Yesterday was Jack Lambert’s birthday. He turned 68. He could still ***k you up.
Lambert isn’t the greatest Steeler ever. That’s Mean Joe Greene.
Lambert isn’t even the greatest Steelers linebacker ever. That’s Jack Ham.
But Lambert is the ultimate Steelers bad-ass. His style and attitude represented the franchise during the ‘70s.
That was OK by him. Nobody ever loved being a Steeler more than Lambert. Witness his Pro Football Hall of Fame speech below.
Could Lambert excel in today’s NFL? Probably not. He’s 68.
Lambert was 6-foot-4, but weighed just 22o pounds. He would definitely be a bit light for middle linebacker now. But Lambert doesn’t have to play now. He played then, and was incredible.
I’ve interviewed Lambert only once. That was for Penguins Report, a long-defunct biweekly rag. We mostly talked hockey, because Lambert was playing charity fundraising games with a team composed of ex-Penguins and Pittsburgh celebs.
Lambert doesn’t like to reminisce about the “good old days,” it seems. That’s why he’s not at Heinz Field for this, that, or the other.
I’d love to have Lambert on my show. I suspect that’s not in the cards. But he’s always welcome. We could talk hockey again.
Thumbnail via Getty Images.