'Burgh’s Best to Wear It, No. 74: Frank Varrichione's textbook blocking earned respect

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

No. 74: Frank Varrichione

When drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers out of Notre Dame, he was known as Faintin’ Frank Varrichione for his infamous faking of an injury to save an undefeated season for the Fighting Irish.

Varrichione now has a different reputation: The most decorated offensive tackle in Steelers history. A four-time Pro Bowl pick in six seasons with the Steelers, he also is the best to wear No. 74 in Pittsburgh sports history.

Varrichione, who died in January 2018 at age 85, has company at the number with fellow Steelers offensive linemen. Ray Pinney started at right tackle (in place of the injured Larry Brown) for the Super Bowl XII champions and was a member of the Super Bowl XIV champions. Willie Colon was the starting right tackle for the Super Bowl XLIII champions. Terry Long started 89 games at right guard over eight seasons.

But Varrichione’s blocking put him in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, sort of.

The 6-foot-1, 234-pound right tackle was known for his textbook blocking, thanks to a unique technique learned under the legendary Frank Leahy at Notre Dame.

Varrichione never wore a facemask in college, so to defeat the instinct of linemen protecting their face, the Irish coaches tied the back of their helmets to their shoulder pads. That forced linemen to keep their head up and go face-first into the opponent’s chest, using their legs to drive them back.

What Varrichione pulled against Iowa was another story. Notre Dame was out of timeouts and trailing by a touchdown in the final seconds when Varrichione broke the huddle with a phantom injury to stop the clock and allow the Irish to score and preserve a tie. They would go 9-0-1 and claim a share of the 1953 national championship.

Hawkeyes fans dubbed him “Faintin’ Frank” and sent flowers and get-well cards to mock his dramatic flop that spoiled their upset bid. Varrichione would go on to earn All-American honors and be the first lineman selected in the 1955 NFL Draft, No. 6 overall to the Steelers. Only after a long-distance phone call to a vacationing Art Rooney Sr. did Varrichione sign — for $8,000.

It proved a bargain, as Varrichione was selected to the Pro Bowl as a rookie. The Steelers, however, had only two winning seasons in the six years Varrichione played for them before he was traded to the Los Angeles Rams for defensive tackle Lou Michaels, who fulfilled a need because he doubled as a kicker.

“In all the years Frank played for the Steelers, he was very seldom beaten outright,” Steelers great Ernie Stautner said of Varrichione. “He had the respect of all the defensive linemen who played against him.”

Not to mention those who coached him. Varrichione earned a fifth Pro Bowl selection with the Rams in ’63, as well as the respect of coach Harland Svare. Rams great Merlin Olsen once recalled that Svare was berating the team and called them a “bunch of quitters and cowards.” That’s when an ash tray sailed by his head.

“Are you calling me a coward?” Varrichione snapped.

“Not you, Frank,” Svare replied.

Varrichione’s shining moment with the Steelers came in 1957 against the Baltimore Colts, who featured a future Hall of Famer in defensive tackle Gino Marchetti. Steelers coach Buddy Parker laid the foundation for motivation by rotating tackles in practice, giving the impression he thought Marchetti was unblockable and Varrichione would require help.

Varrichione shut down Marchetti, allowing Earl Morrall to complete 18 of 30 passes for 270 yards and two touchdowns in a 19-13 victory. Legend has it that Cleveland Browns coach Paul Brown called it the greatest exhibition of blocking he had ever seen and used film of Varrichione as a tutorial for his own offensive linemen.

“I never made the Hall of Fame,” Varrichione said, “but for a short while they used to have a film clip in Canton to demonstrate how to pass-block, and I was the blocker.”

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