Trailblazer Bill Nunn made his mark on Steelers during Hall of Fame career

The Pro Football Hall of Fame counts 33 players from historically Black colleges and universities among its membership. It’s a safe bet Bill Nunn personally scouted or conducted film study on nearly every one of them.

What is known is Nunn was responsible for bringing three of those Hall of Famers to the Pittsburgh Steelers, a group that helped the franchise win its first four Super Bowl championships.

So it was only fitting that Nunn received the sport’s highest honor in February when he was selected to join John Stallworth, Mel Blount and Donnie Shell in Canton, Ohio.

Nunn was enshrined posthumously in April, but he will be recognized along with the seven living members of the 2021 class Sunday.

“What a great person,” said Shell, whose enshrinement will take place Saturday. “He was one of my mentors, and he was a mentor to a lot of my former teammates. It’s a tremendous honor for him and for those who knew him and his family.”

Nunn was the first true scout and first African-American to be enshrined in the contributor category. Thanks to a rules change in 2014, contributors have an annual spot on the ballot and don’t have to be counted among players and coaches.

“This should open the door for guys like Bill, guys who really helped shape the game and opened the doors for more African-Americans in the game,” Steelers president Art Rooney II said. “I hope Bill leads the charge in terms of getting more of those men recognized.”

Nunn’s quest to get players from HBCU schools into the NFL pipeline began in the 1950s when, while working as the sports editor of the Pittsburgh Courier, he annually compiled a Black College All-American team. His research and work was so well regarded by the Steelers that he was hired as a part-time scout in 1967. Two years later, when Chuck Noll took over as head coach, Nunn became a full-time member of the personnel department.

In a team photo of the Super Bowl IX championship team, 11 players on the roster were from HBCU schools.

Even though he tried to retire in 1987, Nunn remained employed by the Steelers until his death in 2014.

And while he was responsible for bringing Black players such as L.C. Greenwood, Ernie Holmes, Dwight White, Frank Lewis and Joe Gilliam to the Steelers, he also is credited with helping the Steelers select Kent State’s Jack Lambert in 1974 as part of the most famous draft class in NFL history.

“Bill had little things he would watch in terms of how a player would move his feet, shift his hips, that he would pass onto guys, and our scouts are looking at those things today,” Rooney II said. “One of the things Bill had that was harder to pass along was his ability to evaluate the intangibles of a player. He had a unique ability to see what kind of person he was evaluating.”

Bill Nunn file

Age: Died May 26, 2014 at age 89

Hometown: Homewood, PA

Years with Steelers: 1968-2014

Super Bowl titles: 6 (IX-X-XIII-XIV-XL-XLIII)

Hall of Fame: 2021 class, elected Feb. 6, 2021, enshrined April 8, 2021

Years as HOF finalist: 1 (2021)

Noteworthy: The 26th member of the Hall of Fame elected in the contributor category. He is the only member of his class that is being enshrined posthumously. His bust was unveiled during a ceremony in the spring. … Was selected as an inaugural member of the Black College Football Hall of Fame in 2010 and was part of the Steelers’ second Hall of Honor class in 2018. … One of the few members of the organization to have rings from six Super Bowl championships.

What his family is saying: “This would have meant everything to him. He was always looking for diversity. … For him to be the first African-American contributor would be very meaningful for him.” – Lynell Nunn.

What others are saying: “You cherished every discussion because he could talk not only about football players, but about boxers, entertainers, baseball players, how he rode Roberto Clemente to the airport after the 1960 World Series. He could tell you stories that were impactful life lessons.” – Kevin Colbert.