NFL Greatest Players

Terry Bradshaw: They called him buffoon, rube and country bumpkin. They cracked jokes about his rural naivete and suggested he was dumb.

But Terry Bradshaw, he of the sparkling blue eyes, sly smile and dimpled chin, had everyone fooled. He was dumb like a fox. And naive enough to lead the Pittsburgh Steelers to four Super Bowl championships over a fascinating 14-year career.

It all seemed so simple in 1970 when the lowly Steelers grabbed Bradshaw out of tiny Louisiana Tech with the No. 1 overall pick. Everyone predicted the 6-3, 215-pound phenom with the rifle arm, quick release and running back speed would lead the franchise to long-awaited respectability.

But Bradshaw was a diamond in the rough, a small-town boy unprepared for the sophisticated professional game. His first few seasons were a struggle, both on the field and off.

And then, like magic, he blossomed into a big-play machine. Bradshaw's incredible deep touch began producing long touchdown passes to Lynn Swann and John Stallworth. His short passing game and scrambling ability confused defenses. His play-calling became clever and efficient.

And his reputation grew as one of the great postseason performers in football history. When Bradshaw earned consecutive MVPs with a combined 627 passing yards and six touchdowns in Super Bowl XIII and XIV, he wiped away the early-career putdowns and frustrations.

Throughout his career, Bradshaw was exciting and unpredictable. He could throw an 80-yard touchdown pass on one play, an interception into triple coverage on the next.

He also was unpredictable in his personal life, a free-spirited, fun-loving celebrity who dabbled in everything from business to country singing and acting. When he retired in 1983 with 27,989 passing yards and 212 TD passes, longtime Steelers owner Art Rooney called him the greatest quarterback of all time.