Where Are They Now?

MATT BAHR
Kicker
1979-80
Resides in South Hills area of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

 

 

What is your current job and what does it entail?

I'm involved in a fitness foundation encouraging kids to take personal responsibility for their fitness. I enjoy it enormously. It's like the giving back syndrome. Third to eighth grade is the target demographic on it, but it's not limited. We hope that the kids lead by example and lead older siblings and their parents.

 

 

What is the fondest memory from your playing career?

I was just a dumb rookie and the team was so good it seemed that they could win any time they wanted to. The locker next to me was Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris was down the line. Lynn Swann was cattycorner. If you looked across there was Joe Greene, Jack Lambert and L.C. Greenwood. I don't think I realized how good that team was and how they all deserved to be in the Hall of Fame. You just sensed the feeling that they could win any time they wanted to.

 

 

What was your best game?

That's hard to say. What they taught me, and that was why it was such a great team, they wanted you to play to the best of your ability. Your performance was usually measured in terms of the team outcome. If you helped the team and they won, you'd done good. If you didn't help the team, you had to work on it. They got you thinking in the do what you can to help the team win theory. I liked getting in on tackles. I liked rooting the team on and contributing where I could. In practice you would run routes for the defensive backs or coverage so the kickoff return team could get a good look. I don't know if there was any one incident or memory that would stand out in my mind.

 

 

What did you like most about playing for the Steelers?

I think it was the Rooney family. Art Rooney, Sr. set the tempo. An example, he met a good childhood friend of mine. My friend mentioned his girlfriend to Mr. Rooney. Now he only met my friend once and he mentioned his girlfriend once. A year later he sees his friend without me and asks about the girl by name. He sent my dad a box of cigars each Christmas because he knew my dad liked cigars. He continued to send him cigars while I was with the Browns. That belies the bigger picture and that is what he always looked at the bigger picture. His son carries that on as well.

 

 

Teammate you were closest to during your playing days and why?

It was Craig Colquitt. Kickers spent most of their time together and he was also young.

 

 

Do you still keep in touch with former teammates?

They are all around. That's the difference with the former Steelers, most of them are still here.

 

 

Who is the one player you think should definitely be on the 75^th season team?

Jack Lambert.

 

 

Do you still follow the Steelers and if so, how closely?

I have season tickets. I go to many of the games. You still root for your friends in different ways. Most of my friends are coaches now. You do miss a little bit of the camaraderie. It's hard to watch a game from the stands when you are used to having the best seat in the house.

 

 

Would you have liked to kick at Heinz Field?

I wish I would have had a chance to kick there. You have to deal with it. It's not like people haven't kicked in wind before. The simple answer is deal with it and quit belly-aching.

 

 

Visit the Steelers Alumni page for more on the team's former players.