With a cigarette in hand, and spectacles perched on his nose, Bill Nunn Jr would settle a keen eye on HBCU players he deemed fit.

As a managing editor for the Pittsburgh Courier in the 1960s, Nunn Jr was entrusted with the job of creating the newspaper’s Black College All-America Team—a job he took very seriously. Every fall, the young journalist would travel 12,000 miles to the deep South. He’d often stay on campus with the college president, athletic director or coaches, and identify Black athletes worthy of being mentioned in his column and of an award. Slowly, though, his passion would develop into something else.

Nunn Jr grew frustrated. Why weren’t teams and the NFL paying more attention to the Black athletes his paper honored? It was then he realized that it was time to take matters into his own hands. The first step was hosting players for a gala every fall where they’d get to meet the league’s bigwigs, and present their case. The problem still persisted, though.

Growing more frustrated, the editor then voiced his opinion to Dan Rooney—son of Pittsburgh Steelers‘ owner Art Rooney—who didn’t waste much time to hire him instead. In 1967, Nunn began working for the team part time, before transitioning to a full time role from 1969—the year Chuck Noll became the coach—to 2014, till he passed away. In retrospect, that was the best decision the Rooney family might have taken. Ever.

Bringing in iconic Black athletes like Mel Blount, John Stallworth, Donnie Shell and Sam Davis, among others, Nunn essentially launched what many have come to call the “gold standard dynasty”—just six years after joining the team as a scout, Nunn helped the Steelers win their first-ever Super Bowl in 1975, where the Steelers beat the Minnesota Vikings 16-6. The next year, Nunn did it again. Not only did the team win the Super Bowl X, but also doubled down with more championship wins at the Super Bowl XIII, XIV, XL, and XLIII.

However, as respected as the journalist-turned-scout was in the NFL community, there was one thing still missing. The deserved recognition; a Pro Football Hall of Fame induction like he deserved. Year after year, his peers made it to Canton, Ohio. Yet, he never did. Finally, seven years after his death, that day came. “Induction for Hall of Fame Finalist Bill Nunn long overdue,” an article from the HoF’s website read like it should in 2021.

And that’s exactly what Kevin Pearce, who prides himself on “Sports ‘Analysis’ Among Other Things” in his Instagram bio said in a Reel on February 14. “A black man built the Pittsburgh Steelers, and you don’t even know his name. Shame on you!”

“This is the late great Mr. Bill Nunn Jr. And before he was even with the Steelers, he was a sportswriter at the biggest black-owned newspaper in America, the Pittsburgh Courier, where every year, he would scout the best football players from Black colleges and put them together on the Black All-America Team. By 1967, Nunn’s All-Americans had 38 alumni either in the NFL or AFL. A good bit of them ended up being Hall of Famers…So the Steelers after all that time, said, ‘You know what, man? We trippin,’ and hired Nunn to bring the talent directly to them. And, oh boy, did he. The Steelers drafted a league-high 24 players from Black colleges from 1969 to 1975, such as Mel Blount, Donnie Shell, John Stallworth just to name a few,” Pearce added.

“And he also scouted other small schools in the South, bringing in a player by the name of Joe Greene, who I heard, is a very nice guy. Before Bill Nunn walked into the Steelers building, they had seven winning seasons in 30 years. The moment he walks in, they get four Super Bowls in the next 10, become the NFL’s gold standard dynasty, and objectively have the coolest nickname in history. And then finally, in 2021, Nunn was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as the first Black person to be inducted in the Contributor Category. So, for opening the door for HBCU athletes…and for building an iconic dynasty…Rest in Power Mr. Bill Nunn Jr. You are Black history,” he further said.

Even former Baltimore Ravens safety and NFL legend, Ed Reed heavily agreed with Pearce’s words, even sharing the reel on his Instagram Story. “This explains everything, why they are love by many. Word to Bill Nunn Jr #hbcu,” he wrote.

Having said that, his scouting wasn’t just about raw numbers—it was about relationships. Nunn knew HBCU coaches personally. He earned their trust. While other scouts showed up with stopwatches, he showed up with respect. That’s how the Steelers got ahead. That’s how they built a team that could out-tough anyone. Three-fourths of the “Steel Curtain” D-line? HBCU products Nunn discovered. The Steelers didn’t just win games—they changed how the NFL found talent.

Bill Nunn Jr is a man who cracked the NFL’s old ways and let generations of Black athletes shine. If you love football, you owe him. The Steelers owe him. The league itself owes him. Bill Nunn wasn’t just a scout. He was a revolution.

Bill Nunn: The name that echoes through Steel City even now

“Bill in my mind was a game-changer,” Stallworth said. “He was a force in the room for us.”

But his influence stretched beyond Pittsburgh. Take Roosevelt Brown. Nunn’s Courier list put him on the Giants’ radar, and they took him in the 27th round. He became a Hall of Famer. Same with Deacon Jones, drafted in the 14th round by the Rams. Nunn wasn’t just finding stars—he was rewriting how the league evaluated talent. “You can’t write the history of the Pittsburgh Steelers without Bill Nunn,” Blount said.

Even after retirement, he couldn’t stay away. The Steelers brought him back, and he kept shaping champions. Six Super Bowl rings later, his legacy was undeniable. “He never changed,” his daughter Lynell said. “He was always so concerned about diversity with the players, coaches, and front office.”

It took until 2021 for the Hall of Fame to come calling, making him the first Black contributor enshrined. Long overdue. But here’s the truth: if you love the Steelers, if you love the NFL, you owe a debt to Bill Nunn. And even now, his impact is still being felt, echoing through the league he helped reshape.