How one moment in Steelers history shaped a lifetime of fandom.

What was the greatest moment in the history of the Pittsburgh Steelers? That’s a question with an array of possible answers.

The franchise has won six Super Bowls, many with unforgettable moments attached — Lynn Swann’s acrobatic catches in Super Bowl X, Antwaan Randle-El’s reverse-pass to Hines Ward to seal the win in Super Bowl XL, the near-impossible throw from Ben Roethlisberger to Santonio Holmes to clinch Super Bowl XLIII. And, preceding it all, the Immaculate Reception, one of the most unforgettable plays in football history. Steelers’ fans young and old are privileged to have a broad menu from which to choose.

For me, the greatest moment wasn’t a “play” in the traditional sense. It occurred when I was six years old, too young to really understand the sport. Most Sundays in the fall back then, our family would gather to watch football. Sometimes at our house, sometimes my uncle’s, usually my grandparents. The adults drank beer and shouted generic instructions at the players on T.V., like “Catch the ball!” and “Get him!” I would watch for a few plays then spend the rest of the game acting out what I saw. I would run around in my Toughskins with my Nerf football, leaping over couch cushions, diving onto the linoleum floor, tackling my little sister until she inevitably tattled. I didn’t know anything about the history of the game nor did I know the rules. I loved it, though. I just needed a defining moment to understand why.

To relive that moment, let’s travel back in time. It is January of 1976. The Steelers are playing the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl X at the Orange Bowl in Miami. We are gathered in the den at my grandparents house in Margate, a quiet shore community just south of Atlantic City. Everyone is rooting for the Steelers, not because they are Steelers fans but because this is South Jersey, where those who like football root for the Philadelphia Eagles. As Eagles fans, it’s impossible to cheer for the hated Cowboys. So, by default, sentiment on this day rests with the Steelers.

The early details of the game are lost on me. In all likelihood I spent it like I normally did, running about the house, pretending to tackle and be tackled, getting yelled at for almost knocking the onion dip off of the kitchen counter. The Cowboys led 10-7 in the third quarter when the Steelers lined up to kick a game-tying field goal. This I remember only because my mother had corralled me, sat me on the couch and forced me to eat a slice of pizza. I was seated between my father and my uncle. That’s when it happened: