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2006

PITTSBURGH STEELERS

Weekly News Clips November 12 vs. New Orleans

Steeler's visit inspires young fans

Hines Ward offers winning advice at McKee School

Thursday, November 02, 2006

By Brian David, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Next door to Randy and Elena Armstrong's North Fayette home, a 1-year-old wearing a Hines Ward jersey toddled toward the back yard just as a limousine pulled up the street, apparently more interested in something back there than in the arrival of someone who wears that same jersey for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Other than that, the man in the limousine -- a man revered enough to have his football jersey made in toddler sizes -- was the center of an absolute storm of attention Tuesday morning in North Fayette.

Mr. Ward waded through a media throng to get to the Armstrongs' front door, and film crews played bump-and-run coverage as he met his newest buddy, 6-year-old Evan Armstrong, and checked out the family's basement Steelers room. Ten cameras recorded the action as he signed Evan's hat and jersey.

"How do you like being famous?" Mr. Ward asked Evan after they crawled into the limo to go to Evan's school, McKee Elementary in the West Allegheny School District. "Welcome to my world. This is what I go through all the time."

But ESPN highlights, interviews, Sports Illustrated covers, the Super Bowl MVP trophy? That was merely prelude to real fame.

"You're going to do the morning announcements," Evan said.

"The morning announcements?" Mr. Ward said with a chuckle. "Like I get to give the lunch specials?"

"Yeah, and you're going to lead the pledge of allegiance."

A month of excitement

Mr. Ward is one of 34 National Football League players in the "NFL Take a Player to School" promotion sponsored by retailer JCPenney. Randy Armstrong, like millions of

Andy Starnes, Post-GazetteEvan Armstrong, a first-grader at McKee Elementary sits with Steelers Hines Ward during an assembly introducing the wide receiver to pupils. Evan won a Take a Player to School contest. Click photo for larger image.

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others, registered his son for the contest online.

The Armstrongs got a call from the NFL Oct. 3, while they were in a doctor's office getting a cast put on Evan's broken wrist. A very bad day turned very quickly into a very good day. Evan would be taking Hines Ward to school.

Already huge Steelers fans, the Armstrongs spent weeks turning their basement into a shrine, plastered with jerseys and posters and other paraphernalia. Their daughter, Arlena, 12, said she herself spent "five or six" hours cleaning.

They also took Evan to his first game -- the Steelers' 45-7 blowout of the Kansas City Chiefs.

The school got the news a couple of weeks ago. Principal Tom Orr said the result was "pandemonium, with people frantically cleaning the school." They declared that Halloween would double as Hines Ward day, with kids bringing both Steelers gear and costumes to wear. There would be an assembly in the morning and parties in the afternoon, a double dose of adrenalin and sugar before a night of trick-or-treating. The halls and gymnasium were plastered in black and gold.

Mr. Orr himself was wearing a Ward jersey, and was clearly excited, offering to throw lead blocks if necessary to get Mr. Ward through the halls.

"I support anyone who will help kids," he said.

No crybaby

When it comes to kids, Mr. Ward appeared to be a natural, chatting with Evan buddy-to-buddy on the ride to school.

"I broke my same wrist when I was about your age," he said. Just like Evan, he fell from the monkey bars on the playground, "only in my case, another kid pulled me off."

Another difference? Evan said he didn't cry.

"I cried!" Mr. Ward said. "You're tougher than me. I don't like pain. I'm a big crybaby."

He asked Evan about football, and Evan said he was more of a baseball player so far, and presented Mr. Ward with a signed Evan Armstrong tee-ball rookie card. But he liked watching the Steelers beat the Chiefs -- one of the few bright spots in a 2-5 season.

"Maybe you're our good luck charm," Mr. Ward said. "We've got to find a way to turn this around."

'Don't stop working'

As it turned out, Mr. Ward did not announce the lunch specials or lead the pledge, but he did introduce the two rather awestruck kids who did.



From there, it was a long walk to Evan's classroom, through hallways lined with kids screaming as only kids can scream, kids giving him high-fives and then holding their hands up like sacred relics, kids in actual tears of excitement.

What does it mean to Mr. Ward, a mild-mannered superstar who comes across as a genuinely nice guy?

"For me, growing up, I didn't have this kind of experience," he said during a brief quiet moment, waiting backstage with Evan. He grew up with trouble all around him, and precious few people advising him to work hard, stay in school, stay out of trouble.

"This could be a life-changing experience for some kid out there. If one kid out of all these kids gets a chance to take something I say and do better, then it's worth it."

From the stage, Mr. Ward talked about his own school days, of dreaming of playing in the NFL but of being too small, of having a broken arm "like my man Evan here" and of having a mother who wouldn't let him give up.

The message? Don't stop dreaming -- and don't stop working, in school and out of school.

In response to questions from the kids, he said yes, the Steelers will make the playoffs, that his touchdown catch in the Super Bowl was his greatest moment in sports, that the Baltimore Ravens are the team he hates most -- "every time we play them we want to pound them into the dirt," he said -- and that if he wasn't in the NFL then maybe, just maybe, he'd want to be a teacher at McKee.

That got a predictable roar of approval, and a quick nod of agreement from Mr. Orr.

"There it is, then," Mr. Ward said. "I'm the next PE teacher at McKee. I'll tell you what, though: When I'm teaching here, you better be ready, 'cause we're going to do some work!" Another question, about what it takes to be a role model, got a more serious response.

"I think it's important to lead by example, to work hard so other people know to work hard," he said. "And you've got to be a great citizen. That's something I try to do."

Dreams can come true

After playing a little catch with the kids in Evan's gym class -- he got them to catch the ball, spike it, and got few of them to offer up touchdown dances -- Mr. Ward was back to the limo and back to his day off. It was a whirlwind hour and a half that left the Armstrongs feeling a bit drained, as Elena put it, though Evan was ready to change into his Power

Andy Starnes, Post-GazetteEvan Armstrong and his classmates say goodbye to Steelers receiver Hines Ward. Click photo for larger image.



Ranger costume and get on with Halloween.

But it's an hour and a half that Mr. Orr thinks will mean a lot to the McKee children.

"I think the biggest thing they can learn is that if you work hard you can make your dreams come true," he said.

(Brian David can be reached at [email protected] or 724-375-6816. ) Back

Copyright © PG Publishing Co., Inc. All Rights Reserved.



Ward runs scared, is hard to catch Friday, October 27, 2006

By Gerry Dulac, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette When he made it to the Pro Bowl last season, Atlanta cornerback DeAngelo Hall won a competition for the "NFL's Fastest Man." Not surprising.

When he was at Virginia Tech, Hall was timed on an indoor track at 4.15 seconds in the 40-yard dash, a record at a school whose football roster once included Michael Vick.

"That means I must run a 4.13," said Hines Ward, laughing.

It was Hall who was chasing Ward all over the field Sunday at the Georgia Dome when Ward had eight catches and set career highs with 171 yards and three touchdowns.

But, more significantly, it was Hall who was losing ground to Ward on a 70-yard touchdown catch in which the four-time Pro Bowl receiver outran Hall and cornerback Jason Webster to the end zone.

And he did it with only one shoe.

"The whole speed thing, to me, is overrated," Ward said. "I'm the only receiver since I've been here to take a skinny route all the way and I've done it twice. I did it last year against New England and I did it this year against supposedly the fastest man in the league. I like to call it running

scared. When you're running scared, it's not based on 40 time."

The reference was to his 85-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown in the 23-20 loss last year to the Patriots, the longest reception in Heinz Field history.

Peter Diana, Post-GazetteWhen it comes to speed, many NFL players are faster than the Steelers' Hines Ward, above. But on game days it's a different matter because he's running scared. Click photo for larger image.

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Page 1 of 3Ward runs scared, is hard to catch


But this was more impressive because Ward, after catching the ball near the Atlanta 40, came out of his right shoe and still outran his pursuers before diving to the pylon.

"I may not be the fastest guy, but I'm fast enough if I catch a skinny and somebody is chasing me, I'm still going to try to do whatever it takes to score," Ward said. "To do it with one shoe, I'm not that slow."

Ward's performance in the Georgia Dome was personal satisfaction because he grew up and lives in Forest Park, Ga., approximately three miles from Atlanta, and went to the University of Georgia. Ward had to get 52 tickets to the game for family and friends.

But it ended in extreme disappointment when the Steelers blew leads of 17-7, 24-21 and 31-28 before losing to the Falcons in overtime, 41-38.

"This was a special game," Ward said. "I circled it. I prepared myself. I wanted to make sure, of any game this year, that this game was very big for me, having so many tickets [to get], having so many family and friends. To go back home after winning the Super Bowl, me growing up a Falcons fan, the Falcons were the team that passed me by [in the draft] ... there was a little animosity toward the organization then.

"But it's disappointing we lost the game. That's really what counted. I really wanted to beat the Falcons. I had a great performance, but it means nothing if you don't win the game. That's the bottom line in this business. It kind of took away from the emotional part of it."

