The Color of Sundays

The Secret Strategy That Built the Steelers’ Dynasty

You may find The Color of Sundays at the Penguin Bookshop in Sewickley (my personal favorite local book store), at Barnes & Noble stores, online at Amazon.com, at lots of other local bookstores or directly through me.   

Everyone knew the Pittsburgh Steelers needed a new strategy when team owners discovered Bill Nunn Jr. The Rooney family already had endured decades of losing by its football team. The Steelers had made the playoffs just once – and lost. But Nunn knew a secret that could change their fortunes.

Nunn could identify football players no one else could see. He had developed his eye as a pioneering athlete, breaking down barriers for African-Americans in high school and college. Then as a journalist, he had become the first black sports writer allowed to sit in the press box at baseball’s Forbes Field.

The secret revealed itself as Nunn traveled the country each fall to find the best players at the nation’s historically black colleges and universities. Most often the National Football League never noticed these men. Nunn knew they could play – if only given a chance.

Together, Nunn and the Steelers worked to build the greatest dynasty in the history of the sport – while changing the game forever.

About the author

Andrew Conte works as an investigative reporter for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and he has won multiple national and statewide awards for his work. The Pennsylvania Society of Professional Journalists has recognized Andrew three times with the Spotlight Award, its annual prize for investigative reporting, and the Press Club of Western Pennsylvania has given him its annual top reporting prize four times. Andrew teaches journalism at Point Park University as the founding director of its news service program. He is the author of the best-selling book Breakway: The Inside Story of the Pittsburgh Penguins’ Rebirth. Andrew is a graduate of Dickinson College and Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism. He lives near Pittsburgh.