CB/HB Charles Richard "Dick" LeBeau (National Champion, 2x Super Bowl Champion, NFL HOF)

[BB73]

Dick LeBeau played both ways on the 1957 NC team for Woody. He had a lengthy NFL career as a CB for the Lions, setting an NFL record for consecutive games by a CB (171). His 62 careeer interceptions ties him for 7th place in NFL history entering the 2006 season.

He was head coach for the Bengals for 2000-2002, and won a Super Bowl ring as the defensive coordinator for the Steelers.

He is given credit for inventing the zone blitz.

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Dick LeBeau

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Richard "Dick" LeBeau (born September 9, 1937 in London, Ohio) is a former football player and is presently the Pittsburgh Steelers defensive coordinator.

LeBeau attended the Ohio State University, playing for famed coach Woody Hayes, and was on the 1957 national championship team, playing at cornerback and halfback. Also in 1957, playing both sides of the ball, he scored two touchdowns as Ohio State came back to beat Michigan 31-14.

He was initially drafted in the fifth round in 1959 by the Cleveland Browns but was cut from their team, and was signed as a rookie free agent by the Detroit Lions. He spent his entire 14 year NFL career with them as a defensive back, teamed during the early part of that run with "Night Train" Lane and Yale Lary, and later with Lem Barney. He was a Pro Bowl selection in 1965 through 1967. He was a leading interceptor, with 62 career interceptions for 762 return yards and 3 touchdowns, and holds the NFL record for consecutive game appearances for a cornerback with 171. He also recovered 9 fumbles, returning them for 53 yards and a touchdown.


Following his retirement as a player, he became an assistant coach for the following teams:

• Philadelphia Eagles (1973-1975)
• Green Bay Packers (1976-1979)
• Cincinnati Bengals (1980-1991), (1997-2002)
• Pittsburgh Steelers (1992-1996), (2004-present)
• Buffalo Bills (2003)

He was head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals for three seasons, from 2000 through 2002.

As an assistant coach he is credited with inventing the "Fire Zone" or "zone blitz" defense, with sound pass coverage accompanying blitzes from unpredictable angles. His defenses typically employ 3-4 sets, with any of the 4 linebackers and frequently a defensive back among the blitzers, so the opposition is unsure how many people and who will rush the passer.

Although he is often considered a genius by current Pittsburgh fans, his short reign as Cincinnati Bengals head coach did not show his current prowess, as he lead the Bengals to a franchise-worst 2-14 record in 2002.

LeBeau can also be seen in the 1970 movie Too Late the Hero, where he played Michael Caine's double in a scene.

 

[Buckskin86]

Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau gives guidance during practice Wednesday, Aug. 6.
Chaz Palla/Tribune-Review

LeBeau enters 50th NFL season
By Joe Starkey
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Sunday, August 10, 2008

Steelers linebacker James Farrior just shook his head and laughed when somebody told him it was defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau's 50th year in the NFL.

"I can't imagine myself doin' nothin' for 50 years," Farrior said. "That's a milestone right there."

LeBeau, who turns 71 on Sept. 9, isn't the type to celebrate such milestones. When a reporter broached the topic, saying, "This is year 50, eh?" LeBeau smiled and said, "That's the rumor."

But forget 50 years. LeBeau estimates it has been 60 years since he spent a late summer doing anything but training for another football season. That would have been 1948 -- the year the NFL prohibited plastic helmets and equipped referees with whistles instead of horns.

The competition is what drives LeBeau, as one might expect of a guy who played under Woody Hayes at Ohio State and befriended a Buckeyes basketball player named Bob Knight.

"There's no age limit on competing," LeBeau said. "There are puzzles to be worked out, questions to be answered. That's still an intriguing part of the business to me."

LeBeau doesn't look a day over 50 and carries himself with a calmness rarely seen in football coaches -- or certain basketball coaches we've seen over the years -- yet commands the utmost respect.

LeBeau enters 50th NFL season - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

 

[Buckskin86]

Steelers' LeBeau Has Been Around, And It Shows
By Barry Svrluga
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, January 16, 2009

PITTSBURGH -- There is no way to tell this by looking at him, because he has his full head of hair, only flecks of which are gray; his face is not unusually creased or jowled; and when there is time, just before practice, he sneaks off to the side of the field and does pushups. Vigorously. But Dick LeBeau played for the late Woody Hayes at Ohio State back when players served on both sides of the ball. He played in the NFL with men who are now both legendary and late, from Lane the defensive back (Dick "Night Train") to Layne the quarterback (Bobby), at a time when players held offseason jobs to support their families.

