Taped earlier this evening What Roethlisberger said to

Transcription

Taped earlier this evening ... What Roethlisberger said to Letterman
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SPORTS / STEELERS & NFL
Taped earlier this evening ... What Roethlisberger said to Letterman
Monday, February 02, 2009
The Associated Press
NEW YORK -- When he threw the pass that won the Super Bowl, Ben Roethlisberger thought he'd just blown the game for
the Steelers.
The Pittsburgh quarterback went on the "Late Show with David Letterman" Monday night and told the host his pass to
Santonio Holmes with 35 seconds to play Sunday night was his third read, and he thought a defensive back would intercept
it.
"I was getting ready to start running and then I saw about five guys closing on me, I knew my life was about to end,"
Roethlisberger told Letterman.
"I saw Santonio in the corner and as soon as I let go of it, I saw the defensive back going to get it, and I thought it was
intercepted. I thought the game was over. I thought I blew it. And, you know what? He made a heck of a catch, he really
did."
Letterman also thanked Roethlisberger for appearing on the show after a night celebrating Pittsburgh's 27-23 win over the
Arizona Cardinals.
"Long night -- but what better way to celebrate the next day than to be here with you," Roethlisberger said.
"Oh, what a guy, what a guy," Letterman said, applauding.
The show was taped earlier for broadcast later this evening at 11:30 p.m.
Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
First published on February 2, 2009 at 8:05 pm
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2/3/2009
Steelers win on Holmes' late TD grab
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By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Matt Freed/Post-Gazette
For the second time Ben
Roethlisberger rasies the
Lombardi Trophy as a Super
Bowl winner.
TAMPA, Fla. -- The Steelers not only have another Super Bowl victory to celebrate, it came in what might have been the
greatest of them all, and they have another play and a winning drive for the ages to go with it.
Santonio Holmes caught Ben Roethlisberger's 6-yard touchdown pass, keeping the toes of both his feet in bounds as he
stretched out along the sideline for the winner with 35 seconds left. It was Holmes' 40-yard reception with 49 seconds left
that put the Steelers in position to win it on a drive that covered 88 yards.
And those were not the most dynamic plays of the game.
The final score in this super Super Bowl was 27-23, and it gave the Steelers their sixth Lombardi Trophy, the most of any
NFL team.
"My feet never left the ground," said Holmes, the MVP of Super Bowl XLIII. "All I did was extend my arms and use my
toes as extra extension to catch up to the ball.
"We're going down in history with one of the greatest games ever played in the Super Bowl."
Holmes' touchdown catch saved the Steelers from what had been a fourth-quarter collapse at the hands of Arizona's Kurt
Warner and Larry Fitzgerald. Sixburgh nearly became Sicksburgh as the underdog Cardinals stormed back.
Warner threw two touchdown passes to Fitzgerald to wipe out a 13-point Steelers lead in a span of five minutes against the
NFL's No. 1-ranked defense.
Fitzgerald scored on a short pass that he turned into a 64-yard sprint up the middle with 2:37 to go, giving Arizona its first
lead, 23-20. It came after a safety against the Steelers at 2:58 that cut the Steelers' lead to 20-16.
"I actually was thinking that if they're going to score, that's how you want them to score, extremely quickly as opposed to
just milking it," said Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, at 36 the youngest coach to win the Super Bowl.
Up stepped Roethlisberger (21 of 30, 256 yards) to direct a winning drive in the final period for the sixth time this season -and throw his first Super Bowl touchdown pass.
The Steelers took over on their 22 with 2:30 left and were pushed back to the 12 by a holding call.
"I said it's now or never," Roethlisberger said he told his offense. "I told the guys all the film study you put in doesn't matter
if you don't do it now."
They did it, especially Roethlisberger and Holmes, who caught nine passes for 131 yards, four receptions on the winning
drive.
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"I said to him that I wanted to be the guy to make the plays," Holmes said he told his quarterback on the drive. "Great
players step up big time and make great plays."
The furious fourth quarter came after what many believe was the greatest play in Super Bowl history.
Call this one the Immaculate Interception, because the 100-yard interception return by James Harrison helped deliver this
victory.
Harrison's stunning touchdown on the last play of the first half turned the game around -- until it was turned inside out in the
final quarter -- and it likely created a 14-point swing.
The Cardinals had a first down at the Steelers' 1 with 18 seconds left and were ready to take the lead or tie the score with a
field goal on the next play. The Steelers led, 10-7, at the time.
Warner, fearing a blitz, threw a quick pass toward Anquan Boldin on the left. Harrison instead dropped into coverage,
stepped in front of the pass and ran down the right sideline for the longest play in Super Bowl history.
Harrison escaped a few tackles before he was hit just before the goal line. He landed on top of Fitzgerald, and they tumbled
into the end zone. Officials reviewed the play, and it stood as a touchdown, perhaps the most astounding one in Super Bowl
history.
"It was very tiring but it was all worth it," Harrison said. "I was just thinking that I had to do whatever I could to get to the
other end zone and get seven."
Without that, the Steelers likely would not have won.
They moved the ball well at times, but had trouble scoring touchdowns. Twice, they had first downs inside Arizona's 5 and
had to settle for Jeff Reed field goals of 18 and 21 yards.
The Steelers managed one offensive touchdown, a 1-yard run by Gary Russell in the second quarter that staked them to a 100 lead.
Warner threw three touchdown passes, including a 1-yarder to tight end Ben Patrick in the second quarter and likely would
have been the MVP had the Cardinals persevered. He was 31 of 43 for 377 yards with one interceptioin.
With 7:33 left in the game, Fitzgerald caught a fade pass for a 1-yard touchdown over cornerback Ike Taylor, who had held
him relatively quiet until then. That brought Arizona within 20-14.
A punt later pinned the Steelers at their 1, and center Justin Hartwig's holding penalty in the end zone, by rule, cost them two
points, making it 20-16.
Fitzgerald's lightning 64-yard touchdown came 21 seconds later and turned the raucous, overwhelming Steelers crowd
deadly quiet.
The place erupted, though, when Holmes caught Roethlisberger's 40-yard pass to the 6 and the Steelers called their final time
out with 49 seconds left.
Two plays later, Holmes made his incredible catch.
"I tried to throw it high, so he was going to catch it or no one was," Roethlisberger said, "and luckily he made a heck of a
play."
The Steelers scored first on Reed's 18-yard field goal, but it was a victory of sorts for Arizona because the Steelers had a first
down at the 1 and could do nothing with it.
On third down, Roethlisberger rolled right on a bootleg, trying to pass, and, with no one open, ran it in for a 1-yard
touchdown. Referee Terry McAulay, however, overturned the call on Arizona coach Ken Whisenhunt's challenge and ruled
Roethlisberger's knee had hit the ground before he got in.
Tomlin then opted to kick the short field goal on fourth down at the 1.
The Steelers did a better job of it the next time they got down there as Russell ran off right guard for a 1-yard touchdown
behind fullbacks Carey Davis and Sean McHugh, who came in motion from the left to block.
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That gave the Steelers a 10-0 lead, and the Cardinals over the past two seasons were 1-12 when they trailed by 10 or more.
Arizona, as it can, struck back quickly. Given plenty of time to set up as the Steelers rushed only three men, Warner found
Boldin wide open and hit him for a 45-yard pickup to the 1. Warner's 1-yard touchdown pass to Patrick brought the
Cardinals within 10-7 in the second quarter.
Harrison's touchdown changed the complexion of the game at halftime, giving the Steelers a 17-7 lead instead of perhaps
trailing.
In the third quarter, the Steelers moved 79 yards on 16 plays and consumed 8:39, but again they had trouble inside the
Cardinals' 5. They had a first down from there and could not get it into the end zone. Reed kicked a 27-yard field goal, but
safety Adrian Wilson stumbled into holder Mitch Berger for a penalty to give the Steelers a first down at the 4.
Three futile plays later, Reed came on and kicked a 21-yard field goal for a 20-7 Steelers lead.
Ed Bouchette can be reached at ebouchette@post-gazette.com.
First published on February 2, 2009 at 12:36 am
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2/3/2009
Tomlin doesn't want to hear talk of 'repeat'
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Tomlin doesn't want to hear talk of 'repeat'
By Chuck Finder, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
TAMPA, Fla. -- The morning after, Mike Tomlin talked about a historic call from the president, his feelings about becoming
the second African-American coach to win a Super Bowl, a safety he was prepared to accept and the R-word he doesn't want
recited about his Super Bowl champion Steelers.
"The thing I'm going to sell to our football team, we're not attempting to repeat," the second-year Steelers coach said at a
news conference today, barely 10 hours after the Steelers' come-from-behind, 27-23 victory in Super Bowl XLIII last night
at Raymond James Stadium. "That special group of men in that locker room last night at the end of that game, that's gone
forever. There will be 53 new men in there. A lot of the faces will be the same, but nothing stays the same in this game.
Those that remain, the roles will change. Some will ascend, some will descend.
"Our focus will be about being the one at the end of the season. I think repeating and defending Super Bowl championships
in today's NFL is something of a misnomer. When I walk down the hallway [at the Steelers' offices] and look at the
champions of the Steelers from the '70s, it's the same faces in the same positions on those photos, in terms of the Steel
Curtain and so forth. That's not the reality of today's NFL, to be quite honest with you. We'll start with a new group of men -- hopefully a lot of them will be the same.
"You won't hear me say 'repeat' or 'defending,' because it's brand new. This group will always be special to me. But, you
know, sometime soon, that group will assume its place with others in history. And they'll be just that, history."
Tomlin grew emotional when the subject was broached about the first African-American president's congratulatory
telephone call to a professional sports champion --- and, in particular, to the second African-American coach to win a Super
Bowl, after his mentor and former boss Tony Dungy of Indianapolis two years ago.
"Just very surreal, a very humbling experience to be a part of that," he said. "It's what you dream about. It's amazing not only
as a coach, but just as a citizen.
"I heard very little, very little of what he said. I let him know that. I said, 'Mr. President, I can't hear what you're saying, I
appreciate your call, I appreciate your congratulations,' and I handed the phone back to Mr. [Dan] Rooney."
And, strategically speaking, Tomlin said he decided to have punter Mitch Berger on fourth down run out of the end zone and
take a safety before Arizona on third down recorded one to whittle the Steelers' fourth-quarter lead to 20-16. Center Justin
Hartwig was called for a holding penalty in the end zone, negating a first down completion from Ben Roethlisberger to
Santonio Holmes and, under rules, giving the Cardinals 2 points.
"I had already made the decision to take the safety," Tomlin said. "Their punt-rush team is spectacular, led by [ex-Steeler]
Sean Morey, their Pro Bowl special teamer. So I really wasn't all that devastated by that safety. It was a little disappointing
because we had converted the first down. But my mentality was, had that pass come up incomplete, that we were going to
take the safety on fourth down, anyway."
More details in tomorrow's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Mike Tomlin
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2/3/2009
They're the Lords of the Rings
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By Robert Dvorchak, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Peter Diana / Post-Gazette
Receiver Santonio Holmes throws his arms wide in joy after an
acrobatic catch that gave the Steelers the lead and the win over
the Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII.
TAMPA, Fla. -- It's one for the other thumb.
Santonio Holmes made an acrobatic touchdown catch with 35 seconds remaining in a heart-stopping comeback, allowing the
Steelers to become the first team to win six Super Bowls. It earned Holmes a ring and the trophy as the game's MVP.
"It's going down in history," Holmes said after his catch gave the Steelers a dramatic 27-23 victory over the Arizona
Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII. "All I did was extend my arms and use my toes."
The Steelers, with the league's No. 1 defense, had blown a 13-point fourth-quarter lead as Larry Fitzgerald caught two
touchdown passes, giving him a record seven touchdown catches in the postseason.
That lead was built on James Harrison's 100-yard interception return for a touchdown on the last play of the first half, which
became the longest play in Super Bowl history.
If north, east, south, west, up and down are known as the six cardinal directions, add a new twist that sends Holmes to
Disneyland and brings the Lombardi Trophy back home to form a sextet.
"The Super Bowl is a test, at one point, of who wants the game more than the other guy," said Harrison, who capped a magic
year after being named team MVP and the league's defensive player of the year. "All 11 guys on the field helped out on that
play."
Harrison's 100-yard return of a Kurt Warner pass showed how much he wanted it. Out of gas after an exhausting run, the
linebacker just made it to the end zone as two Cardinals finally brought him to the ground. The score held up after a replay
challenge.
A championship is the Pittsburgh version of seventh heaven, and there's no limit on how many will be satisfactory.
"It never gets old, that's for sure. We'll take as many as we can get," said team president Art Rooney II.
The Lombardi Trophy was presented to his father, Dan, by Hall of Famer Joe Namath.
In accepting the trophy, chairman Dan Rooney thanked President Barack Obama, who made his first congratulatory phone
call as commander-in-chief to a man who supported him in the election.
Asked if there was room in the trophy case for a sixth one, Mr. Rooney answered: "We'll make room."
The Steelers passed up Dallas and San Francisco, who had won five Super Bowls. The Green Bay Packers have won 12 NFL
titles, nine of which were won before the Super Bowl came into existence. Still, the Steelers can claim six degrees of
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separation over the rest of the pack.
It was a fitting season-ending game for Harrison.
"He epitomizes what the Steelers organization is all about," fellow linebacker James Farrior said. "He's a tough, hard-nosed
guy. He plays with a chip on his shoulder. He always plays aggressive, and I definitely think he's the most intimidating
player out there. He doesn't have to talk. He just goes out there and plays."
It was the Steelers' second Lombardi Trophy in four years, and the sixth in 34 years. Ben Roethlisberger, who engineered the
final drive with the clock ticking away, became the 10th quarterback to win at least two Super Bowls.
"We won it for the fans. I know they're going crazy back in Pittsburgh," Mr. Roethlisberger said. "It's special to win one for
the Rooneys."
The Super Bowl is supposed to be a neutral site, but once again, legions of Steelers fans took over Raymond James Stadium
so overwhelmingly it looked like Heinz Field South.
Throughout the week, black and gold stood out among the palm trees and azure waters of Tampa Bay. It was said more than
once and in more than one establishment by the local citizenry -- they had never seen fans provide such passionate support or
say how proud they were to be from Pittsburgh.
The swirl and swagger remained with the Terrible Towel, which was desecrated last week by Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon.
He stomped on one after using it to blow his nose at a Cardinals rally.
As heart-pounding as the game was, sixes seemed to be the order of the night. During the halftime show, Bruce Springsteen
rocked on his six-string guitar while singing "Glory Days."
During the week in Tampa, the Rooneys were asked repeatedly to explain the Steeler success. They most often pointed to the
stability at the head coaching positions, but coaches and players say it begins with ownership.
"We are under the leadership of Dan and Art Rooney. Their vision of what Steeler football is all about is very clear," said
Mike Tomlin, who at 36 became the youngest coach to win a Super Bowl.
In summarizing the game, the coach said: "Steeler football is 60 minutes. It's never going to be pretty. Throw style points out
the window, but these guys will fight to the end. We didn't blink."
In the end, it was a victory for the organization.
"It's a credit to the Rooneys," said safety Ryan Clark. "It's a credit to how they live their lives, how they run their
organization, how they treat their team. They've done things the right way," he said.
To deep six something is to discard it, which is was the Steelers did to their lead. But the Cardinals' hopes went six feet
under in the final moments, despite being the first team ever to rally from a deficit of 10 or more points.
The Cardinals have played in more cities than they've won titles in the last 61 years, and the Super Bowl loss was crushing
because they thought they had it in their grasp.
The Cardinals were in Chicago in 1947 when they claimed the NFL championship, and have moved to St. Louis and
Phoenix in the interim. The drought is the longest in football and second in sports only to the century-long travails of the
Chicago Cubs. The Steelers have actually won more Super Bowls than the Cardinals have playoff victories in their 89-year
history.
"We wanted it more," said Santonio Holmes.
Robert Dvorchak can be reached at bdvorchak@post-gazette.com.
2/3/2009
Simply put, Super Bowl XLIII the best
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Move over Franco, Harrison's 100-yard return a game savior
By Ron Cook, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
TAMPA, Fla. -- Best Super Bowl in history? Check.
Best play in Super Bowl history? Check. (I know: Which play?)
Best catch in Super Bowl history? Man, it has to at least be in the conversation, doesn't it?
Best comeback in Super Bowl history? Ah, I can't quite go there. Sorry, Big Ben.
Not that quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is complaining. Not this morning. Not after becoming a two-time Super Bowl
champion in the Steelers' 27-23 victory against the Arizona Cardinals last night that left the 70,774 watching in Raymond
James Stadium and countless millions around the world absolutely breathless.
If you ask me, $800 for a ticket to watch this jewel was a bargain.
"Our guys don't blink," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said after becoming the youngest coach to win a Super Bowl, the
Steelers' second in four years and their record sixth overall.
Some might argue there have been better Super Bowls. Legendary quarterback Joe Willie Namath, who handed the
Lombardi Trophy to Steelers owner Dan Rooney after the confetti fell last night, played in a pretty remarkable one in Super
Bowl III, leading the New York Jets past the ridiculously favored Baltimore Colts. Much more recently, the New York
Giants stunned the world by upsetting the unbeaten New England Patriots last year in Super Bowl XLII.
But this one beat 'em all.
Four scores in the final 7 minutes, 33 seconds? Arizona going from 20-7 down to 23-20 ahead in -- what -- a blink of the
eye? Roethlisberger leading the Steelers 78 yards in the final two minutes-and-change to win it on wide receiver Santonio
Holmes' fabulous 6-yard touchdown catch with 35 seconds left?
You gotta be kidding.
Steelers fans know better than anyone that there have been dozens of extraordinary catches in the Super Bowl. Wide
receivers Lynn Swann and John Stallworth are in the Hall of Fame because of theirs on the NFL's grandest stage. But that
touchdown catch by Holmes is right there with the very best.
Everyone talked about how Arizona wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald had the best hand-eye coordination and ball skills
coming into the game. And he was terrific in the fourth quarter after Cardinals offensive coordinator Todd Haley and
quarterback Kurt Warner had virtually ignored him in the first three, throwing to him just twice. Fitzgerald gave his team a
23-20 lead with a 64-yard touchdown catch and could have been the Super Bowl MVP if the Cardinals had held on to win.
But Holmes would have none of that.
He and not Steelers linebacker James Harrison -- my choice -- is your MVP, mostly because he made the final spectacular
play.
The athleticism Holmes showed catching the ball and keeping both feet down in the back, right corner of the end zone was
almost surreal.
"Santonio is a guy who just loves to deliver in big games," Tomlin said. "In big moments, we know what we can get from
him."
Added Roethlisberger of Holmes: "I told him, 'Don't let it get to your head.' The sky's the limit for that guy. He has the
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potential to go where no receiver has ever gone."
Speaking of going to a place where no one's ever been ...
You know it's a wonderful night when the best play in Super Bowl history almost seems like it was inconsequential. But if
Harrison doesn't intercept the Warner pass at the Steelers' goal line at the end of the first half and return it 100 yards for a
touchdown, the Steelers almost certainly don't win. Instead of either being tied, 10-10, at the half or down 14-10, they were
thrilled to take a 17-7 lead to the locker room.
It would have been enough that Harrison stepped in front of Cardinals wide receiver Anquan Boldin and made the
interception, denying the Cardinals of precious points. But the return that followed was stunning. Picking up a great block by
cornerback Deshea Townsend, he staggered up the sideline in front of the Arizona bench and made it to the pylon just ahead
of Fitzgerald and wide receiver Steve Breaston and just as time was expiring in the half.
"James Harrison was the defensive player of the year," Fitzgerald said. "He proved to everyone in the world why he was
given that honor. He's an amazing player."
The return made it the longest play in Super Bowl history.
"It was the greatest single defensive play in Super Bowl history," Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau gushed.
Actually, it was a lot more than that.
It was the greatest play -- period -- in all of the Super Bowls. Go ahead. Try picking a better one.
I'm willing to take it even a bit further.
I'm willing to at least consider it for the greatest play in NFL history.
Franco Harris' catch in the playoffs against the Oakland Raiders in 1972 -- regarded by many as the sport's best play -merely won the Steelers' first playoff game in 40 years. The Harrison interception and return for a touchdown helped to win
the Steelers' historic sixth Super Bowl championship.
Doesn't that trump even the Immaculate Reception?
Hey, it's a question worth asking.
Ron Cook can be reached at rcook@post-gazette.com.
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2/3/2009
Winning drive was nothing new for Big Ben
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By Gerry Dulac, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger
TAMPA, Fla. -- It was what he had done all season, so it was no surprise when he did it again, right when it mattered most.
The 98-yard drive in Baltimore to clinch the division title?
That no longer ranks as the most impressive or most meaningful drive of the season, though that drive, like the one last night
at Raymond James Stadium, ended the same way -- with an amazing touchdown catch by Santonio Holmes that had to be
reviewed by replay because it defied the eye's belief.
"That was a heck of a drive," Ben Roethlisberger said when it was all over.
Maybe it's fitting that when Roethlisberger rallied the Steelers in the final 2:30 to pull out a stunning 27-23 victory against
the Arizona Cardinals, it marked the sixth time this season he had staged a comeback in the fourth quarter or overtime.
Fitting because it delivered Super Bowl trophy No. 6.
"I played a little better than I did last time so it feels a lot better," Roethlisberger said, referring to Super Bowl XL, a game in
which Roethlisberger posted the lowest passer rating (22.6) for a winning quarterback in Super Bowl history. "To be able to
come back on that last drive, a drive that will be remembered for a long time ... it feels really good, really special."
Indeed, Roethlisberger finished with 21 completions in 30 attempts for 256 yards -- more than double his total from Super
Bowl XL (123) and a 93.2 passer rating. But it also included one very big touchdown pass -- a 6-yarder to Holmes with 35
seconds remaining that made Roethlisberger only the 10th quarterback in history to win two Super Bowls.
"He just said, 'Let's go down there and do it,' " said Hines Ward, who had two catches for 43 yards. "I tried to tell him that
we only needed three points. He made a play and we got near the 50, so I was just saying, let's try to get 20 or 30 yards and
kick a field goal for sure."
Roethlisberger and Holmes went one better.
Roethlisberger is now 8-2 in his playoff career, and only New England's Tom Brady has won more playoff games (nine) in
the first five years of their career.
"Ben's been a good player ever since I've been around him," said Arizona Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt, who has seen
this before. Whisenhunt spent three seasons as the Steelers' offensive coordinator, and what he saw in the final minutes
against his new team did not surprise him. "He's a dangerous player who does a good job of managing the game."
Roethlisberger did more than manage the game against the Cardinals.
He started fast, staking the Steelers to a 10-0 lead by completing nine of his first 10 passes for 128 yards. And, after some
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shaky moments in the third quarter, he delivered when he absolutely had to, just as he did against the Ravens in Baltimore,
just as he did against the San Diego Chargers and the Dallas Cowboys.
On the winning drive, which covered 78 yards in eight plays, Roethlisberger completed 5 of 7 passes for 84 yards, including
a big conversion of 13 yards to Holmes on third-and-6 from his 26.
"The first read was the running back in the flat, but he wasn't open; then I was going to try to bang into Hines real quick,"
Roethlisberger said. "But someone was closing in on it and I was a little nervous about it. It wouldn't have been a
touchdown. I looked back, scrambled right a bit and saw [Holmes] in the corner. I tried to throw it high so he was going to
catch it or no one was. Luckily, he made a heck of a play.
"He made a heck of a throw," Cardinals defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast said of Roethlisberger.
Gerry Dulac can be reached at gdulac@post-gazette.com.
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2/3/2009
Super Bowl MVP Santonio Holmes ... His catch was a winner
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Steelers receiver was outstanding with nine catches for 131 yards
Dan Rooney and his son Art look on as Santonio Holmes and Mike
Tomlin hoist the AFC championship trophy after defeating the
Ravens yesterday at Heinz Field.
TAMPA, Fla. -- The ball glanced off his fingertips. He fell to earth gripped by disbelief, frustration, emptiness. The gamewinning, championship-securing, legend-making touchdown pass just eluded him.
Santonio Holmes came back to the huddle with a message for quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.
I want to be the guy who gets this game for you.
Prophecy fulfilled.
Game, championship, legend status as well.
Move over, Lynn Swann. What may surpass any acrobatic Swann dives of yesteryear may well have to step aside in this
immediate-gratification age for the tippy-toes touchdown catch Holmes made in the back corner of the end zone, with 35
seconds left, with the ring and title accoutrements on the line, with -- what? -- two, three, seemingly every Cardinals
defender surrounding him.
History will record it as a 6-yard pass, Roethlisberger to Holmes, touchdown.
Memories will cherish it in the cockles-warming company of Bill Mazeroski's homer, Franco Harris' Immaculate Reception,
you name it. Like Maz, the receiver teammates know as "Tone" set one for generations to come.
"My feet never left the ground," the Super Bowl XLIII MVP said of the play that last night opened a six-pack Super Bowl
celebration for the Steelers and their fandom, 27-23, as dramatic a Super finish for them -- in their seventh of the XLIII -- as
perhaps ever by any team.
Funny, but a Steeler Nation's feet still haven't touched ground.
"All I did was extend my arms and use my toes as extra extension to catch up to the ball," Holmes added. He missed the one
in the left, back corner. He didn't miss the one in the right, back corner.
"I was right there. I knew he caught the ball," Arizona cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie said.
2/3/2009
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Holmes picked up the tale: "It was a play that we drew up that we were hoping to get open in the back of the corner. The
defensive back bit up on the short route, and Ben held onto the ball long enough to get it to me."
It was Holmes' ninth catch of the game for 131 yards, a game high and even superior to Arizona's Larry Fitzgerald, who kept
right on breaking NFL records previously held by the receiving standard, Jerry Rice. Holmes was on the receiving end of
more than half of Roethlisberger's 256 passing yards.
Yet this third-year pro from Ohio State, the one who was deactived the week of the New York Giants game after an drug
incident in the Hill District, earned himself with that one drive a spot on the sides of Pittsburgh buildings. On the Super
Bowl-winning drive, he accounted for 75 of the 78 yards. He caught a 14-yarder on the drive's second play, a 13-yarder on
the fourth and the break-out 40-yarder on the seventh. The clock ticked. Time was slipping.
Holmes was just missing that catch in the left corner.
Forty-eight seconds remained.
"The first read was the running back [Mewelde Moore], in the flat, but he wasn't open," Roethlisberger said. "Then I was
going to try to bang it to Hines [Ward] real quick, but someone was closing, and I was a little nervous about it. I looked
back, scrambled a little bit and saw Tone in the corner. I tried to throw it high so he was going to catch it, or no one was."
Maybe Swann in his heyday, but he never did it in a final championship minute. Neither did John Stallworth. Or Rice.
Greatest catch anyone ever saw? "Man, Super Bowl? Yes," Willie Parker said. "By a teammate? Yes."
Ward offered through tears afterward: "He's had the talent, I just constantly told him he was going to do real special things.
