From Pitt’s Dan Marino to the Steelers’ Mike Webster, Bill Callahan shared a locker room with some of Pittsburgh’s legendary football players.
But it was the time Callahan spent with his high school teammates that created the most enduring memories for the former Valley Vikings star.
“I’ve played on some close-knit teams, but they were never as close as what we had in high school,” said Callahan, a 1982 Valley graduate. “What I remember is the brotherhood that we had. I still have a text group chain with 14 guys, and most of them played on that team.”
Some of those former teammates plan to be in the audience when Callahan is welcomed into the Alle-Kiski Valley Sports Hall of Fame on May 16. He will be among eight individuals and two teams honored at the 55th induction banquet at the Pittsburgh Shriners Center, Harmar.
“When you look at the folks who have been inducted, and the great athletes who came through the A-K Valley, it’s just humbling to think that I’m going to be joining that group,” he said.
Callahan lived the football dream of kids growing up across the A-K Valley. After starring on the high school gridiron, he was a standout at Pitt before being drafted into the NFL by the hometown Steelers.
“I was blessed to play football all in the same city,” the 61-year-old Cranberry Township resident said.
Callahan literally burst onto the local football scene as a sophomore wingback for the 1979 Vikings.
With his team trailing rival Highlands in the final minute, Callahan took a short pass over the middle and raced 68 yards for a dramatic, game-winning score.
“It was an unbelievable way to start off my high school career,” he said. “Going from Pop Warner to being in that situation was a bit overwhelming. Two weeks later, I was named the starting tailback and never gave up the job.”
Callahan’s signature high school game came during his senior season, when Valley faced a Kittanning team led by future NFL player Mitch Frerotte on Oct. 9, 1981.
On the Vikings’ first play from scrimmage, Callahan ran 96 yards for a touchdown.
“The line did an incredible job blocking, and all I had to do was run,” he said. “After one carry, I had 96 yards. At halftime, one of my teammates came up and told me that I had 220 yards (rushing). I wasn’t thinking of how many yards I had.”
Callahan went on to finish with 348 yards rushing and more than 400 total yards in a 35-12 victory over the Wildcats. His performance set an A-K Valley record for single-game rushing, which wasn’t broken until the late 2000s.
“We were just ripping off big junks of yardage,” he said. “It was a fun game. Kittanning had a really good team with good athletes. It was just our night.”
As a senior, Callahan led Valley to the school’s first conference title in football. He closed out the season by earning second-team AP all-state honors on offense and was a first-team UPI all-state selection on defense.
Coming out of Valley, Callahan was one of the top college recruits in the WPIAL. He narrowed his choices to Pitt, Penn State, West Virginia and Georgia, before picking the Panthers.
“What intrigued me about Pitt was the closeness of that team,” he said. “I sensed it when I went into the locker room. It was similar to when I was in high school.”
At the time, Pitt’s roster was one of the most imposing in college football, featuring a number of future Pro Football Hall of Famer players.
“There were guys like Dan Marino, Jimbo Covert, Chris Doleman and Jim Sweeney,” Callahan said. “It was intimidating, but you had to get over it quickly because everyone was good at that level.”
Callahan started his Pitt career as a running back.
“After my freshman year, the coaches came to me and said we think you’re one of our 22 best players, but not at running back,” he said. “We want to move you to strong safety. They let me make the choice. I just wanted to play and start.”
Callahan earned a starting spot at strong safety, playing well enough to develop into an NFL prospect by his senior season.
“I thought I would be drafted by the Seattle Seahawks,” Callahan said. “The Steelers showed zero interest until the day before the draft. (Then-Steelers defensive coordinator) Tony Dungy called and asked to have a personal workout with me. I went up to Pitt Stadium, and Dungy ran me through ball drills. Then, he said ‘OK, thanks,’ and left.”
Despite the workout, Callahan was a bit stunned when the Steelers selected him in the fourth round of the 1986 draft. He remembers coming into training camp with a feeling similar to when he arrived on Pitt’s campus.
“I looked around the locker room and Mike Webster, John Stallworth and Donnie Shell were still playing,” he said. “They were guys who I grew up watching win Super Bowls. I was in awe, but I had to shake it off because I was fighting for a job.”
Callahan never played for the Steelers in a regular-season game in 1986. He moved to the Seahawks as a rookie, before appearing in one game for the Buffalo Bills the following season.
“It was a real change from college to pro football, and how guys approach it,” he said. “In college, we would say we’re going to practice. In the pros, it was I’m going to work. The pro game is a job. I struggled with that approach because I played football because I loved the game and it was fun.
“We had a brotherhood in high school and college. There wasn’t as much of that in the pros. After the practices and games, people went their own way. It was more of a job than playing a sport.”
Callahan transitioned to a successful career as a senior sales executive for Pepsi-Cola. He recently retired after 35 years with the company.
“People ask me what I do in retired life. I tell them I do whatever I want to do, when I want to do it,” he said with a laugh.
Tickets for the A-K banquet are $40 and can be purchased by visiting akhof.com.