Dan Rooney
Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper speaks to the media after the firing of NFL football head coach Matt Rhule in Charlotte, N.C., Monday, Oct. 10, 2022. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)
Dan Snyder and other billionaires who own the NFL's teams

By The Associated Press Oct. 17, 2022 06:53 PM EDT

FILE - Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph during pre-game warmups before an NFL wild-card playoff football game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Sunday, Jan. 16, 2022 in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photos/Reed Hoffmann)
Steelers ponder changing of the guard at QB with 20th pick

By Will Graves Apr. 22, 2022 04:28 PM EDT

FILE - Cleveland Browns defensive coordinator Ray Horton talks to reporters after practice at the NFL football team's facility in Berea, Ohio Thursday, Dec. 19, 2013. Two coaches joined Brian Flores on Thursday, April 7, 2022, in his lawsuit alleging racist hiring practices by the NFL toward coaches and general managers. The updated lawsuit in Manhattan federal court added coaches Steve Wilks and Ray Horton. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan)
2 more Black coaches sue NFL alleging racial discrimination

By Larry Neumeister Apr. 07, 2022 01:04 PM EDT

FILE- Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores watches from the sideline during the first half of an NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills, on Oct. 31, 2021, in Orchard Park, N.Y. The Pittsburgh Steelers hired the former Miami Dolphins coach on Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022, to serve as a senior defensive assistant. The hiring comes less than three weeks after Flores sued the NFL and three teams over alleged racist hiring practices following his dismissal by Miami in January. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus, File)
Flores hired to Steelers staff; lawsuit against NFL proceeds

By Will Graves Feb. 19, 2022 02:08 PM EST

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin watches from the sideline during the first half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Sunday, Jan. 16, 2022, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Travis Heying)
Why has the 'Rooney Rule' not produced more Black coaches?

By Will Graves Feb. 11, 2022 04:46 AM EST

FILE - Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores talks to the media before an NFL football practice at Baptist Health Training Complex in Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla., Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2021. Former Miami Dolphins coach Brian Flores filed a class-action lawsuit against the NFL alleging racist hiring practices. (David Santiago/Miami Herald via AP, File)
Black NFL coaches lament hiring policies that fall short

By Will Graves Feb. 11, 2022 04:29 AM EST

FILE -Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores talks to Miami Dolphins owner Stephen M. Ross during practice before an NFL football game against the New York Jets, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2019, in Miami Gardens, Fla. Fired Miami Dolphins coach Brian Flores sued the NFL and three of its teams Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2022 saying racist hiring practices by the league have left it racially segregated and managed like a plantation.(AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee, File)
Elway, Ross, Giants deny claims in Brian Flores lawsuit

By Arnie Stapleton Feb. 03, 2022 01:48 PM EST

FILE - Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores talks with Miami Dolphins center Michael Deiter (63) ahead of the start of an NFL football game against the New England Patriots, Sunday, Jan. 9, 2022, in Miami Gardens, Fla. Fired Miami Dolphins Coach Brian Flores sued the NFL and three of its teams Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2022 saying racist hiring practices by the league have left it racially segregated and managed like a plantation. (AP Photo/Willfredo Lee, File)
Fired Miami Dolphins coach sues NFL, alleging racist hiring

By Larry Neumeister Feb. 01, 2022 04:11 PM EST

FILE - Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) greets fans after an NFL football game against the Cleveland Browns, Monday, Jan. 3, 2022, in Pittsburgh. The Steelers won 26-14. Roethlisberger's NFL career is over. The longtime Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback announced his retirement on Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022, saying it was “time to clean out my locker, hang up my cleats” after 18 years, two Super Bowls, countless team records and a spot in the Hall of Fame all but secure. (AP Photo/Don Wright, File)
Roethlisberger retires at 39: Time to 'hang up my cleats'

By Will Graves Jan. 27, 2022 10:49 AM EST

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) passes against the Cincinnati Bengals during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 28, 2021, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Aaron Doster)
Pittsburgh looks to recapture 'The Steeler Way' during slide

By Will Graves Dec. 01, 2021 02:16 PM EST

Steve Hutchinson, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Centennial Class, puts his hand on his bust during the induction ceremony at the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Saturday, Aug. 7, 2021, in Canton, Ohio. (AP Photo/David Richard)
The Latest: Coach Bill Cowher enters the Hall of Fame

Aug. 07, 2021 02:19 PM EDT

FILE - Houston businessman Bob McNair, left, and NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue smile during a press conference in Atlanta, in this Wednesday, Oct. 6, 1999, file photo. Houston rejoined the NFL, paying a record $700 million for an expansion franchise. During Paul Tagliabue’s 17-year stint as commissioner, the NFL experienced labor peace, saw skyrocketing television deals, construction of new stadiums across the nation and expansion to the current 32-team makeup. Despite those credentials that continued pro football’s surge to the top of American sports, it took until a special centennial class in 2020 for Tagliabue to be voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame after retiring in 2006. (AP Photo/W. A. Harewood, File)
After lengthy wait, Paul Tagliabue heads to Hall of Fame

