Pittsburgh Steelers -2- Miercoles 28/1/09

Super Bowl XLIII – Wednesday, January 28, 2009

QUOTES FROM PITTSBURGH STEELERS PRESS CONFERENCE


G CHRIS KEMOEATU

(on starting all 16 games this season for the first time in his career) “It was tough in the beginning of the season, stepping in there and working with the guys. It was hard as far as communicating at first, but the rest of the line made it fun to learn. But now it’s at the end of the season and we’re treating this game as any other game. It’s not as hard now as it was in the beginning.”


(on how it feels to be representing Hawaii in the Super Bowl) “I’m excited about the opportunity to come out here and represent for that little rock down there in the South Pacific. Coming from a small, country town in Kahuku where I was raised and played football, I’m just excited to come out here and represent for everybody back at home.”


(on if there’s any other Hawaiian players playing in this Super Bowl) “Aaron Francisco, who’s with the Cardinals, is also from Hawaii and I went to high school with him and played football with him there. Coming out of high school, he came on a recruiting trip with me to Utah and I though he was going to go there, but he ended up signing with BYU.”


(on how it’s been to play under the direction of Mike Tomlin) “As you know, Mike Tomlin is a great coach. He’s been in the organization for two years and already everything is accomplished. He takes us to the playoffs last year and then obviously, this year we’re in the Super Bowl. As a younger coach, I think it helps us a lot. He’s young, but he’s still demanding and knows when to take care of his players and when to be hard on his players and that’s a good thing about him.”


(on if there is any disadvantage of having a younger head coach) “I don’t think there’s any disadvantage. He brings so much to the table as a great coach, and he’s also a great speaker. The way he talks is very inspirational and inspires us. We’re excited that he’s here. As long as he keeps taking us to playoffs and the Super Bowl, we’re glad to play for him.”


(on if he ever thought about being a Sumo wrestler) “I thought about it. I came from a high school where in 1998 or 1999 we had Sumo as one of our sports. We had a team that came up to Japan in 1999. I’m a big Akebono (Taro) fan, and he’s actually a friend of my family.”


(on if some teammates at his high school played football and did Sumo wrestling) “Yes. I chose football instead of Sumo because when my family first moved to the United States, a lot of kids in the community were playing football and that was the cool thing to do. So as we got older, I saw it as an opportunity to use it to get a scholarship to go to school. I have two older brothers that got scholarships from football, so I just followed their footsteps. We all three went to college on scholarships.”


(on what the difference is to him in winning or losing the Super Bowl) “When you win it, that’s the only team that gets remembered. When you lose, nobody remembers the team that loses. The winner gets the ring, so as a kid, that’s what you dreamed of, getting one of those Super Bowl rings. If you win the Super Bowl, your dream came true. If not, you have to start all over again trying to make it into the Super Bowl again because you don’t feel like you’ve accomplished your dream.”


(on if he’ll be nervous going into this game) “Yes. You’re nervous going into every game, and then you get the first hit out of the way, then you lose the nervousness and it’s regular football from there. You’re not nervous to play the game, but it’s more about not wanting to mess up something yourself.”


(on playing against Arizona’s defensive line) “They’ve got some real big guys up there. They’re some big boys that are mobile and move well. Their linebackers are great running downhill and moving side-to-side as well. They always have their safety walk up which can be confusing at times, but we’re going to be prepared for that and identify those things, stick to it and play ball.”


(on if the Cardinals defense reminds him of any other defense the Steelers have faced this season) “It’s a copycat league, so not necessarily. We did give up a lot of plays this year, in terms of sacks and some mental mistakes here and there, and teams will try to take what they saw and try to use it against us. So I think it’s things like that where we might see something similar if they feel like it’s to their advantage.”


(on if he feels that the offensive line thrives on the criticism that they’ve received this season) “We have a lot of new guys on the line. A lot of people try to critique us and try to tell us how to do this and that, but we’re always up for the challenge. All we can keep doing is get better, keep moving forward and keep working together as an offensive line. When you’re an offensive lineman, all you have is what’s in front of you and what’s next to you, so we have to be able to take all the criticism. But we don’t let all that bother us and we keep working together as a unit.”



