The ability to bounce back from adversity is part of being a champion. But no one should have to take the abuse Terry Bradshaw did on his road to greatness. For the first six years of his NFL career, he was humiliated by his coach, teased by the press, laughed at by his teammates and booed by the fans. He was branded a gutless loser, a choke artist and a country bumpkin. Yet every time Terry Bradshaw seemed down and out, he came back and gave it another try. That strength of spirit led the Pittsburgh Steelers to a Super Bowl in 1975. Then another. Then two more. Suddenly his detractors were talking about a dynasty and calling him one of the toughest and smartest big game quarterbacks of all time.
In professional football, most positions require that you do one thing very well. However, if you are a quarterback you have to be good at many aspects of the game. When Terry Bradshaw was drafted by the Steelers in 1970, all he could do was throw the football.
Because Bradshaw could read NFL defenses, he waited too long before releasing the ball and was creamed on virtually every play, breaking his wrist and ribs and injuring his neck in the early days of his career. When he hurried, he was iintercepted a league leading 46 times in his first two seasons. Finally, when he didn't know what to do, he was benched.
By 1974, the Steelers had put together a great defense, a great offensive line and a great running game. All they needed was a quarterback who was adequate, but coach Chuck Noll decided Terry Bradshaw wasn't even that! Then, midway through the season, Noll had a change of heart and reinserted him into the lineup with strict instructions not to go crazy throwing the ball, but to just hand it off. Three months later, the Steelers defeated Minnesota in Super Bowl IX.
Still, respect was hard to come by. Even after Bradshaw won Super Bowl X, it took two more years for the NFL to realize it had a true winner. In 1978, Bradshaw honed the Pittsburgh aerial attack to perfection, leading the AFC in passing and blowing away Denver and Houston to reach Super Bowl XIII against the Dallas Cowboys. After the Steelers' 35-31 win, in which Bradshaw threw for a record 318 yards and four TDs, he was named the game's MVP. This finally put an end to any questions about Bradshaw's ability to think and throw with the best of them.
Overcoming Adversity
When Bradshaw retired from pro football, he had the reputation of being one of the most mentally tough quarterbacks in NFL history. A man who never gave up no matter how bad things got. He might never have been that resilient were it not for the chilly reception he received as a rookie in 1970. This adversity forced him to build up the confidence and strenth
that helped him throughout his career.
that helped him throughout his career.
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