The Pittsburgh Steelers are one of the most storied franchises in NFL history, with a league-leading six Super Bowl victories. With that kind of history surrounding the organization, the Steelers have become a staple in the Pittsburgh community.

As such, members of the team and even those associated with the team in other capacities are a part of the fabric of the community, which is why it’s no surprise that a death in that community would shake up Steeler Nation.

That’s exactly what happened this week, when Pittsburgh lost a beloved member of Steeler Nation.

“We mourn the loss of Dale Lolley,” the Steelers tweeted from their official Twitter account.

“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 wrote in 2022, per the Steelers team website. “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. It still is.

“Now, after spending the past three decades telling those stories and talking about the team on other platforms, I’ll be doing so with the Steelers on a regular basis across their media platforms, which includes writing about the team on a year-round basis. I can’t tell you how excited I am to be doing so.”

Fans reacted to the tragic news on social media.

“(Screw) cancer. Took away a great one too soon. Rest in Greatness Mr. Lolley, I’ll always hear your voice when I hear the intro to the drive,” one Steelers fan wrote on Twitter.

“I’m saddened by the loss of a wonderful family man that I got the opportunity to know during his time with DK Pittsburgh Sports. Dale was always willing to share things about the team and answer questions about things he wrote about. It was a pleasure to have him in my life. Pray,” someone else added.

“This is awful. My 10 year old and I listened to Matt and Dale every single day. He has been asking me non-stop about Dale during his absence from The Drive. He is gong to be so heartbroken when I tell him…as am I. Condolences to all close to him,” another fan added.

Hopefully, Lolley’s family takes as much time as they need to heal and mourn.