What better way to do it here. And the way he did it."
"That was one of the best catches I've ever seen," linebacker James Farrior said.
"We are going down in history right now," Holmes concluded of an unprecedented sixth Super Bowl title by the Steelers.
"We are going down in history."
On his toes.
Chuck Finder can be reached at cfinder@post-gazette.com.
Santonio Holmes
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Steelers Notebook: Offense uses Wildcat set for first time
Page 1 of 3
By Ed Bouchette and Chuck Finder, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
TAMPA, Fla. -- What some were calling the greatest play in Super Bowl history nearly was lost to history in the furious
fourth-quarter turnarounds by both teams last night.
Linebacker James Harrison was in line to win the game's MVP award with his 100-yard interception return on the last play
of the first half. Then Kurt Warner took control with two fourth-quarter touchdown passes to Larry Fitzgerald to put the
Cardinals in front, 23-20.
And then Santonio Holmes grabbed the hardware with a spectacular winning touchdown catch with 35 seconds left, that
followed his 40-yard reception to the 6.
Still, Harrison's play not only was the singled best of Super Bowl XLIII, but perhaps the best of all time in the big game.
"I believe it was the greatest single play in Super Bowl history," said Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau. "It was
absolutely magnificent."
The Cardinals, trailing 10-7, had a first down at the Steelers 1 with 18 seconds left in the first half. They wanted to take at
least one shot at the end zone to take the lead or, if it failed, tie it with a field goal.
Warner expected a blitz, but Harrison fooled him and dropped into coverage to Warner's left. The Cardinals quarterback
threw the ball toward Anquan Boldin, but Harrison intercepted it and ran 100 yards for a touchdown with no time left.
"That was all James Harrison doing his thing," LeBeau said.
Some quickly labeled it the greatest play in Super Bowl history, and one that rivals the Immaculate Reception of Franco
Harris in a 1972 playoff victory by the Steelers.
"Not even close," said Edwin Pope, the esteemed columnist of the Miami Herald who has covered all 43 Super Bowls.
Consistent sacker
No one was more consistent throughout the playoffs than Mr. Two Sack, Steelers linebacker LaMarr Woodley.
He had two more sacks last night, giving him two in each of his four playoff games, including one game last season. He
previously became the first player in NFL history to have multiple sacks in three consecutive postseason games.
Second time a charm
Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger played considerably better in his second Super Bowl than he did his first. He completed 21
of 30 passes for 256 yards, one touchdown, one interception and a 93.2 passer rating. He was sacked twice.
On the winning drive, he completed 5 of 7 passes for 84 yards and the touchdown to Holmes.
"I played a little better than I did last time, so it feels a lot better," Roethlisberger said. "To be able to come back on that last
drive, probably a drive that will be remembered for a long time, at least in Steelers history. So, it feels really good, really
special."
A successful return
Woodland Hills High graduate Steve Breaston, who returned a punt 72 yards for a touchdown in a 21-14 victory against the
Steelers in 2007 in Arizona, had one for 44 yards last night.
LeBeau's golden goals
2/3/2009
Page 2 of 3
The Steelers' defense enters each game with goals set by LeBeau. Among them are limiting the opponent to 17 points. They
feel if they can do that, they'll win.
The Steelers' offense does not have a goal as to how many points it must score.
"Nope," said coordinator Bruce Arians.
"You have to score more than the other team. Don't turn it over, don't beat yourself, that's the main thing."
Halls of change
The Pro Football Hall of Fame will consider a change in its structure that would permit someone such as LeBeau to be
considered in a separate category.
As it stands now, LeBeau's playing career can be considered but not together with his brilliant coaching career, although
voters could still take that into account if he ever makes it through the nominating process as a seniors candidate.
The Hall of Fame might open a separate category in which men like LeBeau who had cross-over careers in football would be
considered.
Foote to Detroit?
The Detroit Free Press quoted a close friend of Larry Foote's who said the Steelers linebacker would like to play for the
Lions.
"He wants to come back here," said Brian Blackburn, Foote's friend. "This is the last year of his contract, and he wants to
come back here and play for the Lions for about four years and call it quits after that."
Foote is signed through next season but is scheduled to earn $2,885,000 and he has Lawrence Timmons, the team's firstround draft choice in 2007, behind him. Foote likely would resist if the Steelers request he take a pay cut, leaving the choice
in their hands to pay him or release him. They also could try to negotiate an extension, but with Timmons in the picture, that
might be a difficult decision.
MVP for another receiver
"I am so happy for Santonio," Hines Ward, the MVP of Super Bowl XL, said of Holmes, the MVP of Super Bowl XLIII.
"Not only for him and all that he had to overcome though out the whole season. I told him [yesterday] morning, 'Players
make names for themselves in games like this.' I am so elated for him, because he worked his tail off to get to where he is
and definitely helped to win this Super Bowl.
"All the guys helped to contribute to win the Super Bowl. But on that last drive, the play that Santonio made is just a special
feeling."
Ward ought to know: He caught the championship-clinching catch from fellow receiver, Antwaan Randle-El in Detroit's
Ford Field to beat Seattle three years ago.
Famous faces in the crowd
Former Steelers assistant Mark Whipple was on the field with his old team. The Rev. Jesse Jackson was in the winning
locker room afterward.
And, escorting his father,Dan, off the field after the celebration, Art Rooney II was carrying the Lombardi Trophy in his
right hand.
"No. 6, huh?" the younger Rooney said. "How about that?"
Giving them Fitz
Fitzgerald added to his burgeoning stardom by setting more NFL records.
In four postseason games, he finished with 30 receptions for 546 yards and seven touchdowns, records all -- erasing mostly
San Francisco's Jerry Rice from those accomplishments.
2/3/2009
Page 3 of 3
Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor held Fitzgerald to just one catch for 12 yards ... until 10:23 of the fourth quarter. From there,
Fitzgerald caught six passes for 115 yards that included a 64-yarder to give Arizona its only lead of the game, at 23-20.
"Man, it felt good the whole three and a half quarters," Taylor said of his one-on-one coverage of Fitzgerald. "We knew
sooner or later he's break. He broke when it counted. I don't know, that's what he does.
"You could tell he took it to a whole other level in the playoffs."
Said Fitzgerald: "They do a lot of different coverages. [Coordinator] Dick LeBeau is an outstanding coordinator, if not the
best or one of the best in the business. He does a great job of getting his guys in position. They had us going in the first half a
little bit."
Arizona went to more of a read-at-the-line offense the second half. That opened up the defense a bit for Fitzgerald and
quarterback Kurt Warner.
"When I was younger, I would have probably lost my cool and gotten a little upset," Fitzgerald, from Pitt, said of that onecatch first half. "But in a game of this magnitude, I knew we were going to call my number, and eventually there were going
to be some balls thrown my way. I just wanted to make sure I was in the right mind frame so when I had an opportunity, I
was going to try to take advantage of it. That's what I was thinking going into the second half."
Inactives
Steelers: No 3 quarterback Dennis Dixon, safety Anthony Smith, cornerback Fernando Bryant, linebacker Bruce Davis,
offensive tackle Tony Hills, offensive tackle Jason Capizzi, defensive tackle Scott Paxson, defensive end Orpheus Roye.
Cardinals: No. 3 quarterback Brian St. Pierre, cornerback Eric Green, fullback Tim Castille, linebacker Victor Hobson,
offensive tackle Elliot Vallejo, offensive tackle Brandon Keith, defensive Alan Branch, tight end Jerame Tuman.
2/3/2009
Gerry Dulac's Two-Minute Drill: Super Bowl XLIII vs. Arizona Cardinals
Page 1 of 2
Game ball goes to: Santonio Holmes
It wasn't enough that Holmes had the winning 6-yard touchdown with 35 seconds remaining with an amazing catch that will
rank as one of the best in Super Bowl history. He finished with nine catches for 131 yards to win the MVP award, and, aside
from the winner, none was bigger than the 40-yard catch and run to the Arizona 7 to set up his winning touchdown. Holmes
also had two other big catches negated by holding penalties by the offensive line. Holmes has been the team's big-play
receiver in the postseason, and he did it again when it mattered most.
The countdown
A quick look at the top performances from the victory:
1. Harrison's Immaculate Interception: There might be no more amazing play than James Harrison's 100-yard interception
return for a touchdown on the final play of the first half. It already ranks as the longest play in Super Bowl history, but the
improbable nature of his play, not to mention the way he managed to break or avoid six tackles and stay in bounds down the
sideline as time expired, gave the Steelers a 17-7 halftime lead. "I've never seen anything like it," ILB James Farrior said. "In
a game like this, with everything on the line, it was awesome."
2. Holmes' 40-yard catch and run: Before his winning touchdown catch, Holmes caught three other passes on the 78-yard
drive, the biggest on a 40-yard catch and run to the Arizona 7. It was a play on which Aaron Francisco slipped as he came up
to make a play on Holmes.
3. Fitzgerald finally breaks free. After being held to just one catch for 12 yards in the first half, Larry Fitzgerald had six
catches for 115 yards in the fourth quarter alone, including a 64-yard touchdown in which he beat Ike Taylor in the middle of
the field to give Arizona a 23-20 lead.
4. Baaaad boys. The Cardinals had three unsportsmanlike conduct penalties on the Steelers' first possession of the third
quarter, including running into holder Mitch Berger on what would have been a 27-yard field goal by Jeff Reed. All the
Steelers could manage from the gifts was a field goal.
5. Warner's hot streak. Arizona quarterback Kurt Warner passed for 224 of his 377 yards in the second half and, during one
torrid stretch, completed 10 passes in a row for 121 yards and a touchdown. Four of the completions were to Fitzgerald,
including the jump-ball 1-yard touchdown that made it 20-14.
Inside the numbers ... 6
That's the number of sacks registered by OLB LaMarr Woodley in the postseason after he had two more on Cardinals QB
Kurt Warner, the biggest to seal the victory. Woodley has had two sacks in each of the past four playoff games, an NFL
record for consecutive multiple-sack games.
What was he thinking?
Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt waited until the fourth quarter to unleash QB Kurt Warner and WR Larry Fitzgerald, and
only then out of necessity. Not only did Warner not even look at Fitzgerald in the first half -- he had one catch for 12 yards -they kept trying to run Edgerrin James, who finished with 33 yards on nine carries. That is no way to beat the Steelers. It
wasn't until the fourth quarter, when Warner and Fitzgerald hooked up six times, did the Cardinals nearly pull off the upset.
Overheard
"Santonio is a guy who delivers the big plays in big moments. What he has done tonight is what he has done the whole
month of January. He loves to make big plays." -- Mike Tomlin on Holmes' MVP game
Up next: THE PARADE
2/3/2009
Page 2 of 2
The next time you see the players, they're going to be parading through the streets of the city sometime early this week. An
estimated 250,000 people jammed Downtown for the parade in 2006. Let's hope the weather cooperates.
X's and O's
The play is called "62 Scat F Pivot H Hot" and it might go down in Steelers lore alongside other such famous plays as "60
Prevent Slot Hook & Go" and "Counter 34 Pike." It resulted in Holmes' stunning catch for the winning TD, but the play was
actually designed to go over the middle to Hines Ward, who was lined to the inside of Holmes on the right side. But, when
Ward was doubled, Ben Roethlisberger came back to Holmes, who was able to get his toes down in the end zone.
Super Bowl XLIII Gear
Santonio Holmes
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2/3/2009
Steelers Report Card: Steelers 27, Cardinals 24
Page 1 of 2
Gerry Dulac grades the Steelers' effort in their 27-24 victory over the Cardinals in SUper Bowl XLIII
Quarterback
Ben Roethlisberger staked the team to a 10-0 lead, then did what he has done all season -- completing 5 of
7 passes for 84 yards on the winning 78-yard drive in the final 2:30. Roethlisberger started strong,
completing nine of his first 10 passes for 128 yards to gain an early lead -- his only miss coming when he
under-threw Nate Washington on a potential 44-yard score.
Running backs
The running game's failure to produce in the second half nearly cost the team. Willie Parker had 34 yards
on eight carries in the first half, with 26 coming on each of the first two scoring drives. He finished with 46
yards on 18 carries. Gary Russell capped the second drive with a 1-yard TD, but he was stopped for a 4yard loss from the 1 on the previous possession that ended with a FG.
Wide receivers
Santonio Holmes had a team-high nine catches for 131 yards, including an amazing 6-yard TD to win the
game with :35 left. What's more, two other big catches were neutralized by holding penalties. Heath Miller
made a nice 21-yard catch to the Cardinals' 1 to set up Jeff Reed's field goal. Hines Ward had only one
catch in the first half, but it was a 38-yarder to set up the first FG.
Offensive line
The Steelers rushed for only 2 yards in the second half when they needed ball control. Roethlisberger was
not sacked in the first half, but a Chris Kemoeatu holding penalty wiped out a 20-yard pass. That wasn't as
costly as Justin Hartwig's hold in the end zone for safety, wiping out a third-down conversion. Darnell
Stapleton got beat for two sacks by Darnell Dockett in the fourth.
Defensive line
It was a solid effort against the rush, but there was little pressure on Kurt Warner, especially in the second
half. The Cardinals had just 10 yards rushing on six carries in the first half, looking more like the team that
came into the game with the lowest yards rushing per game for a Super Bowl participant. The Cardinals
finished with 33 yards rushing, all by Edgerrin James.
Linebackers
Kurt Warner tried to slow James Harrison's pressure in the first half by dumping passes over him, but
Harrison made him pay with the longest play in Super Bowl history -- intercepting a pass and scoring on a
100-yard return with no time remaining in the half. LaMarr Woodley had two sacks and also had two hits
on Warner, forcing a fumble that sealed the game.
Defensive backs
All the solid work to neutralize Larry Fitzgerald in the first half went for naught when Fitzgerald had six
catches for 115 yards in the fourth, including a 64-yard touchdown in which he beat Ike Taylor in the
middle of the field. Fitzgerald had just one catch for 12 yards in the first half, but he had four for 31 yards
on the drive that ended with his 1-yard TD catch.
Special teams
2/3/2009
Page 2 of 2
It was beginning to look like a repeat of last season when the coverage unit allowed a 34-yard punt return
to the Steelers' 43 by Steve Breaston in the second quarter. But they were solid after that, and so was Mitch
Berger, who made up for some dubious moments this season by averaging 46.3 yards on three punts. Jeff
Reed kicked field goals of 18 and 21 yards.
Coaching
Being youngest coach to get to the Super Bowl and win in just his second season is the fitting reward for
what Mike Tomlin did this season. For all the criticism Bruce Arians has received, the offensive game plan
was superb, especially on the winning 78-yard drive. Dick LeBeau's scheme to take away Fitzgerald
worked for a half, but nobody will remember the second-half breakdowns now.
Steelers' playoff grade point average
Position
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F
Quarterbacks
3
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
--
-
-
-
4.00
Running backs
1
-
-
-
-
-
-
1
1
-
-
-
2.33
Receivers
1
-
1
1
-
-
-
-
Offensive line
1
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
1
GPA
-
-
-
3.25
-
-
1
1.75
Special teams
-
-
-
1
-
1
-
1
-
-
-
-
2.33
Defensive line
1
-
-
1
1
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
3.25
3
Linebackers
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
4.00
Defensive backs
-
-
1
-
-
-
1
-
-
1
-
-
2.08
Coaching
1
-
-
1
1
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
3.25
Note: Steelers' cumulative grade point average through Super Bowl is graded on a 4.0 scale
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2/3/2009
Taylor had Fitzgerald covered, until the end
Page 1 of 2
"It was a good thing halftime was so long ... we were able to dissect some things ... "
By Gene Collier, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Brenden Fitterer/Associated Press
Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald pulls in a touchdown catch
against Ike Taylor midway through the fourth quarter last night.
TAMPA, Fla. -- In a football game that gave us a match for the shortest Super Bowl field goal, the longest play in Super
Bowl history, and the stupidest mudslide of crippling penalties by two teams seemingly incapable of getting out of their own
way, the most magnificent performance appeared as if it were being sculpted by Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor.
Running stride for stride, cut for cut, fake for impossible fake with Arizona playmaker Larry Fitzgerald, Taylor virtually
paralyzed the pre-eminent wideout in the game and all but eliminated any chance that the Cardinals' dream-like postseason
could include the Lombardi Trophy.
Fitzgerald, a former Pitt star who had 151 yards in the first half at Carolina as part of a record-breaking postseason, at
intermission last night had 12.
On one catch.
After three quarters, he had the same 12.
He had one catch in the game's first 49:34.
The Steelers led, 20-7, and then Ike Taylor just couldn't do it anymore.
That line of demarcation turned a methodical-to-shaggy Super Bowl into an all-time classic.
Before it ended at 10:09 p.m., the Steelers and Cardinals slugged each other senseless in the game's final 10 minutes, with
Santonio Holmes becoming every bit the hero that David Tyree and Plaxico Burress were last year. Every bit and a ton more.
Holmes caught a high-arching toss by Ben Roethlisberger in the right corner of the end zone, dragging his toes across 6
inches of end-zone grass into immortality.
The Steelers' unprecedented sixth Super Bowl victory looked a lot more like its second Super Bowl loss until Holmes'
monumental grab with 35 seconds remaining. Two minutes and two seconds before that, Fitzgerald had just finished taking
Taylor apart.
The last detail was his break inside of Taylor on a simple slant pattern from the Cardinals' 36. Fitzgerald caught it at the 43,
broke Taylor's lunging tackle, and took it 64 yards down the middle to a touchdown that broke Jerry Rice's postseason
record, his seventh of the postseason and his second of the game, the one that put Arizona ahead, 23-20.
"I thought if they were going to score, that's the way I wanted them to score, extremely quickly," said Mike Tomlin, the
2/3/2009
Page 2 of 2
youngest coach to win a Super Bowl. "Really, when Ike missed that tackle, I was over it by the time [Fitzgerald] got into the
end zone. It left us enough time for a two-minute drill."
Fitzgerald's first touchdown came just five minutes before that, on a fade in the right corner to end a drive that started at the
Arizona 10. When the drive started, Fitzgerald had one catch. When it ended, he had five and was on his way to seven that
averaged 18.1 yards and a fourth consecutive 100-yard game in this postseason, another NFL record.
"They did a lot of things that were new for them and it was a good thing halftime was so long," Fitzgerald said. "We had 25
or 30 minutes in there, so we were able to dissect some things and figured out a way to attack it. They were walking Troy
over on me on some plays and leaving Ike deep. In the second half, we had longer counts and started making them show
their hand."
Even after Holmes made every big play on the drive that yanked the Steelers back into the lead -- a 14-yard catch to the 26, a
13-yarder on third-and-6 at the 26, a 40-yard catch and run to the 5, all before his incredible touchdown catch -- Fitzgerald
wasn't finished.
With 24 seconds left after the ensuring kickoff, Warner still had two timeouts. Still had Fitzgerald one on one with the fastfading Taylor, who had been one of the best players in Super Bowl XL and the best for the first 49 minutes of this one.
Fitzgerald beat Ike one final time, for 20 yards across the middle to the Cardinals' 43.
Warner used his second timeout. J.J. Arrington caught his next throw for 13 more yards to the Steelers' 44, where Warner
used his final timeout with 15 seconds remaining. There was enough time to hook up with Fitzgerald one, two, even three
more times on the sideline, but the Steelers played max coverage on the first-down play, with only LaMarr Woodley joining
the defensive line to pressure the quarterback.
What followed was a textbook example of what analysts call the coverage sack. Warner dropped back, read every one of his
progressions until he just couldn't read anymore. It's hard to read when Woodley arrives to swat at your throwing arm.
Woodley knocked it free, and Aaron Smith plopped on it at midfield.
Six pack, anyone?
"I wouldn't want to have won this any other way," Tomlin said, "with everybody contributing. I'm just glad I could do my
part to contribute to that trophy case."
Gene Collier can be reached at gcollier@post-gazette.com.
Santonio Holmes
2/3/2009
Fitzgerald's brilliance eclipsed at the finish
Page 1 of 2
Former Pitt star breaks records, turns Taylor inside out
Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald runs for a second-half first down
last night in Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa, Fla.
TAMPA, Fla. -- No one expected this. No one expected Larry Fitzgerald Jr. to become a non-factor. No one expected these
playoffs' second coming of Jerry Rice to vanish into the cloudy, crisp night air.
Except, of course, maybe Ike Taylor.
That Steelers cornerback, who so suffocated Chad Johnson and Terrell Owens and any other star receiver that defensive
coordinator Dick LeBeau assigned his way, gave little to no ground through three quarters of Super Bowl XLIII last night at
Raymond James Stadium. He frustrated Fitzgerald, quarterback Kurt Warner, the entire Arizona offense and anyone rooting
for the moribund franchise playing in its first Super Bowl, its first championship game in 60 years.
Fitzgerald, his next contest after scoring an NFL-championship-tying record three touchdowns in the first half of the NFC
championship game, had one catch in the first half last night. For 12 yards. After 28 minutes and one second without a throw
in his direction from an oft-harried Warner.
He had nothing in the third quarter. Zero catches. Zero impact.
By the middle of the fourth quarter, after a 6-yard catch at the 10:23 mark finally giving him a second reception of the game,
the former Pitt standout took the big stage.
Then Taylor seemingly couldn't stop him.
He made an impact, all right.
It just wasn't enough for the Cardinals, who eventually lost, 27-23.
His team trailing, 20-7, late in the game, Fitzgerald caught four passes -- exactly half of Arizona's eight-play, 87-yard drive - for 31 yards. He hurtled himself skyward, in a silhouette that NFL defenders have grown too accustomed to seeing, and
snagged Warner's 1-yard fade route in the back right corner for the touchdown that enlivened the Cardinals and cut the
Steelers' lead to 20-14. He threw a franchise on his shoulder pads.
In the process, Fitzgerald added a fourth and fifth NFL postseason record to his burgeoning portfolio. After conjuring three
in the NFC championship game with three touchdowns, a third consecutive 100-yard game and 419 total receiving yards,
this fifth-year pro in that breakout fourth quarter recorded his 28th reception of this postseason -- breaking a 1988 Rice
record. Fitzgerald's sixth touchdown this postseason, on that mid-fourth quarter drive, also tied Rice, circa 1988.
He's 25 years old, and already he is aligning his name alongside, or over top, arguably the greatest receiver to ever play in
2/3/2009
Page 2 of 2
the NFL?
LeBeau put safety Troy Polamalu in one-on-one, superstar-on-superstar coverage against Fitzgerald a couple of times in the
first half, which worked for a time. The Steelers seemed to abandon that, entrusting Taylor to single coverage. Then, in the
fourth, that began to unravel.
"If I am able to hoist that Vince Lombard trophy on Sunday, then I definitely will be living the dream, no question,"
Fitzgerald said earlier in the week. "There are very few people in life who get to do exactly what I do. Every day, I wake up
and thank God for the opportunity he has given me and for the health he has given me and for putting me in this position,
because it is truly a blessing and an honor to be here."
On the final three plays of the Cardinals' drive that ended with three and a half minutes left, Warner never got the chance to
throw to Fitzgerald again.
So it would come down a final, last-chance, complete-desperation drive for Fitzgerald and the Cardinals. Score and win.
Fail, and lose that chance at the Lombardi, the ring, the championship.
Fitzgerald didn't fail them.
Sixty-four yards later, with 2:37 left in the biggest game of his life and in the biggest game of an 89-year-old franchise, this
game-changer bolted into the middle and up the Steelers' gut for a 64-yard touchdown. Two plays and 21 seconds after a
safety, and it was all Arizona needed. It gave the Cardinals a 23-20 lead in a game skeptics -- by the millions -- figured they
had no right to be playing.
With that, Fitzgerald surpassed Rice for the all-time NFL postseason touchdown mark and a fourth 100-yard receiving game,
to own that record all by himself.
He finished with six catches for 112 yards ... in that fantastic fourth quarter alone. But, in the end, another receiver
superceded him this Super night, Lynn Swann incarnate Santonio Holmes with the championship-winning touchdown catch
in the final minute.
Chuck Finder can be reached at cfinder@post-gazette.com.
James Harrison
2/3/2009
Fans spill out onto city streets after Steelers Super Bowl victory
Page 1 of 2
By Sadie Gurman, Amy Schaarsmith and Len Barcousky, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Lake Fong/Post-Gazette
Teeming fans celebrate the Steelers' Super Bowl XLIII victory on the South Side.
Police and firefighters worked into the morning today to clear city streets of deliriously happy Pittsburgh Steelers fans and to
douse fires set by students in Oakland celebrating the team's record sixth Super Bowl victory.
Thousands of people poured out of bars and residences on the South Side, Oakland, Downtown and the North Shore
moments after the Arizona Cardinals fumbled away their last chance, giving the Steelers a 27-23 win.
Police reported arrests and minor injuries. Students in Oakland were prolific with matches, setting small fires on Semple,
Wellsford, Atwood and Dawson streets and on Meyran Avenue near Louisa Street, and in front of the William Pitt Union at
Forbes Avenue and Bigelow Boulevard.
Officers closed the Oakland side of the Birmingham Bridge about 10:30 last night so no more students from Oakland could
get into the already overrun South Side.
On the South Side, officers materialized on East Carson Street at the conclusion of the game. Holding nightsticks beside
their shields, they formed a human barricade near South 26th Street as fans, cheering and waving Terrible Towels, paraded
along the street. Police had blocked East Carson and other major thoroughfares throughout the city at the end of the third
quarter.
Officers on horseback blocked some South Side intersections while fans screamed, "Here we go, Steelers!'' Other officers
used police dogs to help with crowd control.
Fans popped open champagne bottles, wrapped their arms around each other, and snapped photos of the celebration. Others
posed with the line of stoic officers as a backdrop.
By 11 p.m., the South Side was relatively quiet.
But about the same time, an unruly crowd moved along Forbes Avenue from the middle of the Pitt campus, breaking a few
windows as its members headed toward the intersection of Forbes and Craig Street.
Some officers, saying they were getting "overrun,'' called for backup to meet them in front of the Carnegie Museum.
The officers also called for a Port Authority bus to be sent into the area to hold people collared for disorderly conduct and
other offenses.
2/3/2009
Page 2 of 2
Officers shouted, "Get on the sidewalk, get on the sidewalk!" but their pleas were mostly drowned out by the cheering
crowd.
The crowd thinned out by 11:30 p.m., but those who remained were unruly. They trashed the bus shelter at Forbes and
Bigelow, overturned refuse cans along their route, and started a huge bonfire on Forbes Avenue near the Hillman Library.
Another large fire was reported on Oakland Avenue near Sennott Street, and a third was burning on Atwood, where the
crowd was trying to push a car into the blaze. Before the game ended, the UPMC Sports Center on the South Side was filled
with police officers, eyes glued to several television sets while they waited to be deployed. They were some of the 400
officers on duty last night to temper potentially unruly crowds, post barricades, arrest the disorderly and keep the peace.
They swapped horror stories about the 2006 Super Bowl, when thousands of fans descended upon the South Side after the
Steelers beat the Seattle Seahawks, 21-10.
