Sports

Greg Hawthorne, the Steelers' No. 1 pick in 1979, dies at 69

By Ray Fittipaldo, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette The Tribune Content Agency

July 10, 2026 3:48 PM

Greg Hawthorne, the Steelers' No. 1 pick in the 1979 draft and a member of their Super Bowl XIV championship team, died on Wednesday. He was 69. His family announced his death on Facebook.

Hawthorne, a running back, was the No. 28 overall pick in the 1979 draft and the final pick of the first round. It was a surprise move, as evidenced by the headline in the Post-Gazette the day after the Steelers selected Hawthorne:

"Greg Who?"

Hawthorne had only played in three games during his senior season at Baylor due to a hip injury and was not projected to go in the first round. His Steelers career got off to a rough start when he pulled his hamstring during his rookie training camp.

Hawthorne played in 15 games as a rookie, but he had a hard time cracking a lineup that was filled with Pro Bowlers and Hall of Famers. Franco Harris, along with Rocky Bleier and Sidney Thornton, was already established in the backfield.

Hawthorne's best season with the Steelers came in 1980, when he had an opportunity to start six games while Harris was injured. Hawthorne rushed for 263 yards on 63 carries and scored four touchdowns. Late during his five-year run with the Steelers, he was switched to receiver, but he also had a hard time finding playing time there.

Hawthorne played in 59 games for the Steelers, mostly as a backup, and he never lived up to his first-round billing.

The Steelers had tremendous success in the draft in the early and mid-1970s, but Hawthorne was the first in a string of first-round picks who did not pan out in the late ‘70s and ‘80s. Quarterback Mark Malone was the first-round pick in 1980 and was followed by a number of others who failed to live up to expectations, including defensive lineman Darryl Sims and offensive lineman John Rienstra.

In 1982, the Steelers drafted another running back in the first round out of Baylor. Walter Abercrombie ended up being the replacement for Harris, but he also had a hard time living up to expectations. Hawthorne, meanwhile, remained a backup before requesting a trade following the 1983 season.

Those draft misses eventually led team president Dan Rooney to fire his brother, Art Rooney Jr., the longtime personnel executive who oversaw the team's drafts since the 1960s.

Hawthorne finished out his professional career with the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts. He was a member of the 1985 Patriots team that advanced to Super Bowl XX against the Chicago Bears. He retired after the 1987 season.