Since he broke in with the Detroit Lions in 1959, that franchise has churned through 15 head coaches and just hired a 16th, and the league has added 20 teams. When he began his coaching career as an assistant with the Philadelphia Eagles in 1973, only one of the players he is responsible for as the coordinator of the Pittsburgh Steelers' defense had even been born.

"He's our heart, he really is," Polamalu said. "Things have changed, you know, [since] when he first came in. Football, to him -- he doesn't approach it as a business, which I've heard that other people do. He's just friends with people. He's the Godfather, I guess. He's the Marlon Brando of our team."

Which is one way of saying LeBeau's players would do whatever he asks of them, just as he once did whatever Hayes asked. When the Buckeyes won the national championship in 1957, LeBeau scored two touchdowns against Michigan as a running back and stood out as a defensive back. He latched on with the Lions two years later, teaming with Lane as a cornerback, maniacally studying the game.

"Dick was recognized widely by me and a lot of other corners as a coach still playing," said Lem Barney, a Hall of Fame cornerback whose first six seasons with the Lions were also LeBeau's last six as a player. "He was that intuitive about the game. He taught me what offensive coordinators were trying to do, what they were setting us up for."

Steelers' LeBeau Has Been Around, And It Shows - washingtonpost.com

 

[h0bb3s]

He should be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Very good DB with the Lions and one of the best Defensive Coordinators. Widely known as the Father of the Zone Blitz scheme.

 

[Buckskin86]

Coordinator of the year: Dick LeBeau, Steelers
Thurs., Jan. 22, 2009

Player's comments:
"He has that grandfather wisdom. When he speaks, we listen. He treats the last guy on the team like the first guy on the team. He treats Pro Bowlers and free agents the same way. A lot of coaches I had in the past, they feel like it's us and them. With him, it's just us. There isn't a line between player and coach. We're one unit, one heartbeat." -- Linebacker Larry Foote

"I don't think there's any coach in the business who can scheme like he schemes and game plan like he does. His wisdom and knowledge of the game give him a great advantage over teams and over coaches. Our schemes are very intricate. ... We definitely try to dictate what teams can do against our defense. I don't see anybody outfox him." -- Linebacker James Farrior

"He is never keeping secrets on the game plan, why he chooses certain things. In doing that, he's always teaching us. We've been playing this defense for a long time. Guys have taken this defense to other places and haven't been as successful, but they also have not had Dick LeBeau." Safety Troy Polamalu
-- Gerry Dulac for Sporting News

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28797232/

RUMORS FLY THAT LEBEAU IS READY TO RETIRE
Posted by Mike Florio on January 23, 2009

There are mounting rumblings in league circles that Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau could be retiring after next weekend?s Super Bowl.

We first caught wind of the talk on Thursday, and our initial snooping didn?t result in anyone telling us that it was a crazy suggestion ? especially since LeBeau is 71. (I hope I look as good as LeBeau when I?m 71. Hell, I?m only 43 and I don?t look as good as LeBeau at 71.)

We opted to post the item because a reader advises that Tim Ryan and Pat Kirwan of Sirius NFL Radio were talking on-air about the rumors today.

LeBeau, whose NFL playing and coaching career spans half of a century, deserves serious consideration for the Hall of Fame if the Steelers win another Super Bowl on his watch.

And the strong possibility that Super Bowl XLIII could be the final game of a distinguished career might motivate one or more Steelers defenders to attempt to pummel Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner into retirement, too.

ProFootballTalk.com - Latest News and Rumors

 

[Buckskin86]

Steelers' Dick Lebeau proves good defense never gets old
by Jenny Vrentas/The Star-Ledger
Friday January 23, 2009

Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press
Steelers defensive coordinator Dick Lebeau has been in the NFL as a player and coach for 50 years.

PITTSBURGH -- At the Steelers training complex near the Monongahela River, Dick LeBeau stood at a podium Thursday afternoon and quickly turned his news conference into an impromptu math lesson.

The Steelers' defensive mastermind, admittedly the son of an accountant, carefully began to describe how he has charted statistics during his decades of coaching, finding patterns among successful defenses.

LeBeau keys in on three numbers: Yards per snap, yards per rush and yards per throw gained by opposing offenses. But as the NFL's oldest coach, there is one number to which he pays no mind at all.