DEFENSIVE END TRAVIS KIRSCHKE

(on his religious beliefs and being a role model) “Back when I became a Christian my roommate in college was the one who led me to Christ. That’s where it all began. It’s also people like my wife who is right there along side me walking this road together. I think it is important to have a mate that will do that with you. Sometimes the road brings you to crazy places. If you focus on Jesus he will always get you right back on the straight road.”


(on young players coming into the league and what he wished he knew then that he knows now) “I had pretty much everything told to me that I needed to hear. I was really lucky to play with a guy named Luther Ellis in Detroit. I really gravitated towards him. He had been in the league for a couple of years at that point and he helped me get started in this league. It was a true blessing to have him in my life.”


(on what he took away from Luther Ellis and has since put into practice) “It was just watching him. I like to follow people with example. Luther was a guy who put everything he had into whatever he did. I respect that in people and that is probably one thing that I took and have put into practice.”


(on a personal experience that has made him stronger) It might have been my first years in Detroit. Not knowing what was going to happen and where your career was going to go. Then leaving there and going to start my career over in San Francisco where I was able to start out there for a year. After that year it lead me to Pittsburgh and it’s been a great experience here ever since. I work with a great group of guys – the defensive linemen. It’s such a great group. We really respect one another. I have a blast going to work and all of the rest of the players on the team. I am truly blessed to be a part of this team.”


(on parallels that he learned in football that help him in his marriage and comparing his marriage of 10 years to football) “Being married is more difficult. You can leave this game but you can’t leave your family. I think there are a lot of rewards with working through tough times. If you put Christ at the center of your marriage you will realize that you are doing it for him and not necessarily for your mates. The effort that we put into this game is the same type of effort that you have to put in in other aspects of your life. With that same energy I think you would be successful along with your walk with Christ.”


(on if being at the Super Bowl has sunk in) “At times it has sunk in that I’m here at the Super Bowl, but other times I don’t think it has. It might not sink in totally until we are running out of the tunnel on Sunday. Everything is just so exciting.”


(on comparing his first Super Bowl experience to his second) “The first Super Bowl, I didn’t know what to expect and what it was going to be like. This one I know a little more of what to expect and I feel like I’m able to enjoy it more. I didn’t think I would be here twice. I didn’t even think I would be here once but once I got to one I definitely didn’t think I would be here twice. To have this opportunity it is pretty surreal.”


(on the camaraderie of the team) “We are a really close team. We have a lot of fun with each other on and off the field. In the locker room we’re playing games all the time. We are a very lighthearted team and that makes it fun.”


(on Head Coach Mike Tomlin) “He’s great. He’s done a nice job with our team especially from his first year to his second. He has done a really great job of managing. I believe he’s learned a lot from his first year that’s helped him this year. He’s a young coach, only a few years older than I am, but he’s a great leader.”



QB BYRON LEFTWICH

(on how this year was for him at Pittsburgh) “It’s been great for me as a person and it’s been great for me as a player. Football is a humbling sport and having the opportunity to not be the guy (starting QB) is a real humbling thing. As a player anytime you get to practice with and against the Hines Wards and the Troy Polamalus, these are guys that are future Hall of Famers, and to have the opportunity to be around this kind of organization is special. There is a reason they have so many championships in Pittsburgh and I am just happy to have the opportunity to be a part of that.”


(on his future in the NFL) “The only thing on my mind is Sunday and what I have to do to prepare and help this team win on Sunday. I think it would have been tough if I had gone all 16 games without having the chance to play, but I played in four or five games and some of them were important football games that we had to win. To have that experience, that kept me on my toes. It kept me preparing the way that I always prepare, making sure to always stay on my toes and make sure I stay ready.”


(on how much he is enjoying himself even though he is not the starting QB) “I am enjoying myself a whole lot. If I was the starter of this team I wouldn’t be any happier than I am right now. What people don’t realize is that you don’t have to be the main guy to enjoy this and to really appreciate being in the Super Bowl. It is the same happiness and same joyful feeling no matter who you are on this football team because it takes 53 people to make it this far. It takes a team to make it this far. Our team – it doesn’t matter if it is Ben (Roethlisberger) or Doug Legursky - everybody is happy. This Super Bowl experience that I’m going through, I’m going to take it all in and enjoy myself.”


(on being prepared for Sunday’s game even though he is not starting) “Anybody on this team that is part of the 47 can be Super Bowl MVP. Just think about it. Anybody can be that, so you never know. You are always one play away. It is no different than what is was for the rest of the games, but you do understand that it’s the Super Bowl and I think that helps you prepare a little more. I will be ready if my number is called.”


