Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame 2016 inductee. "Those are the qualities that are the hallmark of the Steelers, and they are values that Dan Rooney embodies. When you list the greatest owners in the history of the NFL, Dan Rooney is at the very top of that list."
Rooney has been involved in multiple aspects of NFL negotiations, and his impact is far reaching. The 'Rooney Rule,' a league-wide policy requiring interviewing minorities for head coaching and senior football operation jobs, as well as interviewing women for executive positions, is something that he didn't just establish, but has closely monitored.
"My father has always understood the power of the league's working as a unit collectively and making sure that the teams are cooperating in a way that is in the best interest of the league," said Steelers' President Art Rooney II. "He has always understood that our product is best when we are all together."
Rooney received a long standing ovation after receiving the award, and James Brown, the host of CBS' The NFL Today and the evening's emcee, shared his appreciation for him.
"Clearly we know you are one of the pioneers in America's number one sport," said Brown. "A foundational stone, a pillar in our sport as well. The excellence that you have embodied wrapped in old school virtues and values, which by the way, are timeless. But I also want to thank you that you have taken our number one sport and you have made it more diverse and inclusive as sports have often done in moving things forward in society. I want to add my congratulations and thanks and God bless you."
Also enshrined were in the Class of 2016 were Andrea Berry, Joe Cohen, Verne Lundquist, Tim McCarver, Sean McManus, Bob Mikkelson, Robin Roberts, Craig Sager and Bill Webb.