"I don't know how you're supposed to feel at 71, but I feel good," LeBeau said Thursday, before breaking into the tune of James Brown's "I Feel Good." "Da-na-na-na-na-na."

Steelers' Dick Lebeau proves good defense never gets old - New Jersey Sports - NJ.com

 

[DaytonBuck]

NFL Hall of Fame as a Player and his time as a coach is the icing on the cake. He didn't win with the Bengals? Jesus probably couldn't

 

[cincibuck]

NFL Hall of Fame as a Player and his time as a coach is the icing on the cake. He didn't win with the Bengals? Jesus probably couldn't

Which, of course, reminds me of a little ditty we used to sing while quaffing a the 'berg:

Oh, at the football game in heaven
they fought for every yard,
with Jesus playing full back
and Moses pulling guard.
Oh, Go with God,
G with God,
rock'em
sock 'em
Moses block 'em!
Go with God!

Thanks for the memory jog, DB.

 

[DaytonBuck]

Which, of course, reminds me of a little ditty we used to sing while quaffing a the 'berg:

Oh, at the football game in heaven
they fought for every yard,
with Jesus playing full back
and Moses pulling guard.
Oh, Go with God,
G with God,
rock'em
sock 'em
Moses block 'em!
Go with God!

Thanks for the memory jog, DB.

Mike Brown is hoping you're tapped in

 

[cincibuck]

Mike Brown is hoping you're tapped in

Born and raised in Dayton, I grew up with the Clevelad Browns. Nothing has ever caused me to stray from that allegiance. I've been to six Bengals games over the years and never paid a dime for the tickets... that's the one saving grace to having a local francise that sucks, you can see an NFL team play a game for free. (note the use of the sigular form of team)

 

[Colvinnl]

Maybe he wants to help out at his alma mater in retirement? :)

 

[Buckskin86]

Rob Oller commentary: Steelers defensive coordinator is more complex than you might realize
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
By Rob Oller
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

GENE J. PUSKAR | Associated Press
Ohio native and former OSU football player Dick LeBeau, 71, has been employed in the NFL as either a player or coach for 50 years.

File photo
Ohio State coach Woody Hayes gives Dick LeBeau some instructions before sending him into the 1958 Rose Bowl.

One song ends and the next one begins as Dick LeBeau strums a guitar in the London home of his 95-year-old mother. He belts out bluegrass and Bob Dylan. Country. Rock. Fast. Slow.

"He knows everything," Beulah LeBeau said of her son, the Pittsburgh Steelers defensive coordinator who visits his mother frequently during the offseason, driving the interstate from his home in Cincinnati to Madison County.

As LeBeau sings, the session becomes one of those "If my friends could see me now" moments. The blitz-happy coach who built the powerful Pittsburgh defense is the same guy who sings tender ballads in his mother's living room? The hawkish coach who teaches players to go for the kill is the same one who sang peace-loving protest songs during the 1960s?

One and the same. Turns out LeBeau is a contradiction that way; in other ways, too. Even his last name, which in French translates to "beautiful," is at odds with the way Pittsburgh presents itself to the world. The Steelers are "le beau" only in their efficiency at emasculating opposing offenses. And the father of those cage fighters is the Pride of London, Ohio.

LeBeau is 71 -- but looks at least 10 years younger. He is emotionally low-key -- but lists his favorite movie as The Wizard of Oz. The Super Bowl on Sunday will mark the end of his 50th season in the NFL, 14 as a player and the past 36 as a coach who has always been able to relate to players.

The Columbus Dispatch : Rob Oller commentary: Steelers defensive coordinator is more complex than you might realize

1/27/2009
Steelers' LeBeau plans to continue coaching
By F. Dale Lolley, Staff writer, [email protected]

TAMPA, Fla. - When the Steelers last made the Super Bowl following the 2005 season, it seemed like a fitting time for running back Jerome Bettis to end his 13-year playing career.
Bettis' role had been decreased during that season and the Super Bowl - the first of his career - was played in his hometown of Detroit.

Apparently, some feel Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau might make a similar move after Pittsburgh plays Arizona in Super Bowl XLIII Sunday at Raymond James Stadium. The thinking was, LeBeau will decide that 50 years as a player and coach in the NFL is enough.

Rumors surfaced late last week on a nationally syndicated radio show that the 71-year-old LeBeau was going to retire following the Super Bowl.

