Pittsburgh Steelers -1- Miercoles 28/1/09

Super Bowl XLIII – Wednesday, January 28, 2009

QUOTES FROM PITTSBURGH STEELERS PRESS CONFERENCE


P MITCH BERGER

(on playing for different teams throughout his career) “Sometimes I wake up and forget which team I’m playing for.”


(on if he gets to keep his stuff from the teams he has played on) “I have memorabilia from most of the teams I’ve played with. I’ve got helmets, pictures and jerseys. I try to keep most of my stuff. I have an office at home where I keep memorabilia from some of the guys I’ve played with.”


(on his favorite piece of memorabilia) “Until now, my best pieces have been Pro Bowl jerseys. I would imagine that Super Bowl memorabilia, hopefully a ring, could trump that. Different places have different things. My Steelers things are big to me because of the fact that my father was born and raised in Pittsburgh. I grew up a Steelers fan as a child, so to have the chance to play for them in the Super Bowl is pretty big. Some of my best stuff has come here, towards the end of my career.”


(on if playing for different teams is normal for a punter) “It all depends on who you are. When I was with Minnesota, I thought I would be with them throughout my career. Then, I broke a bone in my neck making a tackle and then had knee surgery. During my recovery, the Vikings changed coaching staffs, things got changed around, and I left after that year. When I was in New Orleans, I tore my groin and had my abdominal reattached to my pubic bone, which had a 12-month recovery period. During that time, the Saints changed coaching staffs too, and they ended up going with another guy. Usually, I’ve left a team during free agency, by injury, or by coaching staff changes. Some guys don’t go through that type of stuff, but I have. Now, later on in my career, it took me getting cut three or four times, sometimes in a matter of weeks, it just comes down to the type of situation sometimes. I got signed to training camp with a team one year to compete against a guy who had the biggest contract in the league for a punter at that time. With something like that, no matter what I do I’m not going to beat that guy out. But once you become the incumbent, they are not going to beat you out. It was nice for me like that for a couple of years. But since I’ve been injured and changed teams the last couple of years, it has become harder for me to find and keep a job. You always have to be ready because you are always auditioning for someone.”


(on if punters, kickers and special teams players are more expendable) “It’s just a ‘what have you done for me lately’ mentality. Kicking is definitely like that. It’s something where you need to stay in a good groove and stay hot. If you get cold and have a couple of bad plays, it stacks up against you very quickly. One thing about being a kicker is that you are there for everyone to see. Linemen can miss a block or a guy missing a tackle in a crowd doesn’t show up as much as a guy running a kick back for a touchdown or a bad punt. If you miss a tackle it’s a much bigger play. My coach used to say the biggest play in a game is the punt because you are swapping 40 or more yards, give or take, on every play. You can’t say that about a lot of plays.”


(on kickers careers changing, such as Mike Vanderjagt) “Yes, I know Mike very well. Yes, after he missed a few big kicks, it kind of steamrolled. Sometimes it can mess with your confidence. With Mike, he is a very vocal guy. Some guys are so good at their position that everyone wants them. For some guys, they are too old or maybe they have been injured, or they may not like your personality. A player may have popped off at the media a little bit and everyone may not like that. Some people enjoy the confidence of that and others don’t, it just takes the right fit. For me, a guy who is 36 and will be 37 next year, there are teams that won’t be interested in a guy that age. Some people will like the experience and the fact that you’ve been through a few battles and others would rather have youth and strength. It all depends on what people are looking for. You have to find the right match.”


(on guys like New York Giants kicker Jeff Feagles longevity) “Feagles is consistent, he’s a pro and he’s a leader. He’s a good guy who you could mold yourself after and you would be doing alright. I’m glad he got to go to the Pro Bowl this year with John Carney there. They are the model of what you can still do. When I see guys like that it inspires me because I may be the oldest guy on this team but I’m nothing compared to how old those guys are. Maybe there are a few years left for me.”


(on if this is the final year of his contract) “Yes, this is it, and they have a young stud named Daniel Sepulveda who had knee surgery. They drafted him last year and I know they really like him. All things being equal, I don’t know what will happen next year. I think Daniel will be back next year. He has a long career a head of him. I’ll probably be looking for work again next year. I’m going to enjoy this now and worry about that later.”


