Baltimore traded running back Dick Young to Pittsburgh for a…
Baltimore traded running back Dick Young to Pittsburgh for a 1958 seventh-round selection and used the pick on defensive back Johnny Sample. Young played only the 1957 season for the Steelers. Sample became part of both Colts championship teams, scored on a 42-yard interception return in the 1959 title game, and later built an 11-year professional career with 41 interceptions.
Indianapolis Colts Received
- pick 1958 seventh round pick (#79- John Sample / Johnny Sample )
Pittsburgh Steelers Received
- player Dick Young
Trade Analysis
Why the Trade Happened
In September 1957, Baltimore moved veteran back Dick Young to Pittsburgh for the Steelers’ 1958 seventh-round pick. The Colts used No. 79 overall on Johnny Sample, a defensive back from Maryland State. At the time, a seventh-round selection was inexpensive compensation for an experienced runner, so Pittsburgh’s side was understandable. The trade became notable only after Baltimore turned that modest draft asset into a championship contributor.
What Baltimore Received
Sample’s Colts tenure lasted three seasons, and it intersected with the most successful period in the young franchise’s history. He was a member of the 1958 championship team and became a major figure in the 1959 title game against the Giants. Pro Football Reference credits him with two interceptions in that postseason game, including a 42-yard touchdown return. He also grew into an important return specialist and defensive back before continuing his career with Pittsburgh, Washington and the Jets. Over 11 professional seasons he finished with 41 interceptions and later added a Super Bowl III championship with New York.
What Pittsburgh Received
Young supplied a single season of veteran backfield depth. His overall NFL rushing production was modest, and his 1957 Steelers season was the end of his NFL career before he moved to Canadian football. Pittsburgh therefore got what it sought in the narrowest sense—an experienced player available immediately—but did not create durable roster value from the transaction.
Final Verdict
Indianapolis/Baltimore Colts Win. A seventh-round pick becoming a defensive back who contributed to two championships and produced a title-game interception touchdown is a major return on a small asset. Pittsburgh’s cost was not enormous and Young did play for the club, which keeps the Steelers at a C rather than a failing grade. Baltimore earns an A- because Sample provided meaningful championship value and far exceeded the normal expectation for the selection used to acquire him.