September 2, 1948, 75 years ago: Terry Paxton Bradshaw is born in Shreveport, Louisiana. The quarterback from Louisiana Tech was the 1st pick in the 1970 NFL Draft. He led the Pittsburgh Steelers into 4 Super Bowls, won them all, and was named the Most Valuable Player in 2 of them. Opponents called him dumb. He proved himself to be smarter than they were, as long as he had a football in his hand.
He made 3 Pro Bowls, and was named the NFL’s MVP in 1978. In 1979, he and fellow Pittsburgh World Champion Willie Stargell of the Pirates were named Sportsmen of the Year by Sports Illustrated magazine. He has been named to the College and Pro Football and Louisiana Sports Halls of Fame, the NFL’s 1970s All-Decade Team, and the Steelers' Hall of Honor. The Steelers have not officially retired his Number 12, but no Steeler has worn it since.
In 1999, The Sporting News ranked him 44th on their list of the 100 Greatest Football Players. In 2010, the NFL Network ranked him 50th on their list of the 100 Greatest Players. Forget Tom Brady: The fact that Bradshaw went 4-0 in Super Bowls, and never had to cheat, shows that he is the only TB12.
All that was before he became a studio analyst with CBS, and then with Fox. Like baseball pitcher Dizzy Dean before him, Terry figured out, both as a player and a broadcaster, that if people think you're a dumb silly hick, use it to your advantage before they can use it to theirs. He has become America's favorite country bumpkin, and was the 1st former athlete to get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
He has survived depression and cancer, is now married for the 4th time, and owns a ranch in Texas where he breeds horses. His 2 daughters are involved with the ranch, and both met their husbands through the business. Erin recently presented him with his 1st grandchild.
Happy Birthday, TB. May there be many more.
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