(on if he gets enjoyment out of making other types of plays) “When I have to make a tackle it’s usually the result of a couple of things. It may mean the punt wasn’t good enough, or the coverage wasn’t good enough, or both. You never want to have to make a tackle. Luckily, I’ve only had to make three this season. You don’t want to have to make them because usually that means something went wrong. But when you do I can. I’m not a soccer player who learned how to kick. I played quarterback and safety all the way through college. I’ve been a football player my whole life. When the opportunity arises, I like to take pride in doing a good job making tackles and not a guy who is going to whiff. I try to use the sideline, or angles, and try to do what I can to get the guy down.”


(on if he can ice skate) “No, I can’t skate. I have an embarrassing story about that. When Wayne Gretzky first bought the Phoenix Coyotes, he invited me to the game and I sat in his box. He was introducing me to people and he invited me to go skate the next weekend and I told him ‘Wayne, I can’t skate.’ He was so disappointed in me that I was a Canadian boy who couldn’t skate, but I wasn’t going to embarrass myself. I’m an American kid who grew up in Canada because it was always football, basketball and baseball with me. My family never got into hockey, but I am a huge Vancouver Canucks fan, as well as a big Tampa Bay Lightning fan. My buddy Len Barrie is a co-owner of the team. We are friends and we are also business partners in some of my restaurants that I own in Vancouver and Victoria. We’ve gotten to be friends and met at some charity golf tournaments five or six years ago. We became fast friends and business partners.”


(on his restaurant business) “I have a chain called “The Players Chop House”, which is a steak restaurant. It’s high-end food with reasonable prices. I have a night club and an Irish pub in Victoria, and another seafood restaurant in Vancouver as well. I’ve been doing that for about eight or nine years.”


(on how many more years he believes he can play in the NFL) “I don’t know. I just take it one year at a time. At this point in my career with the injuries I’ve had, I’m feeling good. I’ll have to see. I’ll have to see what the interest is in me out there. I just want to play this game, enjoy it, and hopefully win it. You never know, it could be my last. You hope not, but you never know. I hope it’s not, but it could be.”


(on some of the toughest punt returners he has faced) “One of the toughest I’ve faced was Carolina Panthers wide receiver Steve Smith, when he was returning punts. There was also Philadelphia Eagles running back Brian Westbrook. These are two guys who usually don’t return punts anymore, but when they did, they were extremely dangerous. Baltimore Ravens safety Jim Leonhard had great days against us both times this year. There are lots of them. You don’t play against a team that doesn’t have a dangerous return man so you have to do your job. Punting, blocking, everything. Some are more dangerous than others, but there are a lot of dangerous guys out there. Every game there is one out there challenging you.”


(on what it takes to be an effective punter) “It takes leg strength, focus, calm nerves, a positive attitude and being a professional. You have to practice your craft. It comes natural to some guys, but not so much to others. I’ve always been a guy who has had to work really hard at it. The biggest thing you aim to have is consistency. You try to be as consistent as you can because a lot of times it’s not about what your best punt is, it’s about what your worse punt is. For that, you try to stay consistent and in the middle.”



S TYRONE CARTER

(on how he feels about the Cardinals’ wideouts) “If you look back on the last few games of the regular season, they didn’t hit their potential until they hit the playoffs. After they made it there, it’s been a totally different team. They’re playing on all cylinders. They’re playing as a team and playing great. Larry Fitzgerald is playing out of his mind right now, so the thing is, you have to contain that guy. Not only that, but Anquan Boldin is playing great. He wasn’t in the game plan much towards the end because he was hurt, but now that he’s healthy, he can come up big in this game. And, they have two other guys who can come in and play, too. Steve Breaston can make some big plays for them on crucial downs. We know he’s fast because he ran that punt return back for a touchdown against us. They have some talent out there. The main thing for us is to not get caught up in how well they do things. We still have to worry about what we’re doing. If we hold our own, I think we’ll be alright.”


(on what he can take from meeting the Cardinals once in 2007) “You can take some things from that game, but it’s two different teams. They’re playing totally different right now, especially since they’re running the ball well now. Edge [Edgerrin James] has been on the shelf for a while. They weren’t utilizing him the way he wanted to be used, so now he’s getting a chance to make plays, which is setting up the pass for them. If the running game isn’t good, you have to pass every down, and a team that has to pass every down, you can prepare for that. You have to be able to run and pass the ball well to have success.”