It caused enough of a stir in the Steelers' locker room that LeBeau addressed the rumor with the team over the weekend.

While most of his contemporaries are collecting social security, LeBeau isn't ready to hang up his headset just yet.

"He talked to us because he heard the rumor," defensive end Brett Keisel said Monday. "He just told us that he didn't think that was going to go on. It was just rumors. He said that if he was going to do something like that, then we would be the first to know."

O-R Online

Father figure LeBeau inspires Steelers' defenseIntelligencer Journal
Published: Jan 27, 2009
By MATT PAWLIKOWSKI, Correspondent

It's no secret that the Steelers are looking to add "one for the other thumb" when they take on Arizona Sunday in Super Bowl XLIII.

But you can bet in the back of their minds, especially those of the defense, that a motivating factor for getting another ring is their mentor Dick LeBeau, fondly referred to as "Coach Dad."

"To be able to play for somebody that you authentically love, and who's like a real father figure ? he's a real father figure to everybody on the defense ? is a huge blessing," safety Troy Polamalu said. "Not very many players can have a coach like him that has the history and has the personality that he has."

Polamalu's not the only one who raves about the 71-year-old LeBeau, who looks as if he is in his mid 40's and still does pushups on the sidelines during practice with the team.

"Dick LeBeau is what every player, coach, scout, owner and fan should aspire to be," former Baltimore coach Brian Billick said. "His love and commitment to the game is pure and unselfish."

Said current New York Jets coach Rex Ryan: "There are a few coaches that you respect in the game, that you really respect, and obviously he's one,"

LancasterOnline.com:Local Sports:Father figure LeBeau inspires Steelers' defense

 

[Buckskin86]

Ageless Wonder LeBeau Going Strong At 71
By MARTIN FENNELLY
The Tampa Tribune
Published: January 30, 2009

TAMPA - Someone asked 71-year-old Dick LeBeau what it felt like to be the oldest coach in the NFL.

"There's something to be said about being the oldest," LeBeau said, eyes twinkling. "It sure beats the heck out of the alternative."

We come to praise Dick LeBeau, not bury him.

How old is Dick LeBeau? He broke into the NFL the year after the Colts and Giants did overtime in 1958.

How young is Dick LeBeau? He still writes poetry and still strums his six-string guitar until he makes a song or two.

How old? Someone at this Super Bowl asked LeBeau, Pittsburgh's defensive coordinator, about the greatest players of his playing days. "Oh, that's hard to pick one," he said. "Jimmy Brown, he'd be one. Paul Warfield was great. Gale Sayers was tremendous. Otto Graham, Y.A. Tittle, Johnny Unitas, Raymond Berry ..."

How young? The Pittsburgh Steelers defense, the roughest, toughest crew in football, wipes away tears like they're figure skaters every December as jolly St. Dick recites "The Night Before Christmas."

The what before what?

"He's young at heart," Steelers safety Troy Polamalu said.

Ageless Wonder LeBeau Going Strong At 71

The old man and his D'
Steelers revere him, offenses dread him
Friday, January 30, 2009
Tony Grossi
Plain Dealer Reporter
Tampa, Fla. -- There may be no coach in the NFL more beloved by his players than Dick LeBeau, the coordinator of the Pittsburgh Steelers' top-ranked defense.

The architect of the Steelers' famed "zone blitz" system is completing his 50th NFL season as a player and coach with his fifth appearance in a Super Bowl (third with Pittsburgh). He is 71.

"It's a pleasure to play for him. He's just so full of life and youth and sayings. When I'm his age, he'll be a coach I'll never forget," said defensive end Nick Eason, a former Brown.

The old man and his D' - Cleveland.com

Ditka: Writers idiots for ignoring LeBeau
January 30, 2009
BY MIKE MULLIGAN [email protected]

TAMPA, Fla. -- While the debate rages on as to whether Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner has done enough to qualify for the Hall of Fame, there is one person involved in Super Bowl XLIII whom many believe should be a lock for enshrinement.

But it seems there's no place in Canton, Ohio, for defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau, the man who turned Pittsburgh into Blitzburgh.

''Whose fault is that? Whose is it? It's the writers,'' former Bears coach Mike Ditka said. ''They are not as bad as baseball, but they are idiots.''

Ditka believes there should be a place in the Hall of Fame for assistant coaches, innovators or key personnel men, essentially anyone like LeBeau, who has devoted their life to the NFL. LeBeau recently marked his 50th year in the league, including 14 seasons as a standout cornerback and 36 years as either a head coach or assistant.

