DON’T LOOK AT US

Pittsburgh Steelers Do Damage Control After Trump’s Jersey Gift Uproar

The team said it didn’t authorize former running back Rocky Bleier to present the president with a No. 47 jersey during a rally last week.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been forced to tell fans the team wasn’t behind President Donald Trump receiving a No. 47 team jersey emblazoned with his name during a rally in Western Pennsylvania last week. On Friday, Steelers safety Miles Killebrew, quarterback Mason Rudolph, and retired running back Rocky Bleier—a four-time Super Bowl champion and franchise legend—appeared on stage with Trump at a rally at U.S. Steel near Pittsburgh, where Trump vowed to double tariffs on imported steel from 25 percent to 50 percent. Bleier also presented Trump with the jersey, leading a number of angry fans to email the team, the Associated Press reported. The team responded that it hadn’t directly authorized the gift, and that the views of current and former players did not necessarily reflect those of the organization.