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Steelers Daily News & Links: Potential Hillgrove Replacements, Remembering Andy Russell

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Pittsburgh Steelers Bill Hillgrove
Pittsburgh Steelers play-by-play broadcaster Bill Hillgrove calls a Pitt basketball game. -- David Hague / Pittsburgh Sports Now

Steelers Daily News & Links: Your daily stop for all of the news and links from the Pittsburgh Steelers, NFL and around the Sports Now Group.

🏈 Former voice of the Pittsburgh Pirates Lanny Frattare named his top 5 candidates to replace Bill Hillgrove as the Pittsburgh Steelers play-by-play radio announcer. West Virginia football and men’s basketball play-by-play man Tony Caridi, SportsNet Pittsburgh and longtime sports personality Rob King and KDKA-TV sports legend and Steelers preseason play-by-play announcer Bob Pompeani are Frattare’s top 3.

Grandson of Hillgrove and sportscaster for WTOV in Steubenville, Ohio, Jack Hillgrove, and Pitt women’s basketball, KDKA Radio high school basketball and several other play-by-play announcer Josh Rowntree, were Frattare’s wild card picks.

🏈 Bill Hillgrove was interviewed by his grandson Jack Hillgrove on the day he announced his retirement from the Steelers Radio Network.

🏈 The last time the Steelers had the No. 1 overall pick was in 1970, quarterback Terry Bradshaw out of Louisiana Tech. It’s the longest streak without having the first pick in the NFL.

🏈 Longtime NFL reporter Rick Gosselin thinks former Steelers linebacker Andy Russell never got a fair shake in the Pro Football Hall of Fane selection process. Russell died at the age of 82 on Thursday night.

“RIP Andy Russell. Former captain of Pittsburgh’s Steel Curtain defense. Seven Pro Bowls, 2 Super Bowl rings…never got a fair shake in the Hall of Fane selection process. A HOFer without the bust & gold jacket,” Gosselin wrote on X.

🏈 Steel City Star shared Andy Russell’s 93-yard fumble return for a touchdown in a win against the Baltimore Colts at Three Rivers Stadium on Dec. 27, 1975. It was an NFL playoff record until 2023.

🏈 Former NFL wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson warned the Chicago Bears to draft Marvin Harrison Jr. and build around Justin Fields. Johnson thinks Fields has been dealt a bad hand in Chicago with the coaching instability and lack of talent.

“Let Justin Fields go to Atlanta or Pittsburgh and see what happens,” Johnson said on Undisputed.

Happy Birthday to former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, born on March 2, 1982 in Lima, Ohio.  In his 18 years with the Steelers, Roethlisberger broke all of Terry Bradshaw’s records other than Super Bowl wins. Roethlisberger won two, however, Super Bowl XL win with head coach Bill Cowher and Super Bowl XLIII with Mike Tomlin.

🎥 Steelers general manager Omar Khan sat down with Max Starks to discuss scouting this year’s draft-eligible players, making roster decisions, and more.

NEWS FROM AROUND THE SPORTS NOW NETWORK

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Erik Karlsson scored in overtime to give the Pittsburgh Penguins a huge win over the Vancouver Canucks.

Pittsburgh Baseball Now: Ke’Bryan Hayes hit a grand slam as the Pittsburgh Pirates clobbered the Atlanta Braves in Grapefruit League action.

Pittsburgh Sports Now: Pitt basketball lost a crucial game at Clemson, falling to the Tigers 69-62 and putting their NCAA Tournament hopes on thin ice.

West Virginia Sports Now: The once-promising WVU women’s basketball team has now lost three straight games.

Nittany Sports Now: A slow start doomed Penn State basketball in its loss at Iowa.

Pittsburgh Soccer Now: The Pittsburgh Riverhounds will be on national TV four times in 2024.

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