Steelers' Joe Lofton Making a Difference in Pittsburgh with Passion for Youth Sports

Story by Yinzer Crazy Co-Founder Mike Nicastro

Steelers’ Youth Sports Coordinator Joe Lofton always knew what he wanted to do with his life since the moment he stepped onto the highly decorated Woodland Hills’ High School football field. He wanted to be involved in sports in a significant fashion. 

At a young age, he could always play sports at a very high-level, which was never a problem for the talented Lofton. In 2009, Lofton’s senior season, he helped the Wolverines claim the 4-A WPIAL Championship, and was awarded a full ride to Division-2 Tiffin University to continue his football career as a wide-receiver. 

Unfortunately for Lofton, injuries derailed much of his time on the field at Tiffin - a school you might remember because it was also the alma mater of former Steelers’ wideout Nate Washington.

At a time where it felt like Joe’s football career would be ending -- little did he know it was just getting started. 

If he couldn’t play sports in a significant fashion, he wanted to at least be involved in some capacity. So as he put it, he “networked.” Man, did he network. 

While at Tiffin, Lofton volunteered in ticket sales for both the Columbus Blue Jackets and Cleveland Indians. Upon graduating with a degree in Sports Management, he moved back to Pittsburgh while continuing the pursuit of his passion. Lofton worked for both the Pittsburgh Pirates and Pittsburgh Penguins in the 50/50 raffle department for two years, which isn’t the most glamorous job. But for Joe, it was always about “making himself valuable,” as he began to understand the importance of making connections, staying connected, and learning different aspects of the industry. 

His dream, however, was always to work for his hometown football team -- the Pittsburgh Steelers. He dabbled in working with the Steelers, paying his dues as a brand ambassador in 2014-2017, while occasionally helping out with local youth sports as an instructor. However, he couldn’t seem to catch on to a more prominent role. At that point, he admitted it was extremely discouraging. It was a time where he was trying to separate himself, yet he felt separated from himself.

But he kept on pushing. In 2017, he locked up a position as a Public Relations Intern with the Black & Gold, which is when I met him -- while working the same position. 

He also felt he wanted a bit of redemption in terms of his playing career at Tiffin being cut short, so he tried out for the Arena Leagues' West Virginia Rough Riders. He made the team and won a championship with them in 2019. 

It’s a perfect microcosm of Joe’s life -- to not let the struggle define you. His favorite quote is “knowledge is power.” Throughout his experiences with multiple sports organizations, while accepting internship after internship, he was able to gain that knowledge. 

Which has now turned into power. Lofton is currently the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Youth Football Coordinator, a role in which he often partners with the likes of JuJu Smith-Schuster, to help local communities bond through youth sports.