The More You Know: Random facts about your Steelers, Ingredients edition

Time to learn more about your favorite NFL team, and some trivia as well!

It’s the offseason for the Pittsburgh Steelers and there are so many topics to talk and write about. Free agents, the coordinator conundrum, the next quarterback, the NFL Draft and breaking news will all be covered here at BTSC. But who’s going to give you little-known-facts out of the 500 Level?

Luckily, your one-stop, and non-stop, shop for everything Steelers employs a Steelers fan that was allegedly dropped on his head as a one-year-old during the Immaculate Reception. Useless and somewhat fascinating facts are his forte. So, here we are with off-the-wall thoughts from the dark side of a black-and-gold brain that nobody asked for. But the joke’s on you. you’ll be telling your peeps something you read here later.

“Magic” Johnson

Diontae Johnson gets a whole lot of flack because of the narrative that he’s a chronic pass dropper. Sure, he’s had some issues with the hot potato, but after a mere three seasons in the NFL, DJ has averaged 84 catches per season and ranks 12th all-time for Steelers receivers with 254. If Johnson maintains his average in 2022, the fourth year man would rocket all the way up into 6th. With those kind of digits, it’s obvious that No. 18 has made his mark in the Steel City.

All-Time Steelers Receptions Leaders

1 Hines Ward – 1,000

2 Antonio Brown – 837

3 Heath Miller – 592

4 John Stallworth – 537

5 Louis Lipps – 358

6 Lynn Swann – 336

7 Elbie Nickel – 329

8 JuJu Smith-Schuster – 323

9 Le’Veon Bell – 312

10 Franco Harris – 306

11 Plaxico Burress – 264

12 Diontae Johnson – 254

Ingredients of Steel

My wife and doctor have teamed up against me to insist that I start watching my sugar and carbohydrate intake because they claim that hey don’t want me to die. With that being said, I am reluctantly looking at nutritional information and staring at the side of packages to see what makes up glorious things like Ho Hos and Sour Patch Kids. In a sweets-deprived haze, I was wondering about the ingredients of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Here’s a breakdown of how the team is comprised by collegiate conference. The compilation is based on the current roster as listed by Steelers.com.

Big 10 – 22

SEC – 15

PAC 12 – 6

ACC – 6

Big 12 – 6

MAC – 5

Middle Name Madness

We love citing the second name of members of the Men of Steel here at Behind the Steel Curtain. We always cite Benjamin Todd Roethlisberger and Trent Jordan Watt, but who else? Hence, the “More You Know Middle Name of the Week” It belongs to a first-round pick out of in the 2018 NFL Draft. So, let’s pay tribute to a guy who, although not playing for his original team is a Steeler for life.

Joseph Walter Haden III

Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images

This Week’s Birthdays of Steel

2/20 Jeff Hartman – 39

2/21 Bob O’Neil – 91

2/22 David Paulson – 33, Fernando Velasco – 37

2/23 Preston Gothard – 60

2/24 Lynn Chandnois – 97, Ray Snell – 64, Jordan Todman – 32

2/18 Todd Blackledge – 61

2/19 Scoop Gillespie 60, Ray Matthews 93, Sean Morey 46, Benny Snell Jr. 24

Hypocycloids gone Hollywood

In the 1990s, two of the hottest acts around were from the state of Pennsylvania. You couldn’t turn on the TV without reviewing the exploits of Will Smith and the fresh Prince of Bel Air and later in the movies. If your radio is on, you were either dancing to Boyz II Men or trying to get jiggy with a special someone accompanied by their smooth ballads. I know Philadelphia is the furthest thing from Pittsburgh, but in a 1994 airing, the superstars teamed up for a very special Christmas episode. To get out of hot water and a Philly beat down, Smith tries to jump on the black and gold wagon. Hilarity ensues.

BTSC Steelers Jeopardy

So, there you have it. Anybody can spout out stat after stat, but not everybody can embrace the colorful and personal side of the Pittsburgh Steelers. So, the more you know, the more you can stupefy your friends, family and neighbors with your big, black-and-gold brain. By the way, “Who is Steve Courson?” is the correct clue in BTSC Steelers Jeopardy.