(on veteran QB Charlie Batch being so involved and committed to the team) “It’s the Steelers and it’s a joy to go to work everyday. People don’t realize what a joy it is to go into that facility everyday. When you are not in there you don’t have as much fun as you do when you are there. Charlie is a guy that is always trying to help out and do what he can all year long to help us win. If Charlie was the starting QB of this team, the joy that he has right now wouldn’t be any different than what he has right now. There is something about this organization and the way they run things that allows you to have fun, but your main goal is winning football games. I think that starts with Mike Tomlin.”


(on mentoring rookie QB Dennis Dixon) “I see so much of myself in him as a young guy. He tries to learn everything he can. I tell him to take this all in and tell him this is your rookie year, you’re in the Super Bowl and it doesn’t usually happen like this. I tell him that he might not always be on this good of a football team. I try to tell him things that he just doesn’t know about. Being a rookie six years ago, I can help and explain the dos and don’ts of playing quarterback in this league. He has been trying to take it all in. From the time I got here until now he has already gotten better than what he was. That is just from him being around, taking in what he can and learning from it. I’m happy for him.”


(on Ben Roethlisberger extending plays) “He’s the best I’ve ever seen. I’ve been watching football since I was a kid. He’s the best at extending the play that my eyes have ever seen. Nobody is even close at extending plays the way Ben extends plays. You see it every week, the plays he makes by extending plays. I’ve never seen anyone do that. I know the plays that are called and I see what he does. The way he extends plays to get the ball to Heath (Miller) and Hines (Ward).”


(on his confidence before and during the season) “I never lost confidence in myself. I just think for the first time in a long time I’m healthy and I’m able to show people who doubted me because I was injured that I can still play this game.”


(on Head Coach Mike Tomlin) “He always challenges us. He challenges me in practice. He gets the best out of this football club.


(on the toll football takes on your body over time) “It takes a toll on you but I didn’t realize that until this year. I realize how good I feel right now. I know I’ve never felt like this. I’ve never felt as good as I felt now and that’s probably because I’m not playing so I know how he feels about going through all the bumps and bruises, the injuries take a toll on you. It takes a toll on everybody. No one is sitting here feeling great that has played in that many games. I think he understands that it’s part of the game and all he tries to do is be as healthy as he can when he goes out there and plays football.”


(on his future after the Super Bowl) “I’m not even thinking that far. I am just hopeful for Sunday. I’d be a foul to think about anything other than the Super Bowl. You worked your whole life to get here and now that you are here you don’t want to think about anything else.”


(on measuring the quality of a quarterback) “As quarterbacks we measure, ‘can a guy get it done?’ Everybody does it different. You have Kurt Warner and Ben (Roethlisberger) who are both in the Super Bowl. They both do their jobs very good but they both do them differently. As quarterbacks you respect that. Outside of the quarterback world everybody wants somebody to do something a certain way and if you don’t do it a certain way then he can’t be one of the best in the game. Kurt Warner was with the Giants and they said he couldn’t play anymore. He went to the Arizona Cardinals and got a good football team around him and we’re wondering a month ago if he was going to be the NFL MVP. Now there is Hall of Fame talks. As quarterbacks we would always talk about how good Kurt Warner was. You don’t judge the way everyone else judges because you are a quarterback and you respect when a guy is getting the job done. No one has to play the way I play for me to think they are a good football player. I know Ben (Roethlisberger) is a good football player. He and I don’t play the same kind of football game, but I believe we both get the job done. As a quarterback you respect people who go out and get the job done.”


(on his feeling about being with Pittsburgh at the Super Bowl) “It feels great. To be in the Super Bowl is just a great thing for me. It’s good not to have any surgery or go through any rehab. I can work on getting better as a player as opposed to always rehabbing. To have that opportunity I think it’s made me a better football player.”


(on what makes Ben Roethlisberger such a great QB) “The way he goes out there and makes plays when they need to be made. He makes the plays that have to be made to win a football game. He makes those plays. Sometimes people say that he might now have great numbers, but he makes the plays that he needs to win the football game and as a quarterback you respect that. We were 12-4 because of the way Ben’s played and the plays he’s made throughout the year to help us win those football games.”