"We just want people to have a good time and we want to keep anything from getting out of hand," Cmdr. Catherine
McNeilly said. "We want everyone to be safe."
About 9:30 p.m. officers on horseback began riding down East Carson Street. Inside the staging area were SWAT team
members, state troopers, county police and members of the city mobile crime unit.
Snacking on hotdogs and cookies, some of them groaned about working the big game, their chatter broken by collective
cheers and occasionally collective groans as the game see-sawed late in the fourth quarter.
"Almost everyone who's here would rather be watching at home," one officer said.
After halftime, they boarded the Port Authority buses that would deliver them to East Carson Street.
With each play of the game, they made predictions: if the Steelers won, they would likely spend all night taming fans. If they
lost they'd start handing out Kleenex.
As it turned out, they grabbed their shields and quickly filed onto buses to take them to the epicenter of the party.
The rowdiness had begun at halftime, when hundreds of people poured out of the Rex Theatre on East Carson, celebrating
James Harrison's 100-yard interception return for a touchdown. The score gave the hometown favorites a 17-7 lead with half
the game left.
Some of the revelers from the Rex stampeded in front of a 51C Port Authority bus and began rocking it and banging on the
windows. One man scaled the bus and celebrated atop it, and about a dozen other people followed his lead.
Two motorcycle police officers, showing restraint, coaxed the climbers down and cleared a path for the bus, sending the
handful of startled riders on their way.
The police made no arrests, but other officers a few storefronts down the street made a show of pulling their riot gear from a
paddy wagon so the crowd could see what it would be up against.
Sadie Gurman can be reached at sgurman@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1878; Amy Schaarsmith can be reached at aschaarsmith@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1122; Len Barcousky can be reached at
lbarcousky@post-gazette.com or 724-772-0184.
Pittsburgh Steeler Super Bowl XLIII Champs
Cups, Mugs, & Shot Glasses.
2/3/2009
Fans' hearts swell after Steelers' win
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By Dan Majors, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
TAMPA, Fla. -- With the Arizona Cardinals leading and time running out on Steelers fans' dream of a sixth Super Bowl title,
Tricia Elder glanced at her 12-year-old son, Michael, seated next to her high in Section 207 of Raymond James Stadium.
"My heart was sinking," she said. "Everything was gloom and doom. And when I was looking at his little face ... I was
already thinking of what I was going to say [to console him]."
But such platitudes as "Be proud to have come this far," and "There aren't many kids your age who get to come to a game
like this," fall so flat when they plummet from such lofty expectations.
And then ... it happened.
Ben Roethlisberger led the Steelers to a come-from-behind, last-minute touchdown to secure a victory that came perilously
close to slipping away.
"When Ben Roethlisberger goes into the Hall of Fame, they're going to show that drive as the reason why," said Steelers fan
Dan Winters, 39, of Philadelphia, who attended the game with his brother, Doug.
This wasn't the first Super Bowl for the Winters brothers. They were in Detroit when the Steelers beat the Seattle Seahawks.
"I thought that it couldn't be any better than that," Dan Winters said. "But it was. It was."
Jeff Grove, 50, of Tucson, Ariz., was seated near the end zone where the Steelers scored their winning touchdown. Watching
his Steelers beat the Cardinals with his son, Jason, 30, was an experience he vowed to never forget.
"We hate Phoenix," said Jeff Grove, who grew up in Lincoln Place and played quarterback for Taylor-Allderdice High
School. He moved to Arizona in 1979, but as his son said, "Once a Steelers fan, always a Steelers fan."
The comeback, ripping the hearts out of Cardinals fans sitting around him, was particularly pleasing to Jeff Grove.
"We really wanted to beat them," he said. "Their fans are a bunch of bandwagon-jumpers, and to give it to them was freaking
awesome. And seeing the Boss at halftime. I tell you, if I die tomorrow, I don't care."
"This was the most intense experience I've ever witnessed," Jason Grove said. "I couldn't sleep the past few nights, I was so
excited."
Tom Adamek, 45, of Harrison City, attended the game with his son, Tommy, 16. When things looked bleakest, Tom
Adamek began pondering when they should leave.
"I was starting to ask myself if I really wanted to stay after the game and watch them hand the trophy to the Cardinals," he
said.
John Evan, 43, and his wife, Nurit, 40, made the trip to the Super Bowl from Youngstown, Ohio. They left their six kids with
relatives in Florida and went to the game, their second after having been at the game in Detroit.
"This one was so much better," John Evan said. "It's not even close. What a nail-biter. I must have had three attacks."
But John Evan said he was still confident. Nervous, sure, but still confident.
"[The Cardinals] scored too early," he said. "They gave Ben too much time. He was clutch. Like they say, 'In Ben we trust.'
Ben may not be one of the NFL's elite quarterbacks, but the one thing he does is win."
Dan Majors can be reached at dmajors@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1456.
2/3/2009
Official NFL Shop
Ben Roethlisberger
Page 2 of 2
2/3/2009
Television pitches fall short of being Super
Page 1 of 2
By Rob Owen, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Last night's Super Bowl commercials often fell into one of two categories: Typical escapism or reminders of the sorry state
of the economy. Either way, there were few standout spots, especially compared to the fourth-quarter drama of the game
itself.
From the mouths of babes in an ad for E-Trade to a Bud Light spot where employees discuss what to cut from the budget,
America's economic decline was not ignored.
It might have been the only novel aspect of this batch of commercials. While some of the ads were amusing and others
played on viewers' emotions, few are likely to make a lasting impact or have people raving about them around the office
water cooler.
As usual, animals were wildly popular: Castrol grease monkeys, the Arby's goat bride and the ubiquitous Budweiser
Clydesdale spots -- one with a love story, another with a competitive game of catch with the Dalmatian.
Another recurring theme: Guys are stupid. From the Pepsi Max "I'm good" spot featuring men getting smacked upside the
head and electrocuted to the Doritos guy who crunched his dreams into reality before getting hit by a bus, dumb dudes ruled.
The ballyhooed 3-D spots worked better than tonight's "Chuck," which is severely lacking in pop.
The "Monsters vs. Aliens" and SoBe ads made better use of 3-D effects, although the dancing lizards/linebackers remain an
acquired taste -- one that's unlikely to be acquired by many.
NBC used some of its promo time to tout its prime-time programming, including the new cop drama "Southland," which was
accompanied by soulful guitar strumming.
Locally, WPXI ran a spot featuring news anchor David Johnson with news vans rushing past him and Chopper 11 dipping in
from above; it looked like he might get mowed down at any moment.
If you missed any national Super Bowl spots and want to see them, they'll be posted today at Hulu.com.
Here are some of the best and worst ads from last night:
Best nostalgia spot: Pepsi's "Forever Young" ad with Bob Dylan and Will.i.am was resonant and entertaining enough to
wedge the song in viewers' heads.
Worst nostalgia spot: The Coke Zero ad with Troy Polamalu that reprised the classic Mean Joe Green Coke ad was
needlessly complicated. On second viewing, it made more sense: Coke Zero stole the taste of Coke. The Coke "brand
managers" didn't want Coke Zero to steal their 1970s-era ad, too. But do viewers really think about Coke and Coke Zero
having different brand managers? Have most viewers even heard of brand managers? The spot was a nice showcase for
Polamalu, but he deserves better.
Worst tag line: An ad for the new Toyota Venza ended with, "Ask yourself, are you Venza?" It's both pretentious and
nonsensical.
Best movie spot: The new "Star Trek" looks awesome, a complete visual re-invention of the franchise. Disney-Pixar's "Up"
looks promising, too.
Worst movie spot: Another "Fast and the Furious"? Was anyone clamoring for that? Really?
Least effective spot: An ad featuring sports stars, including Tiger Woods, for what appeared to be Gatorade. The commercial
sent viewers to the Web site MissionG.com, where there's no mention of Gatorade.
Best anthropomorphic character: Telefloral.com's trash-talking flower that berates a woman who opened a box of shipped
2/3/2009
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flowers, saying, "Go home to your romance novels and your fat, smelly cat. No one wants to see you naked!"
Best self-parody: The Priceline.com ad where William Shatner feeds a guy lines to say to his wife and they come out in that
stilted, Shatnerian cadence.
Best use of repetition: The CareeerBuilder.com spot was quite effective. Using a "Groundhog Day" approach to storytelling
was a smart way to hook viewers. Punching a koala bear was a nice antidote to all the cutesy animal spots that sometimes get
too sappy.
Contact Post-Gazette TV editor Rob Owen at 412-263-2582 or rowen@post-gazette.com.
Super Bowl Commercials
Sprint™ Official Site
Plant A Seed. Help rebuild America's playing What If Roadies Ran the World? Watch's
fields.
Sprint's Super Bowl Ad!
2/3/2009
Fans' exuberance floods Pittsburgh, draws police - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Page 1 of 2
Fans' exuberance floods Pittsburgh, draws police
By Mike Wereschagin
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
They swarmed through the city's streets, leaping and screaming in ecstasy for
their six-time Super Bowl champions.
Pittsburgh firefighters blew the horns on trucks in celebration all over
Pittsburgh. Cars broke through barricades on the 10th Street Bridge to get into
the South Side.
"This is amazing. Look at this. Have you ever seen anything like it?" said
Lauren Carfagna, 25, of Center Township, who joined the crowds celebrating
on the South Side.
Steeler Nation took to the streets last night to celebrate the Steelers' 27-23
victory over the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII. It wasn't always
peaceful.
In Oakland, a blocklong mass of people sprinted up Forbes Avenue to the
Cathedral of Learning. A Dumpster fire was started in the middle of Forbes
Avenue outside Pitt's student union.
Some in Oakland and the South Side hurled bottles and rocks at police. On
Atwood Street, a Chevrolet was set on fire. Several cars were overturned,
police said.
Police estimated they arrested more than 100 people across the city for failure
to disperse. They also made one arrest for arson and two drunken-driving
arrests, they said early this morning. One officer suffered what appeared to be
a broken arm, police said.
"This is crazy. I've seen someone climb the towers, people trying to tear down
traffic lights, couches burning," said Pitt student Allison Huggins, 18, reaching
down to grab a chunk of concrete. "I've got a piece of Hillman -- instead of the
Berlin Wall, they're tearing down the Hillman."
The mob broke windows at Hillman Library, Original Hot Dog Shop, Bruegger's
Bagels and American Apparel, all along Forbes Avenue in Oakland.
A Port Authority bus shelter was smashed at Forbes and Bigelow Boulevard.
"They started kicking it, and then they picked up a newspaper box and rammed
the side of it," said Rob Engleman, 21, a Pitt physics student. "The glass just
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/archive/print_609820.html
2/3/2009
Fans' exuberance floods Pittsburgh, draws police - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
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shattered everywhere."
In front of the Cathedral of Learning, dozens of men whipped off their shirts
despite the near-freezing air. Others climbed atop bus shelters and lamp posts
howling, "Here we go Steelers, here we go!"
"The late-game heroics made the celebration so much crazier," said Pitt
sophomore Sam Velazquez, 19. "It got a little out of hand."
Police in riot gear and on horseback began trying to disperse the crowd on the
South Side around midnight. Carson Street was relatively clear of debris this
morning.
Lynn Elliott and Jessie McGowan, both of Mt. Washington, said they went to
Carson Street for Super Bowl XL and XLIII.
"This is our tradition now," said McGowan, 28. "We'll be back again for the next
one."
Mike Wereschagin can be reached at mwereschagin@tribweb.com or 412-3207900.
Images and text copyright © 2009 by The Tribune-Review Publishing Co.
Reproduction or reuse prohibited without written consent from PghTrib.com
2/3/2009
Steelers rally past Cards for sixth title - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Page 1 of 2
Steelers rally past Cards for sixth title
By Scott Brown
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
TAMPA — The Steelers became the first team to win six Super Bowls. In the
process, they denied the Arizona Cardinals a chance to become the most
improbable of Super Bowl champions.
And they did it in dramatic fashion.
Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger rallied the Steelers after they squandered a
13-point lead, and his late-game heroics produced a 27-23 win and one of the
most memorable finishes in Super Bowl history.
Roethlisberger led the Steelers on one of his patented fourth-quarter
comebacks, and he capped a 78-yard drive with a 6-yard touchdown pass to
Santonio Holmes with 35 seconds left in the game. Holmes made a spectacular
catch amidst heavy traffic in the back-right corner of the end zone and
managed to keep his toes in bounds.
A defense that had faltered in the fourth quarter held the Cardinals at the end of
the game as the Steelers staved off a loss that would have haunted them.
"That was Joe Montana-like," Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward said of the
final drive that Roethlisberger engineered, "but Ben's been doing that all year."
Roethlisberger completed 21 of 30 passes for 256 yards and a touchdown.
Holmes caught nine passes for 131 yards, earning game MVP honors.
"They talk a lot about this offense, and you know what I'm so proud of the way
we responded on that last drive," Roethlisberger said. "I hope we silenced
some critics."
The win gave the Steelers a second Super Bowl title in four years. It also
capped a 15-4 season in front of a pro-Pittsburgh crowd, compelling president
Barack Obama to call coach Mike Tomlin and offer congratulations.
Last night's game at Raymond James Stadium produced many memorable
moments and the longest play in Super bowl history.
With the Steelers clinging to a 10-7 lead at the end of the first half, James
Harrison picked off Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner and then made one of
the best runs in Super Bowl history.
2/3/2009
Steelers rally past Cards for sixth title - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
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He rumbled the length of the field, breaking several tackles along the way
before crashing through two Cardinals into the end zone.
His 100-yard touchdown allowed the Steelers to take a 10-point lead into the
locker room. It also punctuated an entertaining first half.
The Steelers dominated the first quarter, outgaining the Cardinals 140 yards to
13. A 1-yard touchdown run by Gary Russell early in the second quarter gave
them a 10-0 lead.
After controlling the first half, it looked like the Steelers would actually trail going
into halftime. But on first down from the Steelers' 1-yard line with 18 seconds
left in the quarter, Harrison backed off after showing blitz and intercepted a
pass intended for Anquan Boldin. Harrison's return not only set a record, it also
shifted momentum back to the Steelers' side.
The Steelers increased their lead to 20-7 after Jeff Reed kicked a short field
goal, but they almost paid for not putting the Cardinals away.
Warner, who threw for 377 yards, led an eight-play, 87-yard drive that he
capped with a 1-yard touchdown pass to Larry Fitzgerald. That cut the Steelers'
lead to 20-14.
The Cardinals got within four points after a holding call in the end zone resulted
in a safety. Warner then gave Arizona its first lead when he threw a 64-yard
touchdown pass to Fitzgerald with 2:37 left in the fourth quarter.
"I knew it wasn't over," Warner said.
Indeed, Roethlisberger completed four passes to Holmes on a drive that won't
be soon forgotten, and a last-gasp push by Arizona ended when Warner
fumbled after LaMarr Woodley sacked him.
"We've got a team that doesn't blink," Tomlin said. "It's never going to be pretty
or perfect, but they've got a great deal of belief in one another."
Scott Brown can be reached at sbrown@tribweb.com or 412-481-5432.
2/3/2009
MVP Holmes comes up big on final drive - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Page 1 of 2
MVP Holmes comes up big on final drive
By Kevin Gorman
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
TAMPA — Santonio Holmes was surrounded by red jerseys, trapped in the
back right corner of the end zone with only enough room to stand on his tiptoes
and stretch out his arms.
Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's pass was thrown to a spot where only
Holmes could catch it. And the third-year receiver did just that, making a grab
that stood up to video review and clinched the Steelers' sixth Super Bowl win.
"My feet never left the ground," Holmes said. "All I did was extend my arms and
use my toes as an extra extension to catch up to the ball."
Holmes' 6-yard score with 35 seconds left in the game earned him Most
Valuable Player honors and lifted the Steelers to a 27-23 victory over the
Arizona Cardinals Sunday night in Super Bowl XLIII at Raymond James
Stadium.
"Santonio Holmes really made a name for himself," said Steelers receiver Hines
Ward, the MVP of Super Bowl XL.
It was his fourth catch of the eight-play, 78-yard game-winning drive, and
Holmes finished with nine receptions for 131 yards and a touchdown. He also
had receptions of 14, 13 and 40 yards on the drive, the latter improbably putting
the Steelers in position to win a game they nearly blew.
"I said to (Roethlisberger) that I wanted to be the guy to make the plays for this
team," Holmes said during the MVP trophy presentation. "I wanted to be great,
and great players step up in the biggest games."
Holmes did just that, coming through for the Steelers and upstaging Arizona
wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald just minutes after Fitzgerald gave the Cardinals
their first lead of the game with a 64-yard touchdown catch with 2:37 remaining.
Playing in his home state, Holmes, of Belle Glade, came up with the two
biggest plays in the final minute of the game. He froze a Cardinals' defensive
back, causing him to slip, then caught it and ran to the 6.
After just missing on a pass in the far left corner, the Steelers decided to go
back to Holmes on the opposite side of the field on the next play.
"It was a play that we drew up that we were hoping to get open in the back of
2/3/2009
MVP Holmes comes up big on final drive - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
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the end zone," Holmes said. "The defensive back bit up on the short route, and
Ben held onto the ball long enough to get it to me."
Roethlisberger's pass sailed past Cardinals defensive backs Ralph Brown,
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Aaron Francisco and into the outstretched
arms of Holmes, who basked in his heroics.
"Santonio is a guy that just loves to deliver in big moments and big games,"
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. "What he did tonight is similar to what he did
for us in the month of January. ...
"In big moments, we know what we can get from him."
Kevin Gorman can be reached at kgorman@tribweb.com or 412-320-7812.
2/3/2009
Steelers' Harrison makes play of century - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Page 1 of 2
Steelers' Harrison makes play of century
By Mike Prisuta
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
TAMPA — The most unforgettable and historic play of Super Bowl XLIII did not
seal a victory for the Steelers.
But while Steelers linebacker James Harrison likely is still gasping for air, his
breathtaking, 100-yard interception return for a touchdown at the close of the
first half contributed mightily to securing an NFL-record sixth Vince Lombardi
trophy, 27-23, on Sunday night at Raymond James Stadium.
Harrison's unprecedented effort — it was the longest play in Super Bowl history
— denied the Cardinals a chance to tie the game or take the lead at halftime.
Instead it sent the Steelers to the locker room having re-established a twoscore advantage at 17-7.
"We had a max-blitz called and I figured it would be either a quick slant or out,
and I drifted to the outside," Harrison said after the game. "After that, it was just
a matter of determination and will, and there were 10 other guys helping me to
get to the end zone."
The Steelers pushed that lead to 13 in the second half, fell behind by three with
less than three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter and then rallied for the
eventual game-winning touchdown with 35 seconds to play.
"The turnover right before the half hurt," Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt said
of Harrison's play. "We fought back and overcame that. The penalties, we
allowed them to extend their drives. It was unfortunate there were that many
penalties called."
In the second quarter, the Cardinals had positioned themselves to climb out of
an early 10-0 hole and perhaps grab their first lead of the game prior to
Harrison's heroics.
With the Steelers leading, 10-7, Cardinals linebacker Karlos Dansby intercepted
a pass from quarterback Ben Roethlisberger that had been deflected by nose
tackle Bryan Robinson, and Arizona regained possession at the Steelers' 34yard line with two minutes remaining in the first half.
The Cardinals moved 33 yards over the next seven snaps, and faced a firstand-goal at the Steelers' 1 with 18 seconds left before the break when the
game changed.
2/3/2009
Steelers' Harrison makes play of century - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
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With no timeouts left, quarterback Kurt Warner tried to hit wide receiver Anquan
Boldin on an inside route.
Boldin cut behind wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, but Harrison dropped into
coverage, stepped in front of Boldin, picked off the pass at the goal line and
headed upfield.
As it turned out, the Cardinals were not properly aligned on the play.
"We're supposed to be in a spread alignment there," said Todd Haley,
Cardinals' offensive coordinator. "It got a little tight, but 92 (Harrison) made a
great play and we were unable to get him down."
Harrison got a block from cornerback Deshea Townsend while running through
Warner and managed to stay in front of pursuing tight end Leonard Pope. As
Harrison churned up the sideline, he got a block from linebacker LaMarr
Woodley on running back Tim Hightower and avoided the desperation dive of
offensive tackle Mike Gandy.
Still advancing relentlessly toward the goal line, Harrison managed to split wide
receivers Steve Breaston and Fitzgerald to remain upright until he was driven to
the ground head-first on the opposite goal line.
As the replay review that confirmed the touchdown was conducted, Harrison
stayed down in the end zone, apparently exhausted.
Harrison had maintained during media day festivities Tuesday that the Steelers
were planning to use him more in coverage than as a pass rusher against
Warner.
"This is what we've been doing all week," Harrison said.
Mike Prisuta can be reached at mprisuta@tribweb.com or 412-320-7923.
2/3/2009
Fans rise, fall with driving rhythms of game - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Page 1 of 4
Fans rise, fall with driving rhythms of game
By Mike Wereschagin and Mary Pickels
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Packed in sweltering bars, stomping on living room floors and screaming in joy
and anguish, Steeler Nation shook in time with the game they've waited for.
Here, they roar for champions, and no city has roared as often. The Steelers
are six-time Super Bowl winners.
Across the region, they waited, breathless, through a fourth-quarter drive. As
one, they sprang to their feet, arms in the air, when Santonio Holmes ended it
with a reception in the end zone to put the Steelers ahead once and for all.
Doors opened, and streets filled with shrieking, leaping fans.
"We were a little nervous, but in the end we knew they'd come back and win.
There is no way this city would let them lose," said Joanie Darno, 22, of Beaver,
as she and friends celebrated on East Carson Street. "Our fans are the best,
and this is amazing. We got six, baby!"
History was made before half-time. The crowd in Peter's Pub in Oakland
erupted at James Harrison's 100-yard interception return, the longest play ever
in a Super Bowl. Each yard marker he passed drove the noise louder. Above
all, Terrible Towels whirled.
Touchdown!
The floor began to shake as the pub patrons jumped and stomped, ecstatic.
The cheering inside bars could be heard on desolate streets outside.
"That's why we drove up here," said Erin Knapp, 32, of Baltimore. "The Steelers
connect me to my heritage. ... My grandpa worked in a steel mill."
Near the Cathedral of Learning in Oakland, a block-long rush of revelers
sprinted up Forbes Avenue. Some ripped No Parking signs from the ground
and set off fireworks.
The green in front of the Cathedral quickly filled with people, and some set a
tree there on fire. Dozens of men ripped off their shirts despite the near-freezing
air. Others climbed atop bus shelters and lampposts. It took only seconds for
someone to set a couch on fire in the street. A 25-year-old man was injured
when he was hit by a car outside a bar in Carrick.
In a back room at the Parkwood Inn in Southwest Greensburg, Eva Altieri
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clutched her daughter-in-law's rosary beads and said a prayer.
"I always light a candle and I always say the rosary, and they win," Altieri said
of her game day tradition.
Steve Ford, owner of Decade on East Carson Street, got out a ladder and
started boarding up his windows at half-time in preparation for the celebration.
Herbie Pallotta, 23, arrived at Peter's Pub early -- really early -- to cheer on the
Steelers.
"I've been here since 11:30 this morning. We thought we would be first, but we
saw a guy get thrown out as we came in. He apparently had way too much the
night before," said Pallotta, a sports entertainment student at Point Park
University.
Jill Ford of Carnegie said she was lucky to stake out a few square inches of a
windowsill on which to set her drink and coat.
"We asked what the wait for a table was, and the hostess said, 'tomorrow,' "
said Ford, 30. She said it took a few years of living in Arizona -- where she
watched the Steelers in Super Bowl XL -- to realize how much more devoted
Steelers fans are, compared with Cardinals' fans.
"Living here in the bubble, it's just the norm," Ford said. "But in Arizona, I was
like, 'What is wrong with you people?' "
In a backroom at the Parkwood Inn in Southwest Greensburg, Westmoreland
County, Eva Altieri clutched her daughter-in-law's rosary beads and said a
prayer.
"I always light a candle, and I always say the rosary and they win," said Altieri,
84, of her typical Steelers' game day tradition.
Arriving Sunday night at the restaurant her family operates, she realized she'd
forgotten her own rosary beads. Her daughter-in-law came to the rescue.
A longtime Steelers' fan, Altieri watched the game with family members and
saw no threat from the Arizona Cardinals.
"(The Steelers) are winning," she said, as the third quarter neared its end. "And
they're going to win."
Heather and Bill Spell Jr. of Herminie sat near the bar at the Parkwood Inn.
Heather Spell, 35, said she was concerned the Cardinals presented a
challenge.
"People say they can't do this," she said. "If you say you can't do something,
that's motivating. But the Steelers will win."
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"The Steelers have been here before," said Bill Spell Jr., 29. "They know what it
is to get to the top of the mountain."
Matt Yacobucci, 26, of Latrobe, joined friends at Dino's Sports Lounge in Unity.
Before the game began, he predicted a Steelers win.
Nodding at the sea of Terrible Towels being waved at Raymond James
Stadium in Tampa, he said of the team, "Win or lose, they still have the fans."
"If I had the money and the time, I would go to Tampa," he said. "I can only
imagine how crazy it's going to be down there."
Out in the bar area, Tami Briggs, 47, of Latrobe, donned a black and gold
balloon hat and waved a clapper the waitresses passed out to patrons.
"I think it will be close," she predicted early in the game, "probably within three
points."
She admitted she was worried.
"But I have faith," she said.
Her friend, Scott Bradley, 54, of Greensburg couldn't conceive of a Steelers'
loss.
"We're not going to think about that," he said.
"I think it could be a close game, but the Steelers will come out on top," he
predicted.
"I don't think (the Cardinals) have the heart and soul the Steelers do, or the
fans," he said.
As the second quarter neared its end, Jeanne Ashley, 53, her sister, Connie
Lazur, 55, and pal Kelly Buchanan, 40, all of Latrobe, waved their pom-poms
and clutched their confetti poppers at Sharky's Cafe in Unity.
All three predicted a Steelers win.
The three women, who try to attend at least one game together each season,
thought the Steelers might make it to the Super Bowl this year.
They had no worries that the Cardinals might prove a formidable opponent for
the home team.
"I don't see that, not so far," Lazur said. "You have to think positive if you're a
Steelers fan."
2/3/2009
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"They (Cardinals) are playing better than I thought they would," Buchanan said.
"But they're not going to win."
2/3/2009
Big Ben comes through in clutch - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
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Big Ben comes through in clutch
By Kevin Gorman
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
TAMPA, Fla. — Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger pump-faked and pointed
toward the right corner, a spot surrounded by Arizona Cardinals, and threw a
pass that sent the Steelers into Super Bowl history.
Roethlisberger's 6-yard touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes, who stretched to
catch it in the right corner of the end zone with 35 seconds remaining, gave the
Steelers a 27-23 victory in Super Bowl XLIII on Sunday night at Raymond
James Stadium.