(on if there was a moment when things clicked for him this season) “The main thing was getting opportunities. The first couple of games, I never had a chance to get out there. But, being in the league for a while, I knew that I had to be ready. You have to prepare each week like you’re going to play, so when you’re number is called, you’ll be ready. That’s what kept me on edge all the time. I was always out there coaching Troy [Polamalu] and helping him out, which made me feel like a part of the game as well. But, you want to be out there. I knew there would be a moment in time where something would happen and I would have to go out there. That’s the main thing in this league. You can’t complain and be bitter if you’re not playing, because you’re going to get a shot. My thing is that I just made sure I knew the game plan and made sure I knew my opponent, so that when my name was called, I was ready.”


(on having that mentality throughout the entire team) “You’re really only one play away from starting. It’s not like in college, where you have redshirt freshmen and you are going three deep. You’re two deep, and you have to prepare like that. That’s what makes a professional. If you’re not that, you’ll be out of the league in no time.”


(on being physical) “The team that is the most physical in games is usually the team that wins. It’s about being able to out-physical teams and smashing them in the mouth. You have to wear teams out. Most teams want to be finesse. A prime example is the Indianapolis Colts. They’re a finesse team. They’re not about hitting you up front and pounding the ball. They want to move the chains by looking for the big plays and spreading you out a little bit, where you can’t put eight or nine guys in the box.”


(on the defense running to the ball) “It doesn’t matter how big you are or how much size you have, as long as you have all 11 guys trying to get to the ball, things will happen. When you have one guy not doing their job, that’s what creates a gap. With some teams, when you have a guy cover a guy and he misses a tackle, that guy can take one long. If everybody gets to the ball, even if a guy misses a tackle, you’ve got a guy behind him, so you can be aggressive.”



T TRAI ESSEX

(on the difference between his first Super Bowl and this one) “I was a rookie then so it was a little different. I did play a little bit that year. I can say that I played for a Super Bowl champ as rookie, but this year I am taking a little bit more ownership. I feel like I am more part of the team as opposed to someone who just comes in wide-eyed and trying to learn the ropes. I feel like I actually contributed to get here.


(On offensive coordinator Bruce Arians’ impact on the offensive line) “Coach Arians is a great offensive mind on our team. He gets the ball to the right place and he always puts together a good game plan. He really just loves riding the offensive line. He really looks at that group to get the offense going and as, offensive linemen, we really appreciate that.”


(on the offensive line getting criticized for Ben Roethlisberger getting sacked many times this season) “With the quarterback that we have, we know that we’re going to have to keep up on our man a little bit longer. He’s going to take hits and he knows that. He just plays that type of football. As an offensive line, we take that personally because that’s the only thing we get graded on as opposed to receivers who are graded on catching and running. Sacks are the only stat that we have and it could be inflated sometimes. You just look at the number and think that the offensive line is bad, but if you sit there and actually watch the film with us, you know that we’re out there giving it our all and doing the best we can to keep Ben clear.”


(on his favorite Super Bowl memory growing up) “I was a Steelers fan, funny thing, because Rod Woodson is from Fort Wayne. I remember watching the AFC Championship game with the Colts and Steelers back in 1995. John Harbaugh threw a Hail Mary at the end of the game to try to win it and they almost caught it. Then I remember the Steelers losing to the Dallas Cowboys and that was a heartbreaker for me because I wanted Rod Woodson to get that title, seeing that he’s a Fort Wayne guy just like me.”


(on if he’s talked to or met Rod Woodson) “I talked to him the day of the AFC Championship game against Baltimore because he was an honorary captain. I talked to him a little bit then and told him congratulations and we’ll try to get another one for Fort Wayne.”


(on the injuries to the veterans on the offensive line) “It was very unfortunate because two of our vets, Marvel Smith and Kendall Simmons, got hurt earlier in the year, but they still help us whenever we have a question about something. They are still pretty active in and out of the locker room. They still travel with the team when we go somewhere. They’re still very active and you can’t really substitute that type of experience and that type of leadership. This is my fourth year in the NFL and I’m starting to mold that into my experience and start to become a veteran myself.”


(on the Cardinals pass rush) “They’re pretty disruptive. They’re real quick off of the ball and that’s their goal; force the quarterback out of the pocket so one of your teammates can sack him. They don’t like when a quarterback gets back there and gets comfortable. They’ve done a good job of it. That’s probably one of the main reasons they’re here.”


