We lost a great man on April 13. The history of the NFL will be filled with references to
Dan Rooney, who will stand with the likes of
Pete Rozelle,
George Halas,
Paul Brown and
Wellington Mara as among those having tremendous influence on the modern game.
His accomplishments are well-documented, from serving on high-profile committees to being a trusted confidant to three commissioners and his vision for the Rooney Rule, which gave more opportunities for minority coaches.
I’ll remember all those contributions to the game. But most of all, I’ll remember Mr. Rooney’s kindness and humility.
Mr. Rooney always had time for you, and would ask about you and offer a pinch on the arm or a soft handshake to show he cared. It was those qualities that I found so endearing.
From brief hellos after Sunday Mass before the Super Bowl in Indianapolis, where he attended a downtown Catholic Church with his family, to the extraordinary effort he made to come and introduce former Commissioner Paul Tagliabue when Tagliabue received our Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012, Mr. Rooney always showed he cared and tried to do the right thing.
Two years later, in 2014, when we named him the recipient of our Lifetime Achievement Award, it came at a time when Mr. Rooney was not feeling well. We weren’t sure he was even going to be able to come down to the ballroom to accept the award on that May evening, as he stayed in his room right up until showtime. But coming off the elevators, he greeted us with warm energy and a fun quip even though it was obvious he’d much rather be home in Pittsburgh than in front of 900 people in New York.
I remember watching NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell take him gently by the hand and slowly escort him along a private corridor to the men’s room before the show was about to start — Goodell’s fondness for his mentor clearly obvious. Later on stage, Goodell introduced him by saying, “He is one of the greatest men I know.” Rooney took the stage very slowly, aided by his son, John, and Goodell, and went to the podium briefly to say thank you in Irish to begin his acceptance, a nod to his heritage and his time as U.S. ambassador to Ireland during President Barack Obama’s first term. The audience gave the legendary leader a rousing standing ovation. After Rooney accepted the award, he stayed for awhile at the head table as award winners throughout the night noted the great influence he had on sports and marveled at his leadership.
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Dan Rooney with wife Patricia, sons John and Jim, and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell at the 2014 Sports Business Awards.
Photo by: ROXXE IRELAND AND MARC BRYAN-BROWN
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My times with Rooney were far too few, whether it was brief hellos at Super Bowls or a day together in a hotel outside Washington, D.C., where we both were asked to speak to a select committee of Pro Football Hall of Fame voters. We both argued passionately, yet unsuccessfully, for Tagliabue’s induction into Canton. Our brief meetings were generally followed by a brief note from Mr. Rooney, who would sign off “God Bless.”
When I received a news alert reporting Mr. Rooney’s death, I became anxious, then sad. I knew he wasn’t well but I was still shocked and sad. Sad for his friends and family, sad for the game he cared so much about and sad that sports lost such a good and conscientious man who always tried to do the right thing. As Goodell said the night of his SportsBusiness Journal award ceremony, “To commissioners and to everyone else in the league, he really is the one that is the conscience of [the game], saying, ‘The game comes first,’ and ‘Do the right thing.’”
The day after Rooney’s death, I read as many tributes as I could. Two from the men closest to him struck me. First, Tagliabue’s comments artfully articulated the depth of Rooney’s character and personality — read it carefully.
“Dan Rooney was an extraordinary man of faith, conviction, reason and peace. He loved his family, his Steelers and his Pittsburgh. His values were of America, Ireland and his Church. He was an inspiration to millions throughout America, and in many other lands. He was at home on mean streets, in locker rooms and chapels, with Presidents, Popes, poets and visionaries. Few have served so many so well.”
Those nearly 70 words truly capture the spirit of the man — from his steely focus on what mattered to him but also his ability to be with and inspire such diverse segments of the population.
The other one, from his friend of nearly 30 years, Panthers owner Jerry Richardson, struck me for its personal nature: “My heart is heavy today … [as] no one in the National Football League provided me more friendship and counsel.” But he also noted Rooney’s legacy with profoundly strong symbolism: “Dan was a cornerstone of the National Football League and leaves a lasting mark on the game he loved both on and off the field.”
Rooney indeed was a cornerstone — a vital foundation backbone — from which the league built upon.
The weekend after Mr. Rooney’s death, I took home our tribute of him that ran in May 2014 and read the stories he told to our senior writer Bill King while sitting in the family’s longtime home on North Lincoln Avenue or sharing stories after daily Mass at St. Mary of Mercy. The themes that ran throughout are themes that embodied Rooney’s life: modesty, humility, trust, credibility, empathy and dignity. In it, he recalled the struggles of his early days of leading the team and laid out his blueprint for success. “My father and I, we said we’re going to get this going if we just keep doing things right. People might say, ‘Right? What’s that mean?’ But if you do things right, and that’s your idea of what you’re going to do, your decisions are going to most likely be OK.”
Mr. Rooney’s decisions over his lifetime in sports turned out to be more than OK — they serve as a model for future leaders to follow. We certainly lost a great man on April 13.
Abraham D. Madkour can be reached at amadkour@sportsbusinessjournal.com
