1963 Pittsburgh Steelers season

1963 Pittsburgh Steelers season
Head coachBuddy Parker
Home fieldForbes Field (four games)
Pitt Stadium (three games)
Results
Record7–4–3
Division place4th NFL Eastern
Playoff finishDid not qualify

The 1963 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the team's 31st in the National Football League (NFL). The Steelers won seven games, lost four, and tied three to finish fourth in the Eastern Conference. It was also their final season of splitting home games between Forbes Field and Pitt Stadium before moving all of their home games to the latter for the next six seasons.

In the second game of the season, the Steelers shut out the New York Giants 31–0 in the home opener at Pitt Stadium.[1] The Giants had won the conference title the previous two seasons and four of the last five, but were without hall of fame quarterback Y. A. Tittle.[1]

Because tie games were not included in NFL standings at the time (for winning percentage), the Steelers had a chance to win the conference title and advance to their first-ever NFL Championship Game. They needed to defeat the Giants at Yankee Stadium in the season finale,[2] but lost 33–17 and fell to fourth;[3][4] it was their last winning season until 1972.

This year marked the debut of the Steelers' trademark black helmets with their logo on one side of the helmet. They had used the logo previously on yellow helmets, but 1963 was the first season in which their now-signature look was used full-time in the regular season.[5]

Prior to the season in May, defensive tackle Big Daddy Lipscomb died of an overdose of heroin at age 31;[6][7][8][9] his final game was the Pro Bowl in January 1963, in which he was named the lineman of the game.[10][11]

  1. ^ a b Sell, Jack (September 23, 1963). "Steelers shut out Giants, 31-0". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 1.
  2. ^ Livingston, Pat (December 15, 1963). "Steelers battle Giants for title". Pittsburgh Press. p. 1, sports.
  3. ^ Sell, Jack (December 16, 1963). "Giants end Steeler hopes, 33-17". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 1.
  4. ^ Livingston, Pat (December 16, 1963). "Gifford turns tide for Giants". Pittsburgh Press. p. 35.
  5. ^ "1963 NFL season at Gridiron Uniform Database". Archived from the original on October 16, 2013. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
  6. ^ "Grid star Lipscomb dies, narcotics use suspected". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. May 11, 1963. p. 1.
  7. ^ "Lipscomb dies under mysterious circumstances". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. May 10, 1963. p. 2B.
  8. ^ "Heroin caused Lipscomb death". Pittsburgh Press. UPI. May 15, 1963. p. 1.
  9. ^ "New law may result in freedom". Baltimore Afro-American. (Maryland). July 27, 1963. p. 1.
  10. ^ "East stars score 30-20 upset in Pro Bowl". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. January 14, 1963. p. 22.
  11. ^ "Jim Brown helps Sherman defeat Lombardi". Reading Eagle. (Pennsylvania). UPI. January 14, 1963. p. 14.