March 28, 2024

Wheeling alum, long-time Steelers Video Director to be Honored by Football HOF

This story is reposted from the Steelers.com. Bob McCartney is a member of the Wheeling Class of 1972

Bob McCartney, the Steelers long-time video director who is now the team’s director of facilities, will be one of the 2024 recipients of the Pro Football Hall of Fame “Awards of Excellence.”

In addition, former Steelers assistant coach Lionel Taylor, who was with the Steelers from 1970-76 and part of two Super Bowl championship teams, and Dan Edwards, the former Steelers media relations director from 1985-94, who went on to spend 29 years with the Jacksonville Jaguars, are also being honored. In addition, Dave Levy, the former long-time video director for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be part of the group. Levy, who is from the Pittsburgh area, started off working at Steelers training camp and as an assistant of McCartney’s until he took the job with the Bucs at age 20, believed to be the youngest NFL video director ever. 

This is the third year for the Awards of Excellence, which started in 2022 to honor those in five categories who contribute to the success of the team. They include assistant coaches, athletic trainers, film/video directors, equipment managers and public relations personnel. Former Steelers public relations director Joe Gordon and equipment manager Tony Parisi were part of the initial group honored with the “Awards of Excellence” in 2022.

The names of the winners of the “Awards of Excellence” will be placed on display inside a designated area of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Museum in Canton. Award recipients will be invited to the 2024 Enshrinement Week and will be recognized in Canton this August.

McCartney has worked for the Steelers for 51 seasons and the first game he ever filmed was an iconic one.

While McCartney had filmed practice on occasion for the team during the 1972 season, he never filmed a game as he was working part-time helping in other departments, including the equipment and training room.

But on December 23, 1972, help was needed when the Steelers were hosting the Raiders in the AFC Divisional Playoffs, and McCartney was asked to film the game from the end zone location high atop Three Rivers Stadium.

And when Franco Harris caught the ‘Immaculate Reception,’ McCartney didn’t get the shot.

Simply because he ran out of film.

“I cruise through the first three quarters, and I changed my last magazine on my camera,” recalled McCartney. “I started to shoot and of course now the game gets a little tense. And I don’t want to miss anything. So, I’m starting early and running long on plays.

“And as it turns out at the two-minute warning, I ran out of film.

“I had a film changing bag and if you were good at it, you could do it in under two minutes. Well, I had never done it before, but I tried it. I was like this isn’t going to work right. The game comes back, referee blows the whistle and we’re going to start again. There’s no way I’m going to do this. It wasn’t required as part of the exchange at that point in time. I literally packed up the gear and went downstairs on the elevator and I walked up the hallway. I was going to drop the equipment that we had off in Les Banos’ office, which was behind home plate based on the layout of Three Rivers.”

And the rest, as they say, is history. McCartney didn’t get video of the Immaculate Reception because he ran out of film.

Taylor was a part of the Steelers Super Bowl IX and X coaching staffs, leaving after the 1976 season to take a similar position with the Los Angeles Rams. He retired from coaching in 1998 after additional stints in the NFL and college. Prior to his coaching days, he had a 10-year career in the NFL with the Chicago Bears, Denver Broncos and Houston Oilers.

In an interview with the Logan Banner in 2021, he said he had only one regret during his time with the Steelers.

“The dumbest thing I did was that I left,” Taylor joked.

He went on to give credit to Hall of Fame Coach Chuck Noll, who hired him for his first coaching job.

“I had the greatest job in pro football,” said Taylor. “The best thing that ever happened is that I went with the right coach, Chuck Noll. He was perfect for me with me being a rookie coach.”

Taylor coached two future Hall of Famers in Lynn Swann and John Stallworth, helping the duo develop into NFL stars. He also helped develop and guide the careers of Frank Lewis and Ron Shanklin.

“When you have Lynn Swann, John Stallworth, Frank Lewis and Ron Shanklin all you do is throw the football and get the hell out of the way. All four All-Pros,” said Taylor. “I had the best four receivers in the NFL and the fifth guy, Reggie Garrett, went to my alma mater, New Mexico Highlands University. He was a good fifth receiver.”

Edwards spent 10 seasons with the Steelers, before joining the expansion Jaguars as one of their first employees. During his time in Pittsburgh, Edwards worked under two head coaches, Hall of Famers in Noll and Bill Cowher, and was hired by Gordon, who was part of the first class to earn the honor.