I am a Japanese and sending this from Japan. For me, #58 was the star in 70's. We had such a poor TV program to watch NFL in 70's in Japan. Now, I am so glad to be able to watch many memorial and historical games on RU-vid and others. I can recall how super #58 was!!! Thank you, Mr. Lambert!!
You are telling me that the country where most of the television tubes came from Japan. That you didn't get to see the game or see it well? Sorry buddy.......it was awesome! Jack didn't just rally his team. He rallied many teenagers like myself back in the days.
"If I could start my life all over again, I'd be a professional football player....And you damn well better believe I'd be a Pittsburgh Steeler." - Jack Lambert, Pro Football Hall of Fame Induction ceremony at Canton, Ohio 1990
Truly, the greatest Steelers linebacker ever. This man is the reason I fell in love with Steelers football back in 1974 and still love the Steelers to this day. Of all the sports memorabilia that I have, my most cherished possession is the shirt my parents bought me when I was seven years old in 1975. I still have it and I Will only part with it when I pass it on to my Steelers loving son when I die.
Something you might now know about the people that follow the Steelers is that there is a Steeler Club in every city I have lived in across the US. From Myrtle Beach, SC to Nome, Alaska with it's population of 2000 residents .....there were Steelers that formed a posey to watch the game. Jack Lambert was our John Wayne to the American West.
Steel curtain defense is what legends are made of. None shown brighter than Lambert. I remember always seeking 58 out before the snap because you knew something intense and interesting could happen at any second. In a sense like Polamalu that you got those jaw dropping WOW moments. I'll forever be a die hard Steeler fan through thick and thin because what began in the early 70s and stil lives on..
I remember the first game he played in against the Oilers during Earl Campbell's Rookie Season. The talk was no one could tackle Earl one on one. Lambert said he could. The first time they encountered each other, Campbell put his head down and mowed right over Lambert and gained seven yards causing Lambert to leave the field. He stood on the sidelines vowing it would never happen again and it didn't. The rest of that game and all the future games against the Oilers, Lambert stopped Campbell. Not taking nothing away from Campbell, it was just Lambert was that determined to never let it happen again.
Scouts: Too small to play middle linebacker. 4 superbowls and hall of fame player later he changed that position. Thanks for remembering Jack Lambert. Every team that achieves greatness has a period in time that people remember. The Steel Curtain era is just such a time.
I have been fortunate to watch the NFL since the 1971. I’ve seen a lot of great teams, players and coaches. I have read the history of the game and I immensely appreciate the players from all the different decades and eras. I have put together my all-time 1st, 2nd and 3rd teams. I’ve watched great linebackers from almost every NFL team. The linebacker position was very difficult to choose three players so I ended up going with a 3-4 alignment for my first team. I have (left to right) Ham, Lambert, Ray Lewis and Lawrence Taylor. As I said the position is tough to choose but these four stood out for a variety of reasons. Lambert was just a special talent that ignited the Steelers and put them over the top. They already had Hall of Fame talent at a lot of positions on defense but he was able to raise his playing level to help his team win 13 playoff games in a six year span from ‘74 to’79 and 4 SB’s in 6 years. The epitome of a hard nosed player and a legend in the blue collar city of Pittsburgh, PA.
Part of Lamberts success was the Steelers use of defensive linemen to neutralize the offensive linemen allowing Lambert to take on running backs coming through a gap.
I seen him play at Kent State and with Steelers that what a football player is never see any one like. TJ Watts as his way of playing but nothing like the great Jack Lambert.
My favorite player of all time watched him growing up and had a chance to meet him at Kent State nice guy off the field but on the field he was a beast
In 2005 I Met him in Butler PA. At a signing . Got my regulation #58 throwback jersey autographed . And got a handshake. He wasn't really overly friendly. And diddnt say much. But I sure Was in awe of being in the presence of my childhood hero.
