- 2 days ago
I believe the only SB champion to win 3 consecutive road games on the way
IG: aj_mckenzie416
Twitter: AJMckenzie94847
IG: aj_mckenzie416
Twitter: AJMckenzie94847
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02:12Yeah!
02:13Yeah!
02:14Yeah!
02:14Cower was an instant success.
02:16Good job!
02:17He became an icon in his hometown.
02:20Over the next 15 years, he was the face and the voice of the Steelers.
02:26I'll tell you what.
02:27When you put your minds to it, there isn't anybody in this league who can beat you.
02:32Don't worry about anything outside of this room.
02:37There's nothing about those guys outside of this room.
02:41It's the team that we have in here.
02:45There's a lot of guts in here, man.
02:46That was a gutsy effort and a lot of heart in this football team.
02:50None of Cower's players had more heart than Jerome Bettis.
02:55The running back came to the Steelers in 1996.
02:58Over the next decade, he became one of the NFL's all-time leading rushers and was as beloved
03:04in Pittsburgh as his head coach.
03:06The Fosco's 43 Express!
03:10You know what?
03:10You're going to keep your ass here for a while, too.
03:12Hey, I got to.
03:13You got to keep me.
03:14I want to retire here, coach.
03:15I want you to retire.
03:16Yeah.
03:17But you know what?
03:17This is your city.
03:18Oh, man.
03:19No doubt.
03:20You know what?
03:21You're my god.
03:25You know, I know how baseball managers feel when they go to the mound.
03:29They know they're handed to a guy that, you know, we just want ourselves another game
03:32because I know that you're going to close this.
03:35He was our closer.
03:36They give us to the bus.
03:37He breaks a tackle.
03:38He's at the 5-4-3-2-1!
03:40Touchdown!
03:41Game over!
03:42Jerome Bettis!
03:44The Steelers played throwback football in a town that refused to let go of the past.
03:51In my career there, we brought out the old teams two or three times to the games and
03:56had farewells for them.
03:58They won't let it go.
04:00You know what I mean?
04:01And I'm just thinking like, man, what do we have to ever do to stop living in the 70s?
04:05It was great what they did, but ours is new as a player.
04:10Until we win the championship, we'll never have our own identity.
04:13San Diego did it!
04:15But in the biggest games, our teams always fell short.
04:20The Bronco defense has done it again!
04:23Pass is picked up, and open field.
04:25Here comes Larry Brown to the 15, he's to the 10, and he's knocked out of bounds.
04:29Year after year, Pittsburgh's championship dreams turned into nightmares.
04:34Drew Bledsoe had threw a little out route, and I had a chance to make a interception.
04:39I actually hit the ball with one hand and knocked it back into my chest and dropped it.
04:45If I catch that ball, I walk into the end zone.
04:49And I remember not being able to live with myself after that.
04:51I'm talking about just crying.
04:54You got the...
04:56I was doing all that for like hours, all the way home, and I couldn't live with myself.
05:00And I said, if I ever had this opportunity again, I'm going to seize the moment.
05:05That was my drive.
05:06That's what kept me coming back year after year after year.
05:11I wanted to win.
05:13As close as we had gotten so many times, I think I became more obsessed with that.
05:18And the support that I was able to receive down through the losing years.
05:23We'll see how long through it, okay?
05:28Sometimes he wins, sometimes he wins.
05:32By 2004, Cowher had coached a dozen seasons, and he and his wife Kay had raised three daughters in his
05:38hometown.
05:412004 would be his best regular season yet.
05:45That season was a, you know, it was one of those special seasons.
05:49You have a young quarterback that comes in, and all of a sudden you just start reeling off games.
05:53And next thing you know, you're 15-1, and you know, you got a home field advantage.
05:57Here we are back again, playing the same team we had lost to a couple years earlier.
06:03But for the fourth time, Cowher's Steelers lost the AFC Championship game at home.
06:09Look out, he's going up the sideline.
06:11The Patriots have laid a whoopin' on the Pittsburgh Steelers.
06:16They may have fared better if they didn't get an inflated ego after beating the Patriots the regular season game
06:25and saying that the Patriots were not on their level, which was absurd.
06:31They might have fared better if they hadn't gotten under the Patriots' skin and made them play harder.
06:40The loss was especially painful for Bettis, who had never played in the Super Bowl.
06:49And tears came down my eyes.
06:51At his lowest moment, the revered veteran was consoled by a rookie.
06:58And Ben tells me that, you know, he was so sorry that we lost, and give him one more year,
07:04and he would get me to the Super Bowl.
07:07And I'm saying to myself, yeah, okay, it's rookie, he's just, he's being emotional now.