And now Ward and the Steelers (2-4) have to regroup, forget about what happened in Atlanta, and get ready for the Oakland Raiders (1-5), where Ward won't be the most famous -- or fastest -- receiver on the field.

The distinction belongs to Randy Moss, the only receiver in NFL history to have more than 1,000 yards receiving in each of his first six years in the league. Ward, though, has more catches (26) than Moss (24), more receiving yards (378-351) and leads the AFC with five touchdown catches.

In addition, 11 of his 26 catches have come on third down, the best percentage (42.3) in the AFC.

"The passing game takes time," Ward said. "The other guys are starting to gain confidence and are playing football. The receivers and quarterback, we go hand in hand. Santonio [Holmes] is starting to come around and evolving, getting more comfortable in the offense; Nate [Washington] is starting to do that. Even Sean [Morey] came in and got a catch.

"There's really a sense of urgency now because, yes, we are 2-4. The little things, the attention to detail, we have to concentrate on and continue to go out and work hard."

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Ward's three touchdown catches against the Falcons raised his career total to 57, leaving him just six shy of tying John Stallworth for the most in team history (63). He has caught four in the past two games -- two each from Ben Roethlisberger and Charlie Batch -- and is confident that will continue against the Raiders, no matter which player is at quarterback.

"We don't design our offense around one person," Ward said. "We have our offense, and whatever guy is running that off, we expect him to run it just as well as the next man, and Charlie has done that. We don't change our offense predicated on Ben or Charlie. Both are expected to run the same offense."

Even if neither expects Ward to outrun the NFL's fastest man.

(Gerry Dulac can be reached at [email protected] or 412-263-1466. ) Back




Brown: Big Ben shakes off poor showing By Scott Brown TRIBUNE-REVIEW Thursday, November 2, 2006

He won't ditch the gunslinger mentality that may be a contributing factor to the 11 interceptions he has thrown. Nor has his confidence wavered, Ben Roethlisberger said Wednesday, despite having a season that would make a root canal seem enjoyable by comparison.

And maybe, just maybe, the self-assuredness that allowed him to win 27 of his first 31 NFL starts and a Super Bowl at the tender age of 23 is also why Roethlisberger said he would have accepted a benching during a 20-13 loss last Sunday to the Oakland Raiders.

The Raiders intercepted Roethlisberger four times and returned two of them for touchdowns. Steelers coach Bill Cowher said he didn't consider pulling Roethlisberger for Charlie Batch, if only temporarily, although Roethlisberger indicated he would have been OK with such a move.

"I want what's best for this team, and if that's Charlie Batch being in there, then that's Charlie Batch being in there," said Roethlisberger, who will try to lead the Steelers past the visiting Denver Broncos on Sunday. "I'm not going to be one that's going to cry or complain about 'Why did I get pulled?' or something like that. My job is to go out and play good football so there isn't a decision to be made."

Roethlisberger has played good football at times this season but hasn't done it nearly enough to satisfy members of the Steeler Nation.

Or himself, for that matter.

Roethlisberger had never thrown four interceptions in a game as a professional before the game in Oakland. His struggles led to the inevitable questions of whether Cowher should have started him a week after he sustained his second concussion since June.

"If he passed all of the (medical) tests," ESPN analyst Merril Hoge said, "what is the excuse for sitting him?"

However, "Monday Night Football" analyst and former Super Bowl-winning quarterback Joe Theismann questions whether Roethlisberger should be playing.

"Ben has not been right," Theismann said earlier this week on ESPN's "Mike &

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Mike in the Morning." "I go all the way back to the Philadelphia-Pittsburgh preseason game when I saw him play. He didn't look right then. He hasn't looked comfortable, and part of it is because he's been hurt and in and out so much. I admire Bill Cowher for staying with the young man, but Ben almost needs to step away, get himself completely healthy again and basically restart the season."

Hoge said he did notice while watching film of the Raiders game that Roethlisberger seemed a little hesitant about getting hit -- something the former Steelers running back didn't see earlier in the season.

That, Hoge added, is natural because Roethlisberger's latest concussion, unlike the one he got from a motorcycle accident, came on the football field.

"That may take a couple of weeks to get out of his head," said Hoge, whose career ended prematurely because of concussions.

Roethlisberger insisted that his poor showing in Oakland -- and ones that preceded it -- has not gotten into his head. He admitted that he sometimes takes risks in the passing game but is "not going to change how I play" for a simple reason: it worked well his first two seasons.

"He's a good quarterback, and he will learn," Cowher said of the mistakes Roethlisberger has made this season. "Those things will make him a stronger player and a stronger person through the course of time."

Time is something Roethlisberger and the Steelers don't have.

The team is 2-5 and essentially in a must-win situation the rest of the season.

"We feel like we're a good team with a bad record," Roethlisberger said. "We feel that we still have time to turn it around and play good football."

And, Roethlisberger knows, it all starts with him.

Scott Brown can be reached at [email protected] or 412-481-5432.

Images and text copyright © 2006 by The Tribune-Review Publishing Co.

Reproduction or reuse prohibited without written consent from PghTrib.com

Page 2 of 2Brown: Big Ben shakes off poor showing - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review


Prisuta: Center of attention By Mike Prisuta TRIBUNE-REVIEW Saturday, November 4, 2006

After becoming a fixture on MySpace.com, Chukky Okobi is moving into Jeff Hartings' place.

Okobi will start at center for Hartings (knee) on Sunday against Denver, something Okobi hasn't done since the 2002 season.

Much has happened since then. The Steelers have won a Super Bowl, and Okobi has created the MySpace.com alter-ego "Chuk Wun" (The Center of Attention -- A True RAP-lete).

The challenge remains the same.

"I don't want to disappoint any of my teammates, any of the fans or any of my coaches," Okobi said. "I have to do my job. That's what I'm here for."

It's a job Okobi hasn't been called upon to do often since joining the Steelers as a fifth-round draft pick out of Purdue in 2001.

"I'm just glad to be able to contribute," he said. "I've been here for six years. (Head) coach (Bill) Cowher, (offensive line coach) Russ (Grimm), (director of football operations) Kevin (Colbert), they've believed in me to this point.

"I don't want to let anybody down."

The Denver game will be Okobi's 70th regular-season affair in the NFL and his sixth start.

The Steelers went 4-1 with Okobi starting while Hartings battled a knee injury in 2002.

They also won at Indianapolis when Okobi replaced Hartings in the third quarter the week before Okobi's first NFL start.

Amos Zereoue rushed for 100 yards in Okobi's second start, and the Steelers amassed more than 200 yards rushing in his fourth start. So, it's not as if the wheels have fallen off when Hartings hasn't been available.

Hartings doesn't expect the Steelers to fall apart this time, either.

Page 1 of 3Prisuta: Center of attention - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review


"I've always said, I think he's a very capable backup," Hartings said. "I look forward to seeing what he'll be able to do.

"It's a good opportunity for him to show the Steelers what he can do."

Okobi replaced Hartings last Sunday in Oakland and was responsible for a pair of blocks on running back Willie Parker's 39-yard burst in the fourth quarter.

"Things like that, you don't think; you just react," Okobi said. "I was just running downfield, and anything that was in a different color, if it moved, I was hitting it."

Okobi also missed a tricky block on linebacker Robert Thomas, contributing to Parker getting stuffed for a 1-yard loss on first-and-goal from the Oakland 1. And it came on a series that ultimately failed with the Steelers poised to tie the game late.

"We just didn't get it done," Okobi said. "You have to give credit to the other team, but we, as a group, could have done a little better. We could have got into the end zone; we didn't.

"We gotta get it corrected."

Okobi said he had "no idea" how long his current starting assignment would last or "the exact diagnosis, as far as Jeff's injury."

Cowher has said only that Hartings was out this week.

The promotion is likely week-to-week for Okobi.

"As long as they need me, I'm here for them," he said. "They know my number here. All they have to do is dial it."

It's either that or log onto myspace.com/chukwun.

"That is me," Okobi said. "It is not somebody pretending to be me.

"Check it out."

COMING THROUGH

Here how the Steelers performed with Chukky Okobi starting at center in 2002:

Date Opponent ResultOct. 27 Ravens Won, 31-18Nov. 3 Browns Won, 23-20Nov. 24 Bengals Won, 29-21Dec. 1 Jaguars Won, 25-23



Mike Prisuta can be reached at [email protected] or .



Dec. 8 Texans Lost, 24-6



Harris: Parker insists running game will still carry team By John Harris TRIBUNE-REVIEW Saturday, November 4, 2006

When Steelers running back Fast Willie Parker turns into Talkative Willie Parker, people listen. And when the Quiet One takes time to discuss the recent problems with the team's running game, he does so with a sad smile.

"So close,'' Parker said.

So frustrating.

Parker hasn't looked like his old self. Since racking up three 100-yard performances in the Steelers' first five games, he's gone two consecutive weeks without reaching that plateau.

With defenses packed like sardines against the run, the Steelers have become Air Cowher of late. But running the ball is what the Steelers do best, and Parker is the team's best running back.