The 26-year-old Roethlisberger completed 21 of 30 passes for 256 yards, with
a touchdown and an interception.
The fifth-year Steelers quarterback directed an eight-play, 78-yard gamewinning drive — one in which he sandwiched an 11-yarder to Nate Washington
between passes of 13 and 40 yards to Holmes to set up the final play.
That he finished stronger than he started is an amazing feat in itself,
considering that Roethlisberger got the Steelers rolling on the opening drive.
His first pass, to receiver Hines Ward, went for 38 yards. The second, to tight
end Heath Miller, went for 21.
By the end of that drive, Roethlisberger was rolling right on a play-action
bootleg, absorbing a hit from Darnell Dockett and dragging the Cardinals
defensive tackle toward the goal line.
The officials initially ruled that Roethlisberger broke the plane and signaled for a
touchdown. Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt challenged the call and a review
showed that Roethlisberger was down.
It was the only time Big Ben came up short.
After struggling as a second-year pro in the Super Bowl XL victory three years
ago — when he was 9-of-21 for 123 yards with two interceptions —
Roethlisberger showed veteran poise in Super Bowl XLIII.
By the end of the first quarter, Roethlisberger had completed 7 of 8 passes for
118 yards — only 14 shy of his game total in Super Bowl XL. By halftime, he
had completed 11 of 14 passes for 130 yards.
Roethlisberger also showed remarkable poise in the second half, after his final
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throw of the first ended in an interception. His pass was deflected at the line of
scrimmage by nose tackle Bryan Robinson and landed in the hands of outside
linebacker Karlos Dansby.
But as Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner and receiver Larry Fitzgerald worked
their way into the NFL postseason record books, Roethlisberger got the ball at
the end and did what he's proving he does best — win a Super Bowl.
Kevin Gorman can be reached at kgorman@tribweb.com or 412-320-7812.
2/3/2009
Many faithful Steeler fans stay devoted to religion - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
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Many faithful Steeler fans stay devoted to religion
By Craig Smith
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Super Bowl Sunday remains a day of faith to many of those devoted to football.
Ron and Kathy Coder started by uniting fans of the Steelers, Cleveland Browns,
Cincinnati Bengals and Arizona Cardinals at a historic Bellevue church.
"Jesus talks about finishing the race in the Bible," said Ron Coder, who played
for the Denver Broncos, Seattle Seahawks and the Cardinals when they called
St. Louis home. As coach of the Pittsburgh Passion women's football team, he
instituted a chapel service before each game.
Football season can be rough at the home of the Rev. Chuck Gohn, lead
minister at Bellevue Christian Church, which hosted the service. He's from St.
Louis and is torn between the Cardinals and Steelers. His wife, Debbie, is a diehard Browns fan.
"I try to keep peace," Gohn said, as the church filled up with people wearing
black and gold. Even youth minister Chris Hill was welcomed in his Bengals
jersey.
Kathy and Danny Nelson and their son, Matthew, of Brighton Heights,
continued a family tradition by attending the 10:30 Mass at St. Peters Roman
Catholic Church, the North Side church attended by members of the Rooney
family, owner of the Steelers.
Dressed in Steelers jerseys or black and gold, the family has attended services
there on just about every Super Bowl the Steelers have played in.
"It can't hurt," Kathy Nelson said.
At the Hilltop Baptist Church in Banksville, youth pastor Ron Jaworski -- no
relation to the former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback -- incorporated the
Immaculate Reception and the Steel Curtain Defense into his sermon entitled
"Homefield Advantage."
The 7:45 p.m. Mass at Sacred Heart Church in Shadyside was canceled last
night. Even the most devout local Catholic wasn't expected to be in church past
6 p.m., a church secretary said.
Craig Smith can be reached at csmith@tribweb.com or 412-380-5646.
2/3/2009
Eyes on the big game, ears tuned to duty - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
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Eyes on the big game, ears tuned to duty
By Jill King Greenwood
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Not everyone in Pittsburgh gathered at a local watering hole -- frosty beverage
in hand -- to watch Super Bowl XLIII.
For three full-time Mt. Lebanon firefighters on duty Sunday night, seeing the
game meant keeping an eye on the television and an ear on the dispatch
scanner.
"It kind of stinks to work during the game, but everything you can imagine -weddings, funerals, First Communions -- have been interrupted because of the
job," said Platoon Chief Tim Brown, 46, whose wife Leslie, 45, and sons Jason,
17, and Kevin, 16, came to the fire station to watch the game. "We're used to
it."
The station was decorated in Steelers signs, footballs, Terrible Towels and
banners, and the firefighters and their families brought food. They watched on a
42-inch television, a rarity while on duty.
"I can count on one hand the number of times we've actually gathered around
this TV at work," said Brown. "So it's nice that we could do that for this game."
Fire Lt. Loren Hughes, 28, said he'd normally be cleaning or training instead of
snacking and drinking Cokes in front of the TV the firefighters bought by pooling
their own money. "This is actually a nice break for us," he said.
Volunteer firefighter Tina Cook, whose husband Lt. Tom Cook, was one of the
firefighters working the shift, leaped into the air cheering, clapping and waving
her Terrible Towel when linebacker James Harrison intercepted a Kurt Warner
pass at the end of the second quarter and ran for a 100-yard touchdown.
"This is awesome," said Cook, 39. "Amazing. My heart is pounding!"
They were prepared to keep tabs on the game even if an emergency call came:
a radio in the truck.
"We won't miss it," said Tom Cook.
Jill King Greenwood can be reached at jgreenwood@tribweb.com or 412-3212160.
2/3/2009
Believe it: Some Pittsburghers didn't care about Super Bowl - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
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Believe it: Some Pittsburghers didn't care about Super Bowl
By Allison M. Heinrichs
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
As players took the field for Super Bowl XLIII, Hillary Smith was watching the
curtain lift at Benedum Center.
"I know it's bizarre, but I can't stand sports," said Smith, 23, of Shadyside, who
went Downtown to catch the final Pittsburgh showing of the Tony Awardwinning "Jersey Boys." "I mean it's fun that Pittsburgh's in the Super Bowl, I'm
glad people in the city like it and it brings the city together, but I couldn't care
less."
Although most people living near the capital of Steeler Nation watched the
hometown heroes take on the Arizona Cardinals last night, some read books,
sipped lattes or watched movies.
University of Pittsburgh student Sam Pittman, 22, of Squirrel Hill spent the
game at a cozy table in his neighborhood cafe, Arefa's Espresso, learning to
speak Icelandic.
"I'm not really into football," Pittman said. "And I have too much studying to do."
Fellow Pitt student Chad Vogler, 30, of Shadyside agreed.
"I don't care in the slightest" who wins, he said, opening a textbook.
That wasn't the case for everyone who found themselves away from big
screens.
"He's going to listen on headphones, and we're recording it at home," said
Laverne Skidmore of McCandless, as she and husband, Jim, headed into the
Benedum.
"We bought our tickets in May and they were too expensive not to use," she
said. "I tried to sell them but I couldn't find anyone in Pittsburgh who wanted
them."
Allison M. Heinrichs can be reached at aheinrichs@tribweb.com or 412-3805607.
2/3/2009
Fitzgerald's late heroics not enough - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
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Fitzgerald's late heroics not enough
By Bill Beckner Jr.
VALLEY NEWS DISPATCH
TAMPA — It took receiver Larry Fitzgerald more than three quarters to make
his presence known in Super Bowl XLIII, and once he finally did, the
complexion of the game changed.
But the Cardinals may have waited too long to get the big-play wideout involved
in a gut-wrenching 27-23 loss to the Steelers.
"It hurts to have it snatched away from you," Fitzgerald said. "When I was
younger I might have lost my cool and got upset, but I knew in a game of this
magnitude, eventually my team was going to call my number."
Fitzgerald and quarterback Kurt Warner connected on two fourth-quarter
touchdowns, including a 64-yard scoring play with 2:37 left, but the Cardinals
fell short in their bid to break sports' second-longest title drought.
The former Pitt star leapt into the NFL record books, surpassing Jerry Rice with
seven postseason touchdowns and posting his fourth straight 100-yard
receiving game in these playoffs, another record.
But he was a non-factor most of the night, doing most of his damage late, when
the Cardinals spread out the Steelers. He finished with seven catches for 127
yards and the two scores.
"They were basically covering him with two guys the whole first half," Cardinals
offensive coordinator Todd Haley said. "They were taking him out of the game,
but I think we did some damage with some balls to the flat to different players."
Fitzgerald pushed his impressive playoff receiving mark for catches to 30, but
he had only one reception in the first half and didn't score until the 7:33 mark of
the fourth quarter when he caught a 1-yard touchdown from Warner to get
Arizona within 20-14.
Fitzgerald was thrown to only twice in the first half, catching one pass for 12
yards. But as he became more of a factor, so did his team.
In four postseason games, Fitzgerald had 30 receptions for 546 yards and
seven touchdowns, setting NFL records in all three categories for a single
postseason.
He appeared frustrated most of the game, shaking his head on the sideline.
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When he caught the 64-yarder, he sprinted down the field, in relief.
"The ball wasn't coming to me for some reason," Fitzgerald said. "But I don't
want to point fingers.
Warner didn't even bother with a well-covered Fitzgerald until 1:49 before
halftime. Warner was hit by linebacker LaMarr Woodley, and his first heave
toward Fitzgerald was nearly intercepted by Ike Taylor.
The pair hooked up for a first-down play to the Steelers' 5. But two plays later,
Warner's pass to Anquan Boldin was snatched by Harrison.
The Steelers jammed Fitzgerald, mostly in a Cover-2 and made Warner look
elsewhere. Ike Taylor and Troy Polamalu provided tight coverage and made
sure the 6-foot-3, 220-pound star didn't feast on them as many anticipated all
week.
"You can take Larry away, but we kept some plays in there that we expected to
work, and they did," Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt said.
In the second half, with the Cardinals desperate to mount a comeback, Warner
took aim at Fitzgerald. He connected with him four times during a mid-fourth
quarter drive, including an 18-yard gain in which Taylor was called for holding.
He then lofted a 1-yard touchdown to Fitzgerald, with the receiver leaping over
Taylor to make the catch.
Bill Beckner Jr. can be reached at bbeckner@tribweb.com or 724-224-2696.
2/3/2009
Steelers make statement with victory - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
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Steelers make statement with victory
By John Harris
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
TAMPA — A new NFL era has begun.
And it starts with Mike Tomlin.
There's a Hall of Fame quarterback on the horizon.
His name is Ben Roethlisberger.
Please desist with any more comparisons to Tomlin's predecessor. Bill Cowher
needed 14 seasons to accomplish what Tomlin has done in only two.
And enough with the what-could-have-beens regarding Arizona coach Ken
Whisenhunt, the man who might have become Cowher's successor.
Tomlin, 36, became the youngest coach in NFL history to win a Super Bowl, as
the Steelers defeated the Arizona Cardinals, 27-23, on Sunday night at
Raymond James Stadium in the most miraculous of finishes.
So much for Whisenhunt knowing what's going on in the head of
Roethlisberger, his former pupil.
Roethlisberger guided the Steelers on an incredible 78-yard, John Elway-like
march, taking possession with 2:37 remaining and capping the drive with a 6yard touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes with 35 seconds remaining. The
catch thrust Holmes into a MVP Award.
"That's how our season has gone — 60 minutes," Tomlin said later. "It's never
pretty, but these guys fight to the end."
Roethlisberger has won two Super Bowls at the age of 26, solidifying a
reputation as one of the NFL's most clutch players.
Sometime between the end of the NFC Championship Game and the start of
the Super Bowl, the Cardinals awoke amid the pomp and circumstance and
realized, "Oops, what are we doing here?"
The Cardinals caught a bad case of the jitters.
Yet the Cardinals came to their senses in time to stage a frantic fourth-quarter
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comeback.
And that only set the stage for the dramatics engineered by Roethlisberger and
punctuated by Holmes stunning catch.
"We're going down in history with one of the greatest games ever played in the
Super Bowl," Holmes said. "We finished it up the way we needed to and
brought another championship back to Pittsburgh."
Despite the late-game theatrics, the outcome may well have been decided on
the final play of the first half.
Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner's pass to receiver Anquan Boldin was
intercepted by outside linebacker James Harrison, the NFL's Defensive Player
of the Year.
Harrison sniffed out the play like Jack Ham and ran it all the way back like Mel
Blount for a 100-yard touchdown, the longest play in Super Bowl history.
Indeed, it was a historic night for the Steelers, who became the first team to win
six Super Bowls, and Tomlin, the youngest coach to win the biggest game on
the NFL's grandest stage.
The whole world was watching.
John Harris can be reached at jharris@tribweb.com or 412-481-5432.
2/3/2009
Holmes, Roethlisberger to Disney World - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
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Holmes, Roethlisberger to Disney World
By John Harris
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
TAMPA — Super Bowl XLIII MVP Santonio Holmes and winning quarterback
Ben Roethlisberger will attend festivities today at Disney World in Orlando, Fla.,
as part of performing the famous "I'm going to Disney World" commercials."
Normally the MVP does the commercial alone, but Roethlisberger, who tossed
the game-winning 6-yard touchdown pass to Holmes with 35 seconds
remaining in the Steelers' thrilling 27-23 win Sunday night at Raymond James
Stadium, will join Holmes at today's parade. The two also will participate in
other activities at the popular theme park.
The commercial features selected players shouting the phrase "I'm going to
Disney World" while celebrating the team's victory on the field immediately after
the game.
Super Bowl XL Hines Ward and teammate Jerome Bettis shared the Disney
World commercial after the Steelers defeated the Seattle Seahawks, 21-10.
John Harris can be reached at jharris@tribweb.com or 412-481-5432.
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TUESDAY FEBRUARY 3, 2009 :: Last modified: Monday, February 2, 2009 12:42 AM EST
Bringing in Holmes with 'The Drive'
By Jim Wexell, Times Sports Correspondent
TAMPA, Fla. — He infamously came back from the near-dead a few years ago. And now, after coming
back from the near-dead in Super Bowl XLIII, Ben Roethlisberger will forever be known as the
Comeback Kid.
Roethlisberger drove the Steelers 78 yards in two minutes on a game-winning drive punctuated by a
brilliant 6-yard touchdown catch in the back right corner of the end zone by a triple-covered Santonio
Holmes.
Holmes went up over safety Aaron Francisco to grab the second-down pass from Roethlisberger with
35 seconds left and give the Steelers a 27-23 and their sixth Vince Lombardi trophy.
Commissioner Roger Goodell, in handing the trophy to Dan Rooney, compared the game to last
year’s in terms of excitement. Holmes’ catch, with the same 35 seconds left as last year’s gamewinner, will be remembered along with David Tyree’s last season as well.
“It was a play we drew up that we were hoping to get open in the back corner,” said Holmes. “The
defensive back bit up on the short route and Ben held onto the ball long enough to get it to me.”
And the ballerina footwork?
“All I did was extend my arms and use my toes as extra extension to catch up to the ball,” Holmes
said. “Now we’re going down in history with one of the greatest games ever played in the Super
Bowl.”
The way the Steelers jumped out, it didn’t appear as if the game was headed in that direction. But
the Steelers’ 20-7 lead was eradicated when Larry Fitzgerald ran a short slant pattern and took Kurt
Warner’s pass 64 yards for the go-ahead touchdown with 2:37 left in the game.
Roethlisberger has been clutch late in games with his team behind. He’d engineered 17 fourthquarter comebacks in his career prior to last night, and five during the recent regular season, so
there was hope in the huddle as the Steelers took over at their 22 with 2:30 left.
“I said ‘It’s now or never,’” Roethlisberger said at the start the drive. “I told the guys, ‘All the film
study you put in don’t matter unless you do it now.’”
Holmes chimed in with: “I want to be the guy to make the plays.”
So, the two players, with Hines Ward hobbled, set about making the biggest plays for the Steelers
since Super Bowl XL.
A 14-yard catch-and-run by Holmes reduced a 1st-and-20 hole, and Holmes came through with a
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difficult catch to gain 13 on 3rd-and-6. Roethlisberger threw 11 yards to Nate Washington before
hitting Holmes for a 40-yard gain to the Arizona 6. Francisco had slipped on the short pass and
Holmes bolted down the sideline for the big gain.
Roethlisberger then threw to Holmes in the left corner, but the ball went through his hands. Holmes
made up for it on the next play with his game-winning catch.
Roethlisberger completed six of eight passes on the game-winning drive for 83 yards. He finished
with 256 yards — more than double his paltry 123 yards of his previous Super Bowl — and a passer
rating of 93.2.
Holmes caught four passes for 73 yards on the final drive to finish with a career-high nine catches for
131 yards to earn the game’s MVP award.
“I definitely asked the Lord to help me today,” said Holmes. “I asked Him, ‘Can I be the guy to win
this game? I told my coach earlier this evening that I wanted to be a great playmaker for this team.
The Lord was willing to look out for me today and gave me the opportunity.”
“The sky’s the limit for him,” the Comeback Kid said of the MVP. “He has the potential to go where no
receiver’s ever gone. I think this is a big confidence booster for him.”
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Steelers face free agency in offseason
By Mike Bires, Times Sports Staff
TAMPA, Fla. — For the Steelers, the road toward Super Bowl XLIV will start before they know it.
Free-agency begins Feb. 27, and the Steelers have several unrestricted free agents they must decide
on.
On the offensive line, there are two Super Bowl starters — left tackle Max Starks and left guard Chris
Kemoeatu — who are UFAs.
So are backup tackle Trai Essex and Marvel Smith, who was starting before back spasms ended his
season after five games.
“This business is a business,” said Starks, who was a $6.895 million backup earlier this year before
stepping in for Smith.
“At the end of the day, it is a sport that we love, you play it as a child growing up and you hope to
one day be here (again in Pittsburgh), but it is a business.
“We will have to see what’s going to come up in the upcoming month about free agency.”
Other prominent unrestricted free agents are starting cornerback Bryant McFadden and backup wide
receiver Nate Washington.
Because quality corners are a premium, McFadden could attract lucrative offers on the open market.
And with rookie wide receiver Limas Sweed, a second-round draft pick, expected to play more next
year, Washington may find that he may get better offers elsewhere.
Other less prominent UFAs include reserve quarterbacks Byron Leftwich and Charlie Batch.
In addition, the Steelers must decide what to do with veteran inside linebacker Larry Foote, who’s
due to make close to $3 million next year. That’s a lot of money for someone who’ll probably be
backing up Lawrence Timmons, a first-round pick in the 2007 Draft.
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Madden: The Legend of Ben
By Mark Madden
Times Sports Columnist
The Pittsburgh Steelers sit on top of professional football — for this season and for the entire Super
Bowl era — because of one man, and one man only: Ben Roethlisberger. Hallowed be his name.
On a day when the Steelers coaching staff lost its collective mind and guts, when the offensive line
was unspeakably bad, when the vaunted “Steel Curtain II” defense was reduced to Saran Wrap under
the pressure of holding what should have been a safe lead, when James Harrison and Ike Taylor took
costly penalties only overzealous ninnies would commit, when Troy Polamalu spent the entire second
half running around to no discernible purpose, Roethlisberger saved the day.
Never question him again. Ben has one foot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the other in Terry
Bradshaw’s jewelry box.
Roethlisberger’s teammates made it tough on him. Even co-hero Santonio Holmes (inexplicably
named MVP) missed the winner before catching the winner.
The Steelers’ performance raised many questions. Where was coach Mike Tomlin’s renowned
chutzpah when the Steelers settled for field goals from the Arizona 1 and 3? What was Taylor doing
in single coverage on Larry Fitzgerald when Fitzgerald hauled in a 64-yard catch-and-run touchdown
to put the Cardinals ahead? What were Taylor and Harrison thinking when they took fourth-quarter
unnecessary roughness flags? Was biting on every play fake in the second half part of Polamalu’s
endorsement deal with Coca-Cola?
Roethlisberger answered all those questions, or at least made them moot.
Roethlisberger lit up the Tampa sky on the game-winning drive, running a flawless two-minute drill
under the most pressure-packed conditions possible. He was 5-of-7 for 84 yards, often running for
his life (and the Steelers’ season) as his beleaguered, untalented line did its best to at least not hold.
Informal poll: Does anyone still think Ben holds onto the ball too long?
Sunday night had lots of stories. The Steelers’ trip to Disney World almost took a detour to Larryland
as Pitt product Fitzgerald was electrifying during the Cardinals’ comeback. Kurt Warner proved
himself a bona fide legend. Harrison’s 100-yard touchdown return was Warner’s one big faux pas and
the Steelers defense’s saving grace.
I’m not sure how harshly to criticize the Steelers’ D. They allowed 407 yards and utterly folded in the
fourth quarter. When you allow an 87-yard drive and a two-play 64-yard drive to blow a 20-7 lead,
that’s utterly folding.
But the Cardinals’ offense proved a difficult matchup. Arizona used a spread formation with a ton of
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receivers, forcing defensive coordinator Dick Lebeau to use a lot of nickel and dime. That sat talented
players like Casey Hampton and played backups like Tyrone Carter while drastically lowering the
aggression level.
But if you’re really as good as the statistics say you are, you deliver in the clutch. The Steelers’
defense didn’t. Roethlisberger did.
By the way, only a delusional egomaniac would complain on camera about the time he was allotted to
perform during halftime of the Super Bowl. What was the main attraction, Bruce Springsteen or the
football game?
Mark Madden hosts a radio show 3-6 p.m. weekdays on WXDX-FM (105.9)
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Mehno: The perfect ending
By John Mehno
Today is the very best kind of Ground Hog Day.
It’s that one where the Steelers win the Super Bowl.
Again.
The towel-waving Steelers Nation will never tire of that rerun.
The craziest thing about the Steelers beating the Arizona Cardinals 27-23 and winning their recordsetting sixth Super Bowl trophy is that they even made it to the big game in Tampa.
Think about it. What topics burned the phone lines for talk show conversation before training camp
started, then continued throughout the season?
It seemed like there were always significant obstacles to keep the glass half full:
* They had the NFL’s toughest schedule.
* The offensive line was leaky.
* They had done such a poor job of managing the offensive line situation that the team’s highestpaid player, tackle Max Starks, was cast as a backup before injuries forced him into starting duty.
* No. 1 draft pick Rashard Mendenhall didn’t make it out of the season’s first month because of a
broken shoulder.
* With Mendenhall out, the Steelers got virtually no help from the 2008 draft.
* Willie Parker was sidelined with injuries, and the running game was reduced to situational back
Mewelde Moore for several weeks.
* Ben Roethlisberger had more dents than a ’77 Chevy from all the bumps he took while running for
his life.
* And, oh yeah, Big Ben holds the ball too long.
* They weren’t efficient in short-yardage situations.
* They went through three punters after starter Daniel Sepulveda was knocked out for the season in
training camp.
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* There was no quality depth at receiver. Nate Washington upgraded from awful to average, but
Limas Sweed was a lost cause in his rookie season.
Who could have guessed a season this imperfect would wind up with a championship?
And yet, at about 10:20 on Sunday night, there was Dan Rooney again holding the Lombardi Trophy
and, as always, showing all the emotion of a man waiting for a bus.
Rooney has aged into the avuncular role his father filled in the old days. His clothes are rumpled, he
always seems to have bed hair and the glasses don’t quite fit.
But he runs a no-nonsense organization that eschews glitz and glamour and succeeds with the
basics.
This year it was defense, which took things to an extreme Sunday with James Harrison’s 100-yard
interception return for a game-changing touchdown just before halftime.
The defense covered up so many flaws this season, it was probably fitting that this one ended with a
huge play from the offense.
The game wasn’t great football (penalty flags were flying as much as Terrible Towels), but it was
great drama.
Santonio Holmes made the leap to grab the pass from Roethlisberger, then managed to keep both of
his feet in bounds to assure the winning touchdown. NFL Films will freeze that one in slow motion for
the ages.
With that acrobatic catch, the Steelers did more than just win another Super Bowl.
They wrote the perfect ending to the imperfect season.
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Steigerwald: The Catch II
By John Steigerwald
It’s the second greatest catch in Steelers history.
Nothing will ever beat Franco Harris scooping it off the turf for his Immaculate Reception but that was
a fluke.
Santonio Holmes’ catch in the corner of the end zone with 35 seconds left in Super Bowl XLIII was no
fluke and it beats any catch made by either Lynn Swann or John Stallworth in any Super Bowl. And
that’s saying something.
The next time you watch the replay — and you’ll see it at least 5,000 more times before you die —
notice how hard Ben Roethlisberger threw that ball. That’s a tough ball to hold on to when you don’t
have to worry about toeing the sideline. For Holmes, with the game on the line, to be able to look
that ball in and not bobble it while keeping his toes inside the line was one of the best catches in NFL
history.
You’ve seen Swann’s leaping, bobbling catch in Super Bowl X against the Cowboys a few thousand
times. That was spectacular looking but it wasn’t nearly as difficult as the one Holmes made.
You’ve seen The Catch by Dwight Clark of the San Francicso 49ers. Holmes’ was better and much
more difficult.
Don’t forget to give Ben Roethlisberger credit for making an absolutely perfect throw.
And somewhere Little Miles is smiling.
I met Little Miles, Holmes’ stepfather, in Belle Glade, Fla., three years ago when I paid a visit to
Holmes’ home. I asked Little Miles where Big Miles was and he said there is no Big Miles. His first
name is actually Little. He showed me his driver’s license. He was looking forward to taking his first
airplane ride to Pittsburgh to see his stepson play. Holme’s home was like a house only a lot smaller.
Probably about the size of your living room and dining room. I talked to his mother, who had just
come home from picking corn in the field outside of town. She was proud of her son being a firstround draft pick. Imagine how she’s feeling now with a son who’s a Super Bowl MVP. I’m going to
assume that she and Little were at the game and that they live in a much nicer house now. I hope
she’s not picking corn anymore, but she did say at the time that she didn’t see any reason to quit her
job.
It wouldn’t be inaccurate to say that Holmes had a disappointing regular season but he more than
made up for it in the postseason when he may have established himself as a premier wide receiver
going into next season.
His last catch of the 2008 season was a perfect exclamation point for the end of a postseason that
was as good as any Steelers wide receiver has ever had.
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Sixburgh
Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Santonio Holmes
tip-toed in the end zone with just 35 second left
in Super Bowl XLIII to put Pittsburgh on top for
good, giving the Steelers a record sixth Super
Bowl victory.
The Holmes touchdown came just minutes after
the Arizona Cardinals took its first lead of the
game, when Larry Fitzgerald burst through the
Steelers' defense for a 64-yard score.
Quarterback Ben Rothlisberger went 5-for-6 on
the ensuing drive, including the 6-yard winner
to Holmes.
For complete coverage of Super Bowl XLIII,
check Monday's editions of The Times or the
sports section at www.timesonline.com.
