Byron “Whizzer” White made all the football headlines in 1938 when Art Rooney enticed him to Pittsburgh to play professional football for a $15,000 salary. The wage was double what any player in the league had made before.
There was a very brief love affair with White, but the team’s disappointing 2-9-2 season couldn’t really be considered as a success.
The continuing poor performance of the Steelers saw them with the number one draft pick for the 1942 season and there was an outstanding athlete to use their selection on.
Bill Dudley was the first All-American out of Virginia and was the leading scorer and ground gainer in collegiate football for 1941.