‘Burgh’s Best to Wear It, No. 58: Jack Lambert’s presence personified 70s Steelers defense

The Tribune-Review sports staff is conducting a daily countdown of the best 100 players in Pittsburgh pro and college sports history to wear each jersey number.

No. 58: Jack Lambert

“If I could start my life all over again, I would be a professional football player, and you damn well better believe I would be a Pittsburgh Steeler.”

When he dropped that famous line during his Hall of Fame induction speech, Jack Lambert didn’t mention what uniform number he would wear if he started his life over again. But he wore No. 58 during the only life that counts, and for his efforts while wearing it the Tribune-Review sports staff has judged Lambert the best to don No. 58 for any Pittsburgh sports team.

Part of the greatest team draft class of all-time — he was the Steelers’ second-round choice in 1974 — Lambert was part of four Super Bowl-winning teams over the first six years of his career. He made the AFC Pro Bowl roster nine consecutive seasons, earning first-team All Pro accolades six times and second-team All Pro twice over that span.

The 1974 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year and 1976 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, Lambert was named to the league’s all-decade team twice (the 1970s and ‘80s) as well as to the NFL’s 75thand 100th anniversary teams.

Counting his 18 career postseason games (the Steelers won 13 of them), Lambert had 19 interceptions and 20 fumble recoveries. But it was an intangible quality of intimidation that Lambert is most remembered for — and what most endeared him to Steelers fans.

A member of the franchise’s all-time team and Hall of Honor, Lambert is arguably most remembered for moments such as when he threw the Dallas Cowboys’ Cliff Harris to the ground after Harris mocked Steelers kicker Roy Gerela for missing a field goal during Super Bowl X.

“We’re the Pittsburgh Steelers,” Lambert said, “we’re supposed to be the intimidators.”

And few Steelers were more intimidating than Lambert.

Happy birthday to The Man of Steel, Jack Lambert!
The @ProFootballHOF linebacker played 11 seasons with the @steelers and won 4 Super Bowls pic.twitter.com/xT2GFQ8D7V

— NFL Films (@NFLFilms) July 8, 2017

Lambert was a relatively easy choice by the Tribune-Review sports staff as the best to wear No. 58 for a Pittsburgh team — but that doesn’t mean it was a slam dunk. Kris Letang has his name on the Stanley Cup three times while representing the Penguins.

Only three players have appeared in more games in the history of the franchise, and only five have more assists and eight more points.

Letang has been one of the NHL’s top defensemen over the past 13 seasons.

Lefty starter Dave Williams is arguably the most accomplished No. 58 for the Pirates. He was part of the team for the first five seasons of PNC Park’s existence. Jacob Stallings figures to be the team’s Opening Day catcher for the abbreviated 2020 season.

Check out the entire ’Burgh’s Best to Wear It series here.

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