One of the most multi-faceted athletes in Pittsburgh sports history — on and off the field — died this month.

John “Paul” Martha, a former Pittsburgh Steelers first-round draft pick and executive with several pro sports franchises, died Feb. 4 at 80, his family announced. Martha had been residing at a retirement community in Butler County.

A Wilkinsburg native who attended Shady Side Academy and Pitt, Martha excelled on both sides of the football and was the Steelers’ first-round draft pick in 1964. He earned his law degree from Duquesne while playing in the NFL and, after leaving the sport, he held executive positions in four sports leagues.

Martha also was instrumental in helping end the NFL player strike in 1982.

A Pitt great, 1963 All-American, @NFL first-round draft pick by the @Steelers and accomplished executive with the @Penguins, among other teams.

RIP to a proud Pitt man and wonderful representative of all of Pittsburgh. pic.twitter.com/ErTsYcteso

— Pitt Football (@Pitt_FB) February 9, 2023

A three-sport star who played football, basketball and baseball, Martha received an athletic scholarship to Shady Side Academy. He focused on football when he attended Pitt and primarily played running back. In three years, Martha appeared in 30 games and was named an All-American at halfback in 1963.

E.J. Borghetti, Pitt’s executive associate athletic director/communications, said Martha’s time at the university was a “very telling preview of the remarkable successes he would go on to have in life.”

“At Pitt, he was an All-America halfback, starring for one of the greatest teams in school history, the 1963 squad that went 9-1 and finished third in the country,” Borghetti said in a statement. “He used his Pitt education — both from the classroom and the football field — as a great springboard. Not only was Paul a first-round draft pick of the Steelers who played seven years in the NFL, but he would later become one of Pittsburgh’s most influential and innovative sports executives.

“Like many men on that 1963 squad, he really represented the best of Pitt, on and off the field. On behalf of the University of Pittsburgh, we extend our deepest sympathies to the Martha family, his many loved ones and his former Pitt teammates.”

The Steelers used their first-round pick in the 1964 draft to select Martha, and he opted to sign with them rather than the rival AFL’s Buffalo Bills, who drafted him in the ninth round.

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Martha spent six seasons with the Steelers, although he played only one at his drafted position. In 1965, Martha was used primarily as an end, and he was converted to defense full-time the following season. As a safety, Martha enjoyed his most NFL success, intercepting 15 passes in four seasons. Martha spent the 1970 season with the Denver Broncos, and he totaled a career-high six interceptions that year.

Martha then returned to Pittsburgh to put his law degree to use. He was hired by Reed, Smith, Shaw and McLay and later became general counsel for the DeBartolo Corp. in Youngstown, Ohio.

This decision put Martha on a path to success as a sports executive. He was named executive vice president, general counsel and CEO of the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1977 and an executive vice president and general counsel of the San Francisco 49ers the following year.

When the NFL owners and players were locked in a bitter strike in 1982 that threatened to cancel the season prematurely, Martha was brought in as an arbitrator to mediate the dispute. The strike ended after 57 days, and the season resumed.

In his role with the DeBartolo family, Martha also held executive roles with the Pittsburgh Maulers of the USFL and the Pittsburgh Spirit of the Major Indoor Soccer League. He also was in charge of operations of the Civic Arena.

While serving in his executive roles, Martha saw the 49ers win the Super Bowl after the 1981, 1984 and 1988 seasons, with the Penguins winning the Stanley Cup the following decade.

“Paul Martha was a giant in Pittsburgh sports history,” the Penguins said in a statement. “He made a huge impact on the Penguins as a senior executive during the DeBartolo ownership, including the team’s first Stanley Cup championship in 1991. He also oversaw the Civic Arena, turning it into one of the most successful venues in the country. We offer our deepest sympathy to Paul’s family and friends.”

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