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1959 Pittsburgh Steelers
Franchise Index: Previous Season / Next Season
Record: 6-5-1, Finished 4th in NFL East Division
NFL Season Summary
Scored 257 points (21.4/g), 5th of 12 in the NFL.
Allowed 216 points (18.0/g), 4th.
Differential of 41 points (3.4/g), 5th.
Expected W-L: 7.2-4.8.
Takeaway/Giveaway Differential +1 (0.1/g), 7th.
Simple Rating System: Total 1.1, Offense: -0.7, Defense: 1.9, SoS: -2.3, versus averages of 0.0.
Coached by
Buddy Parker (6-5-1)
Training Camp: California University of Pennsylvania (California, Pennsylvania)
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Starters
ProBowl(*), 1st-team All-Pro(+),Hide Non-primary Starters
| Pos | Age | Yrs | GS | Summary of Player Stats | Drafted (tm/rnd/yr) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Offensive Starters | ||||||
| QB | Bobby Layne* | 33 | 11 | 12 | 142 for 297, 1,986 yards, 20 td, 21 int, & 33 rushes for 181 yards and 2 td | Chicago Bears / 1st / 3rd pick / 1948 |
| FB | Larry Krutko | 24 | 1 | 0 | 75 rushes for 226 yards, 4 td, & 13 catches for 100 yards and 0 td | Pittsburgh Steelers / 2nd / 20th pick / 1958 |
| LH | Ray Mathews | 30 | 8 | 0 | 1 rush for 4 yards, 0 td, & 13 catches for 182 yards and 0 td | Pittsburgh Steelers / 7th / 81st pick / 1951 |
| RH | Tom Tracy | 25 | 3 | 0 | 199 rushes for 794 yards, 3 td, & 23 catches for 273 yards and 5 td | Detroit Lions / 5th / 50th pick / 1956 |
| FL | Buddy Dial | 22 | Rook | 0 | 16 catches for 428 yards, 6 td | New York Giants / 2nd / 22nd pick / 1959 |
| LE | Gern Nagler | 27 | 6 | 0 | 14 catches for 222 yards, 2 td | Cleveland Browns / 14th / 167th pick / 1953 |
| LT | Ted Karras | 25 | 1 | 0 | 1 fumble recovered | |
| LG | Mike Sandusky | 24 | 2 | 0 | 1 fumble recovered | San Francisco 49ers / 4th / 46th pick / 1957 |
| C | Ed Beatty | 27 | 4 | 0 | 2 fumbles recovered | Los Angeles Rams / 1st / 10th pick / 1954 |
| RG | John Nisby* | 23 | 2 | 0 | 1 fumble recovered | Green Bay Packers / 6th / 70th pick / 1957 |
| RT | Frank Varrichione | 27 | 4 | 0 | 1 fumble recovered | Pittsburgh Steelers / 1st / 6th pick / 1955 |
| RE | Jimmy Orr* | 24 | 1 | 0 | 35 catches for 604 yards, 5 td, & 5 rushes for 43 yards and 0 td | Los Angeles Rams / 25th / 291st pick / 1957 |
| Defensive Starters | ||||||
| LDE | George Tarasovic | 29 | 7 | 0 | 0 interceptions, 5 fumbles recovered | Pittsburgh Steelers / 2nd / 18th pick / 1952 |
| LDT | Ray Fisher | 25 | Rook | 0 | ||
| LDT | Joe Lewis | 23 | 1 | 0 | Pittsburgh Steelers / 17th / 199th pick / 1958 | |
| RDT | Joe Krupa | 26 | 3 | 0 | Pittsburgh Steelers / 2nd / 17th pick / 1956 | |
| RDE | Ernie Stautner* | 34 | 9 | 0 | 0 interceptions, 2 fumbles recovered | Pittsburgh Steelers / 2nd / 22nd pick / 1950 |
| RDE | Billy Ray Sr. Smith | 24 | 2 | 0 | Los Angeles Rams / 3rd / 26th pick / 1957 | |
| LLB | Dick Campbell | 24 | 1 | 0 | 1 interception, 0 fumbles recovered | Pittsburgh Steelers / 10th / 116th pick / 1958 |
| MLB | Mike Henry | 23 | Rook | 0 | 2 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered | Pittsburgh Steelers / 9th / 100th pick / 1958 |
