On January 12, 1975, the Pittsburgh Steelers secured their first Super Bowl victory by defeating the Minnesota Vikings 16-6 in Super Bowl IX at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans. This win marked the beginning of a dominant era for the franchise, as it was the first of four Super Bowl championships the team would claim during the 1970s.
The Steelers entered the game with less experience than their opponents, facing a Vikings team that had already appeared in two previous Super Bowls. Despite this, Pittsburgh’s defense—known as the “Steel Curtain” and anchored by Joe Greene, L.C. Greenwood, Dwight White, and Ernie Holmes—controlled much of the first half. The Vikings were limited to just 76 total yards and six first downs before halftime.
The only points scored in the opening half came from a safety when Minnesota quarterback Fran Tarkenton fumbled a handoff to Dave Osborn. As Tarkenton tried to recover in his own end zone, he was tackled by Steelers defensive end Dwight White, giving Pittsburgh a 2-0 lead at halftime.
At the start of the second half, Minnesota’s Bill Brown fumbled the kickoff return and Marv Kellum recovered for Pittsburgh at the Vikings’ 30-yard line. The Steelers capitalized on this opportunity when Franco Harris ran nine yards for a touchdown, extending their lead to 9-0.
Minnesota responded after Matt Blair blocked Bobby Walden’s punt and Terry Brown recovered it in Pittsburgh’s end zone for a touchdown. This narrowed Pittsburgh’s lead to 9-6.
Pittsburgh put the game out of reach when quarterback Terry Bradshaw connected with Larry Brown on a four-yard touchdown pass late in the game, making it 16-6.
Franco Harris was named Super Bowl Most Valuable Player after carrying the ball 34 times for 158 yards—a new Super Bowl record at that time.