Parker ran 22 times for 83 yards in last week's 20-13 loss at Oakland. He scored on a 25-yard screen pass in the fourth quarter, but he was at a loss to explain why the ground game didn't get off the ground until the fourth quarter. Parker had five carries for 36 yards in the final 15 minutes.

Parker insists things aren't as bad as they appear for the 2-5 Steelers.

He hasn't forgotten how to run with the football. He turns 26 on Nov. 11. His legs are still fresh.

Running the ball and wearing down the opposition is how the Steelers won Super Bowl XL. And Parker believes it's how the Steelers will turn their season around, starting Sunday afternoon against the Denver Broncos at Heinz Field.

"We left a lot of stuff on that field,'' Parker said of the Oakland loss. "It's frustrating, knowing I could do better.

"When you're moving the ball, you're in a good mindset. You just know that teams can't stop you. We haven't been in that rhythm for a long time.''

Parker said the Steelers aren't doing the little things -- missing blocks, Parker not picking up his feet on a run, the offensive line failing to explode off the ball in synchronized harmony.

Page 1 of 2Harris: Parker insists running game will still carry team - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review


Added left tackle Marvel Smith: "There's going to be plays we can break. For some reason, those plays seem to be where it's a letdown.''

Parker said the running game could still return to the way it was.

"Guys just have to step up and make plays, including myself,'' Parker said. "It's not about 80-yard runs, 70-yard runs. You can get a 15-yard play, a 10-yard play. Making a block that nobody sees. Somebody comes free that's not your man to sack the quarterback. But you make that play to give (quarterback) Ben (Roethlisberger) a chance.''

In the NFL, the first rule of thumb is to always take away the other team's strength, and for the Steelers, that's running the ball.

The Steelers miss the retired Jerome Bettis because he set the tone with a smashmouth style. But Parker, who has 564 yards and five touchdowns on 148 carries this season, has proven his durability. His yards per carry has dipped from 4.7 to 3.8, but he's running inside more and is on pace for well over 300 carries.

Opponents will continue to keep seven, eight and, sometimes, nine in the box to force Roethlisberger to beat them with his arm. The Steelers ground game has been inconsistent, but Oakland was forced to respect it.

There were times when there were holes and Parker missed them, and other times, there were no holes. To their credit, the Steelers stuck with the ground game.

"They want us to beat them passing,'' Parker said. "That's how it's been ever since I've been here. Nothing ever changes.''

It's the Steelers who must change.

"Hold your block one tick longer,'' left guard Alan Faneca said. "All of a sudden, it's a difference between 2 yards and 20 yards.

"When you get a bad taste in your mouth, you're looking for a glass of water to get it out.''

John Harris can be reached at [email protected] or 412-481-5432.



Page 2 of 2Harris: Parker insists running game will still carry team - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review


Collier: Willie Parker's feel-good story has a ring to it and a brand new Cadillac Tuesday, August 15, 2006

By Gene Collier, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

It was not yet the end of June, and Willie Parker had already been relieved of his Super Bowl ring.

The massive, sparkling chunk o' bling and the black box it came in rolled straight out of Pittsburgh in the dark of night, surfacing later in the trunk of a Cadillac in North Carolina, a showroom new pearl white Caddy driven by a man in the company of a woman, both on a mission of deceit, conspiracy, and, dare we say it, skullduggery.

But it's all good.

The driver was Parker's brother, Jamal, his companion Parker's sister, Kimberly, and the fleet Steelers' scatback was himself a co-conspirator, happy again to indict himself yesterday after practice at Saint Vincent College.

"My father worked in a factory and it was very tough on him," Parker said from beneath a layer of late afternoon sweat. "He had no college education, so he had no choice but the factory, and he worked there, I don't know, 30-some years I guess."

So Willie Parker Sr., a North Carolina factory worker who with his wife put four kids through college essentially to keep them from becoming factory workers themselves, was the greatly admired target of this delicious caper. It was all for him. The ring. The car. The love.

But it had to start with a lie, of course.

When they asked the 25-year-old who had just ripped off the longest touchdown run from scrimmage in the history of the Super Bowl what size ring he wore, Willie Parker stone lied.

"I told 'em 13 and a half," he smiled. "That's not my size. That's my dad's."

Oddly enough, there was precedent for this idea.

For a player whose 75-yard touchdown run against Seattle represented more than 40 percent of the yardage gained in his senior season at North Carolina, Parker had previously accumulated a surprisingly expansive collection of athletic jewelry. There was that Peach Bowl ring, for example, and there were two rings awarded him for whipping the Clinton

Page 1 of 3Collier: Willie Parker's feel-good story has a ring to it and a brand new Cadillac


Dark Horses to high school championships.

"I gave all my rings to my dad, so I felt there was no need to change up," Parker said.

He's not one to doubt his instincts, no matter that he pinballed all over the depth chart in college, no matter that he got to Latrobe just two years ago last month with about as much fanfare as a night sale at unclaimed freight. Undrafted free agents with anorexic NCAA resumes often prove to be pretty pliable in NFL training camps, but from the moment Parker got here, he has rarely taken a tentative step.

He has long believed in himself more than others have, and now it's time everyone caught up.

On this Latrobe lawn yesterday, every Parker stride seemed to be 5 yards long, his chiseled physique flashing in and out of creases and bolting free for another 40 yards just for the sheer joy of it.

He's back from his first season as a starter, in which he gained 1,202 yards, and if that looks less than wholly spectacular on its face, consider that Franco Harris gained more only once in a Hall of Fame career, and that in another Hall of Fame career, John Henry Johnson never gained as many. And for all the crying coming out of the Pacific Northwest on allegedly questionable officiating spasms that might have altered the course of Super Bowl XL, there was simply nothing that could be said about Willie Parker streaking across three quarters of the Ford Field floor in just a few thoroughbred heartbeats. When you're smoked, you're smoked.

But back to our story.

Parker's best laid plans for his father's surprise had gone off with some precision. Willie bought him a Cadillac, because he'd always loved Cadillacs, and arrangements had been made for Jamal and Kimberly to drive it all night to North Carolina. But then a snag: Willie Jr. got a good look at the ring.

"When I saw it, I knew I wanted it back," he said sheepishly. "But you know, I couldn't. It's such a good feeling now. I wish I could have been there to see him get it. I know he started crying."

Parker couldn't get out of Pittsburgh that week. Jamal and Kimberly pulled a theatrical delivery off perfectly, with Jamal telling dad that yes, this was his new car from Willie, but that he had just spilled something in the trunk. They brought dad over to open the trunk, and there was the black box.

"When I gave my dad those high school rings, my mom never felt left out because I guess she didn't think it was that big a deal," Parker said. "But now it's a Super Bowl ring and I guess she is feeling left out. But she'll get hers in due time."

Did I mention that he was confident?



(Gene Collier can be reached at [email protected] or 412-263-1283. )

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Davenport relishes Steelers' approach Saturday, October 21, 2006

By Gerry Dulac, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette After four seasons with the Green Bay Packers, Najeh Davenport is relieved to have a change of scenery. After four years of rules, fines and what he said was an emphasis on upholding a storied image, he is glad to be with a team that can laugh, joke and win. Not to mention not worry about his weight.

Davenport said it is one of the reasons he feels refreshed and invigorated with the Steelers, who signed him last month as a backup running back. And one of the reasons he already has made several big plays for his new team, despite limited appearances.

"This is a different atmosphere," Davenport said. "Green Bay, you really had to treat it like a job, like a job-job, like working at Taco Bell, not like a career job. Here, I don't see that. I don't get that feeling. You're here to play football and you're doing something that you love."

Davenport has been an instant contributor with the Steelers. The first time he touched the ball with his new team, he took a screen pass 32 yards against the San Diego Chargers, stiff-arming strong safety Terrence Kiel along the way, to set up a touchdown.

The first time he touched the ball against the Kansas City Chiefs, Davenport ran 48 yards to the Chiefs' 17 to set up another touchdown, though he was caught from behind by defensive end Jared Allen. He later had an 18-yard run and also scored a 1-yard touchdown on fourth down -- providing hope that, at 255 pounds, he can be the player to replace Jerome Bettis as the short-yardage back.

Davenport has touched the ball 15 times in only two games, but he is averaging 7 yards when he does. That number could be inflated some more tomorrow when the Steelers (2-3) play the

Matt Freed, Post-GazetteNajeh Davenport gets a helping hand from teammate Max Starks Sunday against the Chiefs. Click photo for larger image.

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Page 1 of 3Davenport relishes Steelers' approach


Atlanta Falcons (3-2), a team that allowed 259 yards rushing in its 27-14 loss to the New York Giants last week in the Georgia Dome.

"It's crazy how you come from one extreme to another," said Davenport, who played at the University of Miami. "It's kind of like culture shock, coming from Miami and going to Green Bay, from a coaching aspect. And coming from Green Bay to Pittsburgh, as a team and organization, it's totally opposite.

