When the Pittsburgh Steelers selected Joe Greene as the 4th overall pick in the 1969 NFL Draft, the franchise was known more for frustration than for triumph. In over three decades of existence, they had never come close to winning a championship. The team’s identity was wrapped in disappointment, its fan base loyal but weary, and its future uncertain. No one knew it at the time, but that single draft pick — a defensive tackle out of North Texas State — would alter not only the fate of a football team, but the culture of an entire city.
