Born a Pittsburgh Steelers Fan 2000s
The next post in the “Born a Pittsburgh Steelers Fan” series is “Born a Pittsburgh Steelers Fan 2000s.” This covers the period from 2000 to 2009.
The Spike
Because of their poor record in 1999, the Steelers had their highest draft pick in years at pick number eight. They selected a tall wide receiver out of Michigan State named Plaxico (pronounced Plexico) Burress. He had a tough time adjusting to the pro game and had a typical rookie season. He caught a ball in a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars and fell to his knees. Then, he spiked the ball thinking the ball was dead. But, since he was not touched, the ball was still alive. Jacksonville picked up the ball and ran for 44 yards.
Plaxico was super talented. But, this gaffe pretty much sums up his NFL career. He was often injured and he made bad decisions. I was glad to see him go to the New York Giants in 2006.
No Love
Oddly, Bill Cowher selected journeyman quarterback Kent Graham as his starter in 2000 over Kordell Stewart. Graham got injured after five games, and Kordell assumed the starting role for the remainder of the season.
This is my only knock on Bill Cowher as a coach. Kordell was struggling with the fans in Pittsburgh. They disapproved of him as the quarterback and they wanted him to play wide receiver. There was definitely some racism going on because of his skin color. I think Cowher should have stayed with Kordell at quarterback. By wavering, he fed into the fans’ opinions. Kordell was the better quarterback anyways.
Righting the Ship
In 2001, the Steelers finished with a record of 13-3 and earned their first playoff berth since 1997. They lost in the AFC championship game, but they looked strong for the future. They selected nose tackle Casey Hampton and linebacker Kendrell Bell in the draft. Hampton, who was huge, plugged up the middle of the field on defense for years. And, Kendrell Bell was an athlete like I’ve never seen before.
After winning the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2001, Bell couldn’t stay on the field because of injuries. When he was on the field, he was brilliant. However, the Steelers finally released him in 2005. I can’t imagine how good he might have been if he stayed healthy.
The Rivalry
When I was young, I hated the Cleveland Browns. I used to say “I’m rooting for the Steelers and whoever is playing the Browns.” But, since the Browns moved from Cleveland to Baltimore, the Ravens supplanted the Browns as the chief rival of the Steelers. I dubbed the Ravens as “the Browns in purple.” When these teams met, it was a bloodbath. Hines Ward said it best when he said “Pure hatred.”
Once, Joey Porter tried to chase down the Ravens team bus to fight Ray Lewis. Steelers punter Mitch Berger accused Ravens cornerback Frank Walker of spitting in his mouth. Ravens defensive lineman Haloti Ngata broke Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s nose. Steelers receiver Hines Ward became a target of the Ravens after he delivered a vicious blindside hit on Ravens safety Ed Reed. Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis retaliated with a helmet-to-helmet hit on Steelers receiver Hines Ward resulting in a concussion. Ryan Clark, a Steelers safety, hit Ravens running back Willis McGahee so hard that he got a concussion and Clark was out cold.
Even Steelers coach Mike Tomlin and Ravens coach John Harbaugh had some dustups.
Tommy Time
During the 2002 campaign, Bill Cowher had seen enough of Kordell Stewart’s up and down play. I think he knew that Kordell would never lead them to a Super Bowl.
Quarterback Tommy Maddox was a first round pick of the Denver Broncos in 1992, and was the most valuable player of the XFL, leading the Los Angeles Xtreme to a championship. He was selling insurance in Texas when the Steelers invited him to be their backup quarterback. In the fourth game of the 2002 season, Maddox replaced Stewart permanently. He had a couple of average seasons, but had some highlights along the way. I knew he wasn’t the answer either.
The Moment Part 1
In the 2003 draft, the Steelers traded up in the first round for the first time in team history. The picked Troy Polamalu, a safety. He was a passionate player with a never-ending motor. I was overjoyed when they picked him. He was a significant part of the defense his entire career and such a joy to watch. His entire career was a highlight film. What a blessing!
Troy came to be known for his long flowing hair (it was 3 feet) as much as his abilities. In one game, he caught an interception and started running it back. Then, Larry Johnson of the Kansas City Chiefs grabbed his hair to tackle him. He said afterwards that it didn’t hurt. And, then he got a one million dollar hair insurance policy.
The Moment Part 2
After Maddox guided them to a 6-10 record in 2003, the Steelers had the 11th pick in the 2004 draft. Three franchise quarterbacks were available: Eli Manning, Philip Rivers and Ben Roethlisberger. All of the talking heads predicted Manning at number one, Rivers at number two and Roethlisberger down the line. I watched every pre-draft show, read every pre-draft article and researched each of them.