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Santonio Holmes
makes a touchdown reception against Arizona Cardinals
safety Aaron Francisco with just 35 seconds left in
Super Bowl XLIII Sunday night in Tampa, Fla. The
Holmes reception put the Steelers ahead 27-23 and
gave the team its sixth Super Bowl championship. (AP
Photo/Matt Slocum)
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Steelers had the winning numbers
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By F. Dale Lolley, Staff writer
dlolley@observer-reporter.com
TAMPA, Fla. - Santonio Holmes' feet never left the ground on his game-winning touchdown reception
Sunday night at Raymond James Stadium, but his head has been in the clouds ever since.
Named MVP of Super Bowl XLIII after his nine-catch, 131-yard effort in the Steelers' 27-23 victory
over the Arizona Cardinals, Holmes was still all smiles Monday morning, despite lacking sleep - not
from celebrating Pittsburgh's NFL-record sixth Super Bowl championship, but because of spening the
night with his three children.
"I spent a lot of time with my kids, made sure they were well taken care of," Holmes said Monday
morning. "I put on a movie. They were very excited about watching 'Madagascar 2.'"
Perhaps it was not what many expected from Holmes, but neither was his stellar performance against the
Cardinals.
Holmes made a game-winning catch with 35 seconds remaining, capping one of the wildest finishes in
Super Bowl history.
Arizona trailed 20-7 entering the final 15 minutes but rallied with a pair of Kurt Warner-to-Larry
Fitzgerald touchdown passes and a safety to turn the 13-point deficit into a 23-20 lead with 2:37
remaining.
Had that lead held up, it would have been the largest fourth-quarter comeback in Super Bowl history.
But as their jersey numbers would suggest, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was lucky No. 7
and Holmes was a perfect 10.
Roethlisberger completed four passes to Holmes for 73 yards during the game-winning drive as Holmes
repeatedly beat Arizona rookie cornerback Dominque Rodgers-Cromartie.
"I said to (Roethlisberger) that I wanted to be the guy to make the plays for this team," said Holmes.
"Great players step up in big-time games."
Holmes' toe-tapping catch while being hit from behind in the back corner of the end zone will be
remembered as one of the greatest of all-time.
"I was going to throw the ball in the flat," said Roethlisberger. "They covered it up, so I went to Hines
(Ward). He was covered. But all of a sudden, I saw (Holmes) go to the corner. I threw it and I thought it
was going to be picked. He made a heck of a catch."
It capped off a memorable performance by Holmes, a 2006 first-round draft pick.
Holmes had 55 receptions for 821 yards and five touchdowns in 15 games this season. He missed one
game - a 21-14 loss to the New York Giants in October - after Holmes found in possession of marijuana
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during a traffic stop in Pittsburgh.
"That's the business of coaching, really," said Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin. "When you work the
way we work with these players, you're a life coach in a lot of ways. You care about them. You wear
many hats in this business. I probably get more enjoyment out of watching people grow than I do
preparing and winning football games. It is a beautiful thing."
As was the game for the NFL.
The Steelers' win was viewed by an estimated audience of 95.4 million people, second only to last year's
game as the most-watched Super Bowl ever.
"What an incredible performance by both clubs," said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, a Washington
& Jefferson College graduate. "The Cardinals deserve a tremendous amount of credit for playing all the
way and (having) a tremendous season. But it was the Steelers' night. ... It was something that I think
we'll all remember, a back-and-forth game with some great team performances and some great
individual performances."
Copyright Observer Publishing Co.
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Steelers win 6th Super Bowl in thrilling fashion
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TAMPA, Fla. - A previous generation of Steelers fans had Franco Harris and the Immaculate Reception
to idolize over the years.
This generation of fans has Santonio Holmes and his miraculous catch.
Ben Roethlisberger threw a six-yard touchdown pass to Holmes, who somehow caught the ball and kept
his feet inbounds in the back right corner of the end zone Sunday night, lifting the Steelers to a 27-23
victory over Arizona in one of the wildest finishes in Super Bowl history.
"We're going down in history with one of the greatest games ever played in the Super Bowl," said
Holmes, named the game's MVP. "We finished it up the way we needed to and brought another
championship back to Pittsburgh."
The Super Bowl victory, an NFL-record sixth for Pittsburgh, wasn't as easy as some predicted. The
Cardinals and their explosive offense rolled up 402 yards against the NFL's top-rated defense.
"Let's face it: Arizona is a great team," said Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, who at 36 is the youngest
coach to lead a team to a Super Bowl victory.
"That's what the Super Bowl is supposed to be about. It was, hopefully, the fans of football who enjoyed
it."
Pittsburgh fans were enjoying it until the fourth quarter.
The Steelers took a 20-7 advantage into the fourth quarter and clung to that lead until Kurt Warner
tossed a one-yard touchdown pass to Larry Fitzgerald over cornerback Ike Taylor with 7:41 left in the
game.
The Cardinals then added a safety after pinning the Steelers back at their own 1 on a punt and personal
foul penalty on Pittsburgh linebacker James Harrison, who electrified the crowd at the end of the first
half with a 100-yard interception return for a touchdown.
On third down, Roethlisberger threw a 19-yard completion to Holmes, but center Justin Hartwig was
penalized for holding in the end zone, giving the Cardinals a safety to trim Pittsburgh's lead to 20-16
with 3:04 remaining.
Warner and Fitzgerald hooked up moments later, this time with Fitzgerald beating Taylor off the line of
scrimmage, catching a slant pass and running untouched into the end zone for a 64-yard score and a 2320 lead.
Arizona scored too quickly, however, giving Roethlisberger and Holmes, who finished with nine
receptions for 131 yards and a touchdown, 2:47 to rally.
"Before that drive, I told him, 'Ben, I want the ball in my hands no matter where it is.' I wanted to be the
one to make the play and I did it for our team," said Holmes.
After a holding penalty on first down pushed the Steelers back to their own 12, Roethlisberger and
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Holmes connected for a 14-yard gain. Roethlisberger then threw incomplete to Nate Washington before
hitting Holmes for a 13-yard gain and a first down at the Pittsburgh 39.
After an 11-yard pass to Nate Washington and a four-yard scramble by Roethlisberger, the Steelers'
quarterback got Arizona rookie cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie to bite on a pump fake.
Rodgers-Cromartie left Holmes by himself and Holmes caught a short pass and raced to the Arizona 6
for a 40-yard gain with 42 seconds remaining.
The Steelers used their final timeout and Roethlisberger, who threw for 256 yards, one touchdown and
one interception, and Holmes just missed connecting on a pass in the back left corner of the end zone.
On second down, Roethlisberger dropped back and looked for Holmes on the other side of the field,
despite Aaron Francisco, Rodgers-Cromartie and Ralph Brown being in good coverage in front of him.
Roethlisberger laid the ball perfectly over the three defenders and Holmes snared it, hauling it into his
body as he got both feet down on the ground for a touchdown with 35 seconds left in the game.
"It was a play that we drew up that we were hoping to get in the back corner of the end zone," said
Holmes. "The defensive back bit up on the short route and Ben held onto the ball long enough to get it to
me."
The Cardinals pushed the ball to midfield, using their final two timeouts, but linebacker LaMarr
Woodley, who had sacked Warner earlier in the half, got to him again with 15 seconds remaining,
stripping the ball free. Defensive end Brett Keisel recovered the fumble and the Steelers began
celebrating their NFL-record sixth Super Bowl championship and second in four years.
NFL Defensive Player of the Year James Harrison's interception return for a touchdown on the final
play of the first half turned what could have been disaster for the Steelers into one of the biggest
turnarounds in Super Bowl history.
Trailing just 10-7 after being dominated for much of the first half, the Cardinals intercepted a tipped
Roethlisberger pass at the Pittsburgh 34 and were going for a score when Harrison stepped in front of a
Kurt Warner pass intended for Anquan Boldin at the goal line, picked up a few blocks and bowled over
Fitzgerald and Steve Breaston 100 yards later at the Cardinals' goal line for a touchdown on the final
play of the first half.
Instead being tied at 10-10 or Arizona holding a 14-10 lead, the Steelers led 17-7.
"That was seven points we gave them, or we're going to get points," said Arizona head coach Ken
Whisenhunt, Pittsburgh's offensive coordinator from 2004 through 2006.
"But I thought we fought and overcame that."
The Steelers increased that lead to 20-7 after forcing an Arizona punt on the opening kickoff of the
second half, driving inside the Cardinals' 5 before settling for a 21-yard Jeff Reed field goal.
The Steelers took the opening kickoff and quickly marched down the field.
Roethlisberger threw to a wide-open Hines Ward on their second play for a 38-yard gain. And after a
pair of Willie Parker runs netted 10 yards, Roethlisberger connected with tight end Heath Miller down
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the seam to the Arizona 1.
He then scored on a rollout three plays later, faking a handoff and running through the tackle of Pro
Bowl defensive tackle Darnell Dockett for what was ruled a touchdown.
But Arizona head coach Ken Whisenhunt challenged the play and Roethlisberger was ruled down short
of the goal line and Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin opted to send Jeff Reed out for an 18-yard field
goal and a 3-0 led rather than try to score again on fourth down.
The Steelers allowed one first down on Arizona's opening possession, but the Cardinals were forced to
punt after a holding penalty put them in a first-and-20 situation and Pittsburgh's offense ate up the
remainder of the first quarter.
Roethlisberger was 7-for-8 passing for 118 yards in the first quarter, the only incompletion being a deep
pass intended for Washington that was broken up by Rodgers-Cromartie at the last second.
This time, the Steelers drove from their own 31 to the Arizona 1. Pittsburgh punched it into the end zone
on a 1-yard run by Gary Russell on the second play of the second quarter to take a 10-0 lead.
At that point, the Steelers had outgained the Cardinals, 145-13 in total yardage.
The Cardinals answered, however, with Warner doing most of the damage. Warner completed 7-of-8
passes for 92 yards - the Cardinals were penalized 10 yards for holding - hitting Anquan Boldin for a 45yard catch-and-run to the Pittsburgh 1 before completing a fade pass to tight end Ben Patrick. Patrick
outleaped linebacker Larry Foote in the end zone to come down with the ball to trim Pittsburgh's lead to
10-7.
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Roethlisberger, Tomlin just getting started?
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TAMPA, Fla. - Same thing again next year fellas?
The Steelers won their record sixth Super Bowl Sunday night at Raymond James Stadium, defeating the
Arizona Cardinals, 27-23.
And considering the Steelers will return all their star players and have an offseason to rebuild what was
considered its weakness - the offensive line - there's no reason to think they can't do it again next season.
Of course, the NFL doesn't work that way, but Steelers fans will dare to dream.
And why not? We could be in the midst of a second Steelers dynasty.
After winning his second Super Bowl in his first five seasons, Pittsburgh quarterback Ben
Roethlisberger is on his way to a Hall of Fame career.
He's already matched one of his childhood idols, John Elway, with two Super Bowl wins.
Next up for Roethlisberger is his contemporary, Tom Brady, who's led New England to three
championships.
After his game-winning drive in the Super Bowl's waning minutes, it might not be too early to start
thinking about Terry Bradshaw and Joe Montana - the only quarterbacks to win four Super Bowls.
That's where Roethlisberger's career is headed.
We heard and read for the last two weeks that Pittsburgh's experience in Super Bowl XL - 20 current
Steelers were in that game - could be the difference against the Cardinals.
That seemed to be the case as the Steelers kept their composure throughout the game and the Cardinals
seemed to lose theirs in a key third-quarter drive by Pittsburgh. Arziona was penalized for three personal
fouls during the drive.
Two of the penalties were legitimate - a
facemask call and a roughing-the-holder penalty on a field-goal attempt - while a roughing-the-passer
infraction against Karlos Dansby was questionable.
But the result - a more than eight-minute, third-quarter, clock-milking drive that resulted in a 20-7
Pittsburgh lead after a 21-yard Jeff Reed field goal - was exactly what the Steelers were looking for
against the explosive Arizona offense.
Now, with a roster again loaded with players with Super Bowl-winning experience, and a young head
coach, the desire will be there to do it again.
That might be the biggest difference between this team and the one Bill Cowher coached to the Super
Bowl win three years ago. Rumors that Cowher would walk away from coaching surfaced in the
offseason after the Steelers defeated the Seahawks. After so many seasons of coming up short of
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winning a Super Bowl, Cowher had finally achieved his goal.
It's not that Cowher wouldn't like to win it again some day, but there's no denying that the fire wasn't the
same as his impending resignation hung over that team like the stench of stale beer at a frat house on
Sunday morning.
If Cowher had won a Super Bowl earlier in his career, that would not have been the case. That's also the
difference between Cowher and his successor, Mike Tomlin. When you have this kind of success early
in your career, the pressure is there to prove that it wasn't a fluke.
If Tomlin wants somebody to speak to about it, he needs only walk down the hall from his office to the
locker room. Roethlisberger has faced a similar situation after so much success early in his career.
As long as the Steelers have Roethlisberger and a suffocating defense, they'll have an opportunity to win
the Super Bowl again.
Sit back and enjoy the ride.
F. Dale Lolley can be reached at dlolley@observer-reporter.com
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Harrison's return is one for the books
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Harrison's return is one for the books
TAMPA, Fla. - The legend of James Harrison continues to grow.
The 2008 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, Harrison set a team record with 16 sacks and led the
league with seven forced fumbles.
Harrison made sure his name will forever be remembered among the great linebackers in team history in
the Steelers' 27-23 victory over Arizona Sunday at in Super Bowl XLIII.
Harrison intercepted a pass at the goal line and returned it 100 yards on the final play of the first half, the
longest play from scrimmage in Super Bowl history.
With the Steelers clinging to a 10-7 lead, Arizona had the ball at the Pittsburgh 2-yard line with 18
seconds and no timeouts remaining. Harrison faked a pass rush, read Arizona quarterback Kurt Warner's
eyes and came off the line of scrimmage, stepping in front of a quick pass to receiver Anquan Boldin.
"We had them matched up and ... I kind of slid over and he threw it right into my hands," Harrison said.
And then the fun really started.
The 6-0, 242-pound Harrison, who had one interception during the regular season, took off down the
right sideline, picking up a block on Warner by cornerback Deshea Townsend.
Harrison skirted the sideline, jumping over a diving tackle attempt by offensive tackle Mike Gandy as
the 70,774 in attendance, and millions around the world watching on television, held their collective
breath to see if Harrison would get to the end zone.
"It was very tiring, but it was worth it," Harrison said. "I was just thinking that I had to do whatever I
could to get to that other end zone."
Time ran out with Harrison still running with the ball and had he been tackled, the half would have
ended.
But Harrison wouldn't be denied, rolling through the tackle attempt of receivers Larry Fitzgerald and
Steve Breaston at the 1-yard line and into the end zone, where he landed on his head and collapsed from
exhaustion.
A video review was called for, but the TD was upheld and Harrison was in the Super Bowl record book
and Steelers lore.
"We don't win if James Harrison doesn't make that play," said defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau.
The 100-yard interception return also erased a record set against the Steelers from the record books. The
previous longest interception in a Super Bowl game was Kelly Herndon's 76-yarder for Seattle against
Pittsburgh in Detroit. The longest play from scrimmage was Jake Delhomme's 85-yard touchdown throw
to Muhsin Muhammad for Carolina against New England five years ago Sunday.
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Notebook: A better Big Ben in this Super Bowl
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TAMPA, Fla. - Ben Roethlisberger can consider himself redeemed.
After an admittedly sub-par performance in the Steelers' 21-10 victory over Seattle in Super Bowl XL,
Roethlisberger wanted to erase that memory with a strong performance Sunday against the Arizona
Cardinals.
Roethlisberger did that to a large extent, completing 21 of 30 passes for 256 yards and a game-winning
touchdown throw in the game's closing moments to Super Bowl MVP Santonio Holmes.
"I played a little better than I did the last time," said Roethlisberger after the Steelers beat the Cardinals,
27-23. "It feels a lot better, to be able to come back on that last drive, probably a drive that will be
remembered for a long time, at least in Steelers' history. It feels really good, really special."
Roethlisberger nearly surpassed his yardage and completion totals of 123 and nine against the Seahawks
in the first quarter in Super Bowl XLIII. Roethlisberger completed 7 of 8 passes for 118 yards in the first
quarter.
He's just the 10th quarterback to win multiple Super Bowls.
The rematch
One of the major story lines heading into the Super Bowl was Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin working
against Arizona head coach Ken Whisenhunt, Pittsburgh's offensive coordinator from 2004 through
2006.
The 36-year-old Tomlin, Whisenhunt and Arizona offensive line-assistant head coach Russ Grimm were
finalists to replace Bill Cowher as Steelers head coach when he resigned following the 2006 season.
The Cardinals defeated the Steelers, 21-14, in Arizona in 2007, but Tomlin and Pittsburgh got the bigger
victory Sunday as Tomlin became the youngest head coach in history to win a Lombardi Trophy.
"I actually never even touched it," said Tomlin of the trophy. "I see five of them every day when I go to
work. I know what they look like. I'm glad that I can do my part in terms of contributing to that trophy
case."
Ward's presence
Steelers receiver Hines Ward suffered a sprained medial collateral ligament in his right knee in the
team's AFC Championship win over Baltimore Jan. 18.
After sitting all but the final two practices in preparation for the Super Bowl, Ward was proclaimed
ready to go on Friday by head coach Mike Tomlin, getting upgraded from questionable to probable.
"You know what? There was no tomorrow," said Ward. "I left it all on the line."
Ward, who wore a knee brace, caught just two passes for 43 yards, including a 38-yard catch-and-run on
the Steelers' opening possession.
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He moved past John Stallworth and into first place on the team's all-time postseason receiving yardage
list with 1,064 yards.
Sack exchange
Steelers second-year linebacker LaMarr Woodley recorded a pair of sacks in the game, the fourth
consecutive playoff game in which he's had at least two sacks, an NFL record.
Woodley had two sacks in a loss to Jacksonville last season and six sacks in three games in this
postseason.
Super earnings
As members of the winning team, the Steelers pocketed $78,000. The Cardinals took home $40,000
each.
The Green Bay Packers took home $15,000 each for winning Super Bowl I.
Odds and end zones
Arizona won the coin toss to open the game and deferred its choice to the second half, giving the
Steelers the ball first. ... Jeff Reed's 18-yard field goal in the first quarter was the shortest in a Super
Bowl since Pittsburgh's Roy Gerela had one in Super Bowl X. ... Willie Parker led the Steelers in
rushing with 53 yards on 19 carries. ... Edgerrin James led the Cardinals with 33 yards rushing on nine
attempts. ... Linebacker James Farrior led the Steelers with seven tackles. ... Arizona's Kurt Warner set a
record with his third 300-yard game in the Super Bowl. ... Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, a
Pitt product, finished the playoffs with 30 receptions for 546 yards and seven touchdown, all NFL
postseason records.
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SUPER BOWL XLIII: Holmes' great catch lifts Steelers to sixth championship
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SUPER BOWL XLIII: Holmes' great catch lifts Steelers to sixth
championship
By ERIC KNOPSNYDER
eknopsnyder@tribdem.com
TAMPA, Fla. February 02, 2009 01:45 am
— Pittsburgh’s sixth Super Bowl victory was its most dramatic.
Santonio Holmes pulled in a 6-yard touchdown pass with 35 seconds left on Sunday night as the Steelers
rallied for a 27-23 victory over the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII.
The Steelers became the first NFL franchise to win six Vince Lombardi trophies, breaking a tie with Dallas
and San Francisco.
“We’re going down in history with one of the greatest games ever played in the Super Bowl,” said Holmes,
who was named the game’s MVP after catching nine passes for 131 yards.
“We finished it up the way we needed to and brought another championship back to Pittsburgh.”
There were three defenders around Holmes on the game-winning score, but Roethlisberger threw it to him
anyway. Holmes somehow kept both his feet in bounds to complete the comeback.
“I threw it and thought it was going to be picked,” Roethlisberger said. “He made a heck of a catch.”
The Steelers controlled the first three quarters of play and led 20-7 before former Pitt star Larry Fitzgerald
came alive in the fourth quarter.
Through the first 45 minutes Fitzgerald was held to one catch for 12 yards.
But Fitzgerald, who set NFL records for most receiving yards and most touchdown catches in one postseason,
torched the Steelers’ top-ranked pass defense in the fourth quarter.
He hauled in a 1-yard touchdown pass over Ike Taylor to make it 20-14 with 7:33 remaining in the fourth
quarter.
Arizona got even closer with under three minutes remaining when a holding call on Pittsburgh center Justin
Hartwig in the end zone resulted in a safety.
Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner, who threw for 377 yards, made the Steelers pay two plays later.
He found Fitzgerald for a 64-yard touchdown to give Arizona a 23-20 lead.
Roethlisberger responded, guiding the Steelers 78 yards in two minutes, two seconds, with a big play coming
on a 40-yard pass to Holmes.
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said he knew his team could handle the momentum shifts.
“I wasn’t surprised in the least bit about that,” Tomlin said.
“If you look at our story this football season, that has been our story. We had to win the division in Baltimore
under similar circumstances. Our guys don’t blink.”
Arizona had a chance to take the lead at the end of the first half, but James Harrison, The Associated Press
Defensive Player of the Year, came up with the longest play in Super Bowl history. On the final play of the
first half, Harrison jumped the goal-line route run by Anquan Boldin, intercepted Warner’s pass and took it
100 yards down the sideline for the touchdown.
“It’s the greatest single defensive play in Super Bowl history,” Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau
said.
It also might have been a swing of 14 points. The Cardinals had a chance to go up 14-10 – or at the very least
kick a game-tying field goal – but Harrison’s play shifted the momentum to the Steelers.
Pittsburgh dominated the game early on, outgaining Arizona 140-13 in the first quarter, but had to settle for a
Jeff Reed field goal when Roethlisberger’s 1-yard touchdown run was overturned on review.
Gary Russell made sure that fate wasn’t repeated, as he plowed in from a yard out on the second play of the
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SUPER BOWL XLIII: Holmes' great catch lifts Steelers to sixth championship
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second quarter
Warner’s 1-yard touchdown pass to Ben Patrick in the second quarter helped keep the Cardinals in the game.
They hung around long enough to come up with what 76-year-old Steelers Chairman Dan Rooney said was
the most memorable game in franchise history.
“Not even a preseason game (was so dramatic),” he said with a laugh. “It was a great finish.”
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Photos
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin and linebacker LaMarr Woodley (56) celebrate the team's 27-23
win over the Arizona Cardinals in the NFL Super Bowl XLIII football game, Sunday, Feb. 1, 2009, in Tampa,
Fla. (AP Photo/St. Petersburg Times, Brendan Fitterer) ** TAMPA OUT, USA TODAY OUT, HERNANDO
TODAY OUT, CITRUS COUNTY CHRONICLE OUT, NO MAGS, NO SALES ** The Tribune-Democrat
2/3/2009
SUPER BOWL XLIII: Steelers clutch on final drive
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SUPER BOWL XLIII: Steelers clutch on final drive
By JIM WEXELL
Sports@Tribdem.com
— He infamously came back from the near-dead a few years ago. And now, after coming back from the neardead in Super Bowl XLIII, Ben Roethlisberger will forever be known as the Comeback Kid.
Roethlisberger drove the Steelers 78 yards in two minutes on a game-winning drive punctuated by a brilliant
6-yard touchdown catch in the back right corner of the end zone by a triple-covered Santonio Holmes.
Holmes went up over safety Aaron Francisco to grab the pass from Roethlisberger with 35 seconds left and
give the Steelers a 27-23 win and their sixth Vince Lombardi trophy.
Commissioner Roger Goodell, in handing the trophy to Dan Rooney, compared the game to last year’s in
terms of excitement. Holmes’ catch, with the same 35 seconds left as last year’s game-winner, will be
remembered along with David Tyree’s dramatic reception in Super Bowl XLII.
“It was a play we drew up that we were hoping to get open in the back corner,” Holmes said.
“The defensive back bit up on the short route and Ben held onto the ball long enough to get it to me.”
And the ballerina footwork?
“All I did was extend my arms and use my toes as extra extension to catch up to the ball,” Holmes said. “Now
we’re going down in history with one of the greatest games ever played in the Super Bowl.”
The way the Steelers jumped out, it didn’t appear as if the game was headed in that direction. But the
Steelers’ 20-7 lead was eradicated when Larry Fitzgerald ran a short slant pattern and took Kurt Warner’s
pass 64 yards for the go-ahead touchdown with 2:37 left in the game.
What was going through Steelers Coach Mike Tomlin’s mind as he watched Fitzgerald?
“I was thinking, if they’re going to score, that’s how you want them to score – quickly,” Tomlin said. “That’s
been our strength all year. Steeler football is 60 minutes. And it’s never going to be pretty.”
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SUPER BOWL XLIII: Two more plays grab spots in Steelers lore
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SUPER BOWL XLIII: Two more plays grab spots in Steelers lore
By STEVE TREU
New Castle News
— Step aside, Immaculate Reception. You are now second. Perhaps third.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have a new greatest play in franchise history. Make that two.
Franco Harris’ catch-and-run of that deflected Terry Bradshaw pass has been glorified for the past 26 years,
but there really should be no debate.
Santonio Holmes’ spectacular 6-yard touchdown catch to win Super Bowl XLIII made the Pittsburgh Steelers
the greatest franchise team in NFL history.
And that was only made possible by James Harrison’s 100-yard interception return for a touchdown a half
earlier.
Simply put, Harrison’s pick-six and Holmes’ catch-six added up to six Lombardi Trophies.
What Harrison and Holmes pulled off defied belief. No luck involved.
With the Cardinals on the verge of taking a 14-10 lead into halftime, Harrison jumped a route and stepped in
front of Anquan Boldin at the goal line, then rambled, rambled and rambled some more all the way to the
other house.
Not only was his interception an excellent read of Kurt Warner’s eyes, the linebacker’s tight rope walk down
the right sideline was an athletic masterpiece.
With a running back’s nose for the goal line, Harrison carried a man or two into the end zone with an inch to
spare. Superman, indeed.
After Larry Fitzgerald propelled the Cardinals into the lead at 23-20 with two fourth-quarter touchdowns,
Holmes trumped him with one of the best receptions in Super Bowl history.
After Ben Roethlisberger’s first-down attempt to the left corner of the end zone barely eluded Holmes, Big
Ben went back to his favorite target on the very next play in the right corner of the end zone.
Roethlisberger threw into tight coverage but put the ball in the only place he could where Holmes could catch
it.
Holmes caught it, put a vice grip on it, tapped his toes in the end zone and completed one of the most
dramatic (still not a strong enough word) endings to a game on the sport’s biggest stage.
Photos
Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison returns an interception for a 100-yard touchdown during the
second quarter of the NFL Super Bowl XLIII football game, Sunday, Feb. 1, 2009, in Tampa, Fla. At right is
Arizona Cardinals guard Reggie Wells. (AP Photo/John Bazemore) The Tribune-Democrat
2/3/2009
SUPER BOWL XLIII: Steelers' report card
Page 1 of 1
SUPER BOWL XLIII: Steelers' report card
The Tribune-Democrat
February 02, 2009 01:43 am
— A look at how the Steelers graded out in Sunday’s 27-23 victory over the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl
XLIII in Tampa, Fla.:
Offense
BBen Roethlisberger looked spectacular early and late, but the offense disappeared for most of the fourth
quarter as the Cardinals rallied. Roethlisberger’s 21-for-30 performance, which went for 256 yards, helped
make up for Willie Parker being held to 53 yards on 19 carries. Santonio Holmes, the game’s MVP, had nine
catches for 131 yards.
