Bob Labriola
The opinions found in Asked and Answered do not reflect the views of the Steelers organization.
Let's get to it:
ROBERT YEAGER FROM CANYON COUNTRY, CA: In one of the "Picture Perfect" features on Steelers.com, which are great by the way, there's a picture of Art Rooney Sr. sitting at his desk. Out of curiosity, who's the guy in the picture over Mr. Rooney's left shoulder? It seemingly is an important person, especially given the size of the photo.
ANSWER: If you look at the photo of Art Rooney Sr. in the April 9 Picture Perfect, the picture over his left shoulder is one of David L. Lawrence, who was Mayor of the City of Pittsburgh from 1946-59, and then he served one term as the Governor of Pennsylvania (1959-63). Lawrence also presented Art Rooney Sr. for induction to the Pro Football Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 1964. Here is a transcript of what Lawrence said that day:
"The Reverend Clergy, Justice Douglas, civil authorities, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen. Let me begin by congratulating these great athletes, who by their faith and dogged deeds have won a place in this great Hall of Fame. It is my pleasure to give this award to my close personal friend, a friend I have known for over 50 years.
"Art Rooney came into football back in 1933. He has given more to sports and asked for less than any man in the game. He is the all-time, all-around sportsman, participant, promoter, fan, and benefactor. He was a good minor league outfielder, won amateur boxing titles, and scrimmaged on rocky semi-pro gridirons. When it was possible and maybe when it wasn't, he financed financially shaky baseball clubs, backed big boxing shows, sponsored amateur athletes, and fed many a hungry fighter.
"But what did he ever do for pro football? Kept it breathing in its very cradle, Pittsburgh, when no one else would. Kept it from floundering in World War II by fielding a team when others shied away. Kept it rise from raggedy days with top price magic names such as Whizzer White, Jock Sutherland, Bill Dudley. Ladies and gentlemen, it is my pleasure to place the name of Arthur Rooney, a man without an enemy, in Football's Hall of Fame."
MIKE FOSTER FROM EWA BEACH, HI: What's with the disclaimer at the top of the past few editions of Asked and Answered?
ANSWER: Consider it a reminder to readers from me that a good bit of what I write in those answers is what I think as opposed to what I know.
JOHANN HOEHN FROM RUNZENHEIM, GERMANY: Jack Deloplaine, a running back, was chosen in the draft by the Steelers from a small college in West Virginia. Wasn't he the very last pick of the draft and called Mr. Irrelevant? Whatever happened to him?
ANSWER: Jack Deloplaine, came to the Steelers as a No. 6 pick (182nd overall) from Salem College in the 1976 NFL Draft, which included 17 rounds. The Steelers final pick in that draft (Round 17, 487th overall) was Dayton WR Kelvin Kirk, and since that pick was the final one of the 1976 Draft, it was Kirk, who was Mr. Irrelevant. Kirk did not make the team.
As for Deloplaine, he played 4 seasons with the Steelers and appeared in 33 regular season games. He had 30 carries for 147 yards (4.9 average) and 2 touchdowns. In 1976, Deloplaine returned 17 kickoffs for 385 yards (22.6 average) with a long return of 39 yards. Deloplaine earned a Super Bowl XIII ring, and in that win over Dallas he played special teams and contributed 1 tackle.
KEITH A. WIMER FROM YOUNGSTOWN, OH: You mentioned "Arrowhead" Ernie Holmes in the last edition of Asked and Answered. Holmes did a cameo as a nightclub bouncer in the 1985 horror classic "Fright Night." Do you know if he ever appeared in any other movies?
ANSWER: You are remembering correctly that Ernie Holmes appeared in "Fright Night" as a bouncer, and that was his only movie role. Holmes did appear once in an episode of the television show, "The A-Team." He also was a professional wrestler who was at WrestleMania 2.
DARRELL SAUNDERS FROM MIAMI BEACH, FL: Do you anticipate Will Howard and Skyler Thompson playing most of the preseason snaps if Mason Rudolph is our starting QB? Also, will Roc Taylor have a fair shot at being our WR 2? If he doesn't make the 53-man roster, that would be a travesty. He is a great WR.
ANSWER: As of this writing, the Steelers have three quarterbacks on their 90-man roster, and General Manager Omar Khan has said the team will take 4 to training camp at Saint Vincent College. Once the Steelers get to that stage of team development, a practice order will be established and repetitions in those practices will be allotted to those players. Today, one day after Memorial Day, everything you are asking about the quarterback situation is based on hypotheticals, and as Bill Cowher always said, "I don't play the what-if game."
Roc Taylor (6-foot-3, 215-pounds) came to the Steelers as an undrafted rookie from Memphis, and he currently is one of 10 WRs on the 90-man roster. Having been to a lot of training camps, what I can tell you is that young WRs would be wise to find a way to make themselves valuable on special teams. I have yet to see Taylor compete on an NFL practice field and as long as he stays healthy enough to practice he'll get the chance to show what he can do as a receiver. But just looking at his height/weight, he has the build to potentially be an effective gunner on the punt team. It sure worked for Miles Boykin.
BROOKS DURKALSKI FROM CLEVELAND, OH: Will Jalen Warren and Kaleb Johnson share the starter spot?
ANSWER: I believe the Steelers will be going into training camp with a nice group of running backs on their depth chart, and what you're asking will work itself out from July-through-August, which is usually in plenty of time to worry about your Fantasy League draft.
THOMAS BOVARD FROM SCOTIA, NY: Is there any real truth to the web stories that we all see almost every day about having Ben Roethlisberger and Troy Polamalu coming into training camp to do some coaching? I'd love to see it as, but I haven't seen any real concrete stories on this.
ANSWER: You write, " but I haven't seen any real concrete stories on this." There's your answer.
VINNY CARCHEDI FROM SAUQUOIT, NY: Do you happen to know why the Steelers always open the season on the road?
ANSWER: Because of the proximity of Acrisure Stadium and PNC Park, and the fact the teams share many of the same parking lots, and another consideration being the demands that would be placed on Pittsburgh police and public safety resources by having the Pirates and Steelers both playing at the same time on the same day, Major League Baseball and the National Football League take that into consideration when making up their schedules. And the reality of that process is that Major League Baseball does its schedule first.
STEVE SAMICK FROM ST. MARYS, PA: What is your opinion on tanking? Some analysts suggest it would be in the Steelers' best interest to do that in 2025.
ANSWER: I am 100 percent opposed to doing something other than trying to win each game during every regular season. For a professional sports team, I think it's a bad idea to give the impression to the players that you're not trying to win, because their careers can be fragile and short-lived.
DAVID LUPREK FROM JOHNSTOWN, PA: The letter in a previous Asked and Answered regarding Julius Welschof from Germany reminded me of an article I recently read about Christian Scotland-Williamson, a phenomenal athlete and rugby player from the UK who was part of the International Player Program for the Steelers as a tight end from 2018-2020. Scotland-Williamson said, "I've never done anything so difficult as learning it at that level. I've qualified as a barrister and that was easier than learning American Football, which is quite a strange thing to say to people. Try learning a playbook when you've never played before, especially at tight end."
That reminded me how difficult it is for us as fans to comprehend the complexity of playing at the NFL level and the immense amount of effort that it takes to succeed.
ANSWER: Thank you for that perspective.
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