Mike Wagner, a safety on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ famed Steel Curtain defense and four-time Super Bowl winner, has died, the team announced Wednesday. He was 76.
Wagner was a two-time Pro Bowler with 36 career interceptions, including an NFL high in 1973. He also had interceptions in Pittsburgh’s Super Bowl IX and X victories.
“We are deeply saddened by the passing of Mike Wagner, a great player and an integral part of the winningest teams in Pittsburgh Steelers history,” Steelers president Art Rooney II said in a statement.
“Mike played a key role on our championship teams in the 1970s. As a member of four Super Bowl winning teams, his toughness and consistency were paramount to our secondary. His contributions on the field were remarkable, but it was also his constant presence and team-first mentality that truly defined him.
“On behalf of the entire Pittsburgh Steelers organization, we send our deepest condolences to Mike’s family. He will always be remembered as a champion, a great teammate and a proud member of the Steelers family.”
The Illinois native was selected in the 11th roundi.e round of the 1971 NFL Draft by the Steelers, Wagner started all 12 games as a rookie. During this 1971 season, Pittsburgh finished 6-8. After that, the Steelers ran off nine straight winning seasons, the first eight including playoff berths, with four Super Bowl victories, as Pittsburgh became an NFL dynasty in the 1970s.
In a lineup overflowing with Hall of Famers such as Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris, “Mean” Joe Greene, Jack Lambert and many others, Wagner was a fixture.
In a 10-year career from 1971-1980, Wagner played in 119 games with 116 starts, the aforementioned 36 INTs (sixth in club history) and 12 fumble recoveries.
In Pittsburgh’s first Super Bowl victory, a 16-6 rout of the Minnesota Vikings that capped the 1974 season, Wagner had a pair of tackles and stopped Hall of Famer Fran Tarkenton.
A season later, Wagner had the same stat line in Pittsburgh’s 21-17 Super Bowl X win over the Dallas Cowboys, recording two tackles and another interception of Hall of Famer, this time Roger Staubach.
The Steelers defeated the Cowboys again in Super Bowl XIII, 35-31, with Wagner making three more tackles.
Although Wagner received a fourth-round pick for the Super Bowl XIV win against the Los Angeles Rams, he did not play in the game, as hamstring and hip injuries limited him to eight games that season.
A steely defenseman with legendary talent, Wagner is often overlooked, but he was a crucial cog in one of the greatest dynasties in NFL history.