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Four-time Super Bowl champion Mike Wagner, a mainstay at safety on the Pittsburgh Steelers' 'Steel Curtain' defenses, has died at the age of 76, the team announced on its official website Thursday (February 19).
"We are deeply saddened by the passing of Mike Wagner, a tremendous player and an integral part of some of the most successful teams in Pittsburgh Steelers history," said Steelers president Art Rooney II. "Mike played a key role on our championship teams of the 1970s. As a member of four Super Bowl-winning teams, his toughness and consistency were paramount to our secondary. His contributions on the field were significant, but it was also his steady presence and team-first mentality that truly defined him.
"On behalf of the entire Pittsburgh Steelers organization, we extend our heartfelt condolences to Mike's family. He will always be remembered as a champion, a great teammate, and a proud member of the Steelers family."
Wagner was selected by the Steelers at No. 268 overall in the 11th round of the 1971 NFL Draft and spent his entire 10-year NFL career with the franchise. The former Western Illinois standout started at safety on Pittsburgh's first four Super Bowl championship teams and was a first-team All-Pro in 1973, a second-team All-Pro in 1976, a two-time Pro Bowler in 1975 and 1976 and the NFL interceptions co-leader in 1973, as well as being elected to the Steelers' Hall of Hame, Hall of Honor and 50th Anniversary Team.
"Mike was our quarterback in the secondary," said former teammate Mel Blount, a Pro Football Hall of Fame cornerback on the Steel Curtain defenses. "When you think about all the great players we had on that team who flew under the radar, Mike was one of those guys. I don't know if the fans or the general public really knew what an intricate part of that defense he was. He directed what we were doing back in the secondary, and at the same time made plays himself. He made some big plays for us. He did his job and made sure we were doing ours.
"More importantly with Mike, you're talking about a good human being. He was just a good person."