Steve Furness

Steve Furness
No. 64
	Furness at Steelers training camp
Nickname(s)	Buckethead, Furny
Date of birth	December 5, 1950
Place of birth	Providence, Rhode Island, U.S.
Date of death	February 9, 2000 (aged 49)
Place of death	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Career information
Position(s)	Defensive tackle/Defensive end
Height	6 ft 4 in (193 cm)
Weight	255 lb (116 kg)
US college	Rhode Island
High school	Bishop Hendricken (Warwick, Rhode Island)
NFL draft	1972 / round: 5 / pick: 113
Drafted by	Pittsburgh Steelers
Career history
As coach
1982–1990	Michigan State; Defensive line coach
1991	Indianapolis Colts; Defensive line coach
1992–1993	Pittsburgh Steelers; Defensive line coach
As player
1972–1980	Pittsburgh Steelers
1981	Detroit Lions
Career highlights and awards
	4× Super Bowl champion (as player) — IX (1974), X (1975), XIII (1978), XIV (1979); 2× Big 10 champion (as coach) — 1987 (Mich. St.), 1990 (Mich. St.);
Honors	Univ. of Rhode Island Athletic Hall of Fame (1987)
Career stats
Games played	106
Opponent's fumbles recovered	8
	Playing stats at NFL.com;

Stephen Robert Furness (December 5, 1950 – February 9, 2000) was an American professional football defensive tackle for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL), and a member of the Steelers' famed Steel Curtain defense. He earned four Super Bowl rings as a member of the Steelers. He was of English and Armenian descent.

Furness grew up in Warwick, Rhode Island, where he attended Bishop Hendricken High School before accepting a football scholarship to the University of Rhode Island. In addition to being a star football player for URI, he excelled at the hammer throw and turned down an invitation to the 1972 Olympic Trials to attend the Steelers' training camp.^[3] Furness was selected in the fifth round of the 1972 NFL draft and initially served as a backup to Joe Greene and Ernie Holmes before replacing Holmes as defensive tackle in 1977. He started in Super Bowl XIII and was primarily known for his skills as a pass rusher, leading the team in quarterback sacks during several seasons with the Steelers. He collected 32 sacks over the course of his Steelers career.^[4] He was also an avid weight lifter and placed fourth in the 1980 'Strongest Man in Football' competition, which aired on CBS.^[5]

Furness was released by Pittsburgh after playing all 16 games in the 1980 season and he ended his playing career in 1981 with the Detroit Lions. After retiring from the NFL he became the defensive line coach for Michigan State from 1982 to 1990, where he worked under his former Steelers defensive coordinator George Perles and helped lead the team to two Big 10 Conference titles, a victory in the 1988 Rose Bowl and appearances in five additional bowl games. During this period he earned a master's degree in Athletic Administration from Michigan State University and was inducted to the University of Rhode Island Athletic Hall of Fame in 1987.^[6] He rejoined the NFL in 1991 as an assistant coach for the Indianapolis Colts before returning to the Steelers for his final two years as a defensive line coach (1992–1993). In 1999, he was named as one of the "50 Greatest Rhode Island Sports Figures" of the 20th Century by Sports Illustrated magazine, earning the 14th spot on the list.^[3]

Furness died unexpectedly of a heart attack on February 9, 2000. His son Zack Furness is a professor at Penn State University.

References

^ Big Night, Shaun Assael, ESPN, The Magazine, January 21, 2003, accessed 2009-02-11
^ Stephen Furness profile Archived 2017-03-20 at the Wayback Machine, GoRhody.com (accessed online 2009-02-11)
^ ^a ^b "SI.com - SI 50th - Rhode Island - The 50 Greatest Rhode Island Sports Figures - Wednesday July 09, 2003 04:11 PM". Sportsillustrated.cnn.com. Archived from the original on July 14, 2003. Retrieved September 30, 2012.
^ "Souls who enriched our lives, our region". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. December 1, 2002. Archived from the original on March 24, 2007. Retrieved February 11, 2009.
^ "ESPNMAG.com - Big Night". www.espn.com. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
^ "Rhode Island". Gorhody.cstv.com. Archived from the original on March 20, 2017. Retrieved September 30, 2012.

External links

[NFL_Strongman-1] Big Night, Shaun Assael, ESPN, The Magazine, January 21, 2003, accessed 2009-02-11

[URIAHOF-2] Stephen Furness profile Archived 2017-03-20 at the Wayback Machine, GoRhody.com (accessed online 2009-02-11)

[autogenerated1-3] "SI.com - SI 50th - Rhode Island - The 50 Greatest Rhode Island Sports Figures - Wednesday July 09, 2003 04:11 PM". Sportsillustrated.cnn.com. Archived from the original on July 14, 2003. Retrieved September 30, 2012.

[autogenerated2-4] "Souls who enriched our lives, our region". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. December 1, 2002. Archived from the original on March 24, 2007. Retrieved February 11, 2009.

[5] "ESPNMAG.com - Big Night". www.espn.com. Retrieved November 15, 2022.

[6] "Rhode Island". Gorhody.cstv.com. Archived from the original on March 20, 2017. Retrieved September 30, 2012.

