Bill Cowher's Hall of Fame nod a winner in his hometown of Crafton

The 1.14 square miles of space that is Crafton felt much bigger Monday.

Residents of former Steelers head coach Bill Cowher’s hometown beamed with pride as they discussed Cowher’s ascension into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

From the borough’s public library to Bob’s Barber Shop, they lauded the hometown hero. From the alley named Cowher Way to Mugshots Cafe, they celebrated one of their own.

“He was an excellent coach,” said Bob Johnson of Green Tree, a former Crafton resident who was in the library. “He had chances at other coaching jobs but chose to stay on television as an analyst because they weren’t the right jobs for him.”

Inside the barber shop, manager Anthony Ray and barber Jason Wuenstel, Crafton natives, wore their Steelers gear.

“We love him here in Crafton,” Wuenstel said.

“He makes the hometown proud,” Ray said. “First the street named after him, and now this, the Hall of Fame.”

Across from Cowher Way, Peggy Wrabley was hanging Valentine’s Day decorations Monday afternoon. The former teacher at St. Philip Roman Catholic School in Crafton, where she’s lived for 41 years, said she knew Cowher’s parents. His mother was “lovely” and his father was “quiet.” She said the Hall of Fame honor represents the work ethic instilled in him by such wonderful parents.

“When they first hung the Cowher Way street sign, he came with his parents on the back of a flatbed truck, and they had a ceremony and people took pictures,” she said. “I still see people come by to get a photograph.”

This past summer, Karen Dorfield of Crafton was driving by the sign when she spotted Cowher and a group of family and friends who were in town for a memorial service for his late mother.

Dorfield knew Cowher’s parents. Growing up a street away, Dorfield said she used to watch him throw a football in his yard. She got out of the car to greet him. They took photos.

“The Hall of Fame is pretty exciting,” Dorfield said. “It is so good for him, and very exciting for Crafton. Something like this doesn’t happen very often, so that makes it an even bigger deal. I think we better clean up the area some more because there will be more people coming through Crafton.”

What a special honor to have David Baker visit me on the set of @NFLonCBS last night. I was totally surprised and taken aback. This honor is truly humbling, having been included with so many worthy candidates. The journey was shared with so many...(1 of 2) https://t.co/vMHjTqSbtI

— Bill Cowher (@CowherCBS) January 12, 2020

Donna Criswell, who has lived in Crafton for 30 years, was walking her dog in the alley Monday. One of her favorite memories was Cowher’s locker room response “We Dey,” to the Cincinnati Bengals’ “Who Dey” chant, after the Steelers defeated the Bengals in the playoffs en route to Super Bowl XL.

“The team played well under him,” Criswell said. “I am happy for him.”

Cowher is a humble man and very deserving, said Barb Jones, who was bartending at Mugshots. There’s a photo of Cowher talking to one of his players as well as a snapshot of him and his teammates when he played on the Carlynton Cougars football team.

The Cowher smile is one of a kind, said bar patron Treasa Lascola of Crafton. Whenever his team did something right you would see his smile, she said.

“This is a special moment in his life,” Lascola said. “And it’s a special moment in this small community of Crafton, too. That smile is probably wider than ever now.”