Steelers' Mel Blount Thinks Breaking Bob Trumpy's Jaw Was Final Straw That Prompted 1978 Rule Change

The Pittsburgh Steelers were the dominant team of the 1970s. It was a decade that saw multiple dynasties emerge. Don Shula’s perfect Miami Dolphins, who won two Super Bowls, and Tom Landry’s Dallas Cowboys, who appeared in five of the first 13 Super Bowls, were contenders for the team of the decade title. The Steelers dominated the decade with four championships in six seasons. They secured the title by beating Landry’s Cowboys in two of the most exciting Super Bowls in the history of the sport.

On Wednesday, one of the stars of those Steelers teams, Mel Blount, joined The Cook & Joe Show to say his goodbyes to Ron Cook. The long-time writer for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and former host of The Ben Roethlisberger Show has had an avalanche of Steelers royalty appear on the show this week. Joe Starkey, who has arranged many of the appearances with Bob Pompeani, asked Blount if he would recount, one more time, the story of the infamous NFL rule change that bears his name.  

“We played a game in 1977 against the [Cincinnati] Bengals in Pittsburgh,” Blount recalls. “Bob Trumpy, who was the tight end, came out into the flat. Ken [Anderson] throws this ball, I react to the ball and unintentionally broke his jaw. We collided and unfortunately he got hurt. A play later, Isaac Curtis was trying to get off the line of scrimmage, so I was jamming him and he couldn’t get off. In the meantime, Paul Brown was on the competition committee. They called Pete Rozelle.”

Bob Trumpy would later go on to fame as Don Criqui's analyst for NBC Sports NFL broadcasts. It may seem unbelievable to younger fans, but in 1977, there was no such thing as a defenseless receiver and no limit to the contact before the pass was thrown. Paul Brown, who was a very influential figure in the history of professional football, was not pleased with what he was seeing. The former championship-winning head coach of the Cleveland Browns and owner of the Cincinnati Bengals decided to make trouble for the Steelers legendary cornerback.

Shading Steelers Hall Of Famers Could Be Dangerous: Remember Urban Legend Of Mel Blount

Blount, who was huge even by today’s standards for a cornerback, was allowed to play bump and run all over the field. He paired that physical ability with blazing speed. Blount was timed in the 40-yard dash in the low 4.4 range. Opposing teams watched in horror as Blount dominated their best receivers. This is a point that Pete Rozelle and his supervisor of officials, Art McNally decided to try and make in person with the 1975 NFL Defensive Player of The Year.

“Pete Rozelle and Art McNally had Dan Rooney fly me, basically said I had to come to the league office in New York,” Blount continued. “We went up there and they ran these films. We were in this meeting room with Art McNally, Rozelle and all of his guys. They were running this play back and running this play back and I said you know what, until they change the rule, I’m going to continue to play that way.”

In 1977, the memory of the beating that Blount delivered to the Cowboys' Drew Pearson in Super Bowl X was still very fresh in the minds of NFL owners. It was almost an unfair advantage for the Steelers on defense. The league had never seen the combination of physicality and speed that Blount delivered on a week-in and week-out basis. The seeds of change had been sown by the dominating Steel Curtain defense and a defiant Blount who refused to compromise.

“Don’t you know in the offseason of 1978, they changed the rule,” Blount concluded. “They called it the 'Mel Blount rule.' That’s kind of a backdrop of that story. It changed the whole game. If you remember [Terry] Bradshaw, [Lynn] Swann, and [John] Stallworth, they went crazy. It opened up the offensive game around the league. We went on to win two more Super Bowls behind that. It really didn’t affect us much on defense because we had great players and we could play any way they wanted to play.”

In 1978, the Steelers were two years removed from back-to-back victories in Super Bowls IX and X. When the NFL instituted change in 1978, it prompted an angry Steelers response. The team stormed through the regular season, winning 14 out of 16 games. Pittsburgh only surrendered 195 points in 16 regular season games, and Blount was named a Second Team All-Pro and returned to the Pro Bowl after a one-year absence. The rule was supposed to limit Blount and the Steelers, and instead, they flourished. 

Pittsburgh only allowed one touchdown combined in the AFC Divisional and Championship games. Super Bowl XIII saw the Cowboys score an impressive 31 points on the Steelers. It was the most points they allowed all season. Blount produced a key interception in the first half that helped the Steelers build a 35-17 lead in the fourth quarter. Roger Staubach led a valiant comeback effort that fell just short. The Steelers were champions despite a rule change that was meant to end their dominance. 

If you did not see him play, it is hard to describe just how dominating number 47 was on the football field. Blount had exceptional hands and was excellent in coverage, but it doesn't do him justice to say that. He also embraced physicality and delivered brutal beatings to any receiver or tight end he lined up against. Blount was the equal of Deion Sanders and Rod Woodson in coverage and hit like Ronnie Lott. We won't see another like him, sadly, of the NFL's design.