Pittsburgh has been mourning the loss of former Pittsburgh Steelers owner and chairman Dan Rooney. The man, who has been a part of the team since its conception in 1932, died on Thursday at the age of 84. He was a legend and will be missed by the entire city. The Pittsburgh Penguins and the University Of Pittsburgh football team both decided to pay tribute to him over the weekend. Both teams admired Rooney and felt that is was only right to honor the man who helped run one of the country's most successful sports teams.
The University of Pittsburgh’s tribute
This past Saturday, The University of Pittsburgh decided to honor the man behind the Steelers in a very special way. During their spring game yesterday, the team wore decals on their helmets honoring Rooney. One side of the helmets featured the school’s logo, while the other side was adorned with the Steelers logo. Pitt’s head coach Pat Narduzzi posted a picture of the helmet on the team’s official Twitter page, along with a statement honoring the late Steelers owner. He said that the decals were the team's (and his) way of paying their respects to Rooney.
The Pittsburgh Penguins tribute
The Pittsburgh Penguins also decided to show their appreciation and love for Rooney.
The team, who is currently playing in the Stanley Cup playoffs, also decided to wear the Steelers logo on their helmets during their Saturday game. Several members of the team also paid tribute to Rooney on their own social media pages.
Pittsburgh Penguins president David Morehouse explained the team’s decision to honor the late Steelers owner in a recent interview.
He said that Rooney “personified everything that’s good in Pittsburgh” and that he is an example for everyone, especially when it came to how he lived his life on and off the field. He added that he (Rooney) was responsible for helping run one of the most successful sports teams in history and deserved to be honored and remembered.
Penguins player Mario Lemieux echoed Morehouse's sentiments with a photo of Rooney and message saying that his legacy will never be forgotten.
Rooney’s legacy
Rooney’s life with the Steelers began in 1932, when his father Art founded the team. He spent his life working with the team, starting out as a water boy and finally climbing the ladder and taking over as owner and chairman in 1969. He owned the team until 2003, when his son Art II took over. Art II is the third generation owner of the team and serves as owner today.
