Dick LeBeau is the Forrest Gump of the NFL. A Corridor of Fame cornerback who performed with a number of different Corridor of Famers, LeBeau then loved a protracted teaching profession, together with two super bowl wins whereas teaching for and towards among the biggest gamers in league historical past.
LeBeau’s good profession included presiding over the 2008 Steelers protection, a traditionally dominant unit that gained Pittsburgh’s sixth super bowl win. The protection of ’08 is the main target of a ebook LeBeau just lately wrote that he expects to be out there to the general public in 2024. The ebook might be titled A legendary protectionan ode to what Steelers coach Mike Tomlin informed the unit earlier than capping off the Steelers’ 27-23 victory over the Cardinals in Tremendous Bowl XLIII.
“I do not know if I ought to pay Mike royalties for that or not,” LeBeau joked throughout his interview with Bryant McFadden. the latest episode of the podcast “All Things Covered”.. “It may be well worth the wait, I assure it. It may be an excellent ebook, I believe.”
LeBeau shared one of many primary the reason why Pittsburgh’s 2008 protection was so profitable. That season, the Steelers protection—led by Corridor of Fame security Troy Polamalu and Defensive Participant of the Yr James Harrison—allowed simply 13.9 factors per recreation. The unit led the league in scoring, passing, third-place effectivity, pink zone effectivity, and positioned second in speeding.
“You all may deal with and also you all wished to deal with,” LeBeau informed McFadden, a former Steelers cornerback who was one of many key members of that protection. “Protection is all the time about discovering the man with the ball and getting his butt on the bottom. It was like kicking a beehive when that ball broke. You had been chasing that ball and also you did not miss any tackles.”
Whereas his teaching profession is Corridor of Fame-worthy, LeBeau was inducted as a participant in 2010, largely primarily based on his 62 profession interceptions whereas a part of a legendary defensive backfield with the Lions that included fellow Corridor of Famer Dick “Evening”. Practice” Lane, Len Barney and Yale Lary. He was the presenter of Polamalu when he was inducted in 2021. Polamalu is presently the one member of the ’08 Steelers protection to be inducted into the Corridor of Fame. Nonetheless, LeBeau thinks Harrison additionally deserves a gold jacket and a bronze bust in Canton, Ohio.
“He exceeded everybody’s expectations with what he completed,” LeBeau mentioned of Harrison, a former draft rookie who retired because the Steelers’ all-time chief. “I hope he is within the Corridor of Fame sometime.”
Harrison was fired a number of occasions earlier than lastly staying with the Steelers in 2004. LeBeau, who’s proud to say he was not a part of the Pittsburgh teaching employees that launched Harrison, vividly remembers his acquaintance with Harrison, which happened in 2004 when he was fired. reviewing movie of that day’s coaching camp observe. LeBeau mentioned then-Steelers linebackers coach Keith Butler was the primary particular person to place Harrison on his radar when Pittsburgh was trying so as to add a linebacker to the roster.
“I am No. 92,” LeBeau recalled, “and I mentioned (to Butler), ‘Nobody is obstructing this 92. Who is that this man? … Let’s be certain that we give him sufficient reps and sufficient of performs like we begin these preseason video games as a result of I have never seen anybody block him but.” And what? I nonetheless have not seen anybody block him.”
LeBeau, 85, waited a very long time earlier than hoisting the Vince Lombardi Trophy. He was 68 when the Steelers defeated the Seahawks in Tremendous Bowl XL, turning into the primary sixth seed to win all of it.
He is come shut just a few occasions earlier than. In 1981, LeBeau was the Bengals’ defensive again coach (one among his former Bengals cornerbacks, Ken Riley, might be inducted into the Corridor of Fame this summer season) when Cincinnati misplaced an in depth recreation to the 49ers in Tremendous Bowl XVI. Seven years later, LeBeau was the Bengals’ defensive coordinator as Cincinnati confronted San Francisco in a Tremendous Bowl rematch. The Bengals held the 49ers’ explosive offense to simply 13 factors for over 59 minutes earlier than Joe Montana capped San Francisco’s historic 92-yard drive together with his game-winning landing go to John Taylor.
LeBeau’s first stint as Steelers defensive coordinator included a 3rd journey to the Tremendous Bowl. In Tremendous Bowl XXX, Pittsburgh was a heavy underdog towards the Cowboys, who had gained two of the earlier three Tremendous Bowls. However regardless of LeBeau’s protection solely permitting the Cowboys 254 yards, two interceptions by Dallas cornerback Larry Brown prevented Pittsburgh from getting upset.
The 2005 Steelers lastly ended LeBeau’s wait. That postseason allowed the Steelers protection simply 62 factors in 4 video games. Maybe probably the most spectacular recreation throughout that span was the Steelers’ 21-18 victory over the Colts within the AFC Divisional Spherical. In that recreation, McFadden, a rookie on the time, made a number of key performs on the Colts’ last drive that finally led to a missed area objective.
LeBeau remembers staring on the last rating for a number of minutes after Pittsburgh gained Tremendous Bowl XL. He was having fun with a second 46 years within the making.
“It is actually inexplicable,” LeBeau mentioned of the sensation of lastly successful a Tremendous Bowl. “Buffalo had these nice groups and so they went to 4 consecutive Tremendous Bowls, and so they misplaced all 4 and have not come again. I might been to Cincinnati twice and misplaced them each in shut video games. I wasn’t a younger coach then. . .. All of the whereas it is beginning to happen to me that, it seems like I will be a kind of guys who is available in now and again, is fortunate sufficient to have a protracted teaching profession, however by no means win a Tremendous Bowl.
“I walked over to the bench (after Tremendous Bowl XL). There was nobody inside 50 yards of me. Confetti rained down and I stared on the scoreboard. … This is not a dream. That is all I actually keep in mind from that recreation. I sat there for a full 5 minutes, simply watching that scoreboard, (considering) we lastly did it.”
LeBeau, the mastermind behind a number of defensive ideas which might be nonetheless run by NFL teamsadditionally revealed his primary focus as he ready to tackle Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and the opposite nice quarterbacks and offenses throughout his time as defensive coordinator.
“I did not care what they did if they’d a ten or 20 level lead,” mentioned LeBeau. “I wished to try to discover out, if I may, once they had their backs towards the wall and so they needed to play and most of the people in the entire stadium and on either side of the sphere knew they had been throwing the ball, which safety you’d get. In case you may establish what they’d probably the most confidence in, then I might begin the right way to tear down that home.”
LeBeau clearly appreciates him NFL profession. That appreciation was expressed when McFadden requested LeBeau if there’s a participant he hasn’t coached that he would really like.
“I performed with the wonderful Evening Practice Lane, who was positively the best character that ever performed soccer,” mentioned LeBeau. “I performed with Len Barney, who I believe was probably the most completed athletic cornerman there’ll ever be. I additionally coached with Rod Woodson. I coached Carnell Lake. I coached Troy Polamalu. I coached James Harrison. Once I begin them a reputation, we’ll be right here ceaselessly, so I haven’t got a participant, no participant I want I had coached.
“I am so grateful for the place I have been and what I acquired to do.”
