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Michael Lewis Webster (born March 18, 1952 in Tomahawk, Wisconsin - died September 22, 2002 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) was an American football player who played center in the National Football League from 1974 to 1990. He is best known for his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers, though he played two seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs towards the end of his career. He is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Football Career
Webster was regarded as the best center in the Big Ten during most of his career at the University of Wisconsin. At 6-foot-1, 255 pounds, he was drafted in the 5th round of the 1974 NFL draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Serving as a backup at center and guard for two years, Webster soon became the Steelers' starting center, where he would remain for 150 straight games until 1986. These years included four Super Bowl wins by the Steelers, and Webster and Terry Bradshaw are consequently one of the most well-known center-quarterback pairs in history. Webster was honored as an All-Pro seven times and played in the Pro Bowl nine times.
Webster was a free agent after the 1988 season. He was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs, who initially made him an offensive line coach before allowing him to return to a starting role as center. His career ended after the 1990 season, with a total of 245 games played at center.
Post-Football Life
Webster is a controversial figure due to his tumultuous personal life after his retirement. He is believed to have been legally disabled in 1996, and possibly before, suffering from amnesia, dementia, depression, and acute bone and muscle pain. He lived out of his pickup truck or train stations between Wisconsin and Pittsburgh even though he had friends willing to rent apartments for him. He attended his Football Hall of Fame ceremony in 1997, but disturbed some with a rambling, 20-minute long, incoherent acceptance speech. His wife divorced him six months before his death in 2002.
It is universally believed that Webster's ailments were the result of damage sustained over his playing career, and some doctors estimated he had been in the equivalent of "25,000 automobile crashes". Protective equipment, in particular helmets, was inferior during Webster's career, and defensive players sometimes employed a "head slap" move that was then accepted although illegal. Nicknamed "Iron Mike", Webster's reputation for durability led him to play even though injured. Webster had also confessed to using anabolic steroids at points during his career.
Currently, there is a lawsuit filed in Maryland's U.S. District Court between Webster's estate and the National Football League. Webster's attorneys argue that he was disabled on his retirement, and is owed $1.142 million in disability payments under the NFL's retirement plan. Regardless of the outcome of the lawsuit, Webster is seen as an example of the difficulties American football players suffer when their careers are over. Other players notable for either having retired due to head injuries or having difficult post-career personal lives include Johnny Unitas, Merril Hoge, Troy Aikman, Joe Gilliam, and Al Toon.
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