A night to honor the best

Sep 25, 2026 at 08:23 PM

Steelers.com

They are names Steelers fans recognize whenever they hear them.

Individuals who made their mark on the organization, whether it was on or off the field, and in some cases, both.

They are Steelers legends, and now they are members of the Steelers Hall of Honor Class of 2026.

Kevin Colbert, J.T. Thomas and Craig Wolfley all left a lasting impact on the Steelers organization, through different decades putting their stamp on an organization steeped in tradition.

The Hall of Honor Class of 2026 was officially enshrined during a dinner on Friday night at Acrisure Stadium and will be honored during Sunday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

The dinner was the perfect opportunity for family, friends and teammates to gather and share stories, reminisce and remember the good times.

"We were able to be part of the six Super Bowls and that's always going to be a special memory," said Colbert, the team's former Vice President and General Manager. "But in all honesty, being a part of this organization and the greatness that the organization always is, the standard that they've always held.

"It's the realization of how special it was and how fortunate I was, and my family was, to be part of such a great organization and a great family of players, coaches, administrators, staff. Just to be a part of that.

"That's always going to be the special moment, even though it was a 22-year moment."

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The Pittsburgh Steelers celebrate the 2026 Hall of Honor Class during the Hall of Honor Dinner Ceremony presented by U.S. Steel on Friday, Sept. 25, 2026 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers)

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The Pittsburgh Steelers celebrate the 2026 Hall of Honor Class during the Hall of Honor Dinner Ceremony presented by U.S. Steel on Friday, Sept. 25, 2026 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Jordan Perez / Pittsburgh Steelers)

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Colbert, who joined the Steelers in 2000, served in a variety of roles for the team during his tenure, starting as director of football operations (2000-10), before he was named the organization's first-ever General Manager in 2010. He was named Vice President and General Manager in 2016, a position he held until he retired in 2022.

"Having grown up in the Pittsburgh area and watching these great players, coaches, administrators as we're all coming up through our careers, you never imagine yourself being part of it," said Colbert. "And then even when we were there with the team, it was a little unreal that we're actually part of this.

"Until it's over, you never really reflect on that because there was so much to do at a given moment. Afterwards you reflect on it, and you think about all the great people you had the opportunity to encounter, to work with, to learn from. It's always going to be special, but with an honor like this, it's just brought to the forefront."

Thomas, who has attended the Hall of Honor dinner multiple times to honor his former teammates, didn't know if his day to be inducted would come.

Now that it has, he understands fully how special it is.

"This means a whole lot to me," said Thomas. "If I look at my life and the number of deposits that were made on my life by the Rooneys, by Mr. Art Rooney Sr. on down, it's just been amazing. What makes your life significant is all the people that make deposits in your life. Coming here from Macon, Georgia, I didn't know if I wanted to come here because they hadn't won much.

"But there were so many people that made an impact on my life, the people responsible for a lot of my life, coaches and teammates. It was the people in Pittsburgh I got to know, the relationships I formed. It's something you can't put a value on. That is something I treasure more than the Super Bowls.

"This is a great honor. I thought about it over the years, but I've got to the point where I thought I'm not going to get in. But this is special."

Thomas was drafted by the Steelers in the first round of the 1973 NFL Draft out of Florida State, where he was the first African American football player to play in a varsity game and earn a varsity letter, as well as the first Black football player to graduate from the school.

He spent nine seasons with the Steelers (1973-81) and played in three Super Bowls, missing Super Bowl XIII after he was sidelined for the season with sarcoidosis (inflammation of lungs and lymph nodes).

Thomas received quite the emotional surprise on Friday night, when Steelers President Art Rooney II presented him with a championship ring from Super Bowl XIII, after he didn't receive one since he missed the year.

"It really changed my life," said Thomas of his time with the Steelers. "The people that I met at the Steelers organization, it was growing in the sense that we just started winning. More so, the people of Pittsburgh really embraced us, they almost owned us.

"It's just amazing, Steelers Nation. I don't understand it, but I love it. It's probably one of the most awesome organizations, the Pittsburgh Steelers and this fan base, that I have ever seen."

While the evening was celebratory, there was also an air of sadness with the absence of Wolfley, who died of liver cancer in 2025.

Wolfley's family was on hand, including his wife, Faith, his mother and his children, whose emotions ranged from tears to laughter to celebration throughout the evening.

"It's just so special for his family, for all of us," said Faith Wolfley. "Of course, it would be so much better if he were here. But it's just an amazing thing that he loved the Steelers so much from playing with them clear back in the 1980s, to being a broadcaster for so many years.

"It wasn't like it was just a job or a team. It was his family. So many people he considered to be family. The organization as a whole is just amazing, but then to be a part of a legacy like this is such an honor. And I know we're all just going to really enjoy it.

"It's bittersweet, but it's a huge celebration too."

Wolfley played for the Steelers from 1980-89 and spent 23 seasons as a broadcaster and writer, joining the Steelers Radio Network in 2002 as a sideline reporter, before moving to the booth as a color analyst in 2021.

And on Friday night, the Wolfley family were able to hear stories shared about a man who meant so much to so many.

"Craig and I used to laugh all the time when he would go speak or other people would speak and I'd hear stories," said Faith Wolfley. "I've heard the stories so many times and I would still laugh just as hard and it was still fun to listen to it. His mom could say the same, how many stories she has heard so many times, and they are just as fun to listen to.

"This means so much to the family…his children and his grandchildren, they get to hear those stories and that history and what he meant to other people.

"It's an amazing thing."

A night to honor the best

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