Former Steelers Hall of Famer Stautner, 80, dies in Colorado
DALLAS — Ernie Stautner, a Hall of Fame defensive lineman for the Pittsburgh Steelers and longtime Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator, died Thursday in a nursing home, his wife said. He was 80.
Stautner, who went to nine Pro Bowls with the Steelers and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1969, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 1998, Jill Stautner said. He died in Carbondale, Colo.
For years the chiseled Stautner, undersized for his position when he starred during the 1950s, was an assistant under Dallas coach Tom Landry. He counted former Cowboys Randy White and Bob Lilly among his close friends.
"He loved all those guys, he loved them all," Jill Stautner said. "If they were willing to work, he loved them all."
The square-jawed Stautner coached the defensive line for the Cowboys from 1966-72 and also served as the defensive coordinator from 1973-88. Known for his determination and desire as a player, he expected no less from his pupils.
Lilly, a Hall of Fame defense lineman, said that as soon as Stautner arrived, he demanded that his players pay attention to the little things in practice.
"He said, 'You guys hit that two-man sled like a bunch of girls.' What he did was he put his right hand in a fist and came up and hit that sled as hard as he could, and he was stout," Lilly said. "He hit it two or three times, and we were wide-eyed.
"There's a half-inch metal plate behind that pad, and he hit that pad with his middle knuckle and broke a bone in his hand. He hit it again, and blood started squirting out," Lilly said. "Boy, I can tell you he had our attention from then on."
Stautner helped the Cowboys win two Super Bowls in the 1970s.
"He was knowledgeable about the defense, and called the defense," said Gene Stallings, who coached the Dallas secondary from 1972-85. "We would fuss every once in a while, and Coach Landry would tell us to behave. It was a good working relationship, and I'll miss him,"
Former longtime Cowboys personnel director Gil Brandt said Stautner was hardworking and patient with players.
"My thoughts are that he did such a great job of developing young players, defensive linemen like Ed Jones, Randy White and Harvey Martin, and was kind of the unsung hero of our defense," Brandt said.
The 6-foot-1, 230-pound Stautner was with the Steelers his entire 14-year career, never playing on a winning team but establishing a reputation for a strong work ethic on a punishing defense. He saw spot duty as an offensive guard, and the Steelers retired his No. 70 jersey.
Stautner's physical and relentless style of play helped the club become known as one of the NFL's toughest teams during the 1950s, said Steelers Chairman Dan Rooney.
"Ernie was one of the NFL's first impact players along the defensive line," Rooney said. "He was probably the most well-known player on the team throughout much of his career."
With the Cowboys, Stautner's powerful frame was a familiar sight on the sideline during the Landry era, and he looked as if he could still play the game.
"He never lifted weights; he did isometrics," Lilly said. "He had these doors, he would get on one side and push. Isometrics was an exercise then, he would just push, push, push, and that's how he got his muscles."
Stautner was born in Germany and immigrated with his family to Albany, N.Y., when he was 3. After serving in the Marines, Stautner played at Boston College and was selected by the Steelers in the third round of the 1950 NFL draft.
He also was an assistant for the Steelers, Washington Redskins, Denver Broncos and head coach of the Dallas Texans Arena League and Frankfurt Galaxy of NFL Europe.
Stautner had lived in Vail, Colo., for about a year.
Survivors include his wife, five daughters and six grandchildren.
Funeral Mass will be celebrated Monday at St. Philip the Apostle Catholic Church in Lewisville, Texas, a Dallas-Fort Worth suburb.