"You're just playing. They don't stress you about anything. In Green Bay, you get fined for every little thing. That feeling they install in you, you don't get the ability, the freedom, to cut loose. You're afraid of the repercussions."

The Packers, arguably, are the most-storied franchise in NFL history, an organization that boasts three Super Bowl titles, the last in 1996, and six NFL championships. What's more, the Packers were 36-28 and had only one losing season (2005) when Davenport, a fourth-round draft choice in 2002, was there.

But, playing under coach Mike Sherman, Davenport said he grew weary of the team's regimen and regulations, an atmosphere he said he accepted as the norm until he came to the Steelers. He said players were fined $3,500 if they were late for a meeting, $8,000 if they missed a meeting.

Davenport said he was once fined $1,800 because he was six pounds -- $300 per pound -- over the team's desired playing weight of 242 pounds.

"Everything is monitored, everything is precise," Davenport said.

"There are a lot of restrictions on the way you played, how you play, how you look, when you play. Everything is upholding the image. Don't get me wrong, upholding the image of the organization is the No. 1 thing you try to do when you represent it. But they put more emphasis on the way you dressed for practice and stuff that really don't have anything to do with football.

"Don't get me wrong, it's a great organization with the history, but, to me, personally, they're not really changing with the times. They're kind of stuck in an era -- they won a Super Bowl and they got a couple championships -- and I think they're kind of stuck in that phase of how things were run then. Sometimes, you got to look at it -- it's a new year, a new millennium, players change, personalities change, style and trends change. You got to adjust to the trend."

Now he is with an organization that boasts five Super Bowl trophies, and the difference, he said, is more than palpable. His weight is not an issue with coach Bill Cowher -- "He said as long as you perform, it doesn't really matter," Davenport said -- and he feels comfortable in an environment that is more laid back, less regimented.

Davenport even said his image of Cowher -- "how he always looked mean and ferocious" -- is different.

"Coming here and seeing guys who are making plays, who won a Super Bowl, out on the



field dressing like they want to dress. ... We couldn't sit on water coolers or sit on our helmets during practice [at Green Bay]," Davenport said. "There weren't really a lot of laughs or talking going on. Here, you see guys laughing, joking and competing. They got on cutoff shorts, some guys got on sweatpants; they got on yellow shirts, black shirts, gray shirt.

"During the individual period, when the defense is up, the quarterbacks and receivers are throwing the ball at the goalposts. They're in their own little world, having fun. That would never fly at Green Bay."





Steelers receiver Washington's goal: Follow in Parker's footsteps Saturday, August 05, 2006

By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette His catch in the big game did not appear on a magazine cover, he was not invited to Disney World and there are no book deals in the works.

Receiver Nate Washington was as little known as any of the 46 Steelers who dressed for the AFC championship game in January in Denver. He would have a big hand -- or pair of them -- in starting them on way to a 34-17 victory and a date in Detroit for Super Bowl XL.

Washington, an undrafted rookie last season, made two third-down plays on the same series that not only helped the Steelers take a lead but also are still working in his favor these days at training camp in Latrobe.

The game in Denver was scoreless as the first quarter waned, and a Steelers drive stalled near midfield. Both teams were looking for the opening punch that might start some momentum that could carry them all the way to Detroit. Ben Roethlisberger glanced to his left on third down and threw. Washington, who played in only one regular-season game, made his first NFL reception, a nice catch near the left sideline for 13 yards and a first down at the Broncos' 33.

On the next third down, Roethlisberger threw again toward Washington in the end zone. Washington (6-1, 185) performed even better on this one, reaching out and knocking the ball away before cornerback Domonique Foxworth could intercept it.

Jeff Reed came on after that play to kick a 47-yard field goal to give the Steelers a 3-0 lead they never relinquished on their way to a victory.

Nate the Great was born that day.

Peter Diana, Post-GazetteReceiver Nate Washington, an undrafted free agent last season, made two big third-down plays in the same series against Denver in the AFC championship. Click photo for larger image.

Today

When: 12:30-2:30 p.m.

Where: St. Vincent College, ending it with their second live goal-line drill in the past four days.

Of note: The players will be off tomorrow.

Page 1 of 3Steelers receiver Washington's goal: Follow in Parker's footsteps


"For a rookie in a game that big?" coordinator Ken Whisenhunt replied about the importance of those two plays. "The catch is a catch; that's what you expect. But for a guy to go up and break up the play, that was really big because it kept us alive."

Those plays could be more reason Washington takes the field these days when the Steelers use three receivers or four, despite the presence of two hot-shot rookie draft picks.

As Hines Ward put it yesterday about the game in Denver: "Not being drafted, if he misses the ball or let's the guy pick it off, who knows where Nate might be right now? You get an opportunity, you have to take advantage of it. He'll get more opportunities this year. I look for big things out of him, too."

Those plays were the kind Washington made all last summer that impressed the coaching staff so much that they found room for him on the roster at the expense of one fewer tight end. Washington led the Steelers in the preseason with eight receptions, drawing his inspiration from Willie Parker, another undrafted rookie who made good.

"Willie was hands-down my biggest inspiration last year," Washington said. "I treat Willie like one of my brothers. I look at his situation like it's one of my own. I said if he can do it, I can do it."

Washington fought long odds everywhere to become only the second Tiffin University product to play in the NFL, ending a long drought that stretched back to the 1927 Pottsville Maroons, when center-fullback-guard-halfback-tackle Walt Jean ended his six-year pro career. Washington, a Toledo native, went to tiny Tiffin (1,297 enrollment) in Ohio because none of the big schools wanted him. There, he set eight school records and impressed Steelers scout Phil Kreidler.

All he did last summer was make plays, in practice, in games. He was timed at 4.5 but, as Whisenhunt said, "He has deceptive speed ... good game speed, it shows up when he's going after a ball and separating."

He made the team and was inactive for the first game, then released and put on the practice squad for a game before he was re-signed the following week. He played briefly in one regular-season game, not dressing for the final 11 games. But then Quincy Morgan was hurt in the first playoff game, and Washington put on a uniform as the No. 4 receiver in Indianapolis.

"It was a joyful time, but, at same time, it was like, OK, there's no time to play around any more," Washington said.

His assists in winning the AFC championship helped to put a Super Bowl ring on his finger. Then came April 29 and the first day of the draft. The Steelers not only picked Santonio Holmes in the first round, but they also drafted Willie Reid in the third, both wide receivers

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from the kind of big schools that rejected Washington.

"My thought was, it's going to be one hard-working offseason for me," Washington said.

Now, it's the two rookies who must catch him. The Steelers did not trade a third-round draft pick to move ahead seven spots in order to draft Holmes and have him not play for long. But that does not mean he will move ahead of Washington this season, merely because they have more money invested in him. Holmes is at split end and Washington plays in the slot as the No. 3 receiver and behind Ward at flanker.

"I didn't worry about the guys they brought in, although I have much respect for Santonio and Willie both," Washington said. "I knew the situation would be in my hands whether I play or not.

"So far, I'm just showing that I can play here also, no matter who they draft, no matter how big, or small I am, I can play here at this level."

(Ed Bouchette can be reached at [email protected] or 412-263-3878. ) Back




Steelers' Kemoeatu becomes film star Friday, October 20, 2006

By Gerry Dulac, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The rewind button kept clicking in the film room Monday morning, stopping the video and replaying some of the personal highlights from a resounding victory against the Kansas City Chiefs. But it wasn't just the usual suspects who were being highlighted. It wasn't just Ben Roethlisberger or Troy Polamalu or Willie Parker or Nate Washington.

The video kept replaying to get another look at some other awesome plays.

The ones delivered by Chris Kemoeatu.

"There were a couple times when you got to the rewind, it was like -- dang!" said left tackle Marvel Smith.

"Sometimes, you just see him push a guy off the ball and the guy just falls down," said right tackle Max Starks. "Then, you see him blow up into a guy like a linebacker. He's just so powerful and explosive hitting them, he just embarrasses some guys."

"He had some big hits in there," said Pro Bowl guard Alan Faneca.

Just call him the Human Highlight Reel.

Kemoeatu got his first National Football League start in the 45-7 victory against the Kansas City Chiefs, replacing injured Kendall Simmons at right guard, and he didn't disappoint any of his teammates with some of his trademark power slams and aggression.

After being inactive for 19 of his first 20 NFL games, Kemoeatu made his first performance a memorable one. He was part of an offensive line that cleared the way for the Steelers to rush for a season-best 219 yards against the Chiefs. And he was part of a unit that gave Roethlisberger more time to pick out receivers running free in the secondary and create more big plays.

"I can't really say he had one mental error at all," Faneca said. "For a new guy, that's a big thing right there."

"He's got a lot of physical ability," said center Jeff Hartings. "When he knows what to do, he's a very good player. I felt like he did pretty good. He's big and strong and, soon as he figures this game out, he'll be able to be a very physical player."