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v t e Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl IX champions
5 Terry Hanratty 10 Roy Gerela 12 Terry Bradshaw 17 Joe Gilliam 20 Rocky Bleier 22 Dick Conn 23 Mike Wagner 24 J. T. Thomas 25 Ron Shanklin 26 Preston Pearson 27 Glen Edwards 31 Donnie Shell 32 Franco Harris (MVP) 33 John Fuqua 34 Andy Russell 35 Steve Davis 38 Ed Bradley 39 Bobby Walden 43 Frank Lewis 45 Jim Allen 46 Reggie Harrison 47 Mel Blount 50 Jim Clack 51 Loren Toews 52 Mike Webster 54 Marv Kellum 55 Jon Kolb 56 Ray Mansfield 57 Sam Davis 58 Jack Lambert 59 Jack Ham 62 Jim Wolf 63 Ernie Holmes 64 Steve Furness 68 L. C. Greenwood 71 Gordon Gravelle 72 Gerry Mullins 73 Rick Druschel 74 Dave Reavis 75 Joe Greene 77 Charlie Davis 78 Dwight White 82 John Stallworth 84 Randy Grossman 86 Reggie Garrett 87 Larry Brown 88 Lynn Swann 89 John McMakin
Head coach: Chuck Noll
Coaches: Bud Carson Dick Hoak George Perles Dan Radakovich Louis Riecke Lionel Taylor Paul Uram Woody Widenhofer

v t e Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl X champions
5 Terry Hanratty 10 Roy Gerela 12 Terry Bradshaw 17 Joe Gilliam 20 Rocky Bleier 23 Mike Wagner 24 J. T. Thomas 27 Glen Edwards 29 Brent Sexton 31 Donnie Shell 32 Franco Harris 33 John Fuqua 34 Andy Russell 36 Dave Brown 38 Ed Bradley 39 Bobby Walden 43 Frank Lewis 44 Mike Collier 45 Jim Allen 46 Reggie Harrison 47 Mel Blount 50 Jim Clack 51 Loren Toews 52 Mike Webster 54 Marv Kellum 55 Jon Kolb 56 Ray Mansfield 57 Sam Davis 58 Jack Lambert 59 Jack Ham 63 Ernie Holmes 64 Steve Furness 68 L. C. Greenwood 71 Gordon Gravelle 72 Gerry Mullins 74 Dave Reavis 75 Joe Greene 76 John Banaszak 78 Dwight White 82 John Stallworth 84 Randy Grossman 86 Reggie Garrett 87 Larry Brown 88 Lynn Swann (MVP)
Head coach: Chuck Noll
Coaches: Bud Carson Dick Hoak George Perles Dan Radakovich Louis Riecke Lionel Taylor Paul Uram Woody Widenhofer

v t e Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl XIII champions
5 Craig Colquitt 10 Roy Gerela 12 Terry Bradshaw (MVP) 15 Mike Kruczek 18 Cliff Stoudt 20 Rocky Bleier 21 Tony Dungy 23 Mike Wagner 24 J. T. Thomas 25 Ray Oldham 29 Ron Johnson 30 Larry Anderson 31 Donnie Shell 32 Franco Harris 35 Jack Deloplaine 38 Sidney Thornton 39 Rick Moser 40 Randy Reutershan 47 Mel Blount 51 Loren Toews 52 Mike Webster 53 Dennis Winston 55 Jon Kolb 56 Robin Cole 57 Sam Davis 58 Jack Lambert 59 Jack Ham 62 Willie Fry 64 Steve Furness 65 Tom Beasley 66 Ted Petersen 67 Gary Dunn 68 L. C. Greenwood 69 Fred Anderson 72 Gerry Mullins 74 Ray Pinney 75 Joe Greene 76 John Banaszak 77 Steve Courson 78 Dwight White 79 Larry Brown 82 John Stallworth 83 Theo Bell 84 Randy Grossman 86 Jim Smith 87 Jim Mandich 88 Lynn Swann 89 Bennie Cunningham
Head coach: Chuck Noll
Coaches: Rollie Dotsch Dick Hoak Tom Moore George Perles Louis Riecke Paul Uram Dick Walker Woody Widenhofer

v t e Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl XIV champions
5 Craig Colquitt 9 Matt Bahr 12 Terry Bradshaw (MVP) 15 Mike Kruczek 20 Rocky Bleier 23 Mike Wagner 24 J. T. Thomas 27 Greg Hawthorne 29 Ron Johnson 30 Larry Anderson 31 Donnie Shell 32 Franco Harris 33 Anthony Anderson 35 Jack Deloplaine 38 Sidney Thornton 39 Rick Moser 45 Russell Davis 47 Mel Blount 49 Dwayne Woodruff 50 Tom Graves 51 Loren Toews 52 Mike Webster 53 Dennis Winston 54 Zack Valentine 55 Jon Kolb 56 Robin Cole 57 Sam Davis 58 Jack Lambert 59 Jack Ham 62 Willie Fry 63 Thom Dornbrook 64 Steve Furness 65 Tom Beasley 66 Ted Petersen 67 Gary Dunn 68 L. C. Greenwood 72 Gerry Mullins 75 Joe Greene 76 John Banaszak 77 Steve Courson 78 Dwight White 79 Larry Brown 82 John Stallworth 83 Theo Bell 84 Randy Grossman 85 Calvin Sweeney 86 Jim Smith 88 Lynn Swann 89 Bennie Cunningham
Head coach: Chuck Noll
Coaches: Rollie Dotsch Dick Hoak Tom Moore George Perles Louis Riecke Paul Uram Dick Walker Woody Widenhofer