Bradshaw was the First Overall Pick in 1970, where the Louisiana Tech QB had an abysmal rookie year with a TD-INT ratio of 6-24. “The Blonde Bomber” had up and down years in the first half of his career, but he was still effective leading Pittsburgh to their first Super Bowl (IX) for the 1974 season. Bradshaw's play improved, and he went to his first Pro Bowl and took the Steelers to their second Super Bowl.
Bradshaw’s best season was in 1978 where he won the AP MVP, the Bert Bell Award, and he led the NFL in Touchdown Passes (28). Also named a First Team All-Pro and Pro Bowler, Bradshaw again led the Steelers to a Super Bowl win, and this time he was the Super Bowl MVP. Bradshaw arguably had a better 1979, with 26 TDs and a career-high 3,724 Passing Yards. The Louisiana native took the Steelers to their fourth Super Bowl win, with a second Super Bowl MVP landing in his trophy case.
The QB continued to play well, again finishing first in Touchdown Passes (17) in the strike-shortened '82 season. This was the end for Bradshaw, who only played one game in 1983 after dealing with elbow problems.
Bradshaw finished his career with 27,989 Passing Yards and 212 Touchdowns against 210 Interceptions. He became a successful television analyst and would enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1989, his first year of eligibility. Bradshaw was also part of the first-ever Steelers Hall of Honor Class in 2017.
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