PITTSBURGH — Somewhat by circumstance but later through unwavering admiration, Larry Irvin became a die-hard Steelers fan living in New Orleans.
It began when Kordell Stewart, a standout dual-threat quarterback at rival John Ehret High School in Jefferson Parish, was drafted by the Steelers in 1995. It grew with their success under Bill Cowher and the respect he had for the Rooney family and their progressive establishment of the NFL's Rooney Rule.
That meant a lot to a Black man whose mom was a child educator for more than 30 years in New Orleans. And it would ultimately have an influence on what he does today as the founder and innovator of Brothers Empowered to Teach, an organization that recruits and trains men of color to become teachers.
