Ed O’Neill Was a Steelers Rookie With Joe Greene in 1969

Before he ever sold a single pair of ladies’ shoes, Ed O’Neill was trying to make it in the NFL. On a recent Bundy Club Zoom, David Faustino asked Ed about the rumor that he was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Ed set the record straight: he wasn’t drafted, he signed with the Steelers as a free agent in 1969, which was Chuck Noll’s first year as head coach.

And here’s the part that makes every football fan sit up: Ed was a rookie in the same camp as Joe Greene. Yes, that Joe Greene. “Mean Joe” went on to anchor the Steel Curtain, win four Super Bowls and land in the Hall of Fame. Ed went on to become Al Bundy, the most famous ex football player in television history. Not a bad pair of career paths for two guys who shared a locker room as rookies.

If you ever wondered why Al’s four touchdowns in a single game for Polk High felt so personal, now you know. The man playing him actually lived the dream of pro football, even if it was just for one summer in Pittsburgh. The glory days weren’t only a running gag on the show. For Ed, they were a real chapter of his life before acting took over.

This clip is a tiny slice of what goes on inside Bundy Club, where David Faustino hangs out live with cast members, guest stars and fans of Married… with Children. Members get the full Zooms, the behind the scenes stories and the kind of conversations you won’t find anywhere else.

Watch the clip above, then tell us in the comments: what’s your favorite Al Bundy football moment? Was it the four touchdowns, the Polk High reunion games, or Al trying to relive it all from the couch with his hand in his pants?

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