RB WILLIE PARKER

(on if the team will do anything differently this week) “We treat every game the same. We try to meet up with the offensive line one time out of the week just to see that we’re on the same page and we’re going to keep doing that. We’re going to do that this week too.”


(on what is different in the running game from the 2005 Super Bowl team) “In the ‘05 season, me and Jerome (Bettis) were just sharing time so it was a big difference. Now, I don’t have that extra coach by my side. It’s just me. I’m out there reading defenses, I come to the sideline to ask (running backs) coach (Kirby Wilson) what he saw and I’ll tie in what I was thinking I saw and how the play developed. There’s no Jerome. He helped me out in ‘05, all season long and he matured me as a running back and now it’s all about me.”


(on if he needs to be sharper without having Jerome Bettis) “You have to be sharper about everything. You have to study more. You can’t take things for granted, so to speak. So I just study, be into my game plan, read the book and go over things almost every night before the game.”


(on if he was frustrated with the injuries that he sustained this season and on how he feels going into Sunday) “Injuries can frustrate anyone. I definitely battled it for my first time this season and it made me stronger. It made me better, actually. I worked harder to get back and get to where I’m at right now. I’m definitely ready and we’ve been on the run lately running the ball. Now it’s time for one last game to lay it all on the line.”


(on if the running game will be effective or shut down like it did against the Ravens) “The Ravens are the Ravens. The Ravens first and foremost, part of their game plan is to stop our run. They really don’t care about the passing game or anything else. They feel if we attack them with the run, we have a better chance of winning the ball game, so that’s what they do each and every game and they do a great job at doing it. You can’t tie other teams in with the Cardinals. This is a game that we have to game plan for. It’s different that any other defense. They have a great defense but it’s different from any other defense.”


(on the offensive line’s development despite the injuries they sustained) “We definitely stayed together. No matter what other people say about the offensive line, we are always going to be us. We are one, one heartbeat. We stayed watching film, we stay on the same page and that’s how it’s going to be until this is over with on Sunday when zero hits the clock. We’re all in this together and we’re going to overcome everything, adversity and power.”


(on being a part of the Steelers history and tradition) “It means everything. It means a lot and just to be a part of this history and becoming history. That means a lot.”


(on his emotions going into the Super Bowl) “Emotions are going to run high. I’m pretty sure they are. Generally, they are going to start rushing, the game jitters are going to start coming, but you can’t let that play any part in how you prepare and how you usually prepare for a game. You have to get a good night’s rest, get a good meal and do whatever you have to do to get ready for the game.”


(on if success with the running game in this Super Bowl will be more satisfying than in 2005 given his featured role) “Whatever happens, happens. If we have a great rushing attack, so be it, but we are going to go out there and play our game and try to do the things we have to, to win.”


(on if he will be nervous) “I say game jitters. Everybody has game jitters. It’s not about being nervous. We’ve already been here before so we already know what to expect. My first year playing in the Super Bowl, I was kind of nervous, but this year I don’t think I’ll be nervous.”


(on how Super Bowl XL changed his life) “After you break a record, coming from where I came from, it changes a lot of stuff. People started to notice me a little more. People want to be a part of me, they just wanted to be a part of my life. It changed me a lot.”


(on if Super Bowl XL gave him more confidence) “You can look at that either way, but I had a great deal of confidence before that. I definitely love the stage. This is the highest stage you could possibly be, playing this sport.”


(on needing a lot of confidence coming in as an undrafted free agent) “Most definitely you have to come in with a great deal of confidence. Being undrafted, you have to believe that you will make the team no matter what. I gave my all so I knew that if I would have gotten cut, I put it all on the line.”


(on where his confidence comes from) “I really don’t know. I think I just kind of instilled it over the years working out and just playing.”


(on if the offense feels like it is their turn to be the dominant side of the football) “We feel like that every game. Our defense gets us out of struggles when we struggle. They get us out of a lot of stuff. Hopefully, it’s our turn just to step it up and compliment them.”


(on how important it is to sustain drives and keep Arizona’s offense off the field) “You can’t really look at it that way. We just have to come out and do what we have to do. Whether it’s a ten-play drive or a four-play drive, we just have to score points. Every time we get in the red zone we have to get three or we have to get seven. Hopefully we get seven, but we just have to score points.”