(on what Cardinals DT Darnell Dockett brings to the table) “He’s a great player. He went to Florida St. and was a high draft pick. He has an amazing first step. He’s somebody that we definitely have to watch a lot of film on and pay attention to because he can be a problem if you let him.”


(on the number of Steelers fans in Tampa) “They are second to none. I think that everybody knows that the Steelers travel amazingly well. The fan base is everywhere. I’ve never been somewhere in the United States without meeting somebody from Pittsburgh. It’s crazy. I think they take their Steeler Nation with them.”



LB JAMES FARRIOR

(on cutting down on his weight) “I don’t know if there was an exact strategy to do it, it just happened that way. In the offseason, I just slimmed down. I was trying to get as strong as I could.”


(on the money and events surrounding the Super Bowl) “We don’t really think about stuff like that. That’s out of our hands. We can’t control anything like that. It’s not going to help us win the game. Other than just the trivial things, we don’t really care about that.”


(on family nature of team versus business of football) “We all treat each other like family. We respect each other and care about each other. At the end of the day, it’s all about business. That always comes first.”


(on where the current linebacking corps fits in to history of Steelers’ defense) “I’m not sure about that. That is going to be left up to you guys. I feel like we have a good group and a bunch of good athletes and playmakers. We will let you guys decide all of that stuff.”


(on being the backbone of the defense) “We take a lot of pride in that. We all know of the great tradition that the linebackers have had here throughout the years. We just want to uphold our end of the bargain and be accountable. To have those guys looking down on us, it really makes you want to step your game up and play well. I hope we make those guys proud because we look up to all of the former linebackers and we appreciate the work that they put in. We hope that they think well of us.”


(on the chemistry among the linebackers) “I just think we work well. We have a great chemistry together. We all pretty much know what the other is going to be doing. I think we have a good mix of veteran guys: me and [Larry] Foote and James Harrison. And we have the young guys like [LaMarr] Woodley and [Laurence] Timmons. They’ve been coming along great all season. I think the mix of the young and the old is a pretty good combo.”


(on Mike Tomlin’s comments that “it all revolves around Farrior”) “It’s a good feeling to know that you run the ship out there. I take a lot of pride in that. I know that I have a lot of responsibility. At the end of the day, I have to get those guys lined up and get them to do what they do best.”


(on the Cardinals showing more offensive balance in the playoffs) “When you go into the playoffs, you have to have balance. You can’t be one-dimensional. Every team that got into the playoffs all tried to run the ball. If you have that good balance where you are able to run the ball and complement it with the play-action pass, you will be successful. I think that’s what they started doing in the playoffs.”


(on the Cardinals’ running style) “The jab and the counter, those are their two main plays. We have a lot of history with Russ Grimm and we know he likes the jab play. I’m sure he’s going to try that play. The counter will probably be their next play.”


(on if it’s different to play a Cardinals team that isn’t “smashmouth” like the Ravens) “I don’t think so. I think we are going to play the same way regardless of who the opponent is. We are going to try to make it as physical a game as possible.”


(on the Cardinals presenting a challenge) “It will definitely be a challenge for our defense. I don’t think the guys on our side of the ball would have it any other way. We want to be considered as one of the best groups that ever played the game. So why not go up against the best?”


(on the Steelers’ linebacker history affecting his decision to sign) “I didn’t really think about it too much. I was just looking for a job basically.”


(on the departure of Joey Porter) “It just changed the leadership roles a little bit. Joey was our vocal leader as well as our team leader. After he left we lost a lot of that, but I think everybody did a good job of picking it back up and holding everybody accountable.”


(on if he is the vocal leader) “A lot of guys might say that. I’m not really a vocal guy. I don’t really do a lot of talking. I just go out and play and try to lead by example.”


(on if he has studied the Steel Curtain) “I haven’t studied them. I just look at the stuff that comes on TV. I know they had great defenses. I’ve never really sat down and compared our teams.”



CB WILLIAM GAY

(on the Super Bowl experience) “I am blessed to have the opportunity. I am embracing it. Some guys can go 10 years and never get to experience this. At the same time, I know there is a job that has to be done. We’ll be ready to go.”