07:12The next day was even more emotional when Bettis addressed the team.
07:18I just wanted to thank everybody, and there wasn't a dry eye in there, including myself. I mean, I was
07:24ballin'.
07:25I remember just, the whole room just started crying like it was a funeral.
07:29Did he tell you that? This made me his last go around?
07:33No, I mean, he didn't say it, but...
07:36I mean, you put it all on the line, and...
07:39I mean, it's disappointing just to...
07:42I mean, I wanted to win more for him, more than anything.
07:45Because he deserves to be a champion.
07:50The next season, Super Bowl XL would be played in Detroit.
07:54Bettis' hometown.
07:56These guys go to the Super Bowl, and it's in Detroit, and I'm not there, I would kill myself.
08:01This would be a story that would be written forever, if we could end the story like it's supposed to
08:08be in.
08:10All that being said, I decided to come back, and give it one more shot, and let's see what happens.
08:21Yep.
08:22And it felt like I got hit with a bat in the back of my leg.
08:28And I'm saying to myself, you know what?
08:31Your days are numbered.
08:34The calf injury sideline Bettis for the first month of the season.
08:38With veteran Deuce Staley also injured, the opening day starter was a second-year back named...
08:44Willie Parker.
08:46He had a great mentor, because every time Jerome wasn't in there, he was standing right behind Willie and making
08:52sure Willie was looking at a play and he was critiquing him.
08:55Right before the game, he kind of pulled me to the side and told me, hey, keep an eye on
08:58me, stay with me.
08:59And that was the only part where I was like, okay, relax, I got you.
09:03Hey, you just play, and breathe, man, just breathe. Just nice and relaxed.
09:09Willie was a guy, if you ever watched him in the preseason, he wouldn't breathe when he ran.
09:12And I said, you gotta start breathing, because, I mean, you can't have him hyperventilating, he's the only back we
09:17had.
09:20In his first career start, the undrafted Parker rushed for 161 yards.
09:27He would remain the starter for the rest of the season.
09:31Willie, you alright? You better get your windows. Are you breathing while you're out there?
09:36Yeah, yeah, I'm breathing.
09:38As long as you're breathing, you're okay, just don't be hyperventilating.
09:43Parker and second-year quarterback Ben Roethlisberger were now two of the main weapons in Pittsburgh's offense.
09:51Behind their young stars, the Steelers began the season 3-1.
09:59But in a Monday night win at San Diego, Roethlisberger suffered what appeared to be a serious knee injury.
10:06You're thinking like, come on Ben, not now.
10:09Not right when we're about to go on our run, you can't be hurt.
10:12The young quarterback would miss four of the next six games.
10:17In week six, Tommy Maddox replaced Roethlisberger and endured a nightmarish afternoon against Jacksonville.
10:25Maddox goes to the near sideline, it's intercepted, and the Boo Birds are out at Heinz Field.
10:30In overtime, the Steelers were in field goal range,
10:33and a now healthy Bettis was ready to resume his role as closer.
10:38This is the time when they call on me to go in and kind of close and seal the deal.
10:43But they don't put me in.
10:45And I'm upset because I'm saying to myself, this is the reason that I'm here.
10:49And if you're not going to put me in at this point, then what's the reason in even having me?
10:55The first play, they give it to Willie, and he fumbles it, he recovers it.
11:02They still don't put me in, and so I'm looking around like, okay.
11:07Oh, he lost the ball himself! It's on the field! The Jaguars have recovered it!
11:11Tommy Maddox just lost the handle on the ball.
11:16On the Steelers' next possession, they lost the game.
11:20Throws it past, intercepted, going the other way. And the game is over.
11:26We lost a game that we should have won. I am irate.
11:32At mid-season, the Steelers were 5-2, but filled with uncertainty,
11:37and facing three more weeks without their starting quarterback.
11:41We knew we needed Ben in order to win.
11:44And with him being down, we knew we were in trouble.
11:49Yeah, this is an 11-5 team.
11:53This is a 13-3 team.
11:55Tommy Maddox just sucked.
11:57He was terrible.
11:59And he blew those two games.
12:02Get him.
12:02I mean, you've been waiting to get him.
12:04This is just, oh, it'll make you day if you just catch him this one time.
12:09That's how I like it to be when I'm playing football.
12:13I just want to be the same guy every time. The villain.
12:16The best bad guy you ever knew.
12:19The best bad guy I ever knew.
12:22Few players have relished the role of villain like Joey Porter.
12:27You can't go out there and play a football game
12:29where you're happy about playing them and you want to be buddy-buddy.
