Ernie Stautner
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Obituaries
Vail Daily - December 17, 2017
Vail celebrates Ernie Stautner’s presence in Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Honor
VAIL — A couple of corners of local offices have seen some distinctive decorations lately, honoring the memory of a giant of professional football.
The Pittsburgh Steelers recently enshrined Ernie Stautner in the team's new Hall of Honor. His family, including his wife, Jill, brought some of the memorabilia home, including a metal football engraved with Stautner's name, number and playing dates.
Stautner played when pro football was working its way from out of the shadows of the college game. Players generally played both offense and defense, and yes, they were tough. They had to be.
Stautner played his entire 14-year pro career with the Steelers, from 1950 through 1963. Stautner, a tackle, was a stalwart on a Steelers team without many stars, but he was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1969, his first year of eligibility.
Stautner's jersey number, 70, was the first number retired by the team. It was the Steelers' only retired number until the team retired "Mean" Joe Greene's No. 75 in 2015.
Stautner went on to a long career as a coach. He was the Dallas Cowboys' defensive coordinator for 25 years and helped the team win two championships. He also coached for the Steelers, Washington Redskins and Denver Broncos in the NFL and was the head coach of the Dallas Texans of an arena league and the Frankfurt Galaxy of the short-lived NFL Europe league.
The Stautners bought their first home in the Vail Valley in 1989 and spent a lot of time in the area. Ernie and Jill Stautner were married on Vail Mountain by Vail Municipal Judge Buck Allen. Ernie died in 2006.
Jill works in the town of Vail Human Resources Department. She and part of the family went to Pittsburgh for the Hall of Honor ceremony in November.
Jill was thrilled to attend, and even more thrilled to have a jersey, and a team jacket embroidered with Ernie's name and number.
The gear only spent a few days at Vail's town hall. A family member works on-mountain at Vail and took it there for a few days.
"There are a lot of Steelers fans (on the mountain)," Jill Stautner said.
The gear, though, will live at the Stautners' home. That's where it belongs.
Vail Daily page A9 - February 17, 2006
Stautner, NFL hall of famer, dies
Daily Staff Report
February 16, 2006
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Ernie Stautner
Ernie Stautner, an Eagle-Vail resident who is in the pro football Hall of Fame, died early Thursday morning after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. He was 80. Stautner was born April 20, 1925, in Germany to Joseph and Hedwig Streck Stautner. He and his family migrated to Albany, N.Y. when he was 3 years old. After serving in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II he enrolled at Boston College where he was a 4-year starter on the football team and captured All-New England and All-Catholic honors as a two-way tackle. In the 1950 NFL draft he was picked by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the second round. Ernie played his entire 14-year career with the Steelers and was elected to the Pro Bowl nine times. Despite the Steelers’ illustrious history, Stautner’s jersey – No. 70 – remains the only number ever retired by the organization. The Steelers never had a winning season during Stautner’s playing days.
In 1969, his first year of eligibility, Ernie was inducted into the football Hall of Fame. In 1973 he was inducted into the Boston College Varsity Club Athletic Hall of Fame. A highly-regarded coach and defensive coordinator with the Dallas Cowboys from 1966 to 1988, he played a major role in two of that team’s Super Bowl championships. During his coaching days with the Cowboys, Stautner found himself facing the Steelers in two Super Bowls. “He hated the Steelers then,” Jill said with another laugh. “When he wanted a Super Bowl ring he didn’t like them too much.” Even though the Cowboys lost the two Super Bowl meetings with the Steelers, Stautner won two rings while coaching with the Cowboys in 1971 and 1978. “They love him in Pittsburgh and Dallas,” Jill said.He also served on the coaching staffs of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Washington Redskins, and Denver Broncos was has head coach of the Dallas Texans of the Arena League and the NFL Europe World Champion Frankfurt Galaxy. Even with his disease, Stautner’s wife, Jill, said her husband enjoyed the Steelers’ 21-10 Super Bowl win on Feb. 5.
“Dan Rooney (Pittsburgh Steelers owner) called today and asked if Ernie got to see the game and I said ‘Yes, he enjoyed it very much.'” The Stautners have had a home in the Vail area since 1989. Jill said she and Ernie loved skiing the slopes around Vail.Stautner was preceded in death by his son, Joseph Robert Stautner, in 2001 and by his brother, Joseph Stautner. He is survived by his wife, Jill. Also surviving are his children, Teresa Stautner, Carol Stautner-Hinds, Greg Hinds, J. J. Stautner-Gora, Anthony Gora, Jordan Stautner and Emily Stautner; his sister, Hedwig Hoffman; and his grandchildren Zachary, Danielle, Alex, Jodie, Joseph and Rachel. A visitation will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., Sunday at Mulkey-Mason Funeral Home in Lewisville, Texas, which can be reached at (972)436-4581. Funeral Mass will be held at 1 p.m., Monday at St. Phillip the Apostle Catholic Church in Lewisville.
Private graveside service will be held at Sacred Heart Cemetery in Rowlette. Glenwood Springs correspondent Dale Shrull contributed to this report. Vail, Colorado