(on the average amount of plays he gets per game) “I don’t know. Basically, we rotate every few series, and we have about five per game. I filled in for Deshea Townsend at the nickel slot when he got hurt, which gave me more reps. I did the same when Bryant McFadden got hurt, too. When they came back, I went back to splitting time. It is what it is. I’m just glad to be out there helping out. Whether it’s on special teams or on defense, it’s just a blessing to be out there.”


(on his overall comfort level on the field) “Yes, I’m very comfortable. I go through practice every day checking players like Hines Ward, Nate Washington and Santonio Holmes. You are taking on those guys day in and day out, so when you get into the game you feel confident. You are ready, you know the game plan, so now all you have to do is go out there and make plays.”


(on if he will start on Sunday) “No, Bryant McFadden will start. I will split time just like it’s a regular week.”


(on facing the Arizona Cardinals receivers in the Super Bowl) “What more can you ask for? You want to face the best, and they are. We will be on the biggest stage in the world, the Super Bowl, playing against the best offense I’ve seen thus far. As a defense, that’s what you want.”


(on if the Steelers select players who play a specific physical style) “I think it goes with the team’s player personnel group. Anyone can be physical, but you have those certain types of guys who go out there and put their bodies on the line. I think they pick their players well, and we go out and bond as brothers. We put our bodies on the line for each other.”


(on the best hit he has seen all year by a Steeler) “The hit I’ve seen was linebacker James Farrior when we played the Giants. Their running back ran a sweep, and James ran to the sideline, hit the running back head on and stopped him in his tracks. Most linebackers would have waited for an angle, but James went head first.”


(on if the Steelers wear teams down with their physical style of play) “I really can’t say that because both teams are playing 60 minutes of football. It comes down to who wants it more. We don’t necessarily wear teams down, we just want it.”


(on his official welcoming moment into the NFL) “I would say it was the Hall of Fame Game my rookie season. I had a big hit, and the other players told me I was officially a Steeler now.”


(on his plans for after the season) “I’m going back home to Tallahassee, Florida, to relax. It has been a long season. I’m going to see my nieces and nephews. I haven’t seen them since I left for training camp. I’m going to go spend time with them.”


(on if the defense hits as hard in practice as they do in the game) “We are all fair game in practice, but we only do that to opponents.”


(on if people forget that Pittsburgh has the NFL’s top rated pass defense) “It doesn’t really matter because it’s all about what you do in the playoffs. So we put those numbers behind us, and we are here to prove ourselves again. We want to come out here and play at the highest level. We’re coming to the Super Bowl to showcase our talents again.”


(on his favorite Super Bowl memory growing up) “My favorite memory is watching Deion Sanders when he won Super Bowls with both the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers. He made big plays in both games.”


(on if Deion Sanders is one of his idols) “Yes, he is a Florida guy, so he is definitely someone I look up to.”


(on what he has learned from his veteran teammates) “I would say responsibility. Just being a grown man, making more money than I’ve ever seen before and being humble with it. From a football aspect I would say just growing to be a better football player.”



OLB JAMES HARRISON

(on what the best highlight of the season has been for him) “Right now, sitting here. But hopefully it will feel a little better when it’s all said and done.”


(on how he got to this point after being undrafted) “I considered giving up way back when I was into it. I got cut and was sitting around waiting. Pittsburgh gave me a call before training camp, and I got to where I am now.”


(on his personality on the field) “It’s not like I’m this raging madman that you all [reporters] seem to want to think I am. I’m calm, cool and collected, and I just do my job.”


(on his history) “It’s about who wants you. You don’t have the opportunity to decide where you’re going or anything like that. You just have to find a team that wants you.”


(on being the most valuable player on the defense) “I’m just trying to make the team. How are you going to be the most valuable player if you’re not on the team.”


(on the way the Steelers play defense and if they are bullies) “I don’t consider us bullies. We play the game the way it’s supposed to be played.”


(on the attributes of Pittsburgh’s defense) “It’s not anything special. It’s just 11 guys doing their job and helping out their partner. There isn’t some magical fairy dust we sprinkle on each other. We just play the game.”


(on if he thinks his history is an example for other players trying to make it) “They can use it as an example to inspire them, but if they do good, so be it. I’m not out here to try and inspire anybody. I’m trying to play the game to the best of my abilities.”