(on why he thinks he didn’t get drafted) “I didn’t play in college. If you don’t play in college, you’re not going to get drafted. I don’t care how good you are. I felt that I was a great player but I didn’t play in college, so there you go.”


(on if he thinks his team will need to score some points to win because of Arizona’s offensive potential) “Every game we say that we have to score some points. It’s not about their offense. It’s not about them, it’s about us. That’s how we go into every game looking at it. It’s about us and we can only beat ourselves. We just have to go score some points and hope that we win.”


(on if he thinks Hines Ward will be ready to go on Sunday) “Hines is going to take care of himself. If he’s feeling great, he’s going to do what’s best to help this team out. We are just going to play regardless. The game is Sunday and hopefully he is with us but if not, we still have to go play this ball game.”


(on if he can identify with Kurt Warner) “He’s definitely done a great deal: two Super Bowl MVPs, an MVP. That’s tremendous. That’s phenomenal. He came a long ways just as I came a long ways. He just did it a little more.”


(on the importance of running the ball and its effect on the defense) “When any team runs the ball and runs it well, they’ll take a lot out of the defense. We are the Pittsburgh Steelers; we run the ball. That’s just what we do. We will get time of possession and it will be on our side. It just works for the best.”


(on trying to have both the longest and second longest runs in Super Bowl history) “I’m not worried about the longest run in the Super Bowl history. It’s something that happened a couple of years back. Now it’s time to move on to hopefully bigger and better things.”


(on if this Super Bowl victory would be sweeter) “It’s definitely sweeter. Last time, I kind of shared time with Jerome (Bettis). I’m all by myself now so it’s definitely sweeter for me.”



SS TROY POLAMALU

(on what impresses him about the Cardinals offense) “They make big plays. Anytime you can make big plays in games, it really limits what the defense can do and it doesn’t really matter what kind of pass rush you get. When you take a three-step drop or a five-step drop and just throw the ball in the air and you’ve got guys that are making plays down the field, it really limits what the opposing offense can do.”


(on why this is the best defense that he’s played on and what’s improved from years past) “This year we have a lot more pressure on us, we were in a lot more closer ballgames and we had a tougher schedule. We made more big plays this year than we have in the past as well.”


(on the mentality of the secondary) “I don’t know. As a whole, we’ve always been a defense that wanted to smother an offense. We’ve never been a defense that’s been a give-and-take and play tough in the red zone. We’ve always had the mentality of just trying to smother an offense, but I don’t really know as a secondary.”


(on if he, Ed Reed and Adrian Wilson have changed the safety position) “I think it could be the way that the offenses have evolved. The passing game is a lot bigger than it was in the past, even five or six years ago. With that, you have to have a safety that is more balanced; a safety that can play run and pass equally well. It also depends on the system. There is Adrian Wilson who is a true box safety where Ed Reed is a true deep safety. You have people that are bigger and faster.”


(on if there are any moments in his career that stand out more than others and if he would change anything) “I’m sure there are a lot that I would like to change, but to be at this point in my career, to learn not only from the good things, but the mistakes, I wouldn’t want to take that away at all. Obviously, the winning, the rings, the honors are important things that people on the outside look at. I think the most important thing from a player’s point of view is the camaraderie that we have in the locker room and the closeness and the joking. Things like that are most important to us and when you win you are able to enjoy that more.”


(on what defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau has meant to him and the possibility of him leaving) “I could barely even walk before he came here. He has everything to do with success with everybody on this team. He does a great job of putting the right guys in the right situations to be successful. I wouldn’t give any credence to that rumor. I think we would be the first people to know about it and he wouldn’t surprise us at the end of the season like that.”


(on how LeBeau’s scheme changes week to week and by team) “We put our whole playbook in, in the offseason and whatever is fitting for an offense, we run. We just know it so well because we’ve been running the same thing for 13 years. With that, it doesn’t really change too much. We use the same formula that we’ve used to be successful.”


(on if teams can win right now without a good safety) “I don’t know. What is their record without a good one?”


(on the final four teams having all-pro safeties) “They all had good players at other positions, too; good linebackers, good everything. The big thing about our defense, it’s not about the safety position, but about all 11 guys. That is cliché for a lot of defenses, but for our defense it’s really amazing when you understand and study the tape that we do and you understand the roles of everybody.”


(on if Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald is the most explosive player in the league) “Right now he is, yeah. He’s making big plays at critical moments in critical games so without a doubt, definitely.”


