| No. 64 | |
 Furness with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1977 | |
| Nickname(s) | Buckethead,[1] Furny |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | (1950-12-05)December 5, 1950 |
| Place of birth | Providence, Rhode Island, U.S. |
| Date of death | February 9, 2000(2000-02-09) (aged 49) |
| Place of death | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Career information | |
| Position(s) | Defensive tackle/Defensive end |
| Height | 6 ft 4 in (193 cm) |
| Weight | 255 lb (116 kg) |
| US college | Rhode Island |
| High school | Bishop Hendricken (Warwick, Rhode Island) |
| NFL draft | 1972 / round: 5 / pick: 113 |
| Drafted by | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| Career history | |
| As coach | |
| 1982–1990 | Michigan State Defensive line coach |
| 1991 | Indianapolis Colts Defensive line coach |
| 1992–1993 | Pittsburgh Steelers Defensive line coach |
| As player | |
| 1972–1980 | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 1981 | Detroit Lions |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Honors | Univ. of Rhode Island Athletic Hall of Fame (1987)[2] |
| Career stats | |
| Games played | 106 |
| Opponent'sfumbles recovered | 8 |
| |
Stephen Robert Furness (December 5, 1950 – February 9, 2000) was an American professionalfootballdefensive tackle for thePittsburgh Steelers andDetroit Lions of theNational Football League (NFL), and a member of the Steelers' famedSteel Curtain defense. He earned fourSuper Bowl rings as a member of the Steelers. He was ofEnglish andArmenian descent.
Furness grew up inWarwick, Rhode Island, where he attendedBishop Hendricken High School before accepting a football scholarship to theUniversity of Rhode Island. In addition to being a star football player for URI, he excelled at thehammer throw and turned down an invitation to the1972 Olympic Trials to attend the Steelers' training camp.[3] Furness was selected in the fifth round of the1972 NFL draft and initially served as a backup toJoe Greene andErnie Holmes before replacing Holmes as defensive tackle in 1977. He started inSuper Bowl XIII and was primarily known for his skills as a pass rusher, leading the team inquarterback sacks during several seasons with the Steelers. He collected 32 sacks over the course of his Steelers career.[4] He was also an avid weight lifter and placed fourth in the 1980 'Strongest Man in Football' competition, which aired on CBS.[5]
Furness was released by Pittsburgh after playing all 16 games in the 1980 season and he ended his playing career in 1981 with theDetroit Lions. After retiring from the NFL he became the defensive line coach forMichigan State from 1982 to 1990, where he worked under his former Steelers defensive coordinatorGeorge Perles and helped lead the team to twoBig 10 Conference titles, a victory in the1988 Rose Bowl and appearances in five additional bowl games. During this period he earned amaster's degree in Athletic Administration fromMichigan State University and was inducted to the University of Rhode Island Athletic Hall of Fame in 1987.[6] He rejoined the NFL in 1991 as an assistant coach for theIndianapolis Colts before returning to theSteelers for his final two years as a defensive line coach (1992–1993). In 1999, he was named as one of the "50 Greatest Rhode Island Sports Figures" of the 20th Century bySports Illustrated magazine, earning the 14th spot on the list.[3]
Furness died unexpectedly of a heart attack on February 9, 2000. His sonZack Furness is a professor at Penn State University.