The Pittsburgh Steelers were founded by Art Rooney in 1933 as the Pittsburgh Pirates. Originally in the same National Football League division as the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers, the Steelers moved to the American Football Conference, and into a new stadium, in 1970.

The 1970s were a decade of unprecedented accomplishment for the Steelers, who won four Super Bowls from 1974 to 1979. The foundation of their success began in 1969, when the team’s new head coach, Chuck Noll, drafted defensive tackle Joe Greene. “Mean Joe,” as he was affectionately known, went on to become one of the members of the feared Steel Curtain—the rest of this unparalleled defensive line were L.C. Greenwood, Ernie Holmes, and Dwight White.

In a memorable television commercial for Coca-Cola, which aired in 1979, Greene capitalized on his tough-guy reputation by not only sharing a bottle of Coke with a young fan, but tossing the kid his battered jersey as a souvenir. An updated version of the ad was aired during Super Bowl XLIII, the last time the Steelers won the contest, with Steelers strong safety Troy Polamalu playing the role of Greene...