(on if he is able to enjoy the good plays he’s made as much as he is critical of his mistakes) “At the end of the season, you’re probably able to look back on the season, but you kind of remember what happens last. Last year there were probably a lot of good plays during the season and all we could remember was Jacksonville, the game we got beaten by Jacksonville. This year will probably be the same way.”


(on how different Arizona is from any other team they played this year) “There are offenses like Indianapolis that you kind of know what they are going to run. Peyton Manning is such a good quarterback, he’s such a precise quarterback and they do just a little bit off of that to keep going. With an offense like Arizona, everything is off of that, everything is misdirection. That’s the difference between them and other offenses.”


(on if the familiarity between the two coaching staffs and players matters) “I don’t think so. We’ve been running this defense for 13 years. We’ve had coordinators that came out of this defense and be head coaches other places. We’ve had position coaches be head coaches at other places. We’ve had offensive coaches that played with the defense for all 13 years we’ve been running this defense. We’ve been successful with that formula. It can be familiar with schemes, but you still have to win matchups.”


(on if they will assume Cardinals WR Anquan Boldin is going to be 100 percent) “Without a doubt. We have tremendous respect for him, especially from the injury that he bounced back from this year. He won’t be limited at all.”


(on the most important thing to limiting big plays) “I think the big thing is people are in position to make plays. It’s just Larry Fitzgerald is better than everybody else. He’s able to out-jump people, he’s able to catch the ball even when he’s not outjumping people. He also has a quarterback who’s putting the ball in precision spots. Limiting them is tough. The best pass defense is a good pass rush which we believe in as a defense. It definitely starts with our front seven, our front four, whoever is rushing the quarterback. With that, as long as you understand they are going to make plays, you’re just not giving up cheap plays, mental errors, you give yourself a chance to win.”


(on the Steelers going for a record sixth Super Bowl titles) “Legacies are something you kind of worry about after the season. Right now, which we’ve done a good job of all year, is focusing on the game at hand and not the circumstances of the AFC Championship game or coming off of a bye. We’re just focusing on the Arizona Cardinals and not necessarily about the Super Bowl.”


(on if he’s comfortable with being called soft-spoken) “I think there is a part of everybody that kind of likes this part of the process, but it’s kind of two-fold. You can’t live a sheltered life and live the life of a celebrity. It’s just bittersweet.”


(on people being surprised about his game because he’s soft-spoken) “I get that question a lot and I give the same answer. To me, it’s about how you live your life. I try not to be a player that is talking a lot of trash to guys or is a real rah-rah guy that pumps up the defense. In my personal life, it’s my wife, it’s my son, and I try to be very passionate with how I deal with them. I am very passionate with my wife and with my family and to me, football is no different. I play football with a passion. If it was ballet, I would do the same thing. Football is a contact sport. I would try to play baseball and basketball the same way with the same passion. I would try to do Ultimate Fighting and (Mixed Martial Arts) MMA the same way. The brutality of the sport is not what drives, it’s the passion that drives what your motivation is.”


(on if he is an MMA fan and who he likes) “Yeah. Fedor Emelianenko, he’s the best. The best thing is he is an orthodox Christian, that what I love most about him, but the humility that he carries himself with, with his talent is amazing.”


(on if there is a mindset that if they can get a big hit on Fitzgerald that they can go a long way) “We try to carry the mentality of a physical brand of football. We also know that they do as well because of Coach (Ken Whisenhunt) and Coach (Russ) Grimm know what the philosophy of Pittsburgh Steeler football is. Yeah, we would like it to be a physical game and we expect it to be physical because our mentalities are the keys to our success.”


(on if any of his baseball skills come into play in football) “In college, I really felt like I lost a lot of athleticism because I was focusing on one sport. It’s nice to play basketball and these type of things in the offseason. You still have to train your muscles, but baseball has a lot to do with hand-eye coordination and judging. I was a centerfielder so judging balls, those sort of things I take with me.”



K JEFF REED

(on whether he wants to kick the game-winning field goal) “There is not a chip on my shoulder. I am really humble. Every kick is different. No matter where you’re playing, no matter what stadium, no matter what the temperature is or the condition. I do, one day, want to be the guy – not necessarily a household name, but when (Adam) Vinatieri walks on the field, they already know he’s going to make it. I know he’s going to make it. I’m one of those fraternity guys in the NFL. I want to be someone that when I walk on the field, they know I’m going to make it. I don’t have a chip on my shoulder. I wouldn’t ask to be a part another franchise because I enjoy every minute in Pittsburgh.”


(on dyeing his hair blond) “No one gave us a chance at the beginning of the season to make the playoffs. I said halfway through (the season), based on the way we were playing that if we make the playoffs I would dye my hair blond. The guys there said that I definitely wouldn’t. We made the playoffs Week 13 so I decided that after we played Cleveland at the end of the season, I would dye my hair.”


(on whether he thinks it’s weird for his teammates to carry around camcorders) “Not at all. You have to live it up. There are two teams left playing in the NFL on Sunday and we’re one of them. You don’t get to experience this very often. Luckily, for myself, this is my second one. A lot of guys go 15 years in this league and don’t go to one. It’s not weird at all. I think it’s funny. You do all of these interviews and you turn around and you’re getting interviewed from one of your own teammates. That’s what makes it fun. This week is fun. It’s business and there is definitely a game to be played, but you have to have fun.”


(on what he thinks about Sunday’s game) “It’s another football game. Obviously there is a lot of stuff on the line. You either go home with a trophy or you go home and everyone forgets who played in the Super Bowl against Arizona. It’s a situation that once the game starts, all the hoopla is done. Once the game starts, it’s a football game. The only thing different is that you have a little more time in the locker room than normal because of the events going on on the field. Other than that, it is a football game. Nothing changes. The clock is still 60 minutes. It’s just getting to that opening kickoff.”


(on whether it will be difficult to kick in Raymond James Stadium) “No. It won’t be any more difficult than it is in Pittsburgh. I received a text from my friends and family in Pittsburgh. It’s 10 degrees with seven inches of snow. I wouldn’t trade this for anything even if it is extremely windy. I don’t plan on it being since it’s a night game. When everyone asks how Tampa is I just say, ‘paradise.’


(on whether he has played in Tampa before) “I played here one time about four years ago. It can have its days. When it’s hurricane season here, it’s windy. It rains. It just depends on the weather anywhere you play. Even when you’re in a dome you have ideal conditions, but you still have to make the kicks. It’s just nice being 1-of-32 people doing this job for a living.”


(on whether he expects to see “Terrible Towels” in the crowd) “It will be a home game for us, not that Arizona doesn’t travel well because I don’t know. Expect for Baltimore, I think every other stadium has had a ton of Steelers fans because they travel with us everywhere we go.”


(on how he characterizes himself as a kicker) “You can’t be an individualist because if you are, you make yourself an outcast on the team. There are a lot of guys that I know that are in the NFL, I don’t know if they are outcasts, but they stick with the punter and the snapper. I’m close with those guys because I need to be because my job is in their hands. I work out with other guys all the time. I work out just as much as the linebackers and defensive backs. When I was appointed captain that culminated what the team thought of me. I wear that badge of honor with a lot of pride.”



QB BEN ROETHLISBERGER

(on how his faith impacts the way he approaches life and football) “I think it’s living every day to its fullest. I’ve been through quite a lot off the field and on the field and just understanding that you’ve got to take every day and treat it special. That’s why I take my video camera with me and I record everything and all these fun events.”


(on if the word “clutch” applies to Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward) “It’s hard to explain Hines Ward. You just say ‘He’s Hines Ward.’ It usually explains itself if you know Hines. He seems to make plays whether it’s there or not on first down, third downs, he can get down the field if he has to. He likes to let people know that he can still run down the field, but he truly is an asset to this team and has made me a much better quarterback.”


(on how his relationship with offensive coordinator Bruce Arians has evolved since he took over the position) “It’s evolved a lot. We spend a lot of time together on days off, in the offseason, in meetings rooms and on the golf course. We’ve had to have a relationship to make this offense evolve and grow. He’s said from day one, ‘This is not my offense Ben. It’s yours.’ He’s always up for input, changing things, renaming things, whatever it is. It’s been nice to be able to have that relationship with him and to be able to make those adjustments or changes, whatever we’ve needed to do.”


