108. Jack Ham and the Steel Curtain defense

The Pittsburgh Steelers’ victory in Super Bowl X cemented their place as the NFL’s team of the decade, delivering a 21–17 win over the Dallas Cowboys and a second straight championship to cap the 1975 season. The cover of Sports Illustrated went to Lynn Swann, whose acrobatic catches and timely big plays earned him Super Bowl MVP honors and provided the game’s most indelible images. Yet the true backbone of Pittsburgh’s dynasty was once again the Steel Curtain defense, which dictated the tone of the game and the era. Built on speed, intelligence, and relentless pressure, the unit forced Dallas into mistakes, controlled field position, and delivered punishing hits that slowly tilted the game. It wasn’t just about sacks or turnovers—it was about denying comfort, eliminating rhythm, and making every yard feel contested. In Super Bowl X, that defensive suffocation allowed the Steelers to survive swings in momentum and close the door late. At the center of that defense stood Jack Ham, the quiet conductor of chaos. Playing outside linebacker with rare instincts, range, and speed, Ham could diagnose plays instantly, cover receivers downfield, or crash the line with equal effectiveness. He wasn’t flashy, but he was devastatingly efficient—often arriving at the ball just as it got there, sometimes before. Against Dallas, Ham helped neutralize the Cowboys’ passing attack by clogging lanes, disrupting timing, and making sure nothing easy developed over the middle. One of 10 Hall of Fame players on that Steelers Super Bowl team, Ham tells us on the Past Our Prime podcast how the team could have won without any of them but the the one person they couldn’t have won 4 Lombardi trophy’s was Hall of Fame Coach Chuck Noll. Ham tells us how winning the first Super Bowl was the hardest one. He talks about how dominant the defense was and makes the case for them being the best defense of all-time. Ham’s credentials tell the larger story of why the Steel Curtain endured. A perennial Pro Bowl selection, a multiple-time All-Pro, and later a Pro Football Hall of Famer, Ham embodied the Steelers’ defensive identity: disciplined, intelligent, and ruthless. While Swann’s catches earned the headlines and the magazine cover, it was Ham and the defense that made the repeat possible—proof that Pittsburgh’s dynasty was built not on moments, but on dominance. One of the greatest players to ever play the game for one of the NFL’s all-time great teams… Jack Ham of the Pittsburgh Steelers on the Past Our Prime podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices