It all began in 1933 with $2,500 anda vision.

Both the money and the magicwere provided by Arthur J. Rooney,Sr., one of the great pioneers of thesports world. When “The Chief,” ashe was fondly called, founded thePittsburgh Steelers franchise onJuly 8, 1933, there were only fourother NFL teams in existence. It wasa touchdown moment in historythat, 76 years later, would result inthe NFL franchise to first capture

six Super Bowl titles. From his South Side office in

Pittsburgh, The Chief’s grandsonand namesake, Arthur J. Rooney II,retells the now legendary story withabsolute pride and just a hint of anIrish smile.

“It all started from fairly humblebeginnings,” says Rooney, Presidentof the Pittsburgh Steelers since2003. “According to my grandfather,he never made any money his firstdecade in the business. When he

started the team, it was one of sever-al sports ventures he was involvedin. At the time, one of the most prof-itable ones was professional boxingand he was a fight promoter. It wasa much bigger business than profootball in the ’30s. It’s fair to saythat [boxing] probably funded theteam… that was the pocket he hadthe money in.”

Fast forward almost eight decadesand the $2,500 investment is now amulti-million dollar football enter-prise. The Steelers’ third generationowner is now responsible for build-ing the impenetrable team of coach-es and players that can return himto Super Bowl glory in 2010.

THE ROONEY LEGACY While his grandfather was a larger-than-life, cigar-smoking Irishman,much beloved and revered byPittsburghers even after his death in1988, his grandson exudes a morequiet, subdued presence. He is aman committed not only to his roleas president of the PittsburghSteelers, but also to ensuring thatthe legacy and standards set by hisgrandfather and continued by his

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THE TERM TEAM PLAYER APPLIES ALL THE WAYAROUND, NOT JUST TO THE PLAYERS IN THE LOCKERROOM, BUT TO EVERYONE IN THE ORGANIZATION.

Pittsburgh Steelers’ Arthur J. Rooney II carries the ball for thefamily that changed football history. By Cally Jamis Vennare

TOUCHDOWN MOMENT

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Arthur J. Rooney II, left, with his father Dan Rooney and Pittsburgh Steelers headcoach Mike Tomlin after their 2009 Super Bowl win

father Dan (now the U.S.Ambassador to Ireland andChairman Emeritus of thePittsburgh Steelers) are proudly car-ried forth.

Yet Rooney’s original game planvaried significantly from that of hispredecessors. While they both spenttheir careers in business, he prac-ticed law for over 20 years. But inthe late ’90s the future of ThreeRivers Stadium (at that time theshared home of the PittsburghPirates and the Pittsburgh Steelers)was in question. “At that point, myfather had enough on his plate thathe delegated the stadium issue tome. From there my involvement inthe team continued to grow.”

In the end, each sports team builtits own distinct stadium. Rooneywas intimately involved in the cre-ation of the Steelers’ current home,Heinz Field, which opened in 2001.Seven years later, Heinz Field wasthe site of one of his most memo-rable career moments: the Steelers’2008 AFC Championship win. “Forme it was a special moment becauseit was the first time we’d won achampionship game at Heinz Field.We couldn’t get over that hump. Sowhen we finally did, the feeling inthe stadium that night was awfullyspecial. It was a night I will neverforget because of the amount oftime and energy I had put into mak-ing that building happen.”

Being exposed to mentors likeChuck Noll, Jim Bost and JoeGordon—long-time Steelers coachesand pros—also made a significantimpact. Teamwork and good charac-ter remain essential to the Steelerspresident at every level of his enter-prise. “My grandfather and myfather always believed in surround-ing yourself with good people inbusiness. [The term] team player

applies all the way around, not justto the players in the locker room,but to everyone in the organization.”

THE FUTURE OF FOOTBALLThere is no denying that, even afterall these years, the Steelers presi-dent is still energized and excitedby the game. His gestures broadenand his soft eyes get fiery when hetalks about our country’s numberone spectator sport.

Each successive Rooney genera-tion has upheld its stance on theimportance of the National Football

League in the overall organizationalstrategy of the team. They staunchlybelieve that the Steelers, as part ofthe NFL, must be respectful of thatpartnership. “While each team han-dles its own business, we operate ina way where what’s good for theLeague has to be the priority. ”

Yet he is both complimentary andcautionary. “Our main job is toensure that the business of footballdoes not screw up the game of foot-ball, because it has become a bigbusiness. But at its core, what makesit so very appealing is that we havea great game…and people love it andare passionate about it. And theplayers are passionate about it.”

What’s good for the NFL and forbusiness must not come at theexpense of that passion, emphasizesRooney, “because that’s what is trulydriving the train.”

THE LAST WORD ON STYLE Both on and off the field, Rooneyexudes a subtle sophistication. Hisstyle is, by his own admission, “con-servative.” Favored designersinclude Zegna, Hickey Freeman andBurberry. His clothier of choice?“Larrimor’s is certainly my favoritestore. I’ve shopped there for manyyears.”

And after 25 years of marriage, hiswife Greta is still attempting to addcolor to his traditional palette.

“She’s not thrilled with all the blueand gray suits I have in my closet.So once in a while she’ll go out andbuy me a bright yellow blazer.” Herplayful attempt to blend a conserva-tive blazer with the more vibrant ofhis team’s black and gold colorsdoes not escape him. “Well, there’sonly one or two times a year I’llwear that,” he laughs in response.“Maybe on Easter, but who knowswhen else...” Keep trying Greta.

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THE NFL, THE PITTSBURGHSTEELERS AND UNITED WAYGiving back to the community has alwaysbeen a Rooney family priority and ahallmark of both the NFL and PittsburghSteelers enterprises. One of the mostvisible national examples of communitycollaboration is the NFL and United WayPartnership. For over 35 years, thepartnership has exemplified the tangiblegood that can come when the NFL joinsforces with the world’s largest nonprofit tocreate real change in communities acrossthe country.

“There is a history of connection to theUnited Way going back to my grandfather,and a strong corporate commitment overthe years,” notes Rooney II. As Chair ofUnited Way of Allegheny County, he hashelped reshape and refocus its efforts toensure that all dollars raised are directedto the community’s most critical needs.

“We receive so much support from thecommunity [so] we try to be involved andbe leaders in the community. We’ve beenfortunate that many of our playersunderstand the value of giving back. CharlieBatch is our best example. It’s remarkableto see and a great example not only for ourplayers, but for our city.”

To learn more about United Way, visitwww.liveunited.org.