Steelers Throwback Thursday: Louis Lipps’ rookie season in Pittsburgh
Steel City Underground takes fans back in time to feature events, special moments, and historical times and players in the world of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Steelers Nation. Join us as we revisit these moments in our “Steelers Throwback Thursday” series.
It’s that time of year when Pittsburgh Steelers fans are enjoying warmer days as the team warms up through OTAs, minicamps, and prepares for training camp. A lot of focus is placed on the rookies, young guys that the team has added that could become an integral part of the franchise’s success both short-term and long-term. In this week’s Steelers Throwback Thursday, we look back at training camp and the rookie season of historic Steelers receiver Louis Lipps.
When the Pittsburgh Steelers selected the 5-feet-10, 190 pound receiver out of the University of Southern Mississippi in the first round of the 1984 NFL Draft, they’d already gone through the glory days of the Steel Curtain and four Super Bowl Championships. Gone were the base of an NFL dynasty, as were most of the players that enjoyed that era in Steelers history.
Beginning in the 198o NFL season, the Steelers were plagued with a rash of injuries and were losing some of the shine they’d had previously. Joe Greene retired after the 1981 season. Lynn Swann and Jack Ham were gone after the 1982 playoffs. Terry Bradshaw and Mel Blount were no longer with the team following the 1983 season and Jack Lambert was entering his final season (1984).
Chuck Noll was in a bit of a rebuild situation. The fate of the team was in his hands as head coach, and he needed to find skilled players who could continue a new tradition in Pittsburgh: championship caliber game-winning football. The Steelers didn’t want to go back to the “old days” when they barely got through a season with a win.
After Lipps was drafted, he reported to his first camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe (Penn) and was lucky to find veteran receiver John Stallworth – a guy who’d been pivotal in the dynasty years – with ten seasons of experience and ready to help lead a young receivers group. The relationship would pay dividends for the Steelers.
Pittsburgh rostered Weegie Thompson (rookie), Calvin Sweeney (four year vet), Gregg Garrity (second season), Wayne Capers (second season), in addition to Stallworth and Lipps.
There are Steelers fans who likely don’t even remember half of those receivers. Nearly every Steelers fan has no problem remembering Lipps, however.
“Training camp was nothing like it is today. It was bump and grind, two a days, full gear,” Lipps told Bob Labriola of Steelers.com in an interview in 2017.
“Those were the days. We still talk about that. I see some of the younger guys and tell them we did two a days in full gear, and they’re like, ‘what.’ At that time that’s what we had to do. If you wanted to make the team then that’s what you had to do. I left a lot of blood, sweat and tears on that field. Latrobe was a place that was real special.” – Louis Lipps
After being named as a starter with Stallworth, Lipps would make a name for himself his rookie season. Despite starting quarterback Mark Malone completing just 147-of-272 passes for 2,137 yards, 16 touchdowns to 17 interceptions, Lipps was able to use his athleticism to get open, often against bigger defenders, to grab 45 catches for 860 yards and nine touchdowns his rookie season. Stallworth added 80 catches for 1,395 yards and 11 touchdowns as his counterpart. Lipps also added three rushes for 71 yards and a touchdown.
Lipps was also asked to be a returner on special teams. In his rookie season, Lipps set the punt return record (return yardage by a rookie) with 656 yards on just 53 returns. His longest punt return went for a 76-yard touchdown.
The Steelers finished the season with a 9-7-0 record that season and took the No. 1 spot in the AFC Central Division. Pittsburgh went back to the playoffs and won the divisional round game, 24-17, over the Denver Broncos. The Miami Dolphins took the AFC Championship, however, 45-28.
Lipps was named to the Pro Bowl following the 1984 season and was also named the NFL’s AP Offensive Rookie of the Year. Lipps was named a First-team All-Pro in 1984, added to the PFWA All-Rookie Team that year, and won the Joe Greene Great Performance Award.
