8 most disappointing trades in Pittsburgh Steelers history
By Tommy Jaggi
Steelers trade Buddy Dial for rights to Scott Appleton
This trade occurred long before my time, but I’m willing to bet there are still some veteran Steelers fans out there who still remember this ordeal. For those who have looked into the history of this deal, we can probably all agree that this was one of the worst trades Pittsburgh ever made.
Buddy Dial was a star wideout for the Steelers in the early 1960s and he made the Pro Bowl twice for Pittsburgh in his first five seasons. Coming off a 60-catch, 1,295-yard season in which Dial averaged 21.6 yards per reception and scored 9 touchdowns, the Steelers elected to trade him to the Dallas Cowboys for the rights to Scott Appleton.
This was a major miscalculation. Appleton was also drafted to the AFL at the time, and the rookie elected to join the Houston Oilers instead — never playing a snap in Pittsburgh.
Not only did the Steelers trade a quality receiver for a player who never played a down for them, but the team didn’t even properly assess the talent. Appleton proved to be a disappointment. He played just five years of professional football for two different teams before retiring.