(on how using a new football designed for the Super Bowl will affect his grip) “I was just talking to our equipment guys, and I told them we should break these 12 balls in. They looked and me and said, ‘Twelve balls? No, it’s 54.’ They’ve had a lot to break in. It’s tough because, as you said, they do have the big logo on them and it’s not the easiest thing to grip in the world and we’re the only position that has to deal with it on a constant basis, so we’ve been working on them and getting them ready. I’m sure Kurt (Warner) will have his gloves on, which I did in the first game (Super Bowl XL) and it helps a bit. For me, it’s just going to be an adjustment because my hands will be sweating for the first time in probably three months or so.”


(on if his approach to this Super Bowl is going to be different from the last one) “It already is different. I’m more relaxed. I’m having more fun. The first time was my second year in the league, and I was so overwhelmed because it was such a dream to be in the game. This time, I’m just enjoying it and having more fun. I’m sure once the ball is kicked there will be nerves going through it, but if you’re not nervous for this game then there’s something wrong with you. This being my fifth year, I’m able to calm and control [my nerves] a little bit better and hopefully that will help.”


(on what the process of scripting plays is like throughout the week) “We’ll do that tomorrow. I’ll go through all the plays and pick out my two favorite play-action passes, my two favorite nakeds, my 10 favorite drop-back passes and we’ll create two scripts and he’ [offensive coordinator Bruce Arians] will ask me which one I like the best and we’ll go through it that way. Like I said, it starts tomorrow and we’ll kind of fine-tune it. It’s very similar when I was with Coach [Ken] Whisenhunt when he was here. I didn’t have as much say at the time because I didn’t know the offense like I do now, so that would be the big difference about it.”


(on if he enjoys running trick plays) “It’s fun. It’s always fun for the players. It’s fun for the plans. Coach Wiz [Ken Whisenhunt] was always good about drawing them up when he was here and we had the right personnel to do it. We had Antwaan Randle-El when we did it in the Super Bowl and the championship games, and I’m sure they’ll have something drawn up for us. If you catch it at the right time, it’s kind of a big lift for your team and your offense.”


(on how his relationship with his offensive line has evolved throughout the season) “A lot of people have talked bad about them and have made them play that underdog card all year, which is good for them. They kind of like when people talk bad about them because I think it fuels them. I’ve been behind them all year, even before the season started. They’re my guys. They always will be. They protect me and I think they’ve done a great job. They’ve gone against some great defenses and seen some crazy blitzes that would even confuse some coaches on the sidelines. They’ve really done a great job of doing extra film study and they take pride in keeping me clean and not getting me hit. Anytime as a quarterback you hear those guys getting upset when you get hit, it touches you a little bit.”


(on new University of Miami (Fla.) offensive coordinator Mark Whipple’s role in his development) “Coach Whip was my quarterbacks coach [at Miami of Ohio] and he was awesome. I love Coach Whip. I’m glad he’s now at the other Miami, and I’m sure they’ll do awesome. He’s not just a great coach, but a great person. He was a mentor and he helped me a lot.”


(on one of Whipple’s underlying qualities) “The thing about him, and the same thing with what Coach Wiz (Ken Whisenhunt) did is they didn’t want to change the way I played the game. They liked the way I played it and wanted to help me learn and use the stuff they taught me in the classroom on the field.”


(on how much time is committed to football and free time between now and Sunday) “A lot of football and as we get closer it’s more football. When we get done here, we have a little free time to spend with our families and some of the guys will get together. But as the night comes, guys will go over the playbook and get ready for tomorrow.”


(on the recent study that came out about concussions and if that worries him at all) “No. I don’t go out there and ever worry about getting hurt or being hurt in the past. I’m playing this game and living this life to the fullest. I’ve had that question asked to me a couple of times because of what I’ve been through, so I don’t go out there and worry about it. When the Lord decides to take me, he’s going to take me.”



RB GARY RUSSELL

(on the weather) “It’s a lot different. I just talked to my grandparents and I heard it’s nasty. I sure feel good being down here.”


(on being at the Super Bowl) “It’s great. When you were a little kid, you dreamed about this, and you always thought about the players here in this game. It’s a great opportunity for us. This is my first time here, but I don’t think I will get real too excited until the game. We will see what happens.”


(on him being nervous) “I’m not nervous right now. I think I might be right before we go out.”


(on preparing for Arizona) “I’m just going to play hard and do what I did all year. You come out here and you go over stuff from last week and you just try to get ready for the game. It’s a game. It’s on a big stage, but it’s just another game.”