NFL Greatest Players

Jack Ham: He was affectionately called "Dobre Shunka" (Great Ham) by Pittsburgh's Slovak fans. He was respectfully called Master Jack by opponents he faced on Sunday afternoons.

Jack Ham was the brains behind the Steel Curtain brawn, the steadying hand for one of football's great defenses.

When trouble loomed, he always was there with the big play.

As the outside linebacker on the left side of a defense fronted by Joe Greene and L.C. Greenwood, the 6-1, 225-pound former Penn State star didn't have to play the power game.

He had explosive quickness and the savvy to diagnose plays, frustrating offensive coordinators who marveled at his anticipation and ability to carve up their game plans.

The athletic Ham didn't mind delivering a blow, but he preferred to operate with intelligence and a consistent, unemotional discipline.

Surrounded by Greene, Greenwood, cornerback Mel Blount and fellow linebackers Jack Lambert and Andy Russell, Ham could be used like an extra defensive back, a role he relished.

He loved the challenge of covering fleet running backs and tight ends and his ballhawking ability produced 32 interceptions over a 12-year career that started in 1971. He also recovered 19 opponent fumbles and was a dangerous kick-blocker.

Ironically, the low-key, quiet Ham, who went out of his way to avoid the spotlight, became one of the most popular players in a city that revered its blue-collar heroes. Ham wasn't as imposing as Lambert and he didn't hit as hard as Greene, but his guile-over-power style still caught the fancy of fans in the Steel City.

The eight-time Pro Bowl selection played in six AFC title games in eight years and led the Steelers to four Super Bowl championships in six seasons before retiring after injury-plagued 1981 and 1982 seasons.