But when Penn State lost one of its recruits in April, Ham's friend Steve Smear put in a good word for him with his coach, Joe Paterno.

"To show you how really smart I was, we had one scholarship left and didn't know who to give it to," Paterno recalled in his introduction speech at Ham's induction to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1988. "We talked to the staff and said well, he is a good friend of Steve's and we want to keep Steve happy, let's give Ham a scholarship."

It was a decision Paterno would never regret. Ham arrived at "Linebacker U" an obscure, raw freshman and left as a second-round NFL draft choice in 1971, following his senior season. He set the Penn State season-record for blocked punts with three in 1969.

"Jack was a professional, even when he was in college," Paterno said at Jack's induction. "I don't use the word professional as far as being paid for something. To me, the professional is the one who knows what he is doing all the time and, therefore, he is consistent at a higher level than anybody else."

"[Ham] was consistent at a higher level than anybody else. He came on that field to get better and he came off that field better."
- Joe Paterno
"The things he did in preparing himself to practice," Paterno continued, "He came on that field to get better and he came off that field better." Ham carried that work ethic with him to Pittsburgh, and his good luck as well. He joined the Steelers as the thirty-fourth overall pick at a time when Pittsburgh was considered a losing franchise and had gone 1-13 and 5-9 in the previous two seasons.

After making three interceptions in his final pre-season game as a rookie, Ham was named the starter at outside linebacker for the first regular season game and never gave up the job. The Steelers changed their image in the 1970s from cellar-dwellers to dynasty-makers behind their "Steel Curtain" defense.

In 1974, Pittsburgh won its first AFC Championship with a 24-13 victory over Oakland. Ham made a 19-yard interception return to the Oakland 9-yard line to set up a Steeler touchdown in the game. Pittsburgh went on to win their first World Championship in Super Bowl IX, beating Minnesota 16-6.

"To see Art Rooney, Sr., who has passed away, be presented with the Lombardi Trophy in New Orleans, that was special," Ham recalled. "My other favorite memory is winning back-to-back because everyone is gunning for you once you've won."

The following year, in 1975, with a target on their chests, the Steelers put up a 12-2 regular season record and went on to beat Dallas 21-17 in Super Bowl X.

Pittsburgh won four championships in six years, with victories in Super Bowl XIII and XIV, sealing Ham's place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame alongside his coach Chuck Noll and his fellow Steel Curtain members Mel Blount, Joe Greene, and Jack Lambert.

"At the time, you don't think of Joe Greene, Jack Lambert being Hall of Famers because you are involved in trying to be the best you can that year. You only reflect upon it afterwards," Ham said. "And it is great that Chuck Noll is there as well because he pulled all those players together and made it happen."

The athletic ability to play in the NFL may have been bestowed by chance, but Ham always combined it with preparation to earn eight consecutive Pro Bowl invitations.

"Being a student of the game and preparation were big things for me," Ham said, "I learned a lot from Andy Russell. The more you become familiar with formations and what people are doing and being able to scout yourself, the more you can make educated guesses on the field."

It was his mental acumen that allowed him to make 32 interceptions, 25.5 sacks and a Steeler career-record 21 opponent fumble recoveries over his 12-year career.

Although he was known as one of the smartest players on the field, at home Ham plays backup to his wife Joanne. The couple met while Ham was playing for the Steelers and Joanne was teaching. Joanne holds degrees in biology, biochemistry, anthropology, and environmental science, and today administers corporate training seminars.

"For a while she was on that Jack Ham scholarship. She was collecting degrees," Ham joked. quot;She is way too smart for me."

Even his marriage can be traced in a way back to Paterno's fortuitous decision to give Ham a scholarship.

"When you are a college kid, eighteen, nineteen, twenty years old, you can go in a lot of different directions," Ham said. "Paterno instilled in his players that football is not the most important thing in your life. Family is. Education is."

"As athletes, sometimes we can get really wrapped up into this sports industry and think we are larger than life," he added. "You have to keep the right priorities."

These days it is Ham's turn to analyze Paterno. Ham is the color analyst for the Penn State Radio Network and hosts a two hour radio show, The Jack Ham Football Show, on ESPN Radio 1250 from 5 pm-7pm on Thursdays during football season.

"It is kind of unique. I don't think too many guys who graduated in 1971 and go back to their college would have the same head coach," Ham said. "I have a lot of respect for Joe Paterno, but I've been doing this a long enough time to be objective. I call it like it is."

He also fits in time to do NFL broadcasts on Westwood One radio and run a drug-testing company. Like seemingly everything else in Ham's career, he fell into the drug-testing business by chance and succeeded with hard work.

Serendipity, or perhaps destiny.