Hoak talks about time with Steelers during Scout dinner
With a combined 45 years as an NFL player and coach, Dick Hoak knows a little something about doing your best. Hoak was the keynote speaker Tuesday at 23rd Annual Westmoreland-Fayette Council Friends of Scouting South dinner at The Summit Inn in Uniontown.
Hoak is the longest tenured coach in Pittsburgh Steelers history, with 35 years as a coach and 10 years as a player. He worked under head coaches Chuck Noll and Bill Cowher.
“I never had a dream about becoming a professional football player,” he said. “I wanted to be a high school football coach.”
Hoak played football for Penn State from 1958-1960 and was the Nittany Lions’ Most Valuable Player in 1960. He graduated from Penn State in 1961, and he was the Steelers’ seventh-round draft pick that year. He was paid $9,000 in his first year and received a whopping $1,500 signing bonus.
He admitted he had his doubts about a career in professional football.
“I wanted to quit after the first week of Steelers training camp at Slippery Rock University, but I stuck it out,” he said.
Hoak led the Steelers in rushing three times and played in one Pro Bowl.
After the 1970 season, Hoak ended his playing career and coached at a West Virginia high school, and in 1972 a call from the Steelers changed Hoak’s course. He served as offensive backfield coach under Noll and as running backs coach under Cowher. “As a coach, I tried to let the players be themselves,” Hoak said.
As part of the coaching staff, Hoak accumulated enough Super Bowl rings for four fingers and one for the thumb.
“As far as retiring, I knew it was time, you just know when it is,” he said. “I worked for two great coaches.”
Hoak said he understands the value of leadership and the lessons to be learned through Scouting.
“The Boy Scouts organization is great for kids because of the values it teaches and everything they can learn through Scouting,” he said.
Dr. Edward Lewis, who served as master of ceremonies at the dinner, echoed Hoak’s sentiments.
“We are here because we believe in the values that Scouting instills,” he said.
Patrick J. Lenz, Scout executive and executive director of the Westmoreland-Fayette Council, began the program by sharing some facts about Scouting in the region.
“In 2006, the region’s Scouts dedicated 20,000 hours to community service, and recently the local Scouts collected 43,000 pounds of food for the less fortunate in Westmoreland and Fayette counties.
He also added that 107 Scouts earned the rank of Eagle Scout and 4,145 merit badges in 120 different subjects were earned last year.
According to Lenz, there are 9,120 youth involved in the Boy Scouts in Westmoreland and Fayette counties. “The real winners are the youth enrolled in Scouts,” Lewis said. “We have a program that is second to none.”