Defense
B
The Steelers gave up more than 300 yards for just the second time all season. More importantly, they yielded
the go-ahead score late. Kurt Warner threw for 377 yards and Larry Fitzgerald had seven catches for 127
yards and two touchdowns. James Harrison’s 100-yard interception return for a touchdown kept the Cardinals
from tying the game or taking the lead at the end of the first half. He also drew three holding penalties.
Special teams C
Mitch Berger averaged 46.3 yards on three punts, but the coverage unit gave up a 34-yard return to Steve
Breaston. Jeff Reed made two field goals. The return units were average at best.
Coaching
BAfter gambling throughout the playoffs, Mike Tomlin elected to kick an 18-yard field goal instead of going
for it on fourth-and-goal from inside 1-yard line. His clock management at the end of the game was also
questionable, as it left Arizona with time to put together a potential game-winning drive.
– The Tribune-Democrat
2/3/2009
Steelers, Cardinals provide another super Super Bowl
Page 1 of 2
BY DAVE GOLDBERG
Associated Press
— Super Super Bowls are becoming a habit.
The Steelers’ 27-23 win Sunday night over Arizona was another classic in an era of great games – “a game
for the ages,” Commissioner Roger Goodell called it.
Indeed, with a few of exceptions (notably Ravens 34, Giants 7 in 2001) fans have been treated to a decade’s
worth of rousing NFL championships.
Consider that the typical Super Bowl score from 1980-99 was 35-17.
But starting in 2000, when Tennessee’s Kevin Dyson was tackled a yard short of the goal line with what
would have been the tying touchdown in a 23-16 loss to St. Louis, the games have generally been what they
were always supposed to be – worthy of their immense hype.
Six of the last 10 Super Bowls have been decided by a touchdown or less.
Whatever the reason – luck, greater parity, never-say-die teams – the NFL has reason to smile.
The Rams’ winning score against the Titans came on a 73-yard TD pass with 1:53 remaining to Isaac Bruce
from Kurt Warner, who brought the Cardinals back from a 13-point deficit Sunday before the Steelers’ final
drive.
Warner also had to watch from the sidelines in 2002, as Tom Brady drove the Patriots to the winning field
goal against the Rams.
It wasn’t the only similarity Sunday to Super Bowls past. In some ways, this year’s edition mirrored last
season’s.
The winning TD came on a pass from Ben Roethlisberger to Santonio Holmes with 35 seconds left in the
game, the same time remaining a year ago when the Giants scored to beat New England 17-14. The Steelers’
game-winning drive started from their own 22 with 2:42 left in the game; the Giants’ drive began from their
17 with 2:39 remaining.
Holmes was voted the game’s MVP with 9 catches for 131 yards. It was for him redemption in two ways.
On the play before his game-winning touchdown on tiptoes, he had missed what seemed to be an easier throw
on the opposite side of the end zone. And in midseason, he was suspended one game by Steelers coach Mike
Tomlin after being found with marijuana after a traffic stop by Pittsburgh police.
“I learned a lot from that,” Holmes said. “I’ve grown a lot.”
Goodell added: “Santonio grabbed me as we were coming off the podium and said ‘thank you for believing in
me.’ ”
Holmes’ acrobatics made a winner of Tomlin in only his second year as Pittsburgh’s coach.
The 36-year-old Tomlin guided the Steelers to an unprecedented sixth Super Bowl title.
After a short night, he told reporters Monday, he’s appreciating the Steelers and their fans more all the time.
“It’s generational,” he said. “It’s passed down from father to son. The more I’m in the organization, the more
I understand it. It’s part of the fabric of peoples’ lives.”
It’s a game Pittsburghers certainly will remember for a long time. It might even have been the best in the
recent run of title-game dramas, played out before an estimated TV audience of 95.4 million – second only to
last year’s Super Bowl for U.S. ratings.
There were 23 points scored in the final 71?2 minutes of the game.
Sixteen straight were by the Cardinals to overcome a 20-7 deficit. But the Steelers got the final seven.
Two of Arizona’s points were on a safety that narrowed to 20-16 when Pittsburgh’s Justin Hartwig was called
for holding in the end zone on a third down play. Tomlin said Monday that was moot because the Steelers
2/3/2009
Page 2 of 2
would have taken a safety on their own if with the ball on their 1-yard-line at that point.
“It’s tough to get off a punt against them from 15 yards, let alone 10 or 11,” he said.
The Cardinals scored again 21 seconds later on a 64-yard TD pass from Warner to Larry Fitzgerald.
But they scored too quickly, giving Pittsburgh time to come right back and notch its record sixth Super Bowl
victory.
Tomlin, first hired by Tony Dungy in Tampa Bay, followed Dungy as the second black coach to win the title
game.
“Guys like coach Dungy have paved that road, and I’ve just got to walk down it,” he said. “It makes it all
sweeter that I consider him a personal friend of mine.”
2/3/2009
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February 2, 2009
STEELERS 27, CARDINALS 23
Last-Minute Drive Pushes Steelers to Sixth Title
By JUDY BATTISTA
TAMPA, Fla. — Few football franchises have so many great alumni who appear on the field to whip up the
fans each time the team appears in the Super Bowl. But there was Lynn Swann, the great Pittsburgh Steelers
receiver, a Terrible Towel in his hand, right before kickoff Sunday, just the way that Franco Harris, the great
Steelers running back, had appeared three years ago in Detroit. Swann and Harris delivered Super Bowl titles
as part of the Steelers’ dynasty a generation ago, and Swann was a subtle reminder that while the Arizona
Cardinals were the team dusted with magic in these playoffs, the Steelers had history on their side.
That history got a few new heroes on Sunday night to stand beside Swann and Harris, Joe Greene and
Jerome Bettis. After a frenetic finish, the Steelers won their sixth Super Bowl title — more than any team in
the National Football League — not because of their defense, but because an oft-maligned offense allowed
them to defeat the Arizona Cardinals, 27-23.
After the Steelers lost a lead they had held since after the first possession of the game and which once
ballooned to 13 points, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and receiver Santonio Holmes connected for a 6-yard
touchdown that Holmes grabbed as he was falling out of bounds behind three defenders.
The touchdown came with 35 seconds remaining and just two minutes after the Cardinals moved ahead on
Larry Fitzgerald’s 64-yard touchdown reception. The victory capped a season that began with a question
about whether the Rooney family would own the Steelers much longer, traveled through the league’s
toughest schedule and concluded with the team’s chairman, Dan Rooney, holding the Lombardi Trophy, the
Steelers’ second championship in four seasons, to add to a crowded trophy case.
“We’ll make room,” he said.
Rooney, the son of the team’s founder, Art Rooney, said he could not remember a Steelers game with such a
memorable finish. That takes in an awful lot of great games, but for go-figure endings, this one stands alone.
The Steelers had reached the Super Bowl largely because of a defense that had been compared to the Steel
Curtain unit that won the franchise’s first four Super Bowls in the 1970s. For most of the game, this defense
had played up to billing, thwarting one of the N.F.L.’s most explosive offenses and removing the dynamic
Fitzgerald almost entirely from the Cardinals’ game plan.
And it was the defense that had given the Steelers a 10-point advantage when the Cardinals were threatening
to sneak into halftime with a lead despite being dominated in the first half. Linebacker James Harrison, the
N.F.L.’s defensive player of the year, intercepted Kurt Warner’s pass at the goal line and rumbled 100 yards
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2/3/2009
for a touchdown as the final seconds of the half ticked away. He scored as time ran out on the longest play in
Super Bowl history, swinging what had seemed a practically certain 4-point Cardinals lead into a 10-point
edge for the Steelers.
Dick LeBeau, the Steelers’ defensive coordinator, who is in his 50th year of pro football, called it the greatest
defensive play in the 43 Super Bowls.
But the Pittsburgh defense spent the night defending the deep play and, in the fourth quarter, Warner mined
the open middle of the field on hurry-up drives. Fitzgerald, who had four 100-yard receiving games in the
postseason, scored with a leap over a defender, Ike Taylor, for a 1-yard touchdown that cut the Pittsburgh
lead to 20-14 midway through the fourth quarter.
Then the Steelers committed a mistake. Pinned deep in their own territory, center Justin Hartwig was called
for holding in the end zone — an automatic safety — trimming the lead to 4.
The Steelers’ advantage didn’t last much longer. On the second play of the Cardinals’ next drive, Warner, who
completed 31 of 43 passes for 377 yards, hit Fitzgerald short, in the middle of the field. Fitzgerald took one
step beyond a scrum of defenders and was gone, sprinting so freely he watched himself score on the big
screen in the stadium.
The Super Bowl crowd of 70,774, fiercely tilted toward the Steelers, fell silent. On the sideline, Coach Mike
Tomlin was relieved that the Cardinals had not taken more time off the clock.
“This has been our story all year,” Tomlin said. “Steelers football is 60 minutes. It’s never going to be pretty.”
Roethlisberger was a disaster in his first Super Bowl in 2006 even as the Steelers won. Rattled by his own
nerves, he completed 9 of 21 passes and threw 2 interceptions.
In this Super Bowl, Roethlisberger was calm enough to gather his offense before its final drive and remind
the Steelers of the film study they had done all season. “I said, ‘It’s now or never, guys,’ ” Roethlisberger said.
“ ‘You’ll be remembered forever if you do this.’ ”
All night, Roethlisberger, criticized this season for taking too many sacks and fumbling too many times, kept
plays alive by scrambling out of trouble and dodging sacks, by leading two surprisingly easy drives to build a
quick 10-point lead. On the Steelers’ final drive, he operated the no-huddle offense like the veteran he has
become. In all, Roethlisberger completed 21 of 30 passes for 256 yards. Holmes, the game’s most valuable
player, caught 9 passes for 131 yards.
Roethlisberger and Holmes connected for one pass of 14 yards, then another for 13 yards. Later,
Roethlisberger scrambled for 4 yards and hit Holmes again for 40 yards. Finally, he found Holmes in the
back corner of the end zone for the winner, Holmes dragging his feet inbounds while his body fell out.
“Oh my God, I don’t believe it,” Harrison said. “They won us the game. Our offense came through for us when
we really needed it. We went out there and gave up a big touchdown, and our offense came through at the
end.”
Not many people would have figured that if their defense gave way, the Steelers would still win. But even in
2/3/2009
Pittsburgh’s great 1970s years, the offense made enough plays to make the highlight reel and to get Harris’s
Immaculate Reception immortalized in a statue that stands sentry at the Pittsburgh airport.
At the entrance to the Steelers’ offices, there is a room that houses the five Lombardi Trophies the franchise
has already won. Players walk by them every day on their way to meetings, a daily reminder of the legend
they can only hope to add to.
The Cardinals, in their very first Super Bowl, dispelled the gloom that had surrounded their franchise for
years with this run. But in the final moments, the magic dust blew away, and it was the Steelers who added
more luster to their glittering history.
“You are seconds away from my crying in the locker room and them being out here,” safety Troy Polamalu
said. “That’s how amazing this game is.”
Copyright 2009 The New York Times Company
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2/3/2009
Big Play by Steelers’ Harrison Took His (and Others’) Breath Away - NYTimes.com
Page 1 of 2
February 2, 2009
Big Play by Steelers’ Harrison Took His (and Others’) Breath
Away
By ALAN SCHWARZ
When he finally came to rest, James Harrison sure needed to.
Harrison, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ All-Pro linebacker, had just intercepted a Kurt Warner pass and rumbled
100 yards for a touchdown that was heart-stopping not just for a worldwide audience, but, it appeared for a
few minutes, perhaps Harrison himself. Exhausted from the longest play in Super Bowl history, Harrison lay
supine on the side of the end zone all but motionless, trying to catch his breath.
Harrison’s feat came as the first half expired. By the end of halftime, fans using cellphones in front of their
televisions had littered YouTube with more than a dozen shaky clips of Harrison’s play, an instant classic.
“To be honest, I really didn’t think I’d make it all the way back,” Harrison said. “My teammates threw some
vicious blocks.”
Warner’s errant pass came as his Arizona Cardinals, trailing 10-7 with 18 seconds remaining in the half but
on the Steelers’ 1, appeared poised to tie the score or take the lead. Warner zipped a quick pass to receiver
Anquan Boldin just inside the goal line, but Harrison jumped in front of Boldin and caught it instead.
“I wasn’t able to see him around my linemen,” Warner said. “He made a great play, not just the interception
but to get it in for the touchdown.”
Clearly, Arizona was not going to score — but Harrison was instantly intent on doing so himself. He broke
toward the right sideline and ran up it at full speed. As he cut left at the Steelers’ 30, Warner tried to tackle
him before being blocked by cornerback Deshea Townsend, and the play developed further.
Steelers defenders turned into blockers while Arizona’s offensive players desperately ran after Harrison. This
season’s Associated Press defensive player of the year after making 16 sacks and forcing seven fumbles, the
242-pound Harrison began looking less like a linebacker and more like Earl Campbell.
Harrison cut back toward the sideline and crossed the 50 without slowing down. His fellow linebacker
Patrick Bailey blocked running back Tim Hightower out of the play as Harrison crossed the Arizona 30.
“I was seeing jerseys that were friendly and jerseys that weren’t,” Harrison said.
Running the length of the field at full speed himself, the 316-pound Cardinals tackle Mike Gandy tried to
shoestring-tackle Harrison at the 10 but missed. Just before the goal line, Arizona’s Steve Breaston smacked
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Big Play by Steelers’ Harrison Took His (and Others’) Breath Away - NYTimes.com
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into Harrison from behind while Larry Fitzgerald tried to wrestle him down, but Harrison’s momentum was
too great. He slumped to the ground helmet-first just beyond the goal line.
Harrison rolled over and lay face up, his arms and legs extended, as if making a motionless snow angel. He
did not get up for a full two minutes while being visited by the Steelers' medical staff. During that time, not
only was a penalty flag 100 yards away ruled an Arizona infraction, but the video referee also looked into
whether the ball had crossed the goal line before the tackle. It was a crucial call — Harrison had taken all 18
seconds left on the clock to run the length of the field, so if he was ruled short of the goal line, Pittsburgh
would have to choose between going for a field goal or a touchdown on its last play with no time remaining.
“I’ve never been more emotionally drained in my life,” he said.
Just as Harrison began to inhale oxygen through a mask, the referee Terry McAulay announced that the play
would stand.
The momentum swing was even bigger than Harrison. Had Boldin caught the ball in the end zone, the
Cardinals would have taken a 3- or 4-point lead. Instead, the Steelers went into halftime ahead by 10.
“That was the difference in the game,” Steelers safety Troy Polamalu said. “We had a defensive touchdown,
and they didn’t.”
The longest play in Super Bowl history had been a 99-yard kickoff return by the Green Bay Packers’ Desmond
Howard in Super Bowl XXXI. The longest interception return was 76 yards by the Seattle Seahawks’ Kelly
Herndon against the Steelers three years ago.
Harrison did not run quite fast enough every time he needed to, though.
He was one of the final three Steelers trying to catch none other than Fitzgerald, the man who could not
tackle him in time two hours before, during Fitzgerald’s 64-yard touchdown reception with 2 minutes 37
seconds remaining.
Jeffrey Marcus contributed reporting.
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In Tight Spot, Steelers’ Holmes Keeps Feet Planted - NYTimes.com
Page 1 of 3
February 2, 2009
In Tight Spot, Steelers’ Holmes Keeps Feet Planted
By JOE LAPOINTE
TAMPA, Fla. — Santonio Holmes looked like a dancer in a ballet, a tightrope walker in a circus, a gymnast on
a balance beam.
He was cornered. He caught a pass from Ben Roethlisberger on the back side of the end zone, with three
Arizona Cardinals bearing down on him while he balanced on the tips of his toes.
The ball was safely in his hands, but the bigger question concerned his feet. It was hard to tell if they stayed
in bounds or even on the ground. Victory in the Super Bowl hung in the balance, and officials high in the
stadium reviewed the tape.
But Holmes knew.
“They never left the ground,” he said of his feet. “All I did was extend my arms and use my toes as an extra
extension to catch up to the ball.”
The video reviews proved him right, verifying that Holmes had a 6-yard touchdown catch with 35 seconds
left to give the Steelers a 27-23 victory over the Cardinals on Sunday.
“We’re going down in history with one of the greatest games every played in the Super Bowl,” Holmes said.
One of the Cardinals trying to cover him was cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. “I knew he caught
the ball,” he said. “I wanted to drop my head.”
Roethlisberger said Holmes was his third option on the play. “I looked back, scrambled right a little bit and
saw Tone in the corner,” he said. “Luckily, he made a heck of a play.”
Holmes was asked what he had said to Roethlisberger. “I wanted to be the guy,” he said. “Great players step
up.”
On the final drive, Holmes evoked memories of David Tyree and Plaxico Burress, whose pass catching helped
the Giants defeat New England in last year’s Super Bowl. But in a larger sense, he also reminded fans of
historic Steelers receivers like Lynn Swann and John Stallworth.
The victory was the Steelers’ sixth Super Bowl championship, the most by any team. The San Francisco 49ers
and the Dallas Cowboys each have five.
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Holmes was voted the game’s most valuable player. He caught nine passes for 131 yards. He had four catches
for 73 yards on the winning drive, after the Cardinals had gone ahead with quarterback Kurt Warner and
receiver Larry Fitzgerald leading the way. If Arizona had won, either could have won what Holmes did.
“This is for Pittsburgh!” Holmes shouted into a microphone on the field. During the regular season, the city
commemorated its 250th anniversary. That celebration has passed, but the Steelers gave their citizens
something more to celebrate. For those who like their sports with an old-school flavor, the Steelers’ latest
championship was a reaffirmation of traditional American sports structure.
The Steelers are a bedrock franchise, as much a family business as a corporate entity. After the game,
Commissioner Roger Goodell presented The Vince Lombardi Trophy to Dan Rooney, the son of Art Rooney,
the man who founded the team on July 8, 1933.
Pittsburgh safety Troy Polamalu said the team reflected its location, a postindustrial city that is
unpretentious. “We’re very blue-collar,” he said. “Very unselfish. Very nasty as well.”
The Cardinals’ offense may have gotten hot late in the game, but many of the key plays Sunday night were
made by the Steelers’ defense, as was the case in the 1970s, when the Steel Curtain began an era of titles. A
defensive player, linebacker James Harrison, scored on a 100-yard interception runback at the end of the
first half.
Polamalu said: “We had a defensive touchdown. They didn’t. That was the difference in the points.”
On Arizona’s final play, with Warner desperately trying to move his team downfield, the defense clinched the
outcome when linebacker LaMarr Woodley hit Warner as he wound up to throw on first-and-10 from
Pittsburgh’s 44 with 15 seconds left.
The ball came loose, it was recovered by defensive end Brett Keisel, and the celebration began.
“It’s up to us to defend our blade of grass,” Woodley said.
The Steelers have had only three coaches since the N.F.L. merged with the American Football League: Chuck
Noll, Bill Cowher and Mike Tomlin. Noll won the championship four times, Cowher once and Tomlin once,
so far.
Their previous championship, after the 2005 season, included 22 members of the current roster, 12 of them
starters. Tomlin, 36, is in his second season as the coach and looks younger than some of his veterans,
although none of them are older.
Holmes, 24, played in college at Ohio State and was a first-round draft choice in 2006. Tomlin said of
Holmes, “In big moments, we know what we can get from him.”
In two postseason games before Sunday, Holmes had only four catches for 95 yards and a touchdown.
Tomlin said Holmes improved this season in part because he came into camp in better condition, as Tomlin
had ordered.
“You’ve got to be able to run all day, you’ve got to be a machine,” Tomlin said. “I’ve seen the maturity in him,
Page 3 of 3
on the field and off.”
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After Slow Start, Fitzgerald Nearly Takes Over Late - NYTimes.com
Page 1 of 2
February 2, 2009
Fitzgerald Finally Emerges From Steel Curtain
By JOHN BRANCH
TAMPA, Fla. — Arizona receiver Larry Fitzgerald was smothered in attention during the week before the
Super Bowl, considered the player that the Cardinals could not win without.
He had, after all, caught 23 passes in three playoff games, for 419 yards and 5 touchdowns. After a regular
season with 96 receptions and 1,431 yards, he had established his place as the N.F.L.’s top receiver.
He had all the credentials of a Super Bowl most valuable player. And a great decoy.
Kurt Warner did not even throw in Fitzgerald’s direction until after the two-minute warning in the first half
against the Steelers on Sunday night in Super Bowl XLIII. The pass was incomplete. Fitzgerald caught his
first pass with 59 seconds left in the half. And he didn’t catch another until the fourth quarter, then lifted the
Cardinals back into the game with a few more, and eventually into a lead that the defense could not hold.
Fitzgerald’s 64-yard touchdown with 2 minutes 37 seconds remaining put Arizona ahead for the first time.
But Fitzgerald, as much as he tried at the end of the first half on what may be the most memorable defensive
play in Super Bowl history, could not keep the Steelers from scoring at the end of the second half either.
The Steelers won, 27-23. But it was not until the Cardinals trailed by 20-7 that Fitzgerald caught his second
pass.
“You can always look and say, ‘Woulda, coulda, shoulda,’ ” Fitzgerald said after his seven-catch, 127-yard
performance, almost all of the action coming in the final 11 minutes. “The football wasn’t thrown to me for
some reason. I’m not pointing fingers. We just couldn’t get it done.”
It was little consolation that Fitzgerald set N.F.L. records for most receptions (30) and touchdowns (7) in a
postseason.
Warner had completed more than one quarter of his passes during the regular season and postseason to the
slick, sure-handed Fitzgerald, who accounted for 34.1 percent of the team’s passing yards. But the Steelers
were especially leery of Fitzgerald’s slipping behind their defense, and often double-teamed him. “We just
didn’t want to give up big plays,” Pittsburgh safety Troy Polamalu said. “We didn’t want him to go deep on
us.”
Before the first pass was thrown in Fitzgerald’s direction, Warner completed 9 of 12 passes, including three to
the No. 3 receiver Steve Breaston and a touchdown to the backup tight end Ben Patrick, his first score of the
season.
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After Slow Start, Fitzgerald Nearly Takes Over Late - NYTimes.com
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At halftime, the Cardinals shifted their strategy. They began using what Fitzgerald called “signal packages,”
in which Warner let the play clock run low to best assess what the shifty Steelers defense planned to do, then
called out the best play to counter it. The offensive coordinator Todd Haley said that the Cardinals initially
thought they could get Fitzgerald the ball on short routes, but began calling more intermediate routes for
him.
The Steelers admitted that they began to play softer pass defense — Polamalu called it “complacent” — in the
second half, cautious with a 13-point lead and the ticking clock. Warner completed four passes to Fitzgerald
on an eight-play drive. The last was a 1-yard lob to Fitzgerald in the right corner of the end zone.
“You can try to take Larry away, which they did a good job with,” Arizona Coach Ken Whisenhunt said. “But
we kept some plays in there that ended up working.”
The biggest came on the second play of a drive that began with just under three minutes left. Warner fired a
short pass to Fitzgerald, who ripped through a seam in the defense and ran untouched for a 64-yard
touchdown.
The Cardinals led, 23-20. Fitzgerald was primed to be the hero. But he was helpless to watch Ben
Roethlisberger lead the Steelers offense downfield, ultimately trumping the Warner-to-Fitzgerald
combination with a perfect spiral to Santonio Holmes, who tapped his toes just inside the side of the end
zone for the winning touchdown with 35 seconds left. “To be so close — ” Fitzgerald said outside the
Cardinals’ locker room, his thoughts coming in fragments. “To have your hands — to be two minutes away
and have it snatched, it really hurts.”
The one catch he could not make may be the most haunting. Three plays after Fitzgerald’s first catch, which
moved the Cardinals to the Pittsburgh 12 late in the first half, Warner threw toward receiver Anquan Boldin.
But the pass was intercepted at the goal line by Steelers linebacker James Harrison.
He rumbled up field, through a crowd along the sideline until he broke into the clear as he crossed midfield.
Only one man could stop Harrison from scoring on the last play of the half.
It was Fitzgerald, closing quickly from behind Harrison’s right shoulder. He chopped down on his right arm
and pulled him to the ground. The two fell together on the goal line after time expired. The officials declared
it a touchdown, and the replay review showed the play too close to overturn. Fitzgerald, unable to carry his
team on offense, was also unable to make the defensive play of the game.
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In Second Super Bowl, Roethlisberger Emerges Relaxed - NYTimes.com
Page 1 of 2
February 2, 2009
Roethlisberger Turns in Convincing Performance
By GREG BISHOP
TAMPA, Fla. — Ben Roethlisberger’s tale of two Super Bowls started in Detroit and continued here, with a
polar opposite performance but a similar result.
In Detroit in 2006, Roethlisberger played erratic, inconsistent football in a game the Pittsburgh Steelers
ended up winning for their fifth Super Bowl title. Here on Sunday night, he turned in a memorable first
quarter and a solid, if unspectacular, first half. In the end, though, with Super Bowl title No. 6 at stake,
Roethlisberger combined with Santonio Holmes to provide a memorable finish.
Three years ago against Seattle, Roethlisberger scored a disputed first-half touchdown on a quarterback
sneak that gave the Steelers their first lead. Here against Arizona, he appeared to score a touchdown in the
first quarter but the play was overturned after a review.
In two Super Bowls against National Football Conference West opponents, Roethlisberger threw at least one
interception and the Steelers took a lead into halftime. But the similarities ended there.
Roethlisberger spent last week surrounded by cameras and microphones, and he spoke openly of his first
Super Bowl experience. Then, as a second-year starter from Miami of Ohio, he acknowledged his nerves
swirled in the week leading up to the game, before the game, even during it.
This year, Roethlisberger appeared relaxed, at ease with the news-media demands, comfortable in the
growing spotlight. His play seemed to reflect that comfort, at least early.
On the Steelers’ first drive, on the offense’s second play, Roethlisberger faked a handoff to Willie Parker,
rolled right and fired a strike to receiver Hines Ward that gained 38 yards. Two plays later, he found tight
end Heath Miller for 21 yards up a seam on the left side of the field.
By the end of the first quarter, Roethlisberger had completed 7 of 8 passes for 118 yards and a 118.8
quarterback rating. He threw an interception near the end of the first half, on a tipped pass caught by
linebacker Karlos Dansby.
Three years ago, it took four quarters for Roethlisberger to complete nine passes, for all of 123 yards, and 2 of
his 21 attempts were intercepted.