(on if this defense is trying to separate themselves of the units of the 70s) “I think each defense stands on its own. It was a different era back then. They used to run the ball a whole lot more than they do now. Now, they pass the ball a lot more. You can’t compare the defenses considering how far apart they were.”


(on how people compare the current defense to the Steel Curtain) “It’s flattering if they want to put us in that category.”


(on what he says to people that consider him to be undersized) “I may be undersized to them, depending on what height, size and weight you want a linebacker to be. It’s all about if you can play the position.”


(on what makes him succeed despite being undersized) “It’s a combination of everything - desire, heart, perseverance. And then, you have to be put in a scheme that fits your talents.”


(on if he has a chip on his shoulder) “I really don’t play with too much of a chip on my shoulder. It’s a very small one. I feel like I’ve done enough to knock that chip down to size.”


(on if he has to be a madman on Sundays) “No. What about Troy Polamalu. Do you think he’s a madman? That’s on the field. Off the field, it’s different.”


(on the Cardinals’ passing attack) “That’s why they get paid. They get paid just like we do. They make plays when the time comes.”


(on if he cares about his public persona) “I don’t. I could care less. As long as I’m comfortable with me, that’s all that matters. I was born by myself, and I’m going to die by myself.”


(on Mike Tomlin’s approach) “He’s turned into a little bit of a player’s coach. He’s taking care of us a lot more this year than he did last year. Last year, it was more his way and having full pads up to Week 15, 16 and maybe once or twice before the playoff game. He’s turned into a player’s coach.”


(on Tomlin’s demeanor on the sideline) “He’s not to far removed from the age group of guys that are still playing. He’s got the energy of guys that are playing in the league. He’s really enthusiastic about the game.”


(on if that makes it fun for him) “It makes it fun for me any time we win. I don’t care what you’re doing on the sideline.”


(on what brings a smile to his face) “My son.”


(on creating a Super Bowl legacy) “I don’t know if we have a legacy, but we have an opportunity to go out there and try and get our second Super Bowl.”


(on how important winning a sixth Super Bowl for the Steelers is) “No. 6 is just as important as No. 2 for me. It’s not any greater being the sixth for me. I just want to win it.”


(on if his son is going to play football) “He can play whatever he wants. I really don’t care. As long as it’s nothing that lets him hurt himself.”


(on if he’s pushing his son towards football) “I’m not pushing my son towards football at all. I want him to go to school and get an education in something he can do for the next 30-40 years so he doesn’t have to worry about the next play happening and blowing out his knee.”


(on if he pinches himself now that he’s at this level) “It’s never a thing where I think that I’ve finally made it or proved those people wrong. I want to continue to do what it is I’m doing and get better at it. You don’t have time to stop and look back. Once you stop and look back, somebody else passes you up.”


(on if he takes that mentality to the field) “I take it everywhere I go. I take it to offseason workouts. I take in everything I do.”


(on what the Cardinals’ offense brings) “They have several challenges. Their offensive line blocks well. They pass block well. They have two good running backs and three receivers over 1,000 yards.”



NT CHRIS HOKE

(on what the week has been like so far) “It felt nice this morning to get into meetings and start preparing for a game again. We started with the things we built last week. It’ll be nice to get back on the field because it feels like we have been off the field for a long time. We haven’t been on the field since Friday, so it’ll be nice to get on the field, run around and get loose.”


(on the streak the Cardinals are on) “That’s what we’ve been doing throughout the playoffs for the last month. At the end of the regular season, people were counting those guys out. They really turned it on, got hot the last month just like we did in 2005. We got hot in the last eight games, the four in the regular season and then in the playoffs. That’s all it takes, just to get hot and start playing good football, playing with confidence.”


(on the Arizona offense) “I would say they’re one of the best we’ve faced all year. They’re playing really well, especially right now with them being so hot. We’ve played against some pretty good offenses, but the thing about the Cardinals is that they’re running the ball really well right now. People are discounting that because they’ve seen the big plays by (Larry) Fitzgerald and (Anquan) Boldin in the playoffs and with Kurt Warner throwing the ball so well. If you look at their stats, they’re running the ball five more times than they passed it in the playoffs. They’re very balanced right now. We need to go out there and make sure we shut down their run and get after them with the Dick LeBeau blitz package.”


