Steelers fans were saddened with the news earlier this week of the death of running back Sidney Thornton at the age of 68. Thornton played for six seasons with the Steelers, 1977-82, and, as such, was a member of two Super Bowl Championship teams in 1978 and 1979.
He had a solid if unspectacular career, combining for a little over 2,000 combined yards rushing and receiving and scoring 24 touchdowns. He is also the object of one of the greatest quotes ever from Chuck Noll. After Sid had been suffering from a case of fumble-itis, Noll was asked about it and deadpanned. "Sidney's problems are great, and they are many." The Emperor was a man of few words, but he did have a way with them when he did choose to speak.
No cause of death for Thornton was disclosed, but in researching this post, I stumbled upon an interview with him from the '00's that indicated that at some point after he retired, he suffered a stroke. He recovered, and he went out of his way to stress that while the NFL didn't offer him much assistance at the time, his former teammate Rocky Bleier went out of his way to visit him and make sure that all of his expenses and medical bills got paid. He also said in that same interview that he was "still a Steeler" and would "always consider himself a Steeler."
Thornton may never have become the major player that the Steelers might have hoped him to become, but he was a part of some legendary teams, and when someone with that lineage leaves us, it is always worth noting.
RIP Sidney Thornton.
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