The Pittsburgh Steelers suffered through the 1980s. The decline of the Steelers was evident by the spring of 1984. The previous season, the team had an unceremonious exit in a first-round blowout loss to the Los Angeles Raiders. They were decent enough, but by then, irrelevant. The San Francisco 49ers and Chicago Bears were in the ascendancy, and the Dan Marino-led Dolphins were glamorous contenders.
Despite the decade’s malaise, Pittsburgh occasionally had great players. One was wide receiver Louis Lipps.
Impressed after watching his final season at Southern Mississippi, the Steelers made him their first-round pick in the 1984 draft.