Dan Rooney Heads to Ireland: What It Means for the Steelers and the NFL

Pittsburgh Steelers owner and chairman Dan Rooney was recently appointed to the post of U.S. Ambassador to Ireland by President Obama.

While this is a significant achievement for a man who has experienced the high of multiple Super Bowl victories and earned the unconditional love of a working-man’s city, one must wonder, where does this new position for Mr. Rooney leave the Pittsburgh Steelers and the NFL?

A hands-on owner who walks to Heinz Field on game days, attends practices, flies on the team plane, and makes it a point to know players and their families on a personal level, Rooney’s time in Ireland will no doubt leave a gaping hole in the Steelers' organization once he takes flight over the Atlantic.

Day-to-day operations will undoubtedly run smoothly as Rooney’s son, Art Rooney II, will continue in his role as president.

The impact won’t be felt in the offices, but rather on the practice field and in the locker room. Rooney’s presence is an inspiration and driving force not only to players, but to coaches and staff as well.

And it’s not only his football team that will be feeling the effects of Rooney’s new life in Ireland.

Rooney represents an old-school mentality in the way he runs his organization and how he deals with and treats people. This system is one of the most respected in the National Football League and, as such, Rooney has become an iconic figure in the league. He is what new owners aspire to become.

His acceptance of the position in Ireland requires Rooney to step down from his post as the chairman of the NFL’s Pro Football Hall of Fame committee as well as resign his seat on the Hall of Fame’s board of trustees.

His absence on key committees and at league-wide meetings will no doubt be felt among the owners. What it means to the NFL to have such a deeply respected member of the community and proven leader no longer an active participate is yet to be seen.

One thing, however, is certain—no one will be able to fill the shoes that have walked from the residential North Side to Heinz Field and back again countless times.