''Is the game better because you were a part of it? That's what this whole thing is about,'' Ditka said.

Ditka: Writers idiots for ignoring LeBeau :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Football

Game remains the same 50 years on, says Steelers guru LeBeau
Fri Jan 30, 2009
By Larry Fine

TAMPA, Florida (Reuters) - Dick LeBeau, still going strong at 71 as coordinator of the Pittsburgh's top-rated defense, said the game had remained the same in his half-century as a top flight player and coach in the NFL.

LeBeau, credited as the architect of zone blitzing schemes that have players from different positions confounding quarterbacks with their pass rushes and coverage, said the basics of the gridiron game were unchanged.

"Believe it or not, the things that defenses have to do to be successful haven't really changed from when I played my first year in 1959," LeBeau, who puts his strategies to the test on Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals in the Super Bowl, told reporters on Thursday.

"The angles you have to take, the recognition you have to have, they really haven't changed that much.

"Sure the game is faster, the players are bigger, they're stronger, the rules change a little bit. But the basics of football don't change and that's why I'm still viable."

LeBeau, whose strong jaw and physique would allow him to pass for a man two decades younger, was an outstanding defensive back over 14 seasons with the Detroit Lions.

When he retired in 1972, his 62 interceptions put him third on the NFL's all-time list.

"We all consider him a father figure, we all love him to death and we all bleed for the man," Steelers defensive end Brett Keisel told reporters.

Game remains the same 50 years on, says Steelers guru LeBeau | Sports | Reuters

 

[Buckskin86]

Saturday, Jan. 31, 2009
Steelers? LeBeau an old pro at scheming
By ROGER MOONEY - [email protected]

TAMPA ? It is a few days before Christmas and Dick LeBeau has the attention of every member of the Pittsburgh Steelers defense.

The room is quiet.

He begins:

ASSOCIATED PRESS Pittsburgh Steelers veteran defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau is tasked with stopping Arizona?s offense.

?Twas the night before Christmas . . .?

Seriously, the coordinator of the best defense in the NFL treats his players to ?The Night Before Christmas? the Saturday before every Christmas. And he does it from memory.

?He?ll have guys crying,? said Steelers defensive end Brett Keisel.

And by crying, Keisel means the old man has found the little boy in every player, from the biggest to the meanest.

The old man is 71 and said he?s coming back next season for his 51st in pro football. That is, LeBeau added, if the organization will have him back.

?You should get better every year,? LeBeau said. ?Hopefully, that is the case.?

LeBeau is the Monte Kiffin of the north. He?s the author of the ?fire zone,? better known as the zone blitz, which he thought up last decade to combat the high-octane offenses that were populating the NFL.

Steelers? LeBeau an old pro at scheming - Sports - Bradenton.com

Steelers' LeBeau deserves spot in Hall of Fame
Friday, January 30, 2009

TAMPA, Fla. ? The NFL has a place for a 71-year-old defensive coordinator. The Pro Football Hall of Fame should, too.

Dick LeBeau celebrated his 50th year in the NFL this season, the fifth of his second stint as defensive coordinator of the Pittsburgh Steelers. He'll participate in his 769th NFL game Sunday ? the Super Bowl.

Longevity alone should qualify him for Canton. His career dates to 1959, when he became a fifth-round draft pick of the Cleveland Browns. He didn't make it out of training camp with the Browns but hooked on with the Detroit Lions.

LeBeau played six games in his rookie season ? and 179 more over the next 13 years with the Lions. He retired after the 1972 season and was hired by the Philadelphia Eagles in 1973 to coach special teams.

LeBeau has gone on to coach 583 games over the last 36 years with the Eagles, Packers, Bengals, Bills and Steelers. That's 50 consecutive seasons drawing NFL paychecks. At 71, he's the oldest coach in the NFL.

"There's something to be said about being the oldest," LeBeau said, "because it just beats the hell out of the alternative."

Not only is LeBeau still employed in his eighth decade, he's at the top of his profession at his advanced age.

Steelers' LeBeau deserves spot in Hall of Fame | Rick Gosselin Columns | Sports News | News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Morning News

LeBeau has Pittsburgh's 'D' thriving
By GARY MIHOCES ? USA TODAY ? January 31, 2009

PITTSBURGH - When asked about being the defensive coordinator of the Pittsburgh Steelers at age 71, Dick LeBeau borrowed a song lyric from "The Godfather of Soul," the late James Brown.