(on the familiarity with the players and coaches on the other side) “We share a special bond with those guys because we won Super Bowl XL with them. Coach Whisenhunt, Russ Grimm, Kevin Spencer, you go down the list and I think there are five or six coaches over there that I was with for a long time. And then Sean Morey, Jerheme Tuman, Clark Haggans, there are a lot of guys over there that we share a special bond from Super Bowl XL. It will be kind of odd to see them over there.”


(on if that familiarity can be used as an advantage) “I think the big thing is they know the personnel. Coach Whisenhunt has gone against our defense. They know certain guys and how they like to block, how they like to do things, how Hines (Ward) or Santonio (Holmes) do certain things and ways to take away their strengths. It might be an advantage they have but once you get on the football field, everyone has to go out there and do their job, get the ball in the end zone and score points on the other team. That’s what it comes down to.”


(on if he talked to any of his former coaches or teammates this week) “I just sent messages back and forth and I saw Clark Haggans the other night. It’s good to see those guys that you’ve spent a lot of time with. I was with Clark for seven years and was with the rest of the guys for six years. It’s a special time to be here and it’s really special to be here with those guys.”


(on being in the Super Bowl for the second time in four years) “It’s great to be down here and be part of this whole situation. It’s nice to come back where its warm and do it again. It’s one of these things where you dream about it your whole life, playing in the Super Bowl; playing in two is unreal.”


(on any differences between the last Super Bowl) “No, it’s pretty much the same. You have the media day. You have your time off the first two days. We came back in this morning and it’s time to get back to work. It’s time to start going and preparing and building on the things we put in last week in Pittsburgh and getting ready to play this game on Sunday. At the end of the day, after all this media and all this hoopla that’s going on in Tampa, you’ve got to play a football game on Sunday.”


(on slowing down the Arizona passing attack) “They’re throwing the ball all over the field, but what people don’t understand is that these guys are now running the football more in the playoffs than they’re passing the ball. We need to go out there and stop the run and then get after them with the blitz package and make sure Kurt Warner is uneasy in the pocket.”


(on enjoying the week leading up to the game) “You come down here and you want to enjoy it, but the whole goal is to go out and win the game on Sunday. If you come down here and lose, people don’t remember you were in the Super Bowl. Around the country, nobody remembers who came and lost. They only remember who came and won this game and that’s our objective, to come down here and win.”



WR SANTONIO HOLMES

(on if he’s thought about making the catch that makes him the star of the Super Bowl) “I’ve thought about it a couple times, just being that guy, always being prepared and ready to make that big play. I think it starts at the beginning of the game. How hard we come out and hit those guys in the mouth, establish who we are at the beginning of the game and that would determine whether we make that big play late in the game or early enough to spark the team.”


(on if he’s thought about making a big play in the Super Bowl even more this year) “Probably not, I’ll just continue to do the same things that I’ve been doing the whole season and thus far in the playoffs. Just making the plays for this team is really all that you need. It jumpstarts the team. It gets everybody motivated and ready to play ball. If I can be that guy who jumpstarts the team, I’ll continue to do the same things that I’ve been doing all season.”


(on what it means to play Arizona WR Anquan Boldin in the Super Bowl) “It means a lot. It brings back a lot of memories from back home. Two guys who grew up in two small towns, played rival football all our lives growing up and to get the opportunity to play on the biggest stage against each other - it shows that we have character. We came from a small town and no matter what, we’re still going to think about the people back home and we’re really doing it for our city.”


(on if he would the like the offense to carry the load for this game rather than the defense) “No, they’ve done it thus far and they’re going to continue to keep doing it. All we have to do is put up enough points, more than the other team and the defense is going to take care of the rest. They enjoy being in that spotlight. They enjoy having to carry the load on their backs - that’s what they play for. They play to try to shut out every team that they can. They don’t care how many points we score as long we score one more point than the other team.”


(on if he thinks they’re going to have to score more points than usual to win) “It’s the Super Bowl. They have a very explosive offense. They’ve been putting up points thus far in the playoffs and our defense has been holding teams without points in the playoffs, so that’s definitely going to be a challenge for both offense and defense.”


(on what he does to stay calm) “Probably put on a little music before the game, something keeping me calm thus far throughout the season (and) playoffs. I think about my family, my kids, how relaxing my kids make me. Before games I definitely have to talk to my mom. She would probably get mad at me if I didn’t talk to her before the game, so that’s probably one of the things that really calms me down. Just talking to my family and listening to music.”


