Lambert, "Jack" (John H.)
Football
b. July 8, 1952, Mantua, OH
After playing defensive end as a freshman at Kent State University in Ohio, Lambert was moved to middle linebacker and he started at that position for three years.
A second-round draft choice of the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers in 1974, the 6-foot-4, 220-pound Lambert was the only rookie to start for the Pittsburgh team that beat the Minnesota Vikings 16-6 in Super Bowl IX. He was named the league's defensive rookie of the year.
Lambert also started for three other Super Bowl champions, after the 1975, 1978, and 1979 seasons. He was selected as the NFL's defensive player of the year in 1976, when he recovered 7 opposition fumbles, 2 shy of the league record. An All-American Football Conference selection in 1975, 1976, and 1978, Lambert played in nine consecutive Pro Bowls, from 1975 through 1983.
A toe injury forced him out of the lineup in 1984 and he retired after that season. He had 28 career interceptions in his 11 NFL seasons, all with the Steelers.