"I don't know how you're supposed to feel at age 71, but ""I feel good, da, da, da, da, da, da dum,"' " says LeBeau, in his 50th NFL season as player and coach and still a guy who can reach into a brand-new bag of defensive schemes to meet each new test.

The challenge for LeBeau's top-ranked Steelers defense Sunday in Super Bowl XLIII will be to take on the hot offense of the Arizona Cardinals, a team coached by LeBeau's close friend, golfing rival and former Steelers offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt.

When LeBeau is asked whether he will be matching wits with Whisenhunt or veteran Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner, his response reflects the low-key, understated style that is the opposite of what his attacking defense does on the field.

"I'm not matching wits with anybody," LeBeau says. "I'm going to get my guys out of the huddle and get out of their way and hope they make some plays."

LeBeau has Pittsburgh's 'D' thriving | zanesvilletimesrecorder.com | Zanesville Times Recorder

Ex-Lion has Hall of Fame potential
BY NICHOLAS J. COTSONIKA ? FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER ? January 31, 2009

TAMPA -- In 2007, the Pittsburgh Steelers played in the Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio. As the players toured the museum and admired the bronze busts of the game's greats, many wore throwback, No. 44 Lions jerseys.

It was a show of love and respect for defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau. It also was a statement.

"I still don't understand why he's not in there," said linebacker Larry Foote, who played at Detroit Pershing and Michigan. "Hopefully they can get him in there before he taps out."

LeBeau, 71, has built an impressive r?sum? in his 50 years in the NFL and is still building. He told his players this week he will be back next season, after he unleashes the league's top-ranked defense against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday in Super Bowl XLIII.

In 14 years with the Lions, LeBeau made 62 interceptions. When he retired in 1972, he ranked third all-time. Even now, he's tied for seventh. He still holds the Lions' record for interceptions and the NFL record for consecutive starts by a cornerback, with 171.

But while teammates like Lem Barney, Joe Schmidt and Charlie Sanders have made the Hall of Fame, LeBeau has not. His name will not be called today when this year's Hall of Fame class is announced.

"We talk about it all the time, and we say that Coach LeBeau must have been dirty back in the day or something," nose tackle Casey Hampton said. "He must have rubbed somebody the wrong way, and he must have been a dirty player to get snubbed like that. It has to be something like that, because his stats speak for themselves."

Ex-Lion has Hall of Fame potential | Freep.com | Detroit Free Press

 

[Buckskin86]

Michael Arace commentary: Innovative LeBeau deserves call to Hall
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
By Michael Arace
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

The Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton has enshrined 247 worthy members. It has players from every position, covering all eras. It has great players, great coaches and vital contributors. But it does not have Dick LeBeau. How is that?

The Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Arizona Cardinals 27-23 in Super Bowl XLIII on Sunday. It was one of the more thrilling Super Bowls ever staged. It was a departure in that it was an offensive showcase, or something of a duel between quarterbacks Ben Roethlisberger and Kurt Warner.

History will say Warner issued one of the most dazzling displays ever seen in a losing effort. He completed 31 of 43 passes for 377 yards and three touchdowns. For all of this, one of the defining plays of the game was a Warner mistake. With time winding down in the second quarter and the Cardinals a yard from a touchdown, Warner sent a pass toward Anquan Boldin -- and got picked off by a linebacker, James Harrison, whose 100-yard return for a touchdown set a Super Bowl record and gave the Steelers a 17-7 lead at halftime.

Warner did a sterling job of reading the zone blitz on 42 other pass plays, but there, he missed the linebacker dropping into coverage. How important was Harrison's pick-six? How quiet was Arizona's brilliant receiver, Larry Fitzgerald, for three quarters? Who won the game?

LeBeau, the Steelers' defensive coordinator, developed the zone blitz in the mid-1980s, when he was with the Cincinnati Bengals. The scheme was devised as a counter to the run-and-shoot, the West Coast and other up-tempo offenses that were coming into vogue. LeBeau took the 3-4 defense and made it into a maze of pressure and coverage.

Very few coaches conjure a strategy that stamps a generation. LeBeau's oft-copied zone blitz is such a scheme, and it is still working nearly a quarter-century after it was drawn up.

BuckeyeXtra - The Columbus Dispatch : Michael Arace commentary: Innovative LeBeau deserves call to Hall