Steelers great Jack Ham hospitalized after medical emergency in Seattle
Hall of Fame Steelers linebacker Jack Ham, 77, was taken to a Seattle hospital Saturday after a medical emergency before Penn State's game at Washington.
Jack Ham, the Hall of Fame linebacker who won four Super Bowls with the Pittsburgh Steelers, was taken to a hospital in Seattle on Saturday after a medical emergency, ESPN reported. Ham, 77, was in town to work Penn State's game at Washington as the Nittany Lions' radio analyst. He was taken to University of Washington Medical Center, and the school gave no details about his condition.
The timing points to something sudden. Blue-White Illustrated reported that Ham stepped off the team buses with longtime broadcast partner Steve Jones about two hours before kickoff, and the two talked at midfield. Penn State announced the emergency less than an hour before the game. Its statement said only that he was being treated, adding, "We do not have further information at this time," according to the outlet. The York Daily Record reported that the incident happened at Husky Stadium after he arrived. It has not been disclosed.
In Pittsburgh, Ham's name carries as much weight as any player from the 1970s dynasty. Pittsburgh took the Johnstown native 34th overall in the 1971 draft out of Penn State, where he had been a consensus All-American. He was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1975 and went on to six All-Pro selections and eight straight Pro Bowls. He entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1988 and the College Football Hall of Fame two years later. He also made the NFL's 1970s All-Decade Team and the league's all-time team, and the Steelers have put him in their Hall of Honor. According to the York Daily Record, he and Dave Robinson are the only former Nittany Lions in both the college and pro halls. Ham has been Penn State's radio analyst since 2000, and he and Jones called their 300th game together in 2023.
The Steelers had made no public comment as of Saturday evening. This story will be updated as Penn State releases more about his condition.
What it means for Sunday in Cincinnati
The current Steelers head into their next game with plenty of momentum. At 6-2, they have won four straight, most recently a 27-6 home win over Cleveland, and in those four games they have outscored opponents 103-57. Over the full season they have scored 180 points and allowed 144. The defense has carried a lot of that load: across the winning streak it has allowed just over 14 points per game. That is the sort of stingy football Ham's teams were known for.
The Steelers play at the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, November 15, in a prime-time game on NBC. Pittsburgh won the first meeting 30-27 at home. That was one of five home wins without a loss this season. On the road they are 1-2. They lost 20-3 at New England and 27-24 at Cleveland, and their only road win came 26-19 at Tampa Bay. A win in Cincinnati would sweep the season series. It would also show that the team that has been so steady at home can win the close ones on the road in November.