| MLB | Dale Dodrill | 33 | 8 | 0 | 0 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered | Pittsburgh Steelers / 6th / 67th pick / 1951 |
| RLB | John Reger* | 28 | 4 | 0 | ||
| LDH | Dean Derby* | 24 | 2 | 0 | 7 interceptions, 0 fumbles recovered | Los Angeles Rams / 5th / 51st pick / 1957 |
| RDH | Jack Butler+ | 32 | 8 | 0 | 2 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered | |
| LS | Ron Hall | 22 | Rook | 0 | 1 interception, 1 fumble recovered | Pittsburgh Steelers / 28th / 331st pick / 1959 |
| RS | Dick Alban | 30 | 7 | 0 | 6 interceptions, 0 fumbles recovered | Washington Redskins / 9th / 103rd pick / 1952 |
| Special Teams Starters | ||||||
| K | Bobby Layne* | 33 | 11 | 12 | 11 of 17 field goals & 32 of 32 extra points | Chicago Bears / 1st / 3rd pick / 1948 |
| P | Bobby Luna | 26 | 4 | 0 | 63 punts for a 40.7 average, 0 blocked | San Francisco 49ers / 6th / 69th pick / 1955 |
| PR | Don Sutherin | 23 | Rook | 0 | 12 punt returns for a 5.7 average and 0 td | New York Giants / 8th / 94th pick / 1958 |
| KR | Don Sutherin | 23 | Rook | 0 | 11 kick returns for a 20.5 average and 0 td | New York Giants / 8th / 94th pick / 1958 |
| No. | Age | Pos | G | GS | Wt | Ht | College/Univ | BirthDate | Yrs | Drafted (tm/rnd/yr) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 42 | Dick Alban | 30 | DB | 12 | 0 | 193 | 6-0 | Northwestern | 1/17/1929 | 7 | Washington Redskins / 9th / 103rd pick / 1952 |
| 43 | Tom Barnett | 22 | HB-DB | 12 | 0 | 190 | 5-11 | Purdue | 7/11/1937 | Rook | Pittsburgh Steelers / 8th / 91st pick / 1959 |
| 72 | Byron Beams | 30 | T-DT | 6 | 0 | 248 | 6-6 | Notre Dame | 9/8/1929 | Rook | Los Angeles Rams / 20th / 232nd pick / 1957 |
| 57 | Ed Beatty | 27 | C-LB | 12 | 0 | 229 | 6-3 | Mississippi | 4/6/1932 | 4 | Los Angeles Rams / 1st / 10th pick / 1954 |
| 28 | Don Bishop | 25 | B | 2 | 0 | 209 | 6-2 | Los Angeles CC | 7/1/1934 | 1 | |
| 88 | Pete Brewster | 29 | E | 9 | 0 | 210 | 6-3 | Purdue | 9/1/1930 | 7 | Chicago Cardinals / 2nd / 21st pick / 1952 |
| 80 | Jack Butler+ | 32 | DB | 7 | 0 | 200 | 6-1 | St. Bonaventure | 11/12/1927 | 8 | |
| 20 | Jack Call | 24 | HB | 4 | 0 | 200 | 6-1 | Colgate | 7/30/1935 | 2 | Baltimore Colts / 13th / 151st pick / 1957 |
| 66 | Dick Campbell | 24 | LB | 12 | 0 | 227 | 6-1 | Marquette | 7/17/1935 | 1 | Pittsburgh Steelers / 10th / 116th pick / 1958 |
| 16 | Len Dawson | 24 | QB | 12 | 0 | 190 | 6-0 | Purdue | 6/20/1935 | 2 | Pittsburgh Steelers / 1st / 5th pick / 1957 |
| 27 | Dean Derby* | 24 | DB | 12 | 0 | 185 | 6-0 | Washington | 6/11/1935 | 2 | Los Angeles Rams / 5th / 51st pick / 1957 |
| 83 | Buddy Dial | 22 | SE-FL | 12 | 0 | 194 | 6-1 | Rice | 1/17/1937 | Rook | New York Giants / 2nd / 22nd pick / 1959 |
| 60 | Dale Dodrill | 33 | MG-LB | 12 | 0 | 215 | 6-1 | Colorado St. | 2/27/1926 | 8 | Pittsburgh Steelers / 6th / 67th pick / 1951 |
| 34 | Leo Elter | 30 | FB-HB | 8 | 0 | 201 | 5-10 | Duquesne,Villanova | 10/21/1929 | 6 | |
| 73 | Ray Fisher | 25 | DT-T-G | 12 | 0 | 230 | 6-0 | East. Illinois | 2/12/1934 | Rook | |
