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Bradshaw was at his best in big games. In the 1974 AFC Championship Game against Oakland, the
Pittsburgh quarterback's fourth-quarter touchdown pass to Lynn Swann proved crucial in a 24-13
victory. In the Super Bowl IX victory over Minnesota that followed, his fourth-quarter touchdown
pass put the game out of reach.
In Super Bowl X, he again threw the winning touchdown pass on a 64-yard bomb to Lynn Swann. He
was named the MVP in both Super Bowl XIII and Super Bowl XIV. In four Super Bowls, he passed for
932 yards and 9 touchdowns. In 19 postseason games, he completed 261 passes for 3,833 yards.
But his career was not always the stuff of highlight films. Considered to be the most outstanding
senior in 1969 by most pro scouts, Bradshaw was the first player selected in the 1970 NFL draft.
Pittsburgh fans confidently expected him to lead the Steelers to a chmpionship--immediately.
He had the talent, but not the maturity. That took several seasons. He went through many rough
learning experiences before emerging as a dominant quarterback. But once he blossomed, he led the
Steelers to an unprecedented four Super Bowl titles in a six-year period from 1974-79.
In his 14-season career, Bradshaw completed 2,025 of 3.901 passes for 27,989 yards and 212 touchdowns.
He also rushed 444 times for 2,257 yards and 32 touchdowns. Bradshaw, who was all-pro in 1978
and All-AFC in 1979, also was named to three Pro Bowls.
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