Shades of Super Bowl XL surfaced again at the end of the Steelers’ opening drive. On third-and-goal from the
1, Roethlisberger scanned the end zone but found all of his options covered. So he scrambled to his right,
where a sliver of red end zone appeared open. The officials signaled touchdown, but a replay review showed
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In Second Super Bowl, Roethlisberger Emerges Relaxed - NYTimes.com
Page 2 of 2
his knee had touched the ground before the ball crossed the goal line.
Against the Seahawks, near the end of the second quarter, Roethlisberger embarked on a similar third-down
sneak. The head linesman raised one arm, then another, leading to the confusion, but the score counted.
Shortly after, on the “Late Show with David Letterman,” Roethlisberger said he told his coach, Bill Cowher,
that he did not think he had scored on the play, but the Steelers were planning to go for it on fourth down,
anyway. This time, the Steelers’ coach, Mike Tomlin, elected to have Jeff Reed kick an 18-yard field goal,
which gave the Steelers a 3-0 lead.
By halftime, Roethlisberger had completed 11 of 14 passes for 130 yards, and he led a drive in the third
quarter that resulted in a field goal.
But it was not until Pittsburgh fell behind, when time was short, that Roethlisberger took on a starring role.
He completed 5 of 7 passes for 84 yards on the final drive, the one that ended with Holmes snaring a 6-yard
touchdown pass with 35 seconds left.
In a different year, in a different Super Bowl, he had turned in an opposite performance, one that ended with
a similar result.
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Steelers take sixth Super Bowl title on late TD catch by Holmes - USATODAY.com
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By Larry Weisman, USA TODAY
TAMPA — The Pittsburgh Steelers stole one.
First they tried to give it away. Then they took it back. They put the "steal" in Steelers.
Super Bowl XLIII, like the one that preceded it, came down to the final minute and to a winning touchdown pass.
Ben Roethlisberger delivered it, Santonio Holmes caught it from 6 yards out while keeping both feet inside the
white lines, and the Steelers, with a 27-23 victory against the Arizona Cardinals, won a record sixth Super Bowl.
Holmes' reception, with 35 seconds remaining, saved the Steelers from the ignominy of allowing the biggest
comeback in this game's history. They led 20-7 before their vaunted defense, ranked No. 1 in the NFL, began to
wilt in the face of a no-huddle assault by Kurt Warner, the 37-year-old reclamation project who had willed the
Cardinals to their first NFL title game since 1948.
GAME REPORT: Pittsburgh 27, Arizona 23
SURVEY: Was this the greatest Super Bowl ever?
GRADES: Position-by-position analysis of both teams
INSTANT ANALYSIS: Why the Steelers won the Super Bowl
AD METER: Rating the Super Bowl spots
The ironies, agonies and ecstasies were everywhere on a warm winter evening. It bore stunning resemblances
to the triumph a year ago by the New York Giants against the New England Patriots, winning on a late
touchdown pass that defied logic.
Here was Warner, twice the NFL's MVP, twice a Super Bowl standout (and once a winner) with the St. Louis
Rams, passing for 300 yards for an unprecedented third time in this game. Here was a coach not quite as old as
Warner, Pittsburgh's Mike Tomlin, becoming the youngest, at 36, to win a Super Bowl.
The Steelers won it with grit and they won it by coming back and they overcame a safety and the shredding of
that proud defense by Warner for 377 yards. But they won it.
"Steeler football is 60 minutes," Tomlin said. "It's not going to be pretty."
Ah, but their history is so beautiful. A city known for steel now harbors six lovely silver trophies, more than any
other team. The Steelers, a model of stability in an impatient NFL, have had three coaches since 1969, and
each of them has brought a championship to this enterprise so long owned and operated by the Rooney family ... as a family.
Chuck Noll won four titles, Bill Cowher one and now Tomlin has his.
"He has just done a marvelous job," team President Dan Rooney said of Tomlin, the second African-American coach after Tony Dungy of the
Indianapolis Colts to win a Super Bowl.
For Roethlisberger, this was his second title in his five-year career. The third of four quarterbacks chosen in the first round of the 2004 draft, he
was the first of the group to win a Super Bowl and now is the first to add a second. At 26, the possibilities of what he might be able to achieve
aren't easily imagined. This is a franchise that sets the Super Bowl as its goal each year and actually means to accomplish it.
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"We have a long-term commitment to him," Tomlin said of Roethlisberger. "He's our guy, and he showed why today."
Elsewhere at Raymond James Stadium, Warner could not claim either a long future or a commitment from the Cardinals. His contract has
expired, he has not declared whether or not he wants to continue playing or where. He completed eight of eight passes for 87 yards on one
scoring drive.
"The unfortunate thing," Warner said, "is we made too many mistakes."
Culture club
An odder match in the Super Bowl probably could not have been made. Here were the Steelers, perennial contenders and many times
champions, going for a record in titles against a team known best as the NFL's standing joke. Before this season, anyway.
The Cardinals hadn't won a championship since 1947 or competed for one since '48. That was when they were the Chicago Cardinals, and
they would also go by the names St. Louis Cardinals and Phoenix Cardinals before adopting their current name.
They were also known as "the same old Cardinals." If they led the NFL in anything, it was ineptitude.
They moved from St. Louis to the Valley of the Sun in 1988 and needed 10 years to make the playoffs for the first time there. Then it took
another 10. Even that deserved almost an asterisk, as they went 9-7 in the weak NFC West but won the division title, their first since 1975.
It was in the playoffs that the Cardinals caught fire, winning twice at home and once on the road. Their pass-oriented offense featured Warner
and three receivers —Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin and Steve Breaston— who each caught more than 75 passes and surpassed 1,000
yards.
Fitzgerald set a number of postseason records, and his two fourth-quarter touchdown catches in a little less than five minutes helped turn a
looming defeat into a potential upset for the seven-point underdogs.
But the Cardinals defense, which twice forced Pittsburgh into short field goals with excellent play near the goal line, simply couldn't bear up
one more time.
"Being so close and having it snatched away, it hurts," Fitzgerald said. "I never lost faith, but sometimes things don't go your way. I just feel
empty. Like all for nothing."
Defense wins?
So often it is said that defense wins championships. The Steelers ranked No. 1 this season but probably won't remember this as their finest
hour, though it had some interesting seconds. Eighteen of them came at the end of the first half.
With the Steelers leading 10-7, the Cardinals drove to the 1-yard line. With no timeouts left, they could not afford to try a running play. So
Warner threw to the left side, looking for Boldin. He instead found linebacker James Harrison, the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year.
Harrison intercepted the pass and started to rumble up the sideline, picking up block after block. He ran through Warner, escaped the grasp of
Cardinals offensive tackle Mike Gandy and tumbled into the end zone as the clock hit zero with a 100-yard return, the longest play in Super
Bowl history.
The Steelers kicked the extra point and went to the locker room leading 17-7 instead of being tied or behind.
"That play was all James Harrison," Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau said. "Without James Harrison, we don't win this game."
The Steelers would force another turnover, and that one would seal their sixth title.
After Holmes' stunning grab, with the sideline at his feet and three Cardinals defenders at his back, the Cardinals still had 35 seconds to play
with. They moved from their 23 to the Pittsburgh 44 with 15 ticks on the clock, and then LaMarr Woodley sacked Warner, forcing a fumble that
defensive end Brett Keisel covered.
Only five seconds and one play separated the Steelers from that coveted sixth trophy now. Roethlisberger took the snap and a knee, and life
regained a sort of sanity. The Steelers won and the Cardinals lost.
Don't think of the Cardinals as "the same old Cardinals" for losing this one. Something real grows in the desert. They'll have to figure out
whether they can keep Warner, and they have several other high-profile free agents with whom negotiations won't be easy.
Page 3 of 3
Expect them to be a factor in the playoffs. Their second-year coach, Ken Whisenhunt, learned his trade as a Steelers assistant. He was a
candidate for the job that went to Tomlin but pulled out of the process and took the offer from the Cardinals.
"I'm disappointed for our team," Whisenhunt said. "This is a group of men I'm really proud of. They played very hard in circumstances where
nobody believed in them but themselves."
The Steelers? Well, they always seem to believe. That's what their history tells them. Even when their defense, their backbone, their strength,
fails them.
"Our offense came through for us when we really needed it," Harrison said. "We went out there and gave up a big touchdown, and our offense
came through at the end."
They stole one. For the Steelers.
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Holmes gets last laugh with MVP performance for Steelers - USATODAY.com
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By Skip Wood, USA TODAY
TAMPA — Just before both men began their postgame media conferences, Pittsburgh
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin and wide receiver Santonio Holmes couldn't stop jawing at each
other.
They shouted, they flailed their arms, and gave the other one a push here and a push there.
No fight this, though.
This was an out-and-out laugh-fest.
THE HUDDLE: Goodell says he didn't consider suspending Holmes after arrest
A few youngsters clad in Steelers jerseys stood in front of them, and Tomlin noticed
something.
"Look at that!" he said, pointing to them. "You've got your 7, you've got your 86, you've got
your 43. No 10, though. You left your Santonio at home!"
Holmes just beamed.
And why not?
Because it's highly likely sales of his No. 10 jersey are soon to be on the rise in Pittsburgh and
beyond.
That, after all, is what happens when ones happens to win the Super Bowl most valuable
player award.
What did the trick for Holmes was a six-yard touchdown catch with 35 seconds later.
And not just any ordinary catch, mind you.
He reached up, grabbed the ball and somehow kept both feet in the end zone before falling out
of bounds.
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"Wow," he said later. "That's all I can say is 'wow.' "
Wow, indeed.
But Holmes, in his third season out of Ohio State, never doubted he had scored.
"I knew it was a touchdown 100% he said. "There was no doubt."
Holmes has been making big catches for the Steelers throughout the postseason, but this one, obviously, was the biggest.
And the play itself?
Holmes indicated it was part of a scheme to make things look like the pass was going to go to fellow wide receiver Hines
Ward.
It worked to perfection, too.
"It was a play that we drew up that we were hoping to get open in the back of the corner," he said. "The defensive back bit up
on the short route and Ben (Roethlisberger) held onto the ball long enough to get it to me."
Actually, Roethlisberger indicated Ward — and running back Willie Parker — also were options.
"The first read was the running back in the flat, but he wasn't open," he said. "Then I was going to try to bang it into Hines real
quick but someone was closing in on it and I was a little nervous about it.
"It wouldn't have been a touchdown. I looked back, scrambled right a little bit and saw 'Ton in the corner. I tried to throw it in
high so he was going to catch it, or no one was, and luckily he made a heck of a catch."
Parker seconded that notion.
He even took it a bit further.
"It was phenomenol," he said. ".. .Ben and Santonio, I love that chemistry."
Holmes finished with a game-high nine catches for 131 yards — with his longest reception 40 yards.
Turns out that one was nearly as important as the game-winner, perhaps even more so.
That was the one that came courtesy of a short toss that Holmes turned into the big gainer that moved the ball to the Arizona
6.
Turns out he was quite talkative as the Steelers embarked on their breathless drive.
"I was telling those guys (to) give everything," he said. "This is what we worked hard on throughout the summer, why we put
in those extra hours in the film room throughout the post-season.
"Those guys have been spending so much time together, and we believe in themselves. I stepped in the huddle and told
them this is where we stand up on the podium.
"We became world champions.
"Those guys believed in me."
Good thing for the Steelers they did.
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Tomlin certainly did.
He has believed strongly in Holmes all season — but especially in the playoffs
"Santonio is a guy that just loves to deliver in big moments and in big games," he said. "I think I said it earlier in the week at
one of the eight or nine interview sessions I had, (that) what he did tonight was similar to what he did in the month of
January.. .to get to this game.
".. .In big moments, we know what we can get from him, and we appreciate it."
This also was a moment that a lot of people close to him saw coming. Family and friends had been telling him the past
several weeks that if the Steelers made it to the Super Bowl, he certainly would be a pivotal figure.
But MVP pivotal?
"This is a wonderful blessing," he said.
But it omes in a month when he will face something less pleasant. According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Holmes has a
hearing Feb. 26 on a misdemeanor charge of marijuana possession stemming from an Oct. 23 incident. He missed one game
and apologized to the team, the paper said.
Now that Holmes indeed does have a Super Bowl MVP citation to his name, Roethlisberger had a few words of advice for
him.
"I just told him," Roethlisberger said, "to not let it go to his head."
He was joking, of course.
No Steeler is a bigger admirer of Holmes than his quarterback.
"He has potential and the sky is the limit for that guy," Roethlisberger said. "He can go where no receiver has gone, and this
will be a big confidence boost for him."
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Tomlin becomes youngest coach to win Super Bowl - USATODAY.com
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By Sean Leahy, USA TODAY
TAMPA — Never pretty. Never perfect.
That's head coach Mike Tomlin's mantra for the Pittsburgh Steelers. But after Sunday night's
come-from-behind 27-23 victory against the Arizona Cardinals in the Super Bowl, Tomlin's
found something pretty to add to the team's trophy case.
A record-breaking sixth Lombardi Trophy.
ROONEY RULE: Goodell stops short of calling for its end
THE HUDDLE: Tomlin was prepared to take intentional safety
It didn't come easy. The Steelers surrendered a 20-7 fourth-quarter lead with a safety and two
touchdowns by Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald. But Tomlin calmly rallied his troops for a
championship-winning drive in the final minute.
"We have a team that doesn't blink in the face of adversity," Tomlin said. "It's never going to be
pretty or perfect."
Tomlin kept his emotions in check when Fitzgerald, in a very un-Steelers-like way, scored a
spectacular 64-yard touchdown with 2:37 left to give the Cardinals a 23-20 lead.
"I actually was thinking that if they were going to score, that's how you want them to —
extremely quickly," Tomlin said.
"As soon as we missed the tackle and he was running down the middle of the field, I was over
it by the time he got into the end zone."
Tomlin, 36, became the youngest coach ever to win the Super Bowl.
But his youth belies his confidence. He had seen the Steelers come back in the final minute
before. It wasn't pretty then either, on Dec. 14 in Baltimore, but quarterback Ben Roethisberger
and receiver Santonio Holmes hooked up that night for a game-saving touchdown. And Tomlin
called for more of that.
"There's not a bunch of time to sit around and say 'Woe is me' if you've got intentions of winning," Tomlin said.
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Tomlin becomes youngest coach to win Super Bowl - USATODAY.com
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The Steelers moved to their two-minute, no-huddle offense. Roethlisberger and Holmes connected on two game-changing
plays — a 40 yard gain to the 6 and then the winning touchdown with 42 seconds left. Roethlisberger found Holmes in the
corner of the end zone, but it wasn't official until a replay review confirmed Holmes dropped both feet in bounds.
"Those guys know that when the chips are down," Tomlin said, "that (No.) 7 and company will ante up and kick in."
Tomlin said before the Super Bowl he didn't want to think about the possibility of becoming the first coach to get a call from
President Barack Obama. He got it on Sunday night, even if he couldn't remember much of it.
"I couldn't hear him," Tomlin said. "I heard a congratulations and I thanked him for it, but I didn't hear much of the
conversation."
The phone call, like the Steelers, wasn't perfect. But, like the Steelers, it got the job done.
His post-championship routine needs some work. Tomlin didn't even get a chance to hold the Lombardi Trophy on the
podium.
He wasn't bothered, though.
"I see five of them every day," Tomlin said of the spoils case that will soon get a new addition. "I know what they look like. I'm
just glad I could do my part in terms of contributing to one."
Steelers president Art Rooney II is counting on more than that.
"Hopefully Mike will be here a while," Rooney said, "and win a few more of these."
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Steelers QB Roethlisberger no bit player this time - USATODAY.com
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By Gary Mihoces, USA TODAY
TAMPA — Though the Pittsburgh Steelers won the Super Bowl three years ago, quarterback Ben
Roethlisberger admitted he was a nervous wreck the entire game. No problem Sunday night as he coolly led a
last-ditch drive that gave Pittsburgh a six-pack of Super Bowl trophies.
"I felt a lot better. I didn't have the jitters. I actually didn't feel really nervous," he said after his 6-yard touchdown
pass to Santonio Holmes with 35 seconds left made the difference in Pittsburgh's 27-23 victory against the
Arizona Cardinals.
SUPER STEELERS: Pittsburgh win sixth title with late strike
MVP: Holmes gets last laugh with stellar performance
BREAKDOWN: Super Bowl XLIII quarter-by-quarter
Well, he was a little edgy when the Air Force's F-16 Thunderbirds roared over the stadium before the game.
"That's when I was most nervous," he said.
His jets were cool when the Steelers took the field at their own 22-yard with 2:30 left after Arizona had taken a
23-20 lead on Kurt Warner's 64-yard touchdown pass to Larry Fitzgerald.
What did Roethlisberger say in the huddle?
"It's now or never, guys," he recalled. "We'll be remembered forever if we do this. … It's going to be nothing,
unless we go down and do this."
After a holding penalty pushed the Steelers back to their 12-yard line, Roethlisberger hit Holmes for 14 yards.
Faced with third-and-6 at Pittsburgh's 26, Roethlisberger hit Holmes for 13 yards and a first down at the 39.
Roethlisberger's 40-yard pass to Holmes gave Pittsburgh first-and-goal at the Arizona 6-yard line with 48
seconds left. His next pass to Holmes was incomplete. Then came the 6-yard game winner, with Holmes
tapping both feet in the corner of the end zone.
On the play, Roethlisberger first looked for running back Mewelde Moore, then for wide receive Hines Ward.
"I scrambled right a little bit, saw 'Tone' in the corner and just tried to throw it high so no one else was going to
catch it," Roethlisberger said.
For the game, Roethlisberger was 21-for-30 for 256 yards and the winning score, with one interception on a tipped pass.
"I played a little bit better than I did last time," said Roethlisberger, who had a 22.6 passer rating in his Super Bowl XL win against the Seattle
Seahawks. He was helped by an offensive line that allowed two sacks.
"That (the final drive) was probably a drive that will be remembered for a long time," Roethlisberger said. "At least in Steelers' history."
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Steelers QB Roethlisberger no bit player this time - USATODAY.com
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Harrison's long run to salvation - USATODAY.com
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By Gary Mihoces, USA TODAY
TAMPA — Linebacker James Harrison, who joined the Pittsburgh Steelers as an obscure free agent out of Kent
State in 2004, will leave here with his second Super Bowl championship ring and a long-distance mark of
distinction in the Super Bowl record book.
"I come a long way from where I started," Harrison said after Pittsburgh's 27-23 comeback victory Sunday night
against the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII.
Harrison, 30, was speaking about the long journey of his career. He was cut three times by the Steelers in his
first two seasons and also let go by the Baltimore Ravens.
But his description also fit the 100-yard interception return he had on the final play of the opening half, the
longest play in Super Bowl history. He had three previous interception returns in his career, the longest 33
yards.
Harrison, named the Associated Press Defensive Player of the Year during the regular season, faked a blitz
with Arizona facing first-and-goal at the Pittsburgh 1-yard line with 18 seconds left in the opening half. A
touchdown would have given the Cardinals a 14-10 halftime lead.
When the ball was snapped, Harrison dropped back into the end zone in coverage and snatched a Kurt Warner
pass intended for Anquan Boldin.
Then Harrison looked down at the other end zone.
"It (looked) short when it started. Then it got long at the end," Harrison said.
Along the way, some Steelers blockers took Warner out of the play. A few Cardinals linemen couldn't catch
Harrison. At the end, Harrison's two pursuers were Boldin and Arizona's other receiving star, Larry Fitzgerald.
"I was seeing jerseys that were friendly and jerseys that weren't," said Harrison, who wasn't sure who was
chasing him.
Fitzgerald and Boldin grabbed at Harrison as he did a somersault into the end zone. Touchdown was called.
The score stood on replay review to give Pittsburgh a 17-7 halftime lead.
Harrison laid flat on the field after his score. He said he hurt his neck on the somersault.
"I got a burner in my neck and I was tired as a dog," he said.
In the frantic final quarter, Harrison received a 15-yard personal-foul penalty on a Steelers punt return for working over safety Aaron Francisco.
The punt was downed at the Pittsburgh 2-yard line. Harrison's foul pushed it back half the distance to the 1. Pittsburgh was hit with a safety
three plays later to cut the lead to 20-16.
Then on the next drive, Harrison and defensive back Ike Taylor vainly pursued Fitzgerald on a 64-yard touchdown reception that gave the
Cardinals a 23-20 lead with 2:37 left.
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"One second you're on cloud nine, and the next second you feel like you're on a pile of garbage," Harrison said.
But Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger led the Steelers on their winning 78-yard drive, hitting Santonio Holmes with a 6-yard pass for
the deciding touchdown with 35 seconds left.
"That's why we have an offense, too," Harrison said. "They came through. … It was the most emotional game I've ever been a part of."
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Steelers' secondary survives prime falloff - USATODAY.com
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By Sean Leahy, USA TODAY
TAMPA — The Pittsburgh Steelers' secondary was battered.
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner and wideout Larry Fitzgerald had just burned the defenders for a 64yard touchdown that gave them a 23-20 lead with 2:37 to play. The Steelers were on the verge of the biggest
collapse in Super Bowl history.
It was, said Steelers safety Troy Polamalu, a "shot to the heart."
"Oh, man," Polamalu recalled saying to himself. "Not this way.
"To drive down the field and score on us, that was an impressive drive. You kind of feel like 'Oh man this guy's a
great quarterback. I hope he doesn't do something greater and make his name against us.' "
Pittsburgh safety Ryan Clark had an up-close view, from behind, of Fitzgerald's go-ahead touchdown.
"Man, he is way faster than I thought he was," Clark said of Fitzgerald. "I was screaming his name, hoping he'd
trip or something. But he didn't."
The Steelers had locked down the Cardinals' Pro Bowl tandem of Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin in the first half,
when the pair notched four catches.
But Fitzgerald (who finished with seven catches and two touchdowns) and Boldin (eight catches) found their
way in the second half.
Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau acknowledged: "We made some mistakes, but it's not a perfect
world.
"We scored seven for our guys, and we kept them from scoring points. … So in the final analysis, we kept them
low enough for our guys to win it."
The offense rallied and clinched the team's sixth Super Bowl title when Ben Roethlisberger connected with
Santonio Holmes on a 6-yard touchdown pass with 35 seconds left. The defense was off the hook.
"You can't explain it," Polamalu said. "You are seconds away from me crying in the locker room and them
(winning). That's how amazing this game is."
Not all was bad for the secondary. They played an integral role in linebacker James Harrison's 100-yard interception return for a touchdown at
the end of the first half.
"That was the play of the game for us," cornerback Bryant McFadden said. "James Harrison turned that into what was basically a 10-point
turnaround for us."
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Steelers running back Mendenhall cheering from the sideline - USATODAY.com
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By Nate Davis, USA TODAY
TAMPA — Pittsburgh Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall was touted as one of the best players at his
position entering last spring's draft, his rushing and receiving abilities causing some experts to wonder if he
might not make a bigger impact at his position than any of his fellow newcomers in 2008.
The Steelers seemed to agree, forgoing the opportunity to restock their offensive line by taking the 5-10, 225pound Mendenhall with the 23rd pick of the first round.
But during a season that saw freshmen tailbacks like Tennessee's Chris Johnson, Chicago's Matt Forte and
Houston's Steve Slaton achieve stardom — not to mention solid debuts from Carolina's Jonathan Stewart,
Detroit's Kevin Smith and Oakland's Darren McFadden— Mendenhall was nearly invisible, gaining a total of 58
yards before going on injured reserve after four games.
"Being a competitor, it hurts not to be out there with your teammates when you make it to a Super Bowl," says
Mendenhall. "It's tough."
Despite an opportunity to showcase his abilities when Pittsburgh's Willie Parker was injured early in the season,
Mendenhall lasted only one start himself, suffering a fractured shoulder against the Baltimore Ravens on Sept.
29 which landed him on injured reserve.
Adding insult to the injury, Mendenhall had sent a text message to fellow rookie running back Ray Rice of the
Ravens before the game, predicting he'd have a good outing against the notoriously tough Baltimore defense.
Rice showed the text to his teammates. His teammates showed Mendenhall the door, limiting him to 30 yards
on nine carries before delivering the knockout blow.
Asked what Mendenhall learned, Steelers fullback Carey Davis says, "Be mindful of what you're saying and just
go play football — that's the best way to talk."
Mendenhall has little interest in reliving the incident. "I don't really get into that," he says. "I concentrate on
things that I need to take care of as far as football and my injury."
But running backs coach Kirby Wilson defends his young pupil, saying Rice brought a private, friendly
conversation between buddies into Baltimore's locker room. And Wilson doesn't buy that Mendenhall was
targeted despite comments from Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs that there was a bounty on Mendenhall and
Steelers receiver Hines Ward during the game.
"I don't think that had any bearing on what happened," says Wilson, calling the injury a "freak accident" while insisting Mendenhall is not one to
run off at the mouth. "He's not that kind of kid."
The Steelers, whose championship underpinnings were partially forged on the legs of sterling runners like Franco Harris, Rocky Bleier, Jerome
Bettis and Parker, finished an uncharacteristic 23rd this season in rushing, largely because Parker missed five games while Mendenhall sat
out the final three months.
Wilson laments Mendenhall's absence while Parker was hurt.
http://usatoday.printthis.clickability.com/pt/cpt?action=cpt&title=Steelers+running+back+...
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Steelers running back Mendenhall cheering from the sideline - USATODAY.com
Page 2 of 2
"That's why we drafted him," he says. "It was disappointing we weren't able to use him — put that shiny new car out there."
Mendenhall, his teammates and his coaches are now just looking forward to the impact he can have on Pittsburgh's offense in 2009. After all,
this is a player who rushed for 1,681 yards and caught 34 passes for 318 more in his final season at Illinois in 2007.
Parker only had three receptions this season.
"I expect for him next year to bounce back," says Davis, a fellow Fighting Illini who is like Mendenhall's "big brother" according to running back
Mewelde Moore. "He does a lot of things well; he catches the ball out of the backfield well. He's a strong guy, a pretty big guy — we're looking
forward to seeing him next year."
Wilson is even more bullish.
"The strengths of Rashard are the same ones he had when he came out when we evaluated him. He's an extremely gifted, natural runner. He
has great instincts. He's got great quickness, foot speed, good vision — very, very explosive to the hole — so we miss that," says Wilson. "Any
time you get a 225-, 230-pounder who has the explosiveness that he has, the ability to change direction that he has, you're gonna miss that."
Nevertheless, Wilson sees the glass more than half full for a team that reached the Super Bowl without much help from its first-round pick.
"You're a Super Bowl team and you get to add a (extra) first-round pick in the spring time. As a position coach, I'm very happy … it's like my
birthday. It's a good gift to receive, and we've just got to take advantage of it," he says.
Mendenhall says he's ready to go and will be fully engaged in the Steelers' offseason program. He's tried to absorb what he can from his
teammates in the interim.
"The running back room is like a family," he says. "You watch how they move around and how they handle things on and off the field and you
try and emulate them.
"Next year I'll come in and play my role, whatever that is, and have success at it."