12:34If you're buddy-buddy on the football field, you're never going to give your best.
12:37I don't care what you do when it's over.
12:39When you go to that turnpike, you're going home losing.
12:42I don't know who gets upset about that.
12:44I don't know who made it seem like this is bad sportsmanship to tell the truth.
12:49The truth about Porter is surprising.
12:54Joey Porter is a good guy.
12:56He's the emotional leader of our football team.
12:58Bar none. There's no question about that.
13:11He loves the game.
13:14You can compare these other guys to me and say I like him because he doesn't talk and Joey talks
13:19too much.
13:20At the end of the day, you love to have Joey Porter on your team. I know you would.
13:32I think the Ravens had somebody a little bit better than Terrell Suggs. And he talked a lot too.
13:40He's back. They chase him. They hit him.
13:43Oh, fouls loose.
13:44Pittsburgh picks it up. There goes Troy Palomato.
13:47He's got a blocker.
13:48And he is going to go all the way for the Pittsburgh touchdown.
13:54Wins against Green Bay and Cleveland raise their record to seven and two.
13:59The Steelers were finding ways to win.
14:03No matter who was throwing passes.
14:06Maddox pitches it up. We've got a reverse.
14:09Coming around the near side with a football.
14:10Throwing a pass down the field.
14:12Flying up with his Heisman.
14:13He's got it for the Pittsburgh touchdown.
14:15But their good fortune ended in Baltimore.
14:21The pass will be kicked in the air by Heisman.
14:24And it's intercepted.
14:26I've seen a lot of football. I've never seen a play like that.
14:30It didn't mean much, but yes, sir.
14:34There goes Terrell Suggs. I was just talking about it.
14:37Next up were the undefeated and seemingly unstoppable Indianapolis Colts.
14:43Manning on first and 10 from his own 20.
14:46The Steelers were no match for Peyton Manning's high-flying offense.
14:50He's got it to 40, 30, 20, cuts inside, 10, 5, touchdown, 80 yards!
15:00Ben Roethlisberger's return did not go well.
15:07We played the worst game you could possibly play.
15:11At the end of that game, though, Coach Cowell brings everybody up.
15:15He just says that, hey, you know what?
15:17We hope we get a chance to see these guys one more time.
15:21If we do, it'll be a different story.
15:24A rematch was no sure thing.
15:26A week later, the upstart Bengals came to Pittsburgh.
15:30And with the AFC North Division title at stake, the Steelers could not stop the Cincinnati offense.
15:39T.J.'s got it in the end zone, touchdown!
15:42The defense had to take that one.
15:44You know, we blame that game on defense.
15:46For us to play like that at home was just embarrassing.
15:48Even more embarrassing was watching their division rivals celebrate at Heinz Field.
16:03The Steelers had lost three straight games.
16:06At 7-5, their season was suddenly in jeopardy.
16:12Nobody thought that this was possible.
16:16So nobody really thought about what happened if we lose this game.
16:22Personally, I'm saying to myself, I can't believe I came back for this.
16:30After three straight losses, Bill Cowher spent the week rebuilding his team's psyche.
16:35I remember it like yesterday.
16:37We're having our first meeting.
16:39Coach Cowher comes in.
16:41The whole board is white clean.
16:44The only game you have on there is Chicago.
16:48One game.
16:48It's a one-game season.
16:50It's the only game on our schedule.
16:52What you gonna do?
16:53You know, when you lose three games, you start to wonder why.
16:57And people are starting to look around.
16:59But I didn't want them looking around at other players.
17:01I wanted them to look at themselves.
17:02And he says, I want everyone to grade themselves in the Cincinnati game.
17:09I want every single guy to write down plus or minus for every play that you're in.
17:15I've never seen him this late in the season call people out like this.
17:21But it's what we needed.
17:22It's exactly what we needed.
17:49It's exactly what we needed.
17:52We needed to go.
17:52You're just gonna drop off.
17:54Don't do it.
17:55Well, if you listen to what people tell you all the time, then he would never have done that.
17:59He's not the smartest guy as far as when it comes to history and stuff like that.
18:03He totally crushed Christopher Columbus' whole story.
18:06No, my history is fine.
18:08I mean, it's just we had some history, you know, majors in the room.
18:13Everybody started laughing.
18:14He was like, well, you know what I mean.
18:16And yes, I said that he came to America and Troy said, no, coach, it was the West Indies that
18:20he discovered.
18:20And I said, whoa, whoa, listen to my story.
18:24I'm not worried about where he landed.
18:25But the fact is he trusted it.
18:27People may tell us not to do this, that we can't do this, but we can do it.
18:32He did it.
