Nothing could have been done without the original owner "The Chief"
Art Rooney Sr., otherwise known as "The Chief," is the final person to make it on this Fourth of July Steelers Mount Rushmore. Nothing is done without this man and his ability to be a great person to lead this team. He founded the Steelers in 1933 and was around the club until he passed away in 1988. He was the glue of this team for so long.
Pittsburgh has come a long way in terms of how they show its interest in the football team that it calls home. Nowadays it is packed on gamedays downtown, but that was almost nonexistent when this club started out. Even after a couple of decades, the Steelers would struggle to bring fans and have them enjoy a game.
Even through the hard times, Rooney was able to see what the game of football could mean to the city of Pittsburgh. After plenty of years of disastrous seasons, there was finally hope by the time the 1970s rolled around. It took nearly 40 years before this team started to go from a joke of a franchise to a contender.
There are no Steelers in Pittsburgh without the long-term vision of Rooney and how he saw this team. Could you imagine seeing his iconic image with a cigar hanging out of his mouth? That would be the perfect way to catch the eyes of people for this iteration of Mount Rushmore. Rooney was a special person that led to a special family that still owns this club to this day.