My favorite Lambert story is SB X when he threw Cliff Harris to the ground and changed the momentum of the game. My second favorite story comes from an article I read about the 1974 draft in which the Steelers drafted 4 future Hall of Famers. The Steelers went to Kent State to see Gerald Tinker a wide receiver who played in the NFL. It had rained the days before their arrival and when they went to see Kent State's practice they did not have a dedicated practice facility. The coach didn't want to tear up the game field so they practice in a GRAVEL PARKING LOT. As the scouts watched the practice they noticed this guy who was in on every tackle and got up and picked the gravel out of knees and elbows and went back to the huddle. They knew they found their middle linebacker - Jack Lambert!
My favorite images of him are the slow motion Dracula scowl in the snow at Three Rivers. Also the one where he tackles a Brownie in Cleveland and uses the guys head to help him get up then points his finger in his face. 😂
The American dream: in January of 1974 Jack Lambert is sitting in his dorm room watching superbowl 8 the dolphins vs the Vikings. One year later in January 1975 the Steelers are in Super Bowl 9 vs the Vikings and Jack is the starting MLB… that’s awesome.
Super Bowl X was my first full game that I watched . I came in as a Dallas Cowboy fan, and after that missed field goal, I was a Steeler for the rest of my life. I stated "who is that guy?" My Father answered Jack Lambert. I like Him I said. He became My Football Idol and I wanted to be as good as he was/is. I had a small frame but was tougher than cast Iron, faster than anyone on the field for my 14 years in a street football gang with the guys. I would have never made to the nfl for my size but I got to play just the same., I owe it to Mr. Lambert & if they don't wanna retire #58 for all he has done, then they can kiss my ASS*! His Number will always be retired in my house! The Greatest Middle Linebacker of all time or second to Dick Butkus. 🔥JACK LAMBERT🏆#⃣5⃣8⃣ IS AND ALWAYS WILL BE MY FOOTBALL HERO.🔥
Watching this part of the video I remember him, his style of playing defensive tackle wasn't just about the sport of the game, his style of play was too intimate you 1st, 2nd was to hurt you so bad, that you wouldn't forget you, and to avoid you at all costs, when he picked you up, then he would slam you down, there was a reason, like watching any hard hitting sport, I think it's because of his very early days, growing up in a small place, it teaches you very early in life, in order to survive, you have to 1st out think them,then 2nd you have to figure out there weakness, 3rd you have to have the ability to outlast them in the pursuit of greatness, which should be part of your legacy, then you can go home and make an impact on your town, another ward's put your town, on the map, if that means anything to someone reading my comments, as I have done my whole life, it's not about your family, it's actually about you, to be not the norm, but the your individual talents, to be different. That's how you will be noticed, very fast, by upper management as a asset to the company or establishment.
I told my 4 boys that are Steeler fans ( they better be or my mom could be screaming ) That to know why the Pittsburgh Steelers are one of the Greatest Football Teams, you must know the players who made them Great, like the Steel Curtain Defense and Offense, I’m 69 and I can name every player from the 70’s Super bowls HERE WE GO STEELERS HERE WE GO ! 6 !
In retirement Jack Splat, another nickname he had, worked as a PA Game Warden. Many a story of times hunters just ran in to him out in the woods of PA. Imagine that!!!!
Lambert weighed 203 lbs when he first stepped on the scale for the Steelers his rookie year. That comes right from Lambert in an interview. He rarely weighed 220. Also he retired in 1985 not 84.
Lambert was just a mean son of a bitch! And thats what we loved about him.... The best middle linebacker the league has ever seen....and he has the gold jacket to prove it! "JACK SPLAT"
AS. MYRON COPE WOULD. CALL LAMBERT , " JACK SPLAT " , WHAT A PLAYER , REMEMBER THAT DALLAS COWBOY. GOING. ACROSS THE. LINE. OF. SCRIMMAGE TO. CONGRATULATE ROY GERILA'S MISSED FIELD GO , LAMBERT LET THAT. COWBOY KNOW , DON'T MESS WITH US . WHAT A PLAYER !!!!!!!
