View source for Jon Kolb

{{Short description|American football player (born 1947)}}
{{Distinguish|text=American politician [[John Kolb]]}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Use American English|date=March 2023}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name        = Jon Kolb
| image       =
| image_size  = 
| alt         = 
| caption     = 
| number      = 55
| position    = [[Tackle (gridiron football position)|Offensive tackle]], <br /> [[Center (gridiron football)|Center]]
| birth_date  = {{Birth date and age|1947|8|30}}
| birth_place = [[Ponca City, Oklahoma]], U.S.
| height_ft   = 6
| height_in   = 2
| weight_lbs  = 262
| high_school = [[Owasso High School|Owasso]] {{nowrap|([[Owasso, Oklahoma]])}}
| college     = [[Oklahoma State Cowboys football|Oklahoma State]]
| draftyear   = 1969
| draftround  = 3
| draftpick   = 56
| pastteams   =
* [[Pittsburgh Steelers]] ({{NFL Year|1969|1981}})
| highlights  =
* 4× [[List of Super Bowl champions|Super Bowl champion]] ([[Super Bowl IX|IX]], [[Super Bowl X|X]], [[Super Bowl XIII|XIII]], [[Super Bowl XIV|XIV]])
* First-team [[All-Pro]] ([[1979 All-Pro Team|1979]])
* [[Pittsburgh Steelers All-Time Team]]
* [[Pittsburgh Steelers|Pittsburgh Steelers 50th season All-Time team]]
* [[Pittsburgh Steelers#Hall of Honor|Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Honor]]
* 2× Second-team [[College Football All-America Team|All-American]] ([[1967 College Football All-America Team|1967]], [[1968 College Football All-America Team|1968]])
* 2× First-team All-[[Big Eight Conference|Big Eight]] ([[1967 All-Big Eight Conference football team|1967]], [[1968 All-Big Eight Conference football team|1968]])
| statlabel1  = Games played
| statvalue1  = 177
| statlabel2  = Games started
| statvalue2  = 138
| pfr         = K/KolbJo20 
}}
{{CompetitionRecordTableTop|}}
{{CompetitionRecordSport | [[Strongman (strength athlete)|Strongman]]}}
{{CompetitionRecordCountry | {{flagu|United States}} }}
{{CompetitionRecordCompetition|[[World's Strongest Man]]}}
{{CompetitionRecord|4th| [[1978 World's Strongest Man]] | }}
{{CompetitionRecord|4th| [[1979 World's Strongest Man]] | }}
{{CompetitionRecordBottom}}

'''Jon Kolb''' (born August 30, 1947) is an American former professional [[American football|football]] player who was an [[Tackle (gridiron football position)|offensive tackle]] and [[Center (gridiron football)|center]] for 13 seasons with the [[Pittsburgh Steelers]] of the [[National Football League]] (NFL). He played [[college football]] for the [[Oklahoma State Cowboys football|Oklahoma State Cowboys]]. He was also an occasional [[Strongman (strength athlete)|strongman]] competitor in some of the early [[World's Strongest Man]] contests.

==Early life==
Born in [[Ponca City, Oklahoma]], Kolb attended [[Owasso High School]], where he earned all-state honors during his senior year. He attended [[Oklahoma State University–Stillwater]] where he started at [[Center (American football)|center]].  While at OSU, he was named All-[[Big Eight Conference|Big Eight]] in 1967 and 1968 and was selected as [[College Football All-America Team|All-American]] in 1968.

==Professional career==
Kolb was drafted by Pittsburgh out of OSU in [[1969 NFL/AFL draft|1969]], so he played with the Steelers from 1969 to 1981. Kolb did not join in any game during his first two years, not until 1971, where he started as the left [[offensive tackle]], replacing [[Mike Haggerty]], for all 14 games. He remained in that position until 1981, his final year, though in the final two years he shared time with [[Ted Petersen]] (1980) and [[Ray Pinney]] (1981). He played next to left guard [[Sam Davis (American football)|Sam Davis]] from 1971 to 1979, which was Davis' final year. Overall, Kolb started at [[offensive tackle]] in 177 games and earned 4 [[Super Bowl ring]]s, during the 1974, 1975, 1978, and 1979 seasons.

During his playing days, Kolb was widely regarded as one of the strongest men in the NFL. He played like the strongest one, protecting [[Terry Bradshaw]]'s blind side from his left offensive tackle position on pass plays and opening holes for [[running back]]s [[Franco Harris]], [[Rocky Bleier]], and [[John Fuqua]].  Like many of the Steeler players of the 1970s, Kolb had his own cadre of fans, known as "Kolb's Kowboys."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.steelersdepot.com/2012/07/steelers-rewind-looking-back-in-steelers-history-july-edition/ |title=Steelers Rewind - Looking Back in Steelers History (July Edition) |website=www.steelersdepot.com |date= 5 July 2012|access-date=24 July 2012}}</ref>

==Strongman competitions==
Kolb competed in the second and third annual [[World's Strongest Man]] competitions in 1978 and 1979, placing in the 4th rank for both years, while often defeating much heavier and stronger competitors in certain events.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theworldsstrongestman.com/results/page/4/ |title=WSM Results - the Worlds Strongest Man |access-date=2012-02-17 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120511153054/http://www.theworldsstrongestman.com/results/page/4/ |archive-date=2012-05-11 }} Retrieved 17 Feb 2012</ref>

===Personal records===
* Wrist roll – {{convert|56.5|kg|lb|abbr=on|0|}} over a 10ft high course in 18.6 seconds (1978 World's Strongest Man) ''(World Record)''<ref name="srgrip">{{cite web|url=https://strengthrecord.com/strongman-world-records/#S14 |title=STRENGTH RECORD, Section 14 - Grip |website=www.strengthrecord.com |access-date=12 April 2025}}</ref>

==Life after competition==
After his playing career ended, he became a strength and conditioning coach with the Steelers. He founded a nonprofit organization called Adventures In Training With A Purpose where he works with his family until now. ATP serves veterans and first responders by offering free physical and mental health services. It also serves civilians living with chronic disease and illness.

==Personal life==

Kolb currently resides in [[Hermitage, Pennsylvania]] with his wife Deborah.  They have three sons.  He served as the defensive coordinator for [[Grove City College]] for six seasons.  Kolb is currently teaching part-time in the Human Performance and Exercise Science department at [[Youngstown State University]] in [[Youngstown, Ohio]] as well as BC3 in New Castle, Pennsylvania.

==References==

<references />

{{Super Bowl IX}}
{{Super Bowl X}}
{{Super Bowl XIII}}
{{Super Bowl XIV}}
{{Pittsburgh Steelers All-Time Team}}
{{Pittsburgh Steelers 50th season All-Time team}}
{{Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Honor}}
{{Steelers1969DraftPicks}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kolb, Jon}}
[[Category:1947 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Ponca City, Oklahoma]]
[[Category:Players of American football from Oklahoma]]
[[Category:American football offensive linemen]]
[[Category:Oklahoma State Cowboys football players]]
[[Category:Pittsburgh Steelers players]]
[[Category:People from Hermitage, Pennsylvania]]