Steelers top 30 moments in franchise history

1995 AFC Championship

Jan 3, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers fans wave towels from the stands during the Steelers

I vividly remember my first crushing defeat as a young Steelers fan. The 1994 AFC Championship game came down to the fourth down in the fourth quarter when Neil O’Donnell’s pass to Barry Foster was batted down, sending the San Diego Chargers to the Super Bowl.

Fast forward one year and the Steelers were hosting another AFC Championship game at home. The Steelers took on the Indianapolis Colts at Three Rivers Stadium for the right to play in Super Bowl XXX. It was the height of popularity for Kordell Stewart as “Slash” in the Steelers offense.

The Steelers were the second seed in the AFC Playoffs, hosting one of five AFC Championship games between 1994 and 2004. This would be Bill Cowher’s only victory in all those home AFC Championship games. Some brutal years.

I’ll never forget sitting on the edge of my seat next to my dad on the couch watching the last play of the game when Colts quarterback Jim Harbaugh threw a Hail Mary pass that was dropped in the end zone, sending the Steelers to the Super Bowl for the first time since the 70s. My dad had goose bumps. It was amazing.

Of course my first feelings of excitement of watching the Steelers in the Super Bowl for the first time in my lifetime were quickly crushed when Neil O’Donnell threw the first interception to Larry Brown in the Super Bowl and then my feelings were stepped on when he threw the second interception to Brown.

But, I’ll never forget that feeling of that AFC Championship game. Mostly because it would be so friggin long until they won another one.

Next: The Mel Blount rule