Lynn Swann stood in front of the display at the Pro Football Hall of Fame and slowly and thoughtfully took it all in.
It was something that hit him deep down, seeing the Hall of Fame Bronze Busts of all members of the Steelers organization all together in one setting.
Normally, they are spread out throughout the bust room at the Hall of Fame by the class they were enshrined with.
But for a few weeks, they are all together for the first time. Two rows of Bronze Busts highlighting the best of the best who were ever part of the Steelers organization.
"You start to count and think out the number of guys who are in," said Swann. "That is impressive, special, all of your teammates and so forth. It's creating a tradition of excellence and moving forward that people are living up to.
"Just to see them all right there. From guys who were drafted in the first round to guys who were free agents, coaches, contributors, all across the board, it's a tribute to the whole organization."
Art Rooney Sr. and Dan Rooney Sr. are side-by-side.
Jerome Bettis and Mel Blount are side-by-side.
Bill Cowher and Dermontti Dawson are side-by-side.
"That is really cool to see them all lined up together," said Hall of Fame guard Alan Faneca. "All next to each other. Just all that history."
That tribute is part of a limited time exhibit, 'A Legacy Forged in Black & Gold,' at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. The exhibit includes the Steelers six Lombardi Trophies, six Super Bowl rings, and all of the Bronze Busts of the enshrinees who contributed to the team's success all under one roof.
Swann and Faneca were a part of one of the highlighted weekends at the Hall of Fame, taking part in a Chalk Talk discussion, a breakfast with fans that included casual conversation and photos, and an autograph session that had Steelers fans lining up first thing in the morning.
"Any time Steelers fans get together it's always a special feeling," said Faneca. "We were in the room for the Q&A, and they were asking questions, and you could feel the black and gold pride and vibe in there. It's always neat to be around Steelers fans.
"You spend all of that time in Pittsburgh, and it becomes part of you, it never leaves you. When you come here to the Hall of Fame, it's a little injection of black and gold in you, a little reinvigoration of being in the building when we are not in the building anymore."
Many of the questions fans had for the two centered around their favorite memories, and the fans are a part of those memories.
"And the great thing is the fans that are here, they aren't all from Pittsburgh," said Swann. "They are from all over. I appreciate that. I appreciate their loyalty.
"A guy had a picture of him and I when he was a kid, standing in front of me at some event, and he couldn't have been more than nine years old. Now he is here with his son. That is terrific."
Among the items on display at the Hall of Fame are jerseys and footballs donated by the players who are enshrined there that have meaning in their careers, historical letters, and even the elevator panel from Three Rivers Stadium, which happened to be where Art Rooney Sr. was when the Immaculate Reception occurred.
As Swann looked at a picture of Art Rooney Sr., he couldn't help but share a story with Faneca, and memories started flooding back.
"It brings back a lot of great memories," said Swann. "It also brings back a foundation of thinking and attitude about how you live your life and what you do. It's important what you do in your preparation to get ready to play that game, but it's about getting to the ultimate game, playing as a team and life lessons that will be with you forever. To be a good teammate, to be a great teammate. To appreciate and respect the city and fans that come to the games every day, who saved up to buy tickets to the game. And those Sunday afternoons at the stadium were more important to them than anything else. It brought families together. It's about all those things."
Swann appreciates the fact that the Hall of Fame put on the exhibit, allowing fans, and players alike, to take a look back.
"You are trying to be competitive every day, competitive with your teammates, competitive with the guy who is behind you who wants to take your job, competitive with your opponent," said Swann. "To be in the Hall of Fame, be in this room and look around and see all of this, to be with Alan and have this conversation, it says you have arrived, you accomplished it. You've done it.
"You can appreciate it now. All the time you were playing football, it was always the next play, the next game, the next year, the next Super Bowl. We are not dead, but it's all laid to rest here."
The 'A Legacy Forged in Black & Gold' exhibit will run daily through Feb. 19, at the Pro Football Hall of Fame with other Steelers Hall of Famers scheduled to attend, and is the first in a series the Hall of Fame is introducing to honor specific teams.
In addition, for a complete history of the Pittsburgh Steelers, you can visit the Steelers Hall of Honor at Acrisure Stadium. Schedule your tour today.
