Dale Lolley, longtime Steelers reporter, dies at 56
Veteran journalist and Steelers contributor dies after cancer battle; Steelers organization mourns loss
The Pittsburgh Steelers announced Wednesday that veteran journalist Dale Lolley, a longtime contributor and editor who chronicled the storied NFL franchise for decades, has died at age 56 after a battle with cancer.
Lolley’s career spanned more than three decades and included stints at DK Pittsburgh Sports, Steelers Digest and other publications before he joined the Steelers as a contributor in 2022. He began covering the franchise in the late 1980s and became a familiar voice for Steelers Nation.
Lolley, a Fryburg, Pennsylvania, native and University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown graduate, began covering the Steelers in the late 1980s and built a wide-ranging catalog of Steelers coverage. He also contributed to Steelers Radio Network, serving as a fill-in host in 2008, and by 2014 was the full-time host of a weekday show and podcast.
"I've spent more than half of my life covering the team. If I'm not writing about them, I'm talking about them. It's what I do," Lolley said in 2022 on Steelers.com. "There have been hundreds of wins and losses, plenty of AFC Championship games, Super Bowl wins and losses along the way. And thousands of stories. At the end of the day, it's always about the stories."
In a statement, Jem Spectar, president of the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, said Lolley was "a highly talented and passionately enthusiastic chronicler of thousands of stories enjoyed by Steelers Nation for over three decades. UPJ expresses its deepest condolences to his wife, Amy, and their three children, as well as to all friends and Steelers fans who have been informed and entertained by this consummate master storyteller."
Lolley is survived by his wife, Amy, and their three children.
The Steelers organization mourned the loss of a longtime storyteller and observer of the franchise, noting his decades of reporting helped connect fans with every rung of the team’s journey. His reporting and presence in Pittsburgh sports media were hallmarks of a career spent documenting the Steelers through wins, losses and the countless chapters in between.
Lolley’s work left an enduring imprint on Steelers Nation, and colleagues described him as a consummate storyteller whose reporting chronicled the team’s narratives across three decades. His coverage will be carried forward in memories, archives and the ongoing conversation about the Steelers’ history and future.