Colbert Reflects on Two Decades With Steelers as Hall of Honor Class Is Inducted
The short version
- Kevin Colbert, Steelers GM from 2000 to 2022, was inducted into the team's Hall of Honor on Friday night.
- Pittsburgh went 226-124-3 under Colbert, with ten AFC North titles, 14 playoff berths and two Super Bowl wins.
- Colbert drafted Ben Roethlisberger 11th overall in 2004.
- J.T. Thomas and Craig Wolfley joined Colbert in the Hall of Honor Class of 2026.
- The honorees will be honored again Sunday when the Steelers host the Bengals.
The former Pittsburgh general manager was honored Friday night alongside J.T. Thomas and Craig Wolfley at Acrisure Stadium.
Kevin Colbert, who ran the Pittsburgh Steelers' football operation for more than two decades, was inducted into the team's Hall of Honor on Friday night. Colbert served in the front office from 2000 through 2022 and presided over one of the most successful stretches in franchise history. A Pittsburgh native, he called the recognition a capstone to a remarkable run.
Speaking at the induction dinner at Acrisure Stadium, Colbert reflected on what the organization meant to him and his family. He noted that being part of six Super Bowls stands out as a lasting memory, but said the real significance lay in the standards the Steelers upheld and the people around him, from players and coaches to administrators and staff. He described the entire 22-year stretch as the special moment itself.
Colbert's tenure produced a 226-124-3 regular-season record. The Steelers captured the AFC North ten times over that span and reached the postseason on 14 occasions. Two of the clubs he constructed went on to win Super Bowl 40 and Super Bowl 43.
Among the defining decisions of his career was the selection of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger with the 11th overall slot in the 2004 draft, a pick that shaped the roster for years afterward. Colbert has since shared details of that process, explaining on the Inside the Game podcast this year how the deal to land Roethlisberger came together. Colbert is 69 years old.
Praise came in from figures across the organization, including head coach Mike Tomlin, who was part of Colbert's tenure with the club. He was joined in the Hall of Honor Class of 2026 by two other Steelers figures: former defensive back J.T. Thomas and former lineman Craig Wolfley.
Thomas played for Pittsburgh from 1973 to 1981 and was a first-round draft choice who appeared on four Super Bowl-winning teams. His late interception of Raiders quarterback Ken Stabler in the 1974 AFC Championship Game clinched the victory that sent the Steelers to their first Super Bowl. Wolfley, taken in the fifth round in 1980, spent ten seasons with the club as a guard and tackle, appearing in 129 regular-season games with 102 starts; he later worked as a commentator and died in 2025.
The three honorees will be recognized again Sunday when Pittsburgh hosts Cincinnati. Fans can watch the Bengals visit the Steelers at Acrisure Stadium on Sunday, September 27 at 1:00 PM EDT on CBS.
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