Former Pittsburgh Steelers running back and coach Dick Hoak has passed away at the age of 86, the team announced on Wednesday.
“We are deeply saddened by the passing of Dick Hank, a legendary member of the Pittsburgh Steelers family,” Steelers President Art Rooney II said in a statement. “Dick was part of the foundation of the organization and played an instrumental role in shaping the Steelers both as a player and coach during his 45 years with the team…”
Hoak was a native of Jeannette, PA, a town
in West Moreland County about 30 miles southeast of Pittsburgh. He was drafted by the Steelers in the seventh round of the 1961 NFL Draft out of Penn State, where he would go on to rush for 25 touchdowns over a 10-year career, all spent with the Steelers.
Hoak was hired by Chuck Noll to be the Steelers’ running backs coach in 1927, where he would go on to be part of all four Super Bowl teams of the 1970s. He would hold the position of running backs coach all the way through the 2006 season, helping the Steelers win a fifth Super Bowl in the 2005-06 season.
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