| 26 | Gary Glick | 29 | DB-HB | 2 | 0 | 195 | 6-2 | Colorado St. | 5/14/1930 | 3 | Pittsburgh Steelers / 1st / 1st pick / 1956 |
| 26 | Ron Hall | 22 | DB | 2 | 0 | 190 | 6-0 | Missouri Valley | 4/30/1937 | Rook | Pittsburgh Steelers / 28th / 331st pick / 1959 |
| 35 | Rudy Hayes | 24 | LB | 12 | 0 | 217 | 6-0 | Clemson | 1/12/1935 | Rook | Pittsburgh Steelers / 20th / 235th pick / 1959 |
| 68 | Mike Henry | 23 | LB | 12 | 0 | 220 | 6-2 | USC | 8/15/1936 | Rook | Pittsburgh Steelers / 9th / 100th pick / 1958 |
| 61 | Ted Karras | 25 | G-T-LB | 12 | 0 | 245 | 6-1 | Indiana | 1/31/1934 | 1 | |
| 75 | Joe Krupa | 26 | DT | 9 | 0 | 232 | 6-2 | Purdue | 7/6/1933 | 3 | Pittsburgh Steelers / 2nd / 17th pick / 1956 |
| 39 | Larry Krutko | 24 | FB | 12 | 0 | 220 | 6-0 | West Virginia | 6/27/1935 | 1 | Pittsburgh Steelers / 2nd / 20th pick / 1958 |
| 89 | Dick Lasse | 24 | LB | 12 | 0 | 222 | 6-2 | Syracuse | 11/13/1935 | 1 | Pittsburgh Steelers / 6th / 68th pick / 1958 |
| 22 | Bobby Layne* | 33 | QB | 12 | 12 | 201 | 6-1 | Texas | 12/19/1926 | 11 | Chicago Bears / 1st / 3rd pick / 1948 |
| 71 | Joe Lewis | 23 | DT | 5 | 0 | 256 | 6-2 | Compton CC (CA) | 1/23/1936 | 1 | Pittsburgh Steelers / 17th / 199th pick / 1958 |
| 24 | Bobby Luna | 26 | DB | 12 | 0 | 187 | 5-11 | Alabama | 3/25/1933 | 4 | San Francisco 49ers / 6th / 69th pick / 1955 |
| 25 | Ray Mathews | 30 | HB-E | 12 | 0 | 185 | 6-0 | Clemson | 2/26/1929 | 8 | Pittsburgh Steelers / 7th / 81st pick / 1951 |
| 87 | Jack McClairen | 28 | E | 1 | 0 | 213 | 6-4 | Bethune-Cookman | 3/2/1931 | 4 | Pittsburgh Steelers / 26th / 306th pick / 1953 |
| 84 | Gern Nagler | 27 | E | 12 | 0 | 190 | 6-2 | Santa Clara | 2/23/1932 | 6 | Cleveland Browns / 14th / 167th pick / 1953 |
| 65 | John Nisby* | 23 | G | 12 | 0 | 235 | 6-1 | Pacific | 9/9/1936 | 2 | Green Bay Packers / 6th / 70th pick / 1957 |
| 86 | Jimmy Orr* | 24 | FL-E-SE-WR | 12 | 0 | 185 | 5-11 | Wake Forest,Clemson,Georgia | 10/4/1935 | 1 | Los Angeles Rams / 25th / 291st pick / 1957 |
| 50 | John Reger* | 28 | LB-G | 12 | 0 | 225 | 6-0 | Pittsburgh | 9/11/1931 | 4 | |
| 62 | Mike Sandusky | 24 | G | 11 | 0 | 231 | 6-0 | Maryland | 3/14/1935 | 2 | San Francisco 49ers / 4th / 46th pick / 1957 |
| 77 | Billy Ray Sr. Smith | 24 | DT-DE | 6 | 0 | 240 | 6-4 | Auburn,Arkansas | 1/27/1935 | 2 | Los Angeles Rams / 3rd / 26th pick / 1957 |
| 70 | Ernie Stautner* | 34 | DT-DE-G | 12 | 0 | 230 | 6-1 | Boston Col. | 4/20/1925 | 9 | Pittsburgh Steelers / 2nd / 22nd pick / 1950 |
| 20 | Don Sutherin | 23 | DB | 6 | 0 | 193 | 5-10 | Ohio St. | 2/29/1936 | Rook | New York Giants / 8th / 94th pick / 1958 |
| 82 | George Tarasovic | 29 | DE-LB-C | 12 | 0 | 245 | 6-4 | Boston Col.,LSU | 5/6/1930 | 7 | Pittsburgh Steelers / 2nd / 18th pick / 1952 |
| 30 | Tom Tracy | 25 | HB-FB | 12 | 0 | 205 | 5-9 | Tennessee | 9/7/1934 | 3 | Detroit Lions / 5th / 50th pick / 1956 |
| 74 | Frank Varrichione | 27 | T | 12 | 0 | 234 | 6-1 | Notre Dame | 1/14/1932 | 4 | Pittsburgh Steelers / 1st / 6th pick / 1955 |
| Team Total | 26.3 | 12 | 213.3 | 6-1.0 | 3.2 |