I knew we had to get a quarterback, and I literally prayed that one of them would fall to us. Ben was the one I really wanted. The San Diego Chargers picked Manning first, then immediately traded him to the New York Giants for second pick Philip Rivers. Then, I sat white-knuckled hoping to God nobody picked Ben. When the Steelers picked him at number eleven, I danced around my family room. I knew our fortunes were changed in that moment.
Ben Delivers
Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger supplanted Tommy Maddox as the Steelers starter in the third game of the 2004 season after Maddox got injured. He led the team to an astounding 15-1 record and won his first 13 games as a rookie, which is an NFL record. Nicknamed “Big Ben” because of his size, he could extend plays like I never saw before. And, he had the composure of a ten year veteran. We finally had stability at the quarterback position and I knew good things were to come.
The Tackle
In the 2005 playoffs, the Steelers faced off against the Indianapolis Colts. Late in the fourth quarter, Ben handed off to Jerome Bettis near the goal line. Bettis fumbled, and Colts cornerback Nick Harper scooped it up and had an open field to return it for a touchdown. But, Ben pursued on the play and Harper turned inside. Ben made one of the most sensational tackles in Steelers history to prevent Harper from scoring and the Colts taking the lead with one minute left. If Ben didn’t make this tackle, the Steelers would not have played in Super Bowl XL.
The Indianapolis fans are still seething about this, and wish people would stop talking about it.
Super Bowl XL
After going 15-1 the previous season, the Steelers were struggling in 2005. They squeaked into the playoffs as the sixth and final seed. And, they went on a tear beating the Cincinnati Bengals, Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos to earn a spot in Super Bowl XL against the Seattle Seahawks.
The Steelers finally got “one for the thumb” by beating the Seahawks by a score of 21-10. Steelers running back, “Fast” Willie Parker scored on a Super Bowl record 75 yard run. And, Steelers wide receiver, Antwaan Randel El threw a 43 yard touchdown pass to Hines Ward, becoming the first wide receiver to throw a touchdown pass in a Super Bowl. The Steelers were now tied with the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys for the most Super Bowl wins at five apiece.
I was ecstatic. A stable quarterback makes for a winning team!
Heathhhhhhhhhhhhh
In the 2005 draft, the Steelers picked a super tight end in the first round named Heath Miller. He was an immediate contributor and would have a long and illustrious career as a Steeler. When he would catch a pass, the crowd would yell “Heathhhhhhhhhhh.” That became a staple of his playing days, and I absolutely loved it.
Big Ben Scare
During the offseason after his Super Bowl win, Ben Roethlisberger was involved in a serious motorcycle accident. He was moments away from dying because of a cut artery, and the medics stopped the bleeding just in time. I was so concerned about him, and prayed for his recovery.
Ben did recover, and was playing in the preseason. But, he required an emergency appendectomy before the first regular season game. Then, he didn’t look like himself for the rest of the 2006 season.
Cowher Calls It
Coach Bill Cowher retired after the 2006 season after 15 years on the job. I was devastated. I grew up on Chuck Noll, but I had come to love Cowher. He epitomized everything it means to be a Steeler.
The Steelers interviewed quite a few candidates including Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Line Coach Russ Grimm and Offensive Coordinator Ken Whisenhunt. But, they selected an up and coming Defensive Coordinator named Mike Tomlin. Tomlin was highly recommended by former Steelers player and Hall of Fame coach, Tony Dungy.
At first, I wasn’t so sure about Tomlin. He was young, and he was widely praised. But, I just didn’t know enough about him. He won me over in his introductory press conference because he promised to honor the Steelers legacy.
One For The Other Thumb
The Steelers met the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII. The game was very exciting. Steelers linebacker James Harrison returned an interception 100 yards for a touchdown, and Steelers wide receiver Santonio Holmes made a miracle catch in the back of the end zone for the winning score. This was the most exciting Super Bowl I ever watched.
After Russ Grimm and Ken Whisenhunt were passed over for the Steelers coaching job, they both went to coach in Arizona. So, I think this game meant a little more to Tomlin.
Steely McBeam
The Steelers never had cheerleaders, and I’m glad they didn’t. But, before the 2007 season, they introduced a new team mascot named “Steely McBeam.” He might have appealed to the kids, but I never caught on. I really don’t think it was needed, and I don’t like when something detracts fans from the game. I know for a fact that the players didn’t draw any inspiration from Steely.
Pocket Full of Memories
In a tight game against the Minnesota Vikings in 1995, a referee flagged the Steelers for having too many players on the field. After the call, the Steelers called a timeout to try and “ice” the Vikings kicker who was lined up for a field goal try. Cowher got a picture showing the correct amount of players on the field, and tried to show it to the officials. They ignored him. After the Vikings made the field goal and the half came to an end, Cowher sought out the referee and stuck the picture in his shirt pocket. That was Bill Cowher!
