The way Chuck Noll handled his retirement came in typical Chuck Noll style, according to one of his Super Bowl stars. It was low-key, undramatic and he took his time to get it right.
"He always had his eye on the very next game," said former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Lynn Swann. "He wasn't looking at the Super Bowl in January when he was playing a game in September."Noll, the only coach to win four Super Bowls, stepped down Thursday after 23 years as Steelers head coach. The retirement, much speculated on during the team's mediocre season, was announced when the team's work for the year was done.
"What I've learned most from working with Chuck is that you've always got to be prepared," said Swann, now a commentator with ABC Sports. "The residue of hard work and making sure that you pay attention to all the details is that you're going to get some breaks."
Swann, whose acrobatic catches were a trademark of the Steelers offense in the 1970s, said he doubted Noll would retire this year. Nonetheless, Swann attended Sunday's game against the Browns, just in case it was the coach's last.
"It seems fitting that it was against Cleveland, because that's where he played," Swann said.
"For a lot of fans out there, Chuck was the only coach that the Steelers ever had," said Rocky Bleier, who played 10 years as a running back under Noll.
While fans may remember Noll as a stoic figure standing on the sidelines with arms crossed, players saw him as a solid, steady leader whose dedication to the game was total.
"I think the thing that stands out most about Chuck is his consistency, his focus, his resolve just to get it done," said current offensive captain Tunch Ilkin.
"No matter what happens around the football team, no matter what possible distractions there have been in the past, he's been able to keep focused on the task at hand, which is to win football games.
"He never got too excited, too upset," Ilkin said. "He would always keep that even keel."
Jack Lambert, whose tenacious play at linebacker from 1974-1984 earned him a spot in the Hall of Fame, expressed gratitude to Noll for his influence.
"He played a major role in the fact that I have so many fond memories of my playing days and four Super Bowl rings," Lambert said.
Bleier, who joined Terry Bradshaw and Franco Harris in the Steelers' backfield in the Super Bowl years, said Noll's approach to coaching sometimes left his players puzzled.
Bleier recalled a fable Noll told one season when the team was in a slump. The point of the story, which featured two monks and a maiden in distress, was to encourage the team to look forward, but the message was lost on many players, Bleier said.
"It took me two weeks to figure out what he meant," Bleier said. "He didn't explain it, he didn't say anything."
Saying Noll was not known for displaying enthusiasm might be stating the obvious. But in Bleier's view, Noll's penchant for modesty and understatement had its purpose.
"On the sidelines, you don't want to hear that . . . because that doesn't get the job done," Bleier said. "It's not his job to motivate people. It's his job to take motivated people and give them direction."