Reaction from Noll’s death
Quotes about former Pittsburgh Steelers coach Chuck Noll, who died Friday at 82.
“He was a tough coach to me, and I spent more time with him than anybody, so I know. I learned how to be mentally tough with him, and for that I can never say thank you enough, because that got me through divorces, Super Bowls, and those times when I had bad moments in big games. He made me mentally strong, which I wasn’t. And he instilled in me a great work ethic.” - Hall of Fame quarterback Terry Bradshaw
“The first meeting we ever had, I was a rookie, and I had my notebook out. They had won two Super Bowls already, so I am expecting Chuck to tell us what we need to do to make the team.
“Instead, he says: ‘Gentlemen, welcome to the NFL, you are now being paid to play, football is your profession. But I can tell you it is not your life. You can’t let it be. Part of my job is to help you find your life’s work.’
“That is the kind of things that stuck with me about Chuck.” - Super Bowl-winning coach Tony Dungy
“He never won Coach of the Year until 1989, but he didn’t care about those things. He did what he felt was right, and it carried over obviously to the football team. Chuck Noll was a coach who always was concerned with the basics of the sport. He always used to say, ‘This game is blocking and tackling,’ and to him that was playing the game the way it should be played.” - Steelers Chairman Dan Rooney
In my time, I didn’t see him hug a player or embrace a player. But he still loved his players. He wasn’t one for showing those kinds of emotions. But I watched him, and I saw him show his appreciation for his players and for his team in a very quiet and subtle way. I was very proud to be a Pittsburgh Steeler and to be coached by Chuck. – Hall of Fame defensive tackle Joe Greene
“He was the kind of guy where whatever day you saw him, he was the same guy. I try to be that working with my employees and the children. The thing I try to do and the thing that I have learned from Chuck is the value of just being consistent and being who you are, not trying to be something you are not. I know what he brought to the Steelers was not only pride but stability and vision. That vision wzs to be winners.” - Hall of Fame cornerback Mel Blount
“He’s the one who turned the thing around. I played for a bunch of coaches, three or four coaches. You could tell it was going nowhere until he came. And you knew he had a plan. He knew what he wanted to do. He had the respect of all the players. A lot of times guys go around and make remarks about coaches and things like that, just kidding around. But nobody ever kidded around. They had the greatest respect for Chuck.” - Former Steelers running back and assistant coach Dick Hoak.
“RIP Chuck. You had such a positive impact on many people’s lives. It was an Honor and a Blessing to follow in your footsteps. Thanks Coach!” - Tweet from former Steelers head coach Bill Cowher
“I’m one of the lucky ones! I was coached by the greatest man/teacher/coach to ever walk the white lines of a football field! RIP Coach Noll!” - Former Steelers running back Merril Hoge
“I met Chuck Noll when I was a very young priest, right after the Steelers won their fourth Super Bowl. … Far beyond his coaching abilities and phenomenal success, what struck me most then, and continues now, about Chuck Noll is his rock foundation of humility. To my mind, he was never about Chuck Noll. We has always about others. That humility makes him a role model for all – both young and old.” – Bishop David Zubik, who will celebrate Noll’s funeral mass at 10 a.m. Tuesday at St. Paul Cathedral in Pittsburgh