(on what WR Hines Ward brings to team) “He’s our heart and soul of this football team. Whatever he has to do for this team if he’s on the field or off the field - he’s always been the motivator in all of our hearts. In our eyes, we see Hines as the captain. The nickname that we gave him that he accepts, poppa smurf, is the guy who has the wisdom (and) the knowledge, he controls everything, he controls everything. He slows it down for us and we listen and go as he goes.”


(on who determines who goes in for punt returns) “I’m the starting punt returner and if there’s at any point that I don’t want to go in, I let them know. I prefer to help the offense more than the special teams at this point in time. It’s just a communication factor that we have amongst ourselves and they understand that there’s more for me to do on offense in that particular drive that they understand that I don’t want to take the punt return right now, let Mewelde (Moore) do it, so that I can get fresh for the next series of offense.”


(on what doing things the ‘Steeler way’ means) “Smash-mouth football. That’s offense, defense and special teams. If you refer back to the AFC championship game you will see that guys were flying all over the field, offensively, defensivly and special teams. Knocking guys out of the game. Nothing to brag about, but it’s something that we have taken a saying that this is Steeler football. This is what we do. We smash guys, smash the run on defense. Smash guys and open up the run on offense and on special teams if you have the ball in your hand, we’re coming out to smash you guys too.”


(on if the ‘Steeler way’ motto is new) “That’s always been the Steeler motto, but that’s something that we’ve accepted and we learned that this is the way to play football, this is the way that we as a team can work together if we play smash-mouth football.”


(on if it takes awhile to establish yourself as a receiver on this team with WR Hines Ward and find a niche) “I think it’s more so an opportunity that we get. We know that he’s our offense. He’s the guy who sparks those third downs, short yardage, whatever it may be, he’s the guy to go to. I just had to find my way around, saying that coach wants to use me on the deep balls, I have to open up plays for Hines, work around him and that was something that I accepted coming in. This has been his team for 11 years, so that was something I accepted. He’s helped me mature to a player who understands that the game of football is not about you making all the plays, you have to help out everybody else.”


(on if the warm playing conditions opens up the possibilities for him) “It opens up a lot of possibilities for the whole team. We know that once we get the opportunity to play in beautiful weather, coming from where we came from, we should definitely take full advantage of it. The guys are definitely going to be flying all around the field. We can definitely reflect back to the Jacksonville game. It was our first game in awhile that we played on the road in a very humid and hot climate and we went down and took care of the job. We did what we were supposed to do. I know being on this big stage and having all these guys who have been there before, I know they’re going to step up to the challenge and be ready being in this hot weather and knowing that it is going to be very difficult for us because we don’t practice enough to get acclimated to it.”


(on what the process is like to learn how to handle QB Ben Roethlisberger’s style of play) “It’s the chemistry that you build throughout the offseason, (and) throughout the practices. After you have practice the time that you spend together talking, communicating all those things play a big factor in how well a receiver and the quarterback work together. Those are some of the things that can’t be taught. Being a football player and being an athlete - that’s when it all comes to into play at one point.”


(on what he has learned that allows him to make the big plays) “It’s trusting the quarterback. He wants to trust the receiver knowing that he’s going to be in the right place at the right time. That comes over time. You have to build that over the years - it doesn’t just happen. If it happens right off the bat when you first step onto the field that chemistry starts building right there. Over a period of time (with) a quarterback that has won a Super Bowl, bringing in new guys he has to start trusting those guys and that trust will lead to having big plays.”


(on if he gets more satisfaction from big plays that aren’t necessarily from the books) “No, I prefer the plays that we call to be ran to perfection that shows that the chemistry we have as a team, as a quarterback and a receiver. Knowing that he can call this play and draw it up the way it’s drawn up and it’ll work to perfection.”


(on if he thinks it’s smart to call a lot of plays down the field given the Cardinals offense or if it’s better to run the ball and get time of possession on their side) “It’s the Super Bowl. We definitely have to play Steeler football. If that consists of running the ball all game - that’s what we’re going to do. But when the shots are there for us to take, we definitely have to be ready to make those plays. If we have to throw the ball down the field 60 times throughout the game, I’m pretty sure coach won’t shy away and us as receivers we’re going to step up to the plate and accept the challenge.”