NFL 4th of July Celebration: Greatest Patriotic Moments
By Erik Lambert
Steelers combine with two teams during World War II to avoid folding
The Pittsburgh Steelers today are revered as one of the premier franchises in the NFL. Winning six Super Bowls can do that. Here’s the thing though. That team came extremely close to fading out of existence at one point in its history. If not for the generous actions of two other franchises, this would’ve been the case. How might the NFL have been different?
In 1943 and 1944, World War II was placed ever-increasing demands on American manpower. Athletes from every sport were hanging up the jerseys for army, navy or air force uniforms. The NFL was no different. Rosters everywhere were being hit hard by the losses. None more so than Pittsburgh who had just six players on their roster ahead of the 1943 season.
So in a rare act of preservation, the NFL decided to merge the Steelers with their fellow Pennsylvania franchise, the Philadelphia Eagles to create the ‘Steagles’ in order to keep both teams afloat. A year later Pittsburgh did it again with the Chicago Cardinals. The war soon passed and players returned from active duty. The Steelers were saved.