Mike Wagner

Michael Robert Wagner, the Pittsburgh Steelers safety who was a key member of the legendary Steel Curtain defense and won four Super Bowl championships, passed away on February 18, 2026, in Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania, from pancreatic cancer. He was 76 years old. Born on June 22, 1949, in Waukegan, Illinois, Wagner graduated from Carmel High School in Mundelein, Illinois, in 1967. He played college football at Western Illinois University in Macomb, where he earned NAIA All-American status in 1969 and was later inducted into the Western Illinois Athletics Hall of Fame. The Pittsburgh Steelers selected Wagner in the eleventh round of the 1971 NFL Draft, the 268th overall pick. Initially considered as a wide receiver, he was switched to safety on defense, a move that proved transformative for both his career and the franchise. Wagner became an integral part of the Steelers Steel Curtain defense, widely regarded as one of the greatest defensive units in NFL history. Over ten seasons with the Steelers from 1971 to 1980, Wagner recorded 36 career interceptions and 12 fumble recoveries. He tied for the NFL lead with eight interceptions in 1973, was named first-team All-Pro that year, and earned two Pro Bowl selections in 1975 and 1976. Alongside Jack Ham, he holds the Steelers franchise record for most playoff interceptions with five, including interceptions in Super Bowl IX and Super Bowl X. Wagner was a four-time Super Bowl champion, winning Super Bowls IX, X, XIII, and XIV with the Steelers dynasty of the 1970s. He was inducted into the Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Honor and the Pittsburgh Pro Football Hall of Fame, and was named to the Pittsburgh Steelers 50th Anniversary Team. After retiring from professional football in 1981, Wagner remained connected to the sport, serving as a defensive backs coach at Pine-Richland High School in Gibsonia, Pennsylvania. Wagner is remembered as a fierce competitor and an essential but sometimes overlooked member of one of the greatest football dynasties ever assembled. His contributions to the Steelers four Super Bowl victories cemented his place in Pittsburgh sports history.