By Barry Wilner Jul. 22, 2021 01:26 PM EDT

FILE - This Feb. 5, 2011, file photo shows Steve Sabol during an interview in Dallas. This year’s “Hard Knocks” series with the Dallas Cowboys will mark the first time one of its teams is in the Hall of Fame Game. It is fitting since the creator of the series was enshrined into the Hall earlier this year. “Hard Knocks” is one of Steve Sabol’s many legacies at NFL Films that continue to live on. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez, File)
NFL Films' creative force Steve Sabol enters Hall of Fame

By Joe Reedy Jul. 20, 2021 03:08 AM EDT

FILE - Pittsburgh Steelers coach Bill Cowher works the sidelines against the Cincinnati Bengals in Pittsburgh, in this Sunday Nov. 28, 1999, file photo. Cowher, who won 149 games and a Super Bowl in 15 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1992-2006, will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame next month. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)
Cowher caps unlikely success story with Hall of Fame nod

By Will Graves Jul. 19, 2021 01:43 PM EDT

In this March 2018 photo, Patricia Rooney shakes hands with former Vice President Joe Biden, the keynote speaker at "Slainte! Celebrating the Life and Legacy of Dan Rooney", at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh. Patricia Rooney, the wife of late Pittsburgh Steelers chairman Dan Rooney, has died. She was 88. The Steelers said in a statement that Patricia Rooney died peacefully at her home Saturday, Jan. 30, 2021. A cause of death was not given. (Darrell Sapp/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette via AP)
Patricia Rooney, wife of late Steelers chairman, dead at 88

Jan. 31, 2021 12:06 AM EST

FILE - Baltimore Ravens assistant head coach David Culley works with wide receivers during an NFL football training camp practice in Owings Mills, Md., in this Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020, file photo. David Culley has been hired as the coach of the Houston Texans, a person familiar with the hiring told The Associated Press. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity Wednesday night, Jan. 27, 2021, because the hiring hasn’t been announced. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)
More interviews didn’t equal more minority hirings in NFL

By Rob Maaddi Jan. 29, 2021 04:49 PM EST

FILE - In this May 22, 2019, file photo, NFL vice president Troy Vincent speaks to the media during an owners meetings in Key Biscayne, Fla. When the Rooney Rule was adopted by the NFL in 2003, Vincent was in his 12th of 15 seasons as an outstanding defensive back. He was soon to become the president of the NFL Players Association, an impactful position he held for four years. He joined the league office in 2010 as vice president of player engagement, and by 2014 Vincent was in charge of NFL football operations. Vincent, who is Black, had made great strides in the sport. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson, File)
NFL develops 7-point mobility plan for diversity hiring

By Barry Wilner Nov. 17, 2020 04:31 AM EST

FILE - In this Aug. 17, 2017, file photo, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell answers questions during a season ticket member fan forum before practice at the Cleveland Browns NFL football team's training camp facility in Berea, Ohio. Several NFL teams are reopening their training facilities Tuesday, May 19, 2020, while many are prohibited by government restrictions during the coronavirus pandemic. Commissioner Roger Goodell gave the 32 clubs the go-ahead for limited reopenings as long as state and local municipalities allow them. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak, File)
NFL owners make changes to enhance diversity on many levels

By Barry Wilner May. 19, 2020 02:54 PM EDT

FILE - In this Nov. 30, 2008, file photo, Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy watches from the sideline as his team plays the Cleveland Browns during the third quarter of an NFL football game in Cleveland. Dungy is the first African-American head coach to win a Super Bowl and has been a strong advocate of more diversity in coaching hires. (AP Photo/Amy Sancetta, File)
AP sources: Expanded Rooney Rule to require more interviews

By Barry Wilner May. 18, 2020 06:06 PM EDT

FILE - In this Nov. 2, 2014, file photo, Pittsburgh Steelers Pro Football Hall of Famer Joe Greene, center, makes remarks after receiving a jersey from Steelers President Art Rooney II, left, as Steelers chairman Dan Rooney, right, looks on during a ceremony to retire Greene's jersey number 75 at half time of an NFL football game between the Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens in Pittsburgh. The beginning of the Pittsburgh Steelers dynasty of the 1970s can be pinpointed to the drafting of defensive lineman Joe Greene in 1969. (AP Photo/Gene Puskar, File)
Ravens-Steelers 11/2/2014

Apr. 21, 2020 06:36 AM EDT