Pro Football Hall of Fame Steelers News
Steelers Scouting Legend Left Out of Hall of Fame Finalists
Pittsburgh Steelers vice president and personnel director Art Rooney Jr. was not named a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2025.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced the coach, contributor and seniors finalists for the Class of 2025 on Tuesday, leaving out longtime Steelers scout and personnel executive Art Rooney Jr.
Rooney has been named a semifinalist for the third straight year, but has not advanced to the finalist stage. Ralph Hay, who owned the Canton Bulldogs from 1918-22 and was one of the founders of the NFL in 1920, was named the sole contributor finalist.
Rooney, 88, has been officially employed with the Steelers since 1961, but has been involved with the team his entire life, starting as a ball boy. The son of team founder Art Rooney Sr., Rooney Jr. worked in the ticket office and public relations before finding his calling in the Steelers scouting department, beginning in 1964.
From 1965 until 1986 Rooney worked in the Steelers’ scouting department as personnel director. Rooney is the architect of the Steelers’ four Super Bowl championship teams in the 1970s. He changed the team’s strategy to one that would build through the NFL Draft, something that has continued to the present day.
Under Rooney’s watch, the Steelers drafted nine Hall of Famers and signed a tenth as an undrafted free agent. The number could increase to 11 if former Steelers defensive end L.C. Greenwood makes the Hall of Fame.
Rooney would become the third member of the family to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame if eventually selected. His dad, Art Rooney Sr. and brother, Dan, are already in Canton. Art and Dan Rooney, Tim and Wellington Mara and Ed and Steve Sabol are the only father-son duos to be elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
In addition to adding another Steelers personnel member into the Hall of Fame (legendary scout Bill Nunn made it as a contributor in 2021), some believe that voters are hesitant to elect another Rooney. His resume is certainly hard to ignore, however.
“Art put together the greatest draft class in NFL history – that’s why he should be in the Hall of Fame like Bill Nunn,” former Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert said. “Art didn’t have a big staff when he put those 70’s teams together. He’d hire high school coaches as part-time scouts to fill in scouting duties – to grade film and things like that. The guys that did a good job, he’d recommend to Jack Butler who was with BLESTO at the time. My high school coach was Ron Hughes and he was the one that got me hooked up with BLESTO.”
Rooney was fired as personnel director in 1986 by his brother, Steelers president Dan Rooney, but he remained with the team in other roles, working in the club’s real estate division and serving as an area scout in the Carolinas, where he first found undrafted running back Willie Parker, among others.
In addition to Rooney, the seven other other semifinalists that did not advance are Houston Oilers and Tennessee Titans owner Bud Adams, longtime scout and New England Patriots general manager Bucko Kilroy, Patriots owner Robert Kraft, Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens owner Art Modell, Elias Sports Bureau owner and president Seymour Siwoff, former Washington Redskins quarterback and executive Doug Williams and Dallas Cowboys scout John Wooten.
Hay will be up for consideration along with coach finalist Mike Holmgren and seniors finalists Maxie Baughan, Sterling Sharpe and Jim Tyrer when the full Hall of Fame voting panel convenes in February.
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