Kemoeatu, a sixth-round pick in 2005, had some good fortune

Listen In

Steelers beat writer Ed Bouchette talks with online sports editor Dan Gigler:

Page 1 of 2Steelers' Kemoeatu becomes film star


for his first NFL start. The Chiefs play a basic 4-3 defense that does not use a lot of stunts and games with their defensive linemen. The same cannot be said for the Atlanta Falcons (3-2), whom the Steelers (2-3) face at 1 p.m. Sunday in the Georgia Dome.

They like to change their fronts, run stunts and even flip-flop defensive end John Abraham, their best pass rusher. It is possible, however, that Kemoeatu will not play against the Falcons.

Simmons, who did not play against the Chiefs because of an ice burn on his right foot, has resumed practicing and could play against the Falcons. He was upgraded yesterday from questionable to probable. Simmons, a diabetic, needs to have the skin heal on his foot so the open wound doesn't become infected.

"I probably could have rubbed it up good, took something for it, but it wouldn't have made any sense," Simmons said. "With my medical history, I could screw it up with the inside of my shoe getting all dirty. If something got in through my sock, it would mess me up."

Coach Bill Cowher was non-committal yesterday about Simmons -- "We'll see where [he is] at the end of the week," he said -- but he probably won't have much reluctance to start Kemoeatu, who is 6-foot-3, 344 pounds.

"I was looking forward to seeing him play because, just the little bit that he played in the preseason, I saw him do stuff that I hadn't seen other guys doing." Smith said. "He just seems so strong, he makes some things look easy."

One play, in particular, stood out against the Chiefs. The Steelers ran a draw play on third down in which one of the Chiefs' defensive tackles -- Kemoeatu didn't recall which one -- stood up, thinking it was a pass. Kemoeatu not only came down the line and flattened the lineman with a block, he "kind of hit him again" while he was on the ground.

"It's easy when you catch a guy off guard," Kemoeatu said.

Still, it was a moment that was replayed in the film room.

"What happens with me, coming in as a young guy, I'm kind of antsy and I'm always trying to come off [the ball]," Kemoeatu said. "That's one of the big things I have to work on. Sometimes, I play too aggressive. I try to play every play like 110 percent, and that's good sometimes but sometimes that's bad because sometimes you overshoot stuff. I had to calm down a little."

Either way, it makes an interesting morning in the film room.



Keys to the Steelers-Falcons game

Page 2 of 2Steelers' Kemoeatu becomes film star


Polamalu's unique spirit uplifting for Steelers, fans Tuesday, August 01, 2006

By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Citizens of Western Pennsylvania already know the Steelers can lift spirits, but can these Super Bowl champions save lives?

All-Pro safety Troy Polamalu, speaking in the type of calming tones of a Benedictine monk on the Saint Vincent College campus in Latrobe, proclaimed yesterday that Steelers indeed not only can save lives but they do. He has seen it, and not the kind where they use the Heimlich Maneuver.

Merely walking into a room where a Steelers fan is on his death bed can improve the health of that person, Polamalu said, and it's an uplifting experience.

"You can truly save people's lives like that," Polamalu said. "I've been in situations where people are at home and getting ready to die, doctors have given up on them, you know?"

But after a visit by Polamalu, he has seen the deathly ill improve to the point where "they've been living for, like, three, four months already.

"It's really beautiful in that way that you can affect people. In some ways, football is life here in Pittsburgh, it's their only hope. It's cool to affect people in that way."

By now, most Steelers fans -- in various stages of physical health -- know that Polamalu thinks, talks, trains and plays differently than the average pro football player. He's a California native, but that doesn't fully explain it. His approach to football and life follow on a different path than most athletes, and he's not afraid to express himself.

He refrains from lifting weights for the most part and he has ridiculed the NFL training camp routines along

Peter Diana, Post-Gazette"It stinks in a way if you're eating dinner and people are bothering you, but it's beautiful in a way when you have a kid who has only five days to live and the biggest thing in his life is wanting to meet a Steeler."

-- Troy Polamalu, on his popularity in Pittsburgh

Click photo for larger image.

Today

When: 3 p.m., open to the public

Page 1 of 3Polamalu's unique spirit uplifting for Steelers, fans


with one of the league's major corporate sponsors, Gatorade. He swiped again at the drink yesterday saying that the Steelers training staff does not give him any guidelines "besides spreading their Gatorade propaganda."

Polamalu may be the best Steelers defensive back since Rod Woodson and he's definitely the most unique with his long hair covering the name on the back of his jersey, and the extraordinary way he plays the position of strong safety, one that landed him in the past two Pro Bowls.

One more unique thing to him: Here is a Californian who prefers to live in Pittsburgh (he prefers Troy Hill over Nob Hill). He and his wife, Theodora, spent all summer at their North Hills home, venturing only on one three-day trip to California. It does not all have to do with the hills and rivers here, although he enjoys the fly-fishing. He derives much of his pleasure within the confines of the Steelers' UPMC facility on the South Side and at Heinz Field.

"I told my wife, around my second year, that there's no better place to be than here in Pittsburgh," said Polamalu, starting his fourth training camp. "That's one thing Pittsburgh has over everybody else is this camaraderie of this team and the great coaching situation, how coach Cowher takes care of you, the training staff and the ownership."

The popularity of Steelers players -- with him among a handful of the most admired -- does have its drawbacks.

"It's pretty hard to go out here without getting hassled too much," Polamalu said. "When I go out in California, people could care less, even if you're a Tom Cruise, unless you're a paparazzi. And, they don't follow football. They're not a big fan of football like they are out here.

"It stinks in a way if you're eating dinner and people are bothering you, but it's beautiful in a way when you have a kid who has only five days to live and the biggest thing in his life is wanting to meet a Steeler. That's where it's positive. It's happened to me a few times and it's really awesome to affect people's lives."

His own was affected on the field when free safety Chris Hope, a fellow 2002 draft choice, left as a free agent in March.

"We went through scout team together my rookie year and breaking into the starting lineup, so we learned everything together and won a Super Bowl together," Polamalu said.

"We got to a point where Chris and I didn't even have to talk. I got to do what I do and he just reacted to it. To form that type of relationship is tough, being how different a safety that I am. You really can't practice at it unless you're on the field playing 11 on 11 or in these

Where: St. Vincent College, Latrobe

Of note: The campus opens about 90 minutes before practices that are open to the public.

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preseason games."

A trio of players will compete to join him in the defensive backfield: Tyrone Carter, Ryan Clark, and rookie Anthony Smith. Whoever it is can expect Polamalu to pursue the same kind of style that has turned him into a linchpin of the Steelers' defense, something fans -- in good health and poor -- can appreciate.

"I feel I approach what I do and my living as a football player the way they do, in this blue-collar mentality," Polamalu said. "That's a term thrown around a lot, but to say it and live it and to experience it -- even though it's a high-paying job like a football player -- it's no different to a hard-paying construction worker, a landscaper. It's a blue-collar mentality."





09/06/2006

Hampton has a nose for the game Mike Bires PITTSBURGH - When it comes to physiques, Casey Hampton doesn't look like a player. Times Sports Staff

PITTSBURGH - When it comes to physiques, Casey Hampton doesn't look like a player. He doesn't have a chiseled body like so many of today's players in the National Football League. He's the antithesis of lean. At 6-foot-1 and 325 pounds, he has the look of a round couch potato who never turns down a meal. The man often called "Big Snack" by his teammates is a wide body for sure. But in Hampton's case, looks can be deceiving. He's an extraordinary football player paid millions each year despite the fact his belly hangs over his belt buckle. "I honestly think we have the best nose tackle in the game right now," Pittsburgh Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau said. Hampton, the Steelers' No. 1 pick in the 2001 NFL Draft, is easily the best nose tackle in the league. After all, only seven of the 32 teams play a 3-4 defense that's anchored by a nose tackle. The other 25 teams use 4-3 alignments that feature two defensive tackles. But LeBeau's point is well taken. Regardless of the brand of defense played, Hampton is an elite defensive lineman. That's why he's been to the Pro Bowl twice in the last three seasons. The only reason he didn't go in 2004 was due to a season-ending knee injury he suffered in an October win in Dallas. "When Casey's on top of his game, he's un-blockable," said Chris Hoke, the Steelers' backup nose tackle. "When he gets it going, there's just no way to stop him." Steelers management thinks so highly of Hampton that they made him one of the highest-paid players in franchise history. Last summer, they rewarded Hampton with a five-year contract extension worth $22.775 million. Part of the deal included a whopping $6.975 million signing bonus. Only two current Steelers received more bonus money - wide receiver Hines Ward ($10 million last year) and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger ($9 million in 2004). Based on his statistical production - 24 solo tackles, 19 assists, no sacks and no forced fumbles in the '05 regular season - it would appear Hampton is grossly overpaid. But those in the know appreciate what a special player he is. That's why the Rooney family, the team owners, agreed to Hampton's lucrative contract extension before last season. That's why the Steelers, in a team vote, chose Hampton and Ward as co-Most Valuable Players last year. That's why the league's fans, coaches and players picked Hampton to play in the Pro Bowl, the NFL's

