Bill Cowher Selects His Hall of Fame Presenter

Some newly-elected Pro Football Hall of Famers take a while to decide who their presenter will be, but Bill Cowher took no time selecting Steelers President Art Rooney II.

Cowher said he has known who he's wanted his presenter to be since hearing the news from Hall of Fame President David Baker on the 2020 CBS NFL Today pregame show that he would be inducted.

Cowher said in an interview with Steelers.com that his presenter for the Hall of Fame is more than a presenter. He is a mentor.

"I think about two of my biggest mentors, Marty Schottenheimer, played for him, coached for him, transformed what I did and what I thought about," Cowher said. "And then Dan Rooney. I came there, 34 years old. The stories. The lessons. The history. Just the principles that he stood for. I certainly left there a better coach, but also left there a better person."

Cowher said thinking about what earned him the accolade into the Hall of Fame made the decision "a no-brainer."

"I am going in there as the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers for 15 years ... I came back there as a professional, and I wound up being a professional because of the Rooney family. I say it all, from to Dan, to John and Pat his brothers, to everybody," Cowher said. "To me it was a no-brainer."

Art Rooney said he is honored to be Cowher's presenter and that when he got the call and first heard the news, he was speechless.

"Having worked with Bill that close for 15 years, and knowing each other, and having our families grow up together, it just so happened our kids were about the same age. So it was a fantastic 15 years, and it's great our relationship has continued until today," Rooney said. "It's going to be a special time, that's for sure."