As Hall of Famer John Stallworth reflected on Bill Nunn Jr., he shared words that ring true to everyone who knew the legendary scout.
"He never played a down of either college or pro ball, but Bill Nunn Jr. is a transcendent figure in football history," stated Stallworth. "As a journalist, he was a trailblazer. As a scout, he was a legend. As a man, he was a quiet force."
It was those words, that description that opened 'A Steelers Story: Super Scout Bill Nunn.' The episode will premiere on Tuesday, April 21 at 7 p.m. on all Steelers digital platforms just in time for the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh.
Nunn, the legendary scout who served in multiple roles in the Steelers personnel department beginning in 1967 in a part-time role, and then in a full-time role from 1969-2014, was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a Contributor as part of the Class of 2021, the first Black contributor in the history of the Hall of Fame.
Nunn, who died in 2014 at the age of 89, joined the Steelers organization in the scouting department after a career in the newspaper business where he started as a sports writer, then a sports editor, and then managing editor of The Pittsburgh Courier.
Starting in 1950 he selected the newspaper's annual Black College All-America Team, developing relationships that benefited his scouting career and opened the door for Black players who weren't getting a lot of attention from professional teams.
Nunn, a member of the Inaugural Class of the Black College Football Hall of Fame and a 2018 Steelers Hall of Honor selection, helped the Steelers find talent from HBCUs that other teams largely ignored, including L.C. Greenwood from Arkansas AM&N, Mel Blount from Southern, Frank Lewis from Grambling State, Dwight White from Texas A&M-Commerce, Ernie Holmes from Texas Southern, Joe Gilliam from Tennessee State, Stallworth from Alabama A&M, and Donnie Shell from South Carolina State.
"Evey year he had the Pittsburgh Courier All-Americans and that was a big thing for players who were in these Historical Black Colleges," said Blount in the video. 'That was all the recognition we were getting."
The last Black College All-America Team Nunn selected for the Pittsburgh Courier was in 1974, and a member of that team happened to be Stallworth. Nunn scouted Stallworth, along with other BLESTO scouts who at that time would travel together, on a wet track at Alabama A&M, and the wide receiver didn't time well in the 40-yard dash.
The group was leaving Alabama the next morning, but Nunn said he felt ill and was staying, and would catch up with them on the road. What he did, though, was go back and time Stallworth on a dry track and he got the results he wanted. Also, through his relationship with HBCU coaches, he was able to obtain the only game film of Stallworth that existed. He promised to return the film to be shared but never did. The rest, as they say, is history. The 1974 Steelers went on to win Super Bowl IX, with 11 players from HBCUs, and the Steelers 1974 Draft Class that included four Hall of Fame players in the first five picks – Lynn Swann, Jack Lambert, Stallworth, and Mike Webster – plus another – Shell – as an undrafted rookie is acknowledged as the greatest of all-time.
"Everything worked out," said Stallworth of Nunn getting his tape. "It worked out for John Stallworth. It worked for the Pittsburgh Steelers. I don't change a thing."
The upcoming episode of 'A Steelers Story: Super Scout Bill Nunn,' shares stories from some of those who knew him best, telling entertaining, touching and meaningful stories of Nunn's impact on the NFL and the Steelers. With stories from family members, to Steelers personnel, to players he scouted and media who wrote about him, 'A Steelers Story,' touches every aspect of his groundbreaking career.
"He had a great eye for talent, a great eye for people," said Hall of Fame Coach Bill Cowher. "Because the one thing about Bill Nunn is he put character above everything else.
"Bill Nunn was a special scout, and he was a special person to me. You wonder about the mystique of the Pittsburgh Steelers? It starts with Bill Nunn."
'A Steelers Story: Super Scout Bill Nunn' will premiere on Tuesday, April 21 on all Steelers digital platforms just in time for the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh.