annual all-star game. "That was big for me," Hampton said of all the respect he received last year. "Sharing the team MVP with Hines, that was especially big. We have a lot of stars on this team, and for the guys to vote me in as one of our MVPs, that tells me that they know how important I am. That's all that matters to me. I'm just happy that the right people understand." Years ago as a youngster growing up in Galveston, Texas, Hampton was one of the best athletes in his neighborhood. He played tailback and fullback on his midget football teams. He even was a sprinter on his junior high track and field team. But over time, he started to put on weight. So he switched positions and started playing defensive tackle. After a stellar high school career, he moved on to the University of Texas where he developed into an All-American defensive tackle. The Steelers were so intrigued with Hampton that they picked him with the 19th overall selection of the '01 draft. By the sixth game of his rookie season, Hampton moved into the starting lineup. Ever since, he's maximized his strength, leverage, technique, quickness and relentlessness to become virtually immovable. "Perhaps masked by Casey's size is the fact that he's a tremendous athlete," LeBeau said. "He's got great feet, and for a guy his size, he can really run. He has tremendous range for a man over 300 pounds. He's just a load for the other team to handle. He takes a lot of pride in what he does and identifies with his role within our defense, which is not the most glamorous of roles." "He's an elite guy," said Chukky Okobi, the Steelers' backup center. "I should know. I go up against him every day at practice. I see what he does to the opposition on game day. He's a guy who makes a lot of offensive coordinators struggle when trying to figure out what to do with him. I'm sure a lot of them wonder, 'How we going to get around this guy?'"

09/06/2006

So, what exactly makes 'Big Smack' among the best at his position? Casey Hampton is widely regarded as the NFL's best nose tackle. But what exactly does he do?

For a job description, let's allow Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau to explain. "It's Casey's job to invert the line of scrimmage ... to put the football into the other team's backfield," LeBeau said. "He makes them work from their ground instead of our ground. Casey's the best I've ever seen at doing that." As the nose tackle in the 3-4 defense used by the Steelers, Hampton's main responsibility is stopping the opposition from establishing a running game. He lines up directly over the opposing center. He's looking right into the center's eye. On the snap, he rams into the center in hopes of pushing him back and bottling up the middle of the line of scrimmage. Or, Hampton shoots a center-guard gap, again with the attention of clogging up the middle. So often, a team must double-team Hampton just to neutralize him. "In a 3-4 defense, our defensive line is so important," LeBeau said. "They don't always get to make the tackle. But they set everyone else up so they can. "In an odd front, it all starts with the nose tackle. He's the No. 1 building block. He's essential to everything we do. With the way we play defense, the nose tackle is our foundation." Over the last five years - or since they picked Hampton in the first round of the 2001 NFL Draft - the Steelers lead the league in fewest rushing yards allowed. - Mike Bires

Cat's out of the bag, Townsend sets sack mark for CBs Saturday, September 30, 2006

By Chuck Finder, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The game wasn't stopped. The scoreboard wasn't aglow with a celebratory announcement of the event. The honoree wasn't aware of the circumstance.

Rather, Deshea Townsend imperceptibly, almost invisibly, crept Sunday into a select spot in Steelers' lore:

All-time sack leader among cornerbacks.

Hey, when the previous record-holder was Rod Woodson, a member of the NFL's 75th anniversary all-time team, that's saying something.

The thing was, Townsend didn't know it. He thought that when he nabbed Cincinnati's Carson Palmer for a 9-yard loss at the Steelers' 31 with 51 seconds left in the third quarter Sunday, he was expecting to be credited with half a sack. After all, James Farrior recovered the fumble that Townsend forced.

Yet Townsend earned full credit for the play, on a day when he also intercepted a pass, deflected away two other Palmer attempts and recorded nine tackles. As a result, that gave him 14.5 sacks in his Steelers career, surpassing Woodson by one -- and in one fewer season, nine.

Granted, the sack stat wasn't officially kept until 1982, though Mel Blount and the folks predating him weren't part of the cornerback-blitzing penchant of the modern-day NFL. Nor does Townsend's total give him the all-time team lead in that category: Such a place is believed to belong to Carnell Lake, the linebacker-sized safety and part-time cornerback with 21.5 sacks in his 10-year Steelers career and the only cornerback/defensive back to lead the Steelers in sacks, with six in 1997. Still, it's an accomplishment.

"Only one guy has done it," Townsend said of a Steelers cornerback regularly sacking so many quarterbacks. "So, it has to be an elite club."

Considering that Townsend is listed -- generously -- at 5 feet 10 and 190 pounds, it enhances the feat registered on a team steeped in sack tradition. After all, that storied

Matt Freed, Post-GazetteDeshea Townsend (26) gets a sack Sunday to become the Steelers' all-time leader for cornerbacks and causes Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer to fumble, which James Farrior recovered. Click photo for larger image.

Page 1 of 3Cat's out of the bag, Townsend sets sack mark for CBs


Steelers' list includes an array of Hall of Famers such as Joe Greene (66), Jack Ham (25.5) and Jack Lambert (23.5). And then there's Woodson, whom Townsend figured, without looking it up, for a 20-sack, 20-interception guy in his Steelers career.

In truth, Woodson never recorded another NFL sack after departing the Steelers in 1996 and finished here with 38 interceptions, fourth on the team's all-time list. And Lake isn't officially a member of that club, either, falling just short in the first category with 16 interceptions as a Steeler.

So Townsend has 20-20 in his sights, and Sunday kept him on a slow track to perhaps becoming the first Steeler to reach those interception-sack totals.

His first-quarter interception of Palmer Sunday, the turnover that prompted the Steelers' march that ended with a Ben Roethlisberger interception in the end zone, provided Townsend with career pickoff No. 15. This from a fellow who has been a full-time starter only since 2003.

In that brief time as a starter and, before that, nickel back, Townsend gathered almost as many sacks, too. Fact is, he tied for fourth on the team in sacks each of his past two seasons as a starter.

So how does the diminutive cornerback blitz so effectively?

In short, by being small.

"You want to try to stay hidden as much as possible," Townsend said this week before the Steelers embarked on their three-day weekend off. "Let the big guys go first, for the most part.

"But the main thing is to hit it at full speed."

Disguising that blitz commands an equally vital role. If the cornerback is stomping in front of the tight end or offensive tackle, making his here-I-come presence known, he would have nowhere near the same success as staying up the line quietly staring down a receiver. Moreover, much like an oncoming defensive lineman or linebacker, a cornerback needs help from his secondary mates to cover one-on-one and make up for the receiver he left behind. It also doesn't hurt if those linemen and linebackers occupy the heftier blockers littering a cornerback's path to the quarterback.

Still, not every cornerback meets success and sacks in an opposing backfield.

"He's good at it," linebacker Larry Foote said of the blitzing Townsend. "You saw the one he had in the Super Bowl [fourth quarter]. And Deshea will put it in your face, 'I got more sacks than you.' "

Foote, Clark Haggans and Joey Porter hold that team lead with two after three games, followed by Townsend and three others with one apiece.

"A lot of times, the defensive backs, they come free, but they don't get the quarterback



down," Foote added. "Deshea knows how to get it done."

(Chuck Finder can be reached at [email protected] or 412-263-1724. ) Back




Thursday, August 17, 2006 For Haggans, it's in the sack F. Dale Lolley Staff writer Thursday, August 17, 2006

LATROBE -- In terms of national exposure, Clark Haggans isn't exactly Robin to Joey Porter's Batman. Haggans is certainly worthy of more than a sidekick role. But the Steelers' other outside starting linebacker knows Porter casts a long shadow. For as long as he can remember, Haggans has been competing with Porter. Dating back to their days together as one of the best defensive end combinations in college football at Colorado State, Haggans and Porter -- now one of the top outside linebacker duos in the NFL -- have had friendly competitions on the football field, in the dorms and

just walking to class. "We always have competition, whether it be sacks or playing dominoes, video games, push-ups, anything," said Haggans. "That's how the whole (team) is. We come up with that kind of stuff to keep each other going and to be the best we can be." Haggans wins his share of off-field competitions. But this could be the season when Haggans one-ups Porter on the football field. Though Porter, a three-time Pro Bowl player, doesn't like to lose. He wouldn't exactly begrudge his longtime cohort some time in the spotlight. "I've been with him since 1995. I've been playing football with him for more than 10 years. It is unique," said Porter. "It's been a good thing. I know when he came here, he didn't have to come into a new thing and find himself or find out what crowd he wanted to hang out with or find out how he was going to get along in the system. I had just left him the year before and he comes here and we're right back where we left off. It's been a beautiful situation." Haggans joined Colorado State in 1996 as a walk-on and became the school's all-time sack leader with 34 before completing his career in 1999. Porter, meanwhile, began his career at the school as an H-back before shifting to defensive end for his final two seasons. He's tied for the school record for sacks in a season with 15 and finished his

Clark Haggans(GREG TARR/O-R)