Wilson thinks the time to sit back, watch and learn will also ultimately prove beneficial for Mendenhall.
"The good thing about it is we don't have to take baby steps with him now," Wilson says. "We can accelerate everything because he's been
through the whole system. He knows everything there is about the offense … he knows the physical aspect of it as well as the mental aspect.
"It's not gonna be a shock this time around, whereas before he was so overwhelmed, he was swimming on a daily basis."
Wilson's shiny, new car should be ready to hit the road in 2009.
"It's time to start rolling next year," says Mendenhall. "I'll be ready."
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/steelers/2009-02-01-mendenhall_N.htm
http://usatoday.printthis.clickability.com/pt/cpt?action=cpt&title=Steelers+running+back+...
2/3/2009
ESPN.com - Holmes gains toehold as great player
ESPN.com: NFL Playoffs 2008
Page 1 of 2
[Print without images]
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Updated: February 2, 7:39 PM ET
Holmes gains toehold as great player
By Jeffri Chadiha
ESPN.com
TAMPA, Fla. -- Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Santonio Holmes knew what he had to do as
Pittsburgh prepared for its game-winning drive in Super Bowl XLIII. He had spent all season trying to
convince his coaches that he should be a go-to guy in clutch situations. He'd spent all week listening to
friends tell him how he'd have a great shot at winning the Most Valuable Player award in this game.
So when Holmes entered the Steelers' huddle with his team trailing the
Arizona Cardinals by three points with just over two minutes left in the
contest, he didn't mince words: "I just told Ben [Roethlisberger] that I
wanted to be the guy who makes the key plays here," Holmes said.
Holmes didn't just put himself on a path to claiming Super Bowl MVP
honors after that proclamation; he took an undeniably valuable step in
his career development. By stepping forward and demanding the ball in
the critical moments of a 27-23 win over the Cardinals, Holmes proved
he was more than just a promising receiver with blazing speed and
dependable hands. He also showed the world that he had one key
quality that separates good players from great ones: He wanted the
game on his shoulders when it truly mattered most.
This is the same characteristic that made Arizona Pro Bowl wide
receiver Larry Fitzgerald such a special player this postseason. It's also
a trademark of fellow Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward, who has been
the team's top target for most of the past decade. Now Holmes seems to
be fully aware that this is his time to shine.
Winning the MVP "means all the hard work and dedication I put into this season has paid off," Holmes
said. "Things didn't always go my way this season. I didn't become a 1,000-yard receiver [Holmes had
821 yards on 55 receptions], but I always kept telling the coaches I wanted to be a playmaker. I wanted
to be the guy they could trust in the key situations."
There's no denying Holmes was that player Sunday night. He produced more than any other receiver on
the field (nine receptions, 131 yards and one touchdown) and was at his best on the final drive. Holmes
wound up with four catches during that possession and Roethlisberger went to him three straight times
at the end of the series. One of those plays was a 40-yard reception. Another was a dropped pass in the
back of the end zone after Ward mistimed his leap. And the final one was a moment that will now live in
the memories of Steelers fans for years to come.
Initially, Roethlisberger had wanted to look for other receivers on the second-down play from the
Cardinals' 6-yard line with 48 seconds left in the game. But Arizona's defenders had clamped down on
Roethlisberger's first read (running back Mewelde Moore in the flat) and they had pounced on his
second option, which was Ward working around the goal line. That defensive strategy didn't account for
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/print?id=3877909&type=story
2/3/2009
ESPN.com - Holmes gains toehold as great player
Page 2 of 2
Holmes, however. He broke free in the back corner of the end zone and snared Roethlisberger's pass
while barely keeping his feet inbounds.
"Once I got my hands on the football," Holmes said. "I knew I could make the play."
"After that [dropped pass by Holmes], Santonio came back to the huddle and said, 'My bad,'"
Roethlisberger said. "I told him it didn't matter because I'm coming back to you. That's the kind of
confidence I have in him and I know he has it in himself."
To be honest, it wasn't a stretch to see Holmes playing a major role in this game. When Ward suffered a
knee injury in the AFC Championship Game win over the Baltimore Ravens, Holmes understood that
he'd have to step up his game. In fact, Ward pulled Holmes aside on the bus ride from the team hotel to
Raymond James Stadium. Ward broke things down quickly for Holmes, too: Holmes needed to be
playing at a high level because Ward wasn't going to be completely healthy.
This was the same kind of message that Holmes had been receiving all week from receivers coach
Randy Fichtner, who told Holmes he was going to be great against the Cardinals. Holmes also had
plenty of friends sending him text messages as the game neared, with each one proclaiming an MVP was
in his destiny. They didn't just say this because of Holmes' talent or Ward's health status. They also
understood how much he had grown since the Steelers selected him in the first round of the 2006 draft.
Remember, this was the same player whom the Steelers suspended for a game after police arrested him
for marijuana possession in October. It wasn't the first time Holmes had a run-in with the law as a pro
athlete -- he was arrested on suspicion of assault during his rookie season -- but he's thankful that coach
Mike Tomlin punished him. Holmes said he learned plenty about himself and his love of football when
the game was taken away from him. It helped him realize the kind of player he really needed to become.
That's another reason why Sunday was so momentous for Holmes. When the Cardinals surged ahead to
take that three-point lead late in the fourth quarter, Holmes sat on the bench wondering how his dreams
could die so quickly. But that's when teammates like cornerback Bryant McFadden came up to Holmes
and told him to get ready. As much as Fitzgerald was dominating for the Cardinals -- he finished with
seven receptions for 127 yards and two touchdowns -- the Steelers expected the same from Holmes.
The only thing Holmes couldn't predict was the MVP trophy actually winding up in his hands. He
figured that would never happen after he watched Steelers Pro Bowl outsider linebacker and NFL
Defensive Player of the Year James Harrison return a second-quarter interception 100 yards for a
touchdown. Plays like that are pretty rare in the Super Bowl, Holmes thought. And seldom do they go
unrewarded.
But Holmes eventually did realize his dream and his teammates are grateful for that. They know how
hard he has worked and they know what he has meant to this Super Bowl season. That's also why
Roethlisberger joked with Holmes that he shouldn't let this MVP award go to his head. The way the
Steelers see it, this young receiver has plenty of other big moments still waiting for him in what should
be a brilliant career.
Senior writer Jeffri Chadiha covers the NFL for ESPN.com.
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2/3/2009
Holmes gets his hardware
February 2, 2009 12:51 PM
US Presswire
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin and Super Bowl MVP Santonio Holmes can't wait to get back to
Pittsburgh to celebrate.
Posted by ESPN.com's James Walker
TAMPA, Fla. -- The only thing brighter than the Super Bowl MVP trophy Monday was the smile
on Santonio Holmes' face.
In the presence of NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike
Tomlin, Holmes got his hands on the hardware for good during a presentation in downtown
Tampa. It came less than 12 hours after the performance of Holmes' career in the Pittsburgh
Steelers' 27-23 Super Bowl XLIII victory over the Arizona Cardinals.
Everyone knows the statistics: nine catches, 131 yards and a memorable touchdown catch with
35 seconds left in the game.
But not everyone understands the struggle for Holmes to get to the top of the football world. He's
survived a troubled upbringing and an up-and-down season.
Three years out of Ohio State, Holmes caught 55 passes for 821 yards and five touchdowns in
the regular season. But he struggled to make routine plays and fell just short of his stated goal of
recording a 1,000-yard season.
And in the Super Bowl week buildup, Holmes endured added scrutiny when he admitted he sold
drugs as a teenager growing up in Florida.
Sunday on the game's biggest stage, he delivered a career-defining performance.
All of those elements were in play as Holmes reflected on his showing. He wanted to share his
triumph with as many people as possible and as soon as possible.
"I'm really excited about getting to Pittsburgh for the parade," Holmes said. "We can definitely
enjoy it all together."
The events of the game and performance by
Holmes left Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin
humbled. Tomlin, 36, became the youngest coach
in NFL history ever to coach and win a Super
Bowl but kept the focus on the game's MVP.
"To see guys like Santonio deliver for football
teams and see him placed with legendary people
and people we look up to, it was just a very
blessed evening," Tomlin said. "I'm excited about
being a part of it. It's surreal in a way."
Holmes is definitely living the dream. He now will NFL.com Video
Santonio Holmes keeps his feet in bounds and hauls in the gamebe mentioned in Super Bowl history with former
winner in SB XLIII.
MVPs such as Joe Montana, John Elway, Jerry
Rice and many other greats who took their games to another level on the biggest stage.
Teammate and mentor Hines Ward went through the same process three years ago after winning
a Super Bowl and MVP award, and offered advice to Holmes of how to handle the increase in
fame and celebrity.
"He told me to just stay humble," Holmes said. "Things are going to come for me. Just be ready
to represent my family, this team and this whole organization."
Holmes was part of the final drive that lasted eight plays and traveled 78 yards. He accounted for
73 of those yards on four receptions.
With Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger at the helm and offensive coordinator Bruce
Arians calling plays, it was a near-perfect drive done with amazing precision.
"It was the Steelers' night," Goodell said. "It was a performance for the ages. It was something I
think we will all remember, a back-and-forth game with some great team performances and great
individual performances."
Holmes didn't spend Sunday night partying. He was with his family, watching the animated
movie "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa" with his children.
As he left the podium Monday, he asked those nearby if it was OK to take the trophy with him.
Somewhat surprised, they nodded and said it was his to keep.
Even after the fact, Holmes was still in disbelief with the way everything transpired for him this
week.
ESPN.com - Sixth sense: Steelers do it the right way
ESPN.com: Wojciechowski
Page 1 of 3
Updated: February 3, 11:38 AM ET
Sixth sense: Steelers do it the right way
By Gene Wojciechowski
ESPN.com
TAMPA, Fla. -- I don't know if the Pittsburgh Steelers are America's Team. But Sunday night at Heinz
Field South, they were Raymond James Stadium's team. They were President Obama's team. Most of
all, they were the Vince Lombardi Trophy's team.
Do you have any idea how hard it is to win a Super Bowl? The Steelers have now won a recordbreaking six of them, two in the past four years. Fifteen of the NFL's 32 franchises have never won one.
Five have never even advanced to the game.
So trying to put an Iron City six-pack into perspective is like trying to comprehend Michelangelo's
Sistine Chapel or Rod Blagojevich's hair. Some things are beyond explanation.
But I know this: Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward, who played this game on a knee and a half ("I can't
even describe the pain," Ward said), had to squeeze away tears when talking about team owner Dan
Rooney. You think Terrell Owens would get teary-eyed about Jerry Jones?
"I saw Mr. Rooney today and I just broke down,'' said Ward, who started to cry again as he remembered
the meeting with the 76-year-old owner.
Safety Troy Polamalu, holding his infant son on his knee, said the Steelers call Rooney "Pops." Turns
out Pops makes sure all of his players have his cell phone number -- just in case they ever need him for
something. Imagine that.
This is why the Steelers are unlike any other professional sports franchise. They win in ways you can
respect. They beat the Arizona Cardinals 27-23 in arguably the best Super Bowl game ever, and the
Steelers spend the postgame complimenting the other team as much as they compliment their own.
Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger found Cardinals QB Kurt Warner on the field and told him, "It was an
honor to play against you." Little-known fact: The first sports autobiography Roethlisberger ever read
was Warner's book.
Roethlisberger arrived at the postgame interview room holding the football he used during the final
kneel-down of the game. In 2005, when the Steelers won Super Bowl XL, Roethlisberger gave the game
ball to teammate Jerome Bettis.
"I'll hold on to this one," Roethlisberger said this time. Can you blame him? Unlike the 2005
championship, when he played in full upchuck mode (9-of-21 for 123 yards and two interceptions),
Roethlisberger distinguished himself in XLIII with a game-winning, last-minute touchdown pass to
Super Bowl MVP Santonio Holmes. Perfect throw. Perfect catch. Asked to describe the play,
Roethlisberger kept it simple.
"Scramble right. Scramble left. Find somebody open,'' he said. "Somebody got open."
2/3/2009
Page 2 of 3
Humility.
If America is looking for a team, this is it. What's not to like?
The Steelers have won those six Super Bowls with three different coaches. Unlike the Cowboys, the
Rooneys don't give their ATM password to big-name free agents. Instead, they draft well (Holmes and
Roethlisberger were first-rounders). They sign undrafted free agents well (NFL defensive MVP James
Harrison). They hire coaches well (Chuck Noll, Bill Cowher, Mike Tomlin in the past 40 years). And
they never, ever pretend they invented the game.
"I think what makes America's Team is that anywhere you go in America, that's your home stadium,''
said safety Ryan Clark. "It's called Steelers Nation for a reason. [The Cowboys] may be called
'America's Team' because they have reality shows. They like to be in the headlines, things like that. …
But it felt like we were in Pittsburgh tonight.'' I'd be stunned if Tomlin and the Rooneys ever let a "Hard
Knocks" film crew into their training camp. They don't need the attention. They don't need to grow their
"brand." Winning Super Bowls, not being on HBO, is what grows a franchise.
There were no in-betweens in Sunday evening's game. It was a strange combination of penalties (18
total) and hair-on-fire moments.
Harrison, cut four different times during his seven-year career, delivered the most amazing play in Super
Bowl history -- better than David Tyree's ball-on-helmet catch of a year ago. Harrison's 100-yard, getme-an-oxygen-tank interception return in the waning seconds of the first half proved to be a 14-point
swing: as many as seven lost points for the Cardinals (who had first-and-goal at the Steelers' 1 with 18
seconds remaining) and seven found points for Pittsburgh. An exhausted Harrison collapsed in the end
zone after the runback.
"I probably shouldn't have chased him so far trying to block, because I couldn't breathe,'' Clark said. "I
wanted to lay down next to him, but I figured since I didn't score, nobody was going to give me any
sympathy."
There was Warner completing 31 of 43 passes for 377 yards and three touchdowns, including a 64yarder to the amazing Larry Fitzgerald with 2:37 left to play. That put the Cardinals ahead 23-20. You
could almost feel 70,774 people in the stadium inch toward their seat edges.
And then there was Roethlisberger and Holmes on the final Steelers scoring drive. Earlier Sunday
morning, Ward had told Holmes that it was games like this in which players made names for
themselves. Ward would know; he was the MVP of Super Bowl XL.
Roethlisberger threw eight passes on the drive, four of them to Holmes. Of the 78 yards covered on the
drive, Holmes caught 73 yards' worth. But it was his final catch -- that 6-yarder in the corner of the end
zone, where his toes somehow stayed put on the turf -- that won him the MVP, and the Steelers their
sixth Super Bowl.
"Where is the celebration?'' Clark shouted after the game. "I am done being dumbfounded that we won."
The celebration will be in Pittsburgh. America's Parade Route.
Gene Wojciechowski is the senior national columnist for ESPN.com. You can contact him at
gene.wojciechowski@espn3.com.
2/3/2009
Page 3 of 3
2/3/2009
ESPN.com - Harrison rumbles into history books
Page 1 of 2
Harrison rumbles into history books
By Greg Garber
ESPN.com
TAMPA,
Fla. -- Do not
be surprised
that one of
the biggest
plays in
Super Bowl
history -perhaps in all
of sports -was executed
on Sunday
night by
Steelers
linebacker
James
Harrison.
He is the
James Harrison's interception and touchdown stole the momentum from the Cardinals.
youngest of
14 children and he was cut four times -- three by the Steelers -- before a random injury and a curious
passion for special teams allowed the undrafted free agent to sneak onto the roster in Pittsburgh.
As it turned out, Harrison was the only logical player on either roster to single-handedly turn Super
Bowl XLIII. All he did was turn a seemingly inevitable Arizona Cardinals touchdown from Kurt Warner
to Anquan Boldin into an interception and a 100-yard return for a touchdown -- on the last play of the
first half.
Technically, Ben Roethlisberger's 6-yard touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes with 35 seconds
remaining was the difference in Pittsburgh's 27-23 victory at Raymond James Stadium. But in their
hearts, the Steelers knew what time it was.
"That's the difference in the game," said Pittsburgh safety Troy Polamalu. "I can honestly tell you. We
had a defensive touchdown. They didn't."
Here is how it happened: There were 18 seconds left in the first half when, with the Steelers in an all-out
blitz, Harrison suddenly veered backward at the snap of the ball and filled the void where Warner's short
slant pass on the right side was headed toward Boldin.
Warner never saw him.
2/3/2009
ESPN.com - Harrison rumbles into history books
Page 2 of 2
The funny thing? Harrison wasn't supposed to be there. Of course, that's what they said about him when
he was scuffling to make an NFL team. Harrison's responsibility on the play was to cover the running
back, Tim Hightower, when he flashed out of the backfield. Instead, Harrison dropped into what was
actually a pick play being run by Boldin and fellow receiver Larry Fitzgerald.
"He certainly wasn't supposed to draw up to get the slant on Fitzgerald," explained defensive coordinator
Dick LeBeau. "But he was in the area for sure, and James' instincts just took over. And that's why James
is the Defensive Player of the Year in the league. He's just a football player."
Warner, the Cardinals' two-time MVP, was beaten by this year's Defensive Player of the Year -- and it
wasn't a sack. Harrison snagged the ball at the goal line and started down the right sideline.
"I was in the middle of the end zone," said Steelers linebacker James Farrior. "I was just hoping we had
the cavalry in front of him."
Three different Cardinals players, including Warner, touched him as he careened down the sideline. It
looked awkward -- at 242 pounds, Harrison makes a living whacking people, not catching and running -but he never lost his feet. Fitzgerald managed to hit him just short of the goal line, but Harrison's knee
landed on the Cardinals' receiver and he pitched head-first into the end zone.
"I came a long way from where I started," said Harrison, who did not record a tackle in the first three
quarters. "To be honest, I didn't think I could make it all the way back."
He required oxygen after the play -- and so did the Cardinals.
With Arizona poised to take a 14-10 lead into halftime, or a 10-all tie at worst, Harrison literally stole
the Cardinals' momentum. The Steelers led 17-7 and it would require a heroic effort in the second half to
pull ahead.
"That's just a great football play," said LeBeau, who is 71 years old and has been coaching in the NFL
since 1973. "In fact, I believe that is the greatest single defensive play in Super Bowl history."
Greg Garber is a senior writer for ESPN.com.
2/3/2009
ESPN.com - Woodley proves prophetic for Pittsburgh
Page 1 of 2
Woodley proves prophetic for Pittsburgh
By Len Pasquarelli
ESPN.com
TAMPA,
Fla. -Several hours
before the
start of Super
Bowl XLIII,
Pittsburgh
linebacker
LaMarr
Woodley
passed Dan
Rooney in
the team
hotel and
offered this
salient
comment to
the Steelers'
chairman.
LaMarr Woodley made good on his promise of a title to Steelers owner Dan Rooney.
"I hope you've been lifting weights lately," Woodley said to Rooney on Sunday morning. "Loosen up
that right arm. You're going to be lifting the [Super Bowl] trophy tonight."
Hours later, Woodley made good on that promise, playing a monster game as the Steelers won Super
Bowl XLIII, a record sixth championship for the team.
In the Steelers' 27-23 victory over the pesky Arizona Cardinals on Sunday night at Raymond James
Stadium, Woodley totaled four tackles, including one stop for a loss. He also had both of Pittsburgh's
sacks against Arizona quarterback Kurt Warner, including the final sack of the game, on which he
secured the victory by stripping the football. Defensive end Brett Keisel recovered the fumble for the
Steelers with just five seconds to play.
In just his first season as a starter, Woodley proved to be the perfect complement to linebacker James
Harrison, the NFL's defensive player of the year. Woodley had 12.5 sacks during the regular season and
two in each of Pittsburgh's three playoff victories. In the Super Bowl, he rushed relentlessly, putting
pressure on Warner throughout the game.
The former Michigan standout benefited greatly from Harrison's presence. The Cardinals frequently slid
their pass protection toward Harrison, who had arguably the biggest defensive play in Pittsburgh history
-- a 100-yard interception return for a touchdown to stave off Arizona on the final play of the first half.
2/3/2009
ESPN.com - Woodley proves prophetic for Pittsburgh
Page 2 of 2
"With those two guys, you've got to choose your poison," inside linebacker James Farrior said of the
Steelers' two outside pass-rushers. "It's hard to block both of them. It's almost impossible."
Rather than use Harrison to blitz, the Steelers often dropped him off into pass coverage. It was a strategy
that defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau had used in the team's divisional-round playoff victory over San
Diego. Harrison had hinted at the tactic early in the week when he'd confessed to the media that he
would be used in pass coverage more often in the Super Bowl.
As usual, LeBeau conjured up a winning strategy.
The Arizona offensive line devoted much of its attention to Harrison, and Woodley frequently found a
clean path to Warner. The second-year pro was in the Cardinals' backfield much of the evening.
There are no unsung heroes when a team wins the Super Bowl. But Woodley, who often was
overshadowed by Harrison during the season, came close. On Sunday, Woodley had a sack, two
quarterback hurries and a pass defensed and drew a holding call, before forcing the critical fumble on his
second sack at the end of the game.
"We go for the strip," Woodley said. "I saw Warner moving with the ball; I felt I could get to him and
still go for the football. When I saw the ball on the ground, my first thought was, 'Get up and find the
ball.' Then I saw Brett fall on it, and I knew the game was over. What a great feeling -- to know we are
the world champions, and that I played a big role."
Woodley is typical of the kind of player Pittsburgh drafts to play linebacker. He was an undersized
defensive end at Michigan but always a great outside pass-rusher. After playing mostly as a nickel
defender during his rookie season, Woodley moved into Pittsburgh's starting lineup in 2008.
He plays with a big motor and seems to be always moving forward, toward the pocket. He is a natural
rusher with unusual leverage -- strengths that play well in LeBeau's tenacious 3-4 formation, the NFL's
best defense this past season.
"You're judged by how you finish," Woodley said. "People compare us to the great Steel Curtain
defenses of the past. But those defenses won Super Bowls. If we had lost this game, it wouldn't have
mattered that we were the No. 1 defense. People would have forgotten."
Thanks in large part to Woodley's efforts, Pittsburgh fans won't have to forget. The Pittsburgh scheme,
in which outside linebackers typically line up in defensive end stances on third downs, is well suited to
Woodley's skill set. Woodley has found a home with Harrison, and Sunday evening, he proved himself
as a prognosticator, too.
"I promised Mr. Rooney we would do this," he said. "I'm a lot of things. And being a man of my word is
one of them."
Len Pasquarelli is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com.
2/3/2009
ESPN.com - This was Big Ben's time to shine
ESPN.com: NFL
Page 1 of 2
This was Big Ben's time to shine
By Pat Yasinskas
ESPN.com
TAMPA, Fla. -- He walked into an interview room, still clutching the last football used in Super Bowl
XLIII.
A good 20 minutes had passed since Ben Roethlisberger took the final snap to run out the clock on
Pittsburgh's 27-23 victory over the Arizona Cardinals. But Roethlisberger hadn't let go of the ball -- and
he won't.
"I gave the last one to Jerome [Bettis],'' Roethlisberger said. "I'm keeping this one.'' If ever there was a
gesture that symbolized a game, it was Roethlisberger's keeping the ball. The Steelers had won a Super
Bowl (XL) before with Roethlisberger as their quarterback. But this was the first time Roethlisberger
really won a Super Bowl.
What Roethlisberger did in the final moments forever put to rest the myth that he's nothing more than a
caretaker. On the biggest of stages, Roethlisberger showed he's the kind of quarterback who can rally a
team in the final minutes and throw the pass of a lifetime when it matters most.
Roethlisberger drove the Steelers 78 yards on eight plays and hit Santonio Holmes with a 6-yard
touchdown pass with 35 seconds left to win the game.
"We called it scramble left, scramble right until somebody gets open,'' Roethlisberger said.
It was also the moment when Roethlisberger officially took his place alongside Terry Bradshaw in
Pittsburgh lore. Holmes was selected as the game's most valuable player and linebacker James Harrison
sure made a case for Super Bowl MVP with his 100-yard interception return for a touchdown at the end
of the first half.
But more than anything, this was Roethlisberger's game. The kid who won that previous Super Bowl
against the Seattle Seahawks in Detroit by handing off to Bettis and Willie Parker and not screwing up is
just a memory now. Roethlisberger evolved into a finished product Sunday night as he became only the
10th quarterback to win multiple Super Bowls.
That's why Roethlisberger, along with Holmes, is going to Disney World. Sometime late Monday
morning, they'll be the central figures of a parade in the Magic Kingdom. At some point in the near
future, Roethlisberger probably will be paraded through the streets of Pittsburgh, where he'll be bigger
than ever. The winning drive and the winning pass put Roethlisberger over the top, but his body of work
to that point wasn't bad.
In a shootout with Arizona's Kurt Warner (31-of-43 for 377 yards with three touchdowns),
Roethlisberger put up some solid numbers of his own. He completed 21 of 30 passes for 256 yards with
a touchdown and an interception, finishing with a 93.2 passer rating.
2/3/2009
ESPN.com - This was Big Ben's time to shine
Page 2 of 2
That's a lot better than Roethlisberger's previous Super Bowl performance. That one came in his second
season and the Steelers won almost in spite of him. In that emotional game, after which Bettis
immediately retired, Roethlisberger completed 9 of 21 passes for 123 yards with two interceptions. His
22.6 passer rating was the lowest by a winning quarterback in Super Bowl history.
But this time was a completely different story. This time, strong defense and the running game didn't
have to totally carry the Steelers. This time, Roethlisberger did.
"I really didn't feel nervous,'' Roethlisberger said. "I felt more nervous when the [military] planes flew
over [before the game]. It was a lot different than last time.'' "He's a winner, first and foremost,'' Arizona
defensive end Bertrand Berry said. "He's about [buying] time in the pocket and making big plays. He did
what he's always done. Most quarterbacks wouldn't have been able to do what he did. You have to give
him credit. They're the champions because of the way he played.''
The Steelers are the champions because Roethlisberger was solid all game and spectacular when he
needed to be. They're the champions because Roethlisberger's winning pass was thrown with three
Arizona defensive backs in the vicinity, but was in a spot where only Holmes could possibly catch it.
The Steelers also are the champions because their quarterback isn't a nervous kid anymore. If anyone
still thought that was the case, Roethlisberger showed how much the Steelers really are his team by
giving a little speech in the huddle when the Pittsburgh offense went back on the field after Arizona had
taken a 23-20 lead with 2:37 left. At that time, the Steelers were in real danger of losing after
squandering what was once a 13-point lead.
"I told the guys, 'It's now or never, guys. We'll be remembered forever if we do this,'" Roethlisberger
said.
Roethlisberger and the Steelers did it, and now they will be remembered forever.
"I played a little better than I did last time, so it feels a lot better to be able to come back on that last
drive,'' Roethlisberger said. "It's probably a drive that will be remembered for a long time, at least in
Steeler history.''
And Roethlisberger will have the football to prove it.
Pat Yasinskas covers the NFL for ESPN.
2/3/2009

Taped earlier this evening What Roethlisberger said to

Transcription

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