Steelers Legend Among Greatest No. 1 Overall Draft Selections

With the 2025 NFL Draft around the corner, FOX Sports ranked the 10 best No. 1 overall picks

Steelers legend among greatest No. 1 overall draft selections

The 2025 NFL Draft is quickly approaching, and with the draft in mind, FOX Sports ranked the 10 best No. 1 overall picks in the common draft era.

Coming in at No. 3 on the list is former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw, who is being inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 2023.

The Steelers went 1-13 in 1969, and they won a coin flip against the Chicago Bears to land the No. 1 overall pick. They used the pick to select Bradshaw out of Louisiana Tech in the 1970 NFL Draft.

“One of the greatest winners in league history, Bradshaw helped the Steelers earn their championship pedigree,” FOX Sports wrote. “Over his career, Bradshaw guided Pittsburgh to four Super Bowl titles, becoming the first quarterback to claim that many. Since then, that number has only been matched by Joe Montana and surpassed by Tom Brady. Moreover, all Bradshaw did was win, posting a 14-5 playoff mark and leading the Steelers to 107 regular-season victories.”

Bradshaw was also named Super Bowl MVP in two of the Steelers’ four Super Bowl titles in the 1970s. The Steelers have not had the No. 1 overall pick since the Bradshaw selection in 1970.

The moment that stands out the most from Bradshaw’s Hall of Fame career isn’t the Immaculate Reception pass to Franco Harris or any of his nine touchdown passes in four Super Bowl appearances. According to Bradshaw, it was when he handed the Lombardi Trophy to Steelers owner Art Rooney Sr. after winning Super Bowl IX, the Steelers’ first championship in the franchise’s 42-year history.

"I know a lot of people would say the Immaculate Reception in '72 against the Raiders but really, no. The game I remember the most is Super Bowl IX against the Vikings, and the only reason is because I was standing in the crowd of players when [NFL Commissioner] Pete Rozelle gave Art Rooney the Vince Lombardi World Championship trophy. He was such a humble owner and I was so close to him, so it was cool to see after all those years of struggling.

"It wasn't a play or anything other than watching Mr. Rooney get his first Super Bowl trophy. That's my finest moment," Bradshaw recently told James Wood of The Morning Call in a Q&A.

After a Hall of Fame career with the Steelers, Bradshaw has also had a legendary career in the media.

This past February, Bradshaw announced he plans to retire from Fox NFL Sunday after the 2029 Super Bowl. He will be 80 years old at that time, which he says is a reasonable age to step down.

"I told my wife before I left the room a while ago, I'm sitting there. I said, 'I've got two years left at FOX. I'm 76. Okay, so it's a young man's game. I get that.' Everybody wants the new. If we can get to the next Super Bowl on Fox I'll be 80. I think that's time. Eighty years old, that's pushing it," Bradshaw said.

Along with working at FOX, Bradshaw is still working in the entertainment industry. He recently performed at a Brooks & Dunn concert, singing a tribute to his friend Toby Keith.

Bradshaw is bringing his production, "The Terry Bradshaw Show," to Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati on Saturday, June 21. Tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster or the casino’s website starting Friday, April 11, at 10 a.m. Prices start at $30 per person.

“I’m excited to bring ‘The Terry Bradshaw Show’ to the Hard Rock,” Bradshaw said in a press release. “This show is all about sharing laughs, music, and stories from my life—both the touchdowns and the tough times. I can’t wait to connect with the great folks in Cincinnati. We’re going to have a good time together.”