Page 1 of 2O-R Online | For Haggans, it's in the sack

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career with 22, fourth-best at the school. "It's funny how things like that go," said Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau. "And you know what? When I was in Cincinnati, we had a guy there by the name of Adrian Ross, who played on that same team and he was a pretty darn good defensive linemen for them as well. Sometimes things happen like that in cycles for a school." Porter joined the Steelers in 1999 as a third-round draft pick, while Haggans was a fifth-round selection in 2000, meaning they have spent all but one year in the past decade playing football on the same team. Porter became a starter in just his second season with the Steelers and has made three Pro Bowls, including last season. Haggans, meanwhile, didn't break into the starting lineup until 2004. He's been productive, but hasn't received the accolades Porter has. In fact, he may be best known for being the guy Seattle offensive tackle Sean Locklear was penalized for on a critical holding penalty in the Steelers' Super Bowl victory. It was a penalty the Seahawks and their fans were bitter about since the Steelers' victory. Haggans said he doesn't care if he ever wins league-wide distinctions. "I've got a Super Bowl ring, that's all that matters," said Haggans, who recorded his nine sacks last season despite missing three games because of injury. "I know what that is and that's why you're out here playing. Everybody goes into training camp working for that and last year we did it. All that other stuff, it doesn't bother me. I know my own name and social security number, so I'm good." Besides, he's as low-key as a 6-4, 243-pounder can be. In fact, when people ask him if he's a professional athlete, he says he's anything but that. "I just tell them I'm a professional Twister player or I play pingpong," Haggans said. "I lay low." If he has another season in which he approaches double digits in sacks and the Steelers go deep into the playoffs, that would certainly change. And he'll have Porter helping to push him. "If he starts off hot, I've got to try and catch him," Porter said. "If I start off hot, he's got to try to catch me. But the majority of time, we're right there with each other. "We want to see both of us have a lot of fun and do well, but you always want to one-up the guy, just for the bragging rights later on."

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NFL Training Regimen: Saying Uncle

Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor credits his success to hare-raising workouts and the man who devised them By Ben Reiter

As a teenager and high school football player in the blue-collar outskirts of New Orleans, Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor didn't have access to cutting-edge workout equipment or techniques. He and his uncle Herman Francois with whom Taylor went to live in seventh grade, had to improvise. Most days -- summer and school year -- Taylor and Francois woke at midnight to work six hours for a janitorial and construction firm run by Taylor's aunt Judy. Around dawn they gathered whatever equipment they could find and headed to a nearby field.

Using bricks, flour, ropes, tires -- and even a live rabbit -- Francois devised a fitness regime. Soon, says Taylor, "I started noticing that in the fourth quarter of games, guys were taking deep breaths, but I felt great. He trained me into who I am, especially mentally. I realized if I could do [Francois's workout], I could do anything."

The speedy, 6'1", 191-pound Taylor, now 26, kept that mind-set while on his unlikely path from walk-on at Louisiana-Lafayette to shut-down NFL cornerback who earns nearly $6 million a year. While he now employs more conventional training methods, Taylor still feels Francois's impact. After last February's Super Bowl win they celebrated on the field in Detroit. Says Francois, "I kept saying, 'Boy, you didn't have to go to any gym, and it all finally paid off.'"

Pittsburgh Steelers' CB Ike Taylor pulls his Uncle Herman. Greg Nelson/SI

PULL THE UNCLE

In place of the weight sleds football players use, Taylor tugged the heaviest thing around: his 150-pound uncle. Francois sat on an old tire, and Taylor, attached to the tire by a rope tied around his waist, pulled him down the field as fast as he could, 100 yards at a time. "In high school I only weighed about a buck-sixty," says Taylor. "It really worked my whole lower body." Recalls Francois, "Cars would stop and see a guy sitting in a tire with a water bottle and a kid pulling him. The drivers would say, 'What the heck are you doing?' I'd say, 'I'm trying to get this young man into the best shape of his life.'"

CHASE THE RABBIT

Rocky Balboa chased a chicken to improve his agility; Taylor turned to an even quicker beast. "When I was 14 or 15, I saw a rabbit in the woods," recalls Taylor. "I told myself, I bet you can catch one of those. I told my uncle about it, and he said, 'Let's go.'" Francois began picking up rabbits from the local pet shop and releasing them on the fenced-in field, one at a time. Ike would chase them until he couldn't run any more. "The rabbits helped with his initial burst," says Francois. "The zigging and zagging also taught him to swivel his hips." Says Taylor, who had an AFC-high 24 passes defended last year, "A rabbit makes sudden moves -- when it would cut, I would cut. I came close, but I never caught one."

CATCH THE BRICK

Standing five yards apart and each holding a brick, Taylor and Francois would simultaneously lob the bricks to each other for 20 to 25 minutes without rest. The drill helped Taylor develop the strength in his hands, wrists and shoulders that he needs to make arm tackles and also to improve concentration and catching skills. (He had interceptions in the AFC title game and the Super Bowl last season.) Francois says the exercise took the place of a JUGS machine -- which Taylor now jacks up to 40 mph in practice.

RUN THE LINES

Using household baking flour instead of the usual spray paint -- "I didn't know where to buy the stuff, and I didn't have anything else but the flour," he says -- Francois marked out 30 yards worth of lines, five yards apart. The challenge was for Taylor to take long strides and land on each line when doing wind sprints. "I was tall, and he said I ran like I was short," Taylor recalls. "This helped me to open up my strides, like a track guy." The training yielded dividends: After not being invited to the NFL combine as a college senior, Taylor stunned scouts by running a 4.18 40-yard dash at a his school's pro day and became a surprise fourth-round draft pick.

Issue date: October 16, 2006

Keisel moves into the spotlight Wednesday, August 02, 2006

By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette The Oklahoma drill Chuck Noll loved so much has long been dispatched from training camp, replaced by a more subtle, yet equally physical, session.

The drill that used to kick off each Steelers camp at Saint Vincent College is now a sideshow. Instead of the entire team, coaches, scouts and media gathering in a wide semicircle to watch a one-on-one live blocking drill, complete with hoots and hollers from the gallery, Steelers linemen shift to a corner of a field to take care of business pretty much by themselves. And with Ben Roethlisberger throwing passes at the other end, it guarantees the linemen do not grab much attention.

But when some defensive end is tossing around tackles as if he's Reggie White, it's hard not to notice.

"Keisel The Diesel," said 6-foot-8, 341-pound offensive tackle Max Starks yesterday. "He was pretty good in that one-on-one. Having a pass-rushing defensive end who is athletic, it definitely adds an extra dimension to your defense."

Brett Keisel, at right end, is the first new starter on the defensive line -- other than forced through injury -- since nose tackle Casey Hampton moved into the exclusive neighborhood Oct. 29, 2001, his sixth game in the NFL. Aaron Smith enters his seventh season starting at left end. Those two each have made Pro Bowls.

The rare vacancy in the three-man line came open when Kimo von Oelhoffen, 35, accepted an offer in free agency from the New York Jets. Von Oelhoffen started the past five seasons at right end.

So, as the defending Super Bowl champions return 19 starters, Keisel, 27, knows everyone will look to him

Lake Fong, Post-GazetteSteelers defensive end Brett Keisel (99) takes on Alan Faneca (66) and Jeff Hartings (64) yesterday in Latrobe. Click photo for larger image.

Today

When: 7 p.m., open to the public for a nominal fee.

Where: Latrobe Stadium at Latrobe High School

Of note: Steelers will sign autographs at 6:45 p.m.

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Page 1 of 2Keisel moves into the spotlight


not to mess with the chemistry that has fueled the defense the past several seasons.

"No question, there are going to be eyes on me. That's the position I'm in right now. My main thing is I don't want there to be any drop-off. I know if a run busts open on the right side, people will say, 'Well, if Kimo would have been there, it would have been a different story.' That's my biggest thing, I want to get better stopping the run."

It is the prime law of the turf for Steelers defensive linemen in a 3-4. They play to stop the run first and foremost, and to hold double-teams to allow their linebackers to clean up the play. It's not a glorious position, and success is not counted in the number of tackles or sacks. Smith's 55 tackles were tops among Steelers linemen last season but only eighth on the defense.

Now along comes Keisel in a different mold. He's taller and leaner than the prototypical Steelers defensive end. Von Oelhoffen was 6-4, 299; Smith, 6-5, 298. Keisel is 6-5 and after packing on 10 pounds since last season, he's still only 290. While von Oelhoffen and Smith each had their moments as pass rushers (with season highs of eight tackles), neither has the kind of quickness and speed that Keisel brings to the line.

He showed enough last season as an active backup for the Steelers to sign him to a four-year, $13.1 million contract on March 14 when he became an unrestricted free agent. His signing came hours after von Oelhoffen signed with the Jets.

What the coaches see in Keisel is someone who makes plays -- he had three sacks in his part-time role last regular season and then had two in the AFC championship game in Denver. He was a special-teams standout long before he got his shot at playing more regularly in 2004 on a defense that likes to spell its starting ends. He kept his weight at 280 because he knew he had to fly down the field on special teams and he did not want to lose the ability to do that.

His days as a special teams player are gone, but can he pick up where von Oelhoffen left off against the run?

"He's going to play well against the run," line coach John Mitchell said. "That's the thing guys know up front. Our job is to stop the run. I have no qualms how he's going to play. He's going to play well. Here's a guy who's been here, he knows the scheme, he uses his hands well, he has great feet. If they run over Brett Keisel, he'll have an opportunity to make a lot of plays."





Page 2 of 2Keisel moves into the spotlight


Monday, August 28, 2006

Steelers shine when times get tough

By John Clayton ESPN.com

Only 15 franchises have experienced the joys and pleasures of winning the Lombardi Trophy. It's an exclusive club for a reason.

What makes it so exclusive is how hard it is assemble the talent, peak at the right time and have the tenacity to win it all. The Steelers, Cowboys and 49ers have five Super Bowl titles apiece, more than a third of the 40 championships.

The reasons for their success are stability, character players, quarterbacks who are leaders and great head coaches who set the right agenda. As hard as other franchises try, it's difficult to capture all of those elements.

Following the most recent Super Bowl, folks were taken aback by a Bill Cowher statement that the Steelers might not have been the most talented team in 2005. He was right. One or two other teams might have been more talented on paper. Although the Steelers were a wild card and a No. 6 seed in the AFC, they would have been the No. 2 seed were it not for some poor performances by Ben Roethlisberger's backup while Roethlisberger recovered from injuries.

Raiders boss Al Davis has said that in certain years, teams can steal a Super Bowl, and that's what the Steelers did. They got hot at the end of the season and put everything together when the odds were against them. The key is to fight adversity, and that doesn't happen if the team isn't filled with character players and the right leadership.

When Pittsburgh lost 38-31 to the Bengals on Dec. 4 at Heinz Field, the Steelers were at a crossroads. They were 7-5. The Bengals, led by vocal wide receiver Chad Johnson, came off the field waving Terrible Towels to announce a new day was dawning in the AFC North, that the Bengals were suddenly the team to beat.

At that moment, the Steelers started to come together as a championship team. "We have a board in our meeting room that lists all of our games and all of our goals," Steelers linebacker James Farrior said. "When we were 7-5, coach Cowher took everything down and only put up the team we were playing. He showed us the type of attitude we had to have to focus on one game at a time. Guys responded to that. We had to stay positive. He said it wasn't over."

The Steelers had everything in place to make a Super Bowl run. Cowher has been a good enough coach to get the Steelers to a Super Bowl, but now he had a quarterback who could be a difference maker in big games. It's hard to win Super Bowls without a quarterback like Roethlisberger. And Pittsburgh's roster was filled with experienced players and great leaders.

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"It starts with organization and it starts with ownership," center Jeff Hartings said. "This is one of the most stable if not the most stable team in NFL history. You also have to have high-character guys, and we have high-character guys on this team. If you evaluate the guys they draft on this team, it's unbelievable how good this team is for character guys. I'm one of the lone free agents they brought in here, so I can tell you how important it is to have character."

Seasons are long, and even the best teams face adversity. Maybe it's an injury. Maybe it's a slump. Maybe it's an off-the-field incident. In a four-month season, everything isn't going to go perfectly, so the leadership has to be in place in coaching and in the locker room to keep the team focused during the tough times.

The Steelers had all the elements in place. Cowher is a bright coach and is loaded with a great group of assistants. Since Chuck Noll turned around the losing ways of the Steelers in the 1970s, the Steelers emphasized building teams through the draft. The Rooney family never overpaid, but it kept a stable foundation. To think that the team has had only two coaches in four decades of football is incredible.

That type of stability and the team's history of success provided the model for assembling the right types of athletes and personalities to win.

"Offensively, the quarterback position has to be a good leader," Hartings said. "Even if the quarterback isn't vocal, he has to be a good leader because he affects everybody. Ben Roethlisberger is unbelievably mature as a player. Then you have to have guys like Alan Faneca and Hines Ward. Those guys go all-out in practice and in games."

When the Steelers were 7-5, they had supreme focus. Cowher said all the right things. Ward, Faneca, Hartings and others policed the locker room to make sure every player was focused on the week ahead.

"I think we've got a lot of guys who have been around the league for a while," Farrior said. "They understand the situation we are put into. When you get your backs against the wall, that's the time you need to step up. The veteran guys on this team do a good job of portraying that message. Coach Cowher does a good job. Guys don't do a lot of finger-pointing."

That's where Cowher helps. A former NFL player, he knows the mind-set of players in the locker room during the good times and the bad times. Players believe in him because he's consistent.

When the Steelers were 7-5 last season, Cowher did his best coaching, and because he had veteran players and great character in his locker room, the players understood the message.

"Coach Cowher has played the game, and he's a great leader," Hartings said. "He doesn't overreact, and he doesn't let us overreact about good things or bad things. Every guy in the locker room has a great deal of respect for him. He doesn't say things that are totally out there to get an effect from the team. When we were 7-5, he told us to evaluate ourselves because we weren't playing as well as we thought."

Because of the character within Cowher's locker room, the veterans looked at their performances and agreed. They had to pick up their games. On the verge of being eliminated from the playoff race, the

Ben Roethlisberger

QB Ben Roethlisberger is one of many Steelers who respond well to pressure situations.



margin for error was slim. Then the Steelers went on their roll and won the Super Bowl.

These types of stories underscore how hard it is to crack the elite group of franchises that own a Lombardi Trophy. It also shows why teams can repeat. If a team has players with the character to win one, they know what it takes to win another. Bill Belichick assembled the right group of players to win it three times in New England. From Bill Walsh to Noll to Lombardi to Jimmy Johnson to Joe Gibbs to Bill Parcells, they know the types of players and the type of leadership needed to win multiple Super Bowls.

"Defensively and offensively, you have to have the type of leaders who work hard and [who] don't want to let them down as players," Hartings said. "Offensively, you need to be calm and under control. Defensively, you need to be kind of wild, loud and enthusiastic, and we have those type of loud guys on defense."

Without those kinds of leaders and that type of character, it's easy to see why so many teams come up short. The Super Bowl club is about as elite as it gets in sports.

John Clayton is a senior writer for ESPN.com.

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08/16/2006

Cowher will go out 'on his own terms' By Mike Ciarochi , Herald-Standard LATROBE - Let me say this up front, just so there is no confusion: I will retire the day I hit the Powerball.

There, that's out of the way. Don't you appreciate my honesty? Didn't think so. Now, as far as this Jerome Bettis-Bill Cowher tiff is concerned, why do any of us care? I'm perfectly content to let Cowher coach the Steelers until he's had enough, to let him go out on his own terms. Of course, it's easy for me to do that. I'm not signing his paychecks. But there was a phrase in the last paragraph that Bettis must have forgotten. It is a phrase that I'm certain Cowher brought up when he called Bettis Monday morning - even though Cowher never mentioned it in his discussion with reporters later that day. The phrase, in case you missed it, is "on his own terms." Everybody wants to go out on his or her own terms, right? Nobody wants to be shown the door in hopes of not letting it hit them on their backside on the way out. Nobody wants to be allowed to resign. We all want to decide for ourselves when we've had enough. It is likely what galled the coach most about what his former player told a national television audience. Because when Bettis told America that he believed this will be Cowher's last season as coach of the Steelers, he basically took from Cowher what the coach was so careful to protect for Bettis. Bettis took away Cowher's ability to go out on his own terms. If Cowher in fact makes 2006 his last season as coach of the Steelers, everybody will remember that Bettis told us so in training camp. Even if Cowher sticks around another year, a lot of people will think his choice was made simply to prove Bettis wrong. Cowher handled his reaction perfectly, if you ask me (he didn't). The coach was as honest as he could be. Who among us knows for a fact today how you will feel a year from now about your job, your life situation or whether you'll still be driving the same car. Think back about 18 months. The Steelers were just coming off another gut-wrenching AFC Championship Game loss at home and Hines Ward was crying in front of TV cameras because he believed Bettis had played his last game and didn't have the opportunity to play in, let alone win a Super Bowl. At roughly the same time, give or take, Bettis was in Cowher's office being talked off the ledge by a coach he had come trust. In that season-ending meeting, Cowher told Bettis to put off any decisions, rash or otherwise. Somewhere in that speech, Cowher must have used the argument he presented on his own behalf Monday. "Time has a way of refocusing people." Bettis listened to Cowher and returned for what would be a resoundingly successful final season that will have as much to do with landing Bettis in Canton five years down the road as would any other factor. Throughout the season, speculation swirled about Bettis' future, whether he would ever play again. If was widely believed he would retire, but Bettis was allowed to drag it out until he was ready to make an announcement.

How would Bettis have felt if Cowher had announced during his last pre-Super Bowl press conference that Bettis would retire after the big game? That's how Cowher must have felt Sunday night when he heard Bettis. Sports editor Mike Ciarochi may be reached at [email protected]

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