18:36Every improbable journey begins somewhere.
18:39And the Pittsburgh Steelers had the perfect means of transportation for the start of theirs.
18:47Field got ugly.
18:48So by the second half, Coach Kyle said, you know, hey, I need you to go in there and pound
18:53away.
18:53And I'm a mutter.
18:55When I looked back at him and I say, Jerome, it's time.
18:59He knew it was time for you're going to get the ball.
19:05Ride the bus.
19:06Ride him.
19:09The bus is loose.
19:11He's on the run.
19:12Oh, he got tripled.
19:13He's still there.
19:1450, 40.
19:16He's at the Bears 35.
19:17Look at the bus.
19:19Look at the bus.
19:20He got his snow tires on.
19:22Look at the bus.
19:23Woo hoo.
19:24Old fashioned Jerome batter's type of football.
19:26A mirror straight ahead at you, running you over.
19:33That's Jerome Bettis.
19:38The final hundred yard game of Jerome Bettis' career carried the Steelers to victory.
19:52The bus drives.
19:53And the bus gets to the goal line.
19:55Touchdown Pittsburgh!
19:57Jerome Bettis!
19:59I think the team really rallied and we felt that we were on to something after that game.
20:07I'm telling you right now, your best is good enough!
20:11Roethlisberger out of the shotgun.
20:13Steps up.
20:13He's rolling out to the left.
20:15And he runs away from Pat Williams.
20:17Touchdown!
20:20He's gonna throw it.
20:21Blitz again.
20:22And he's hitting the balls loose.
20:23Joey Porter's three sacks in Cleveland led the Steelers to their third straight win.
20:31Bettis' three touchdowns in his final home game made it four in a row.
20:36The bus has the trifecta and the place goes crazy.
20:41Fans kept chanting, one more year, one more year.
20:48The Steelers were happy to have him for one more game.
20:52They had clinched the sixth seed in the AFC playoffs.
20:57It was time to pay back all the teams that beat us.
21:00The first rematch game was Cincinnati.
21:05The night before...
21:08That's funny.
21:11They didn't pay back the Ravens.
21:13Because the Ravens missed the playoffs entirely.
21:17Can't get beaten in the playoffs if you don't make the playoffs.
21:21The Cincinnati game, Coach Cowher, he said, look, I want to show you something.
21:25What'd I tell you before the game?
21:27And he showed a clip.
21:30Huschman Zada really, really being disrespectful.
21:33When he did that in our tunnel, it struck a nerve with every player on our team.
21:39I mean, it made Coach Cowher mad.
21:41That was my pregame talk.
21:45The bad blood only got worse when the game began.
21:52Kimo Von Alhoff coming off a block.
21:54Rolls into the left leg of Carson Palmer.
21:58And you know, Kimo is not a dirty player.
22:00He is not.
22:01You never want someone to have to leave the game like that.
22:05You never wish that on your worst enemy.
22:09Anybody knows Kimo knew that was on purpose.
22:11He was the first guy that was trying to help him.
22:13And at the same time, we're trying to make sure that this guy is alright.
22:16Their coaches pointing the finger at Kimo and Sandy did it on purpose.
22:21You know, I just was about to have a little sympathy for you.
22:23But if you go take it there, I don't care if he's hurt or not.
22:27So, and, let's go.
22:29Palmer is done.
22:30I hope you don't think Kitna's gonna win the game for you.
22:33I was the bad guy once again.
22:35I laughed at the sorrows.
22:47After falling behind 17-7, the Steelers scored 24 straight points
22:53and turned the grudge match into a laugher.
22:59Yeah, John Kitna was laughable.
23:05We snap it to Antoine Ramel out.
23:07He's gonna throw it back to Ben.
23:08Ben on the left side.
23:09He's gonna throw it down.
23:10Ben right open.
23:11And we've got a pitch for the Steelers.
23:13Touchdown.
23:13Wow.
23:13And Cedric Wilson.
23:15Wow.
23:15What a great answer to the play by the Steelers.
23:18Hey, that's what you call going for the jugular.
23:20You get a team down, and now you look down at the Bengals' sideline and nothing.
23:25I say who day, you say we day.
23:28Who day?
23:29We day!
23:30Who day?
23:31Who day?
23:31We day!
23:32Who day think you're gonna beat the Bengals?
23:35We day!
23:40Don't say anything.
23:41I said, that was great a lesson.
23:42And then the paper throws at Joey.
23:44I'm telling you, like why?
23:47But me saying that, I'm not only challenging their table battle that day when we played
23:52them the first time, but we didn't really feel like they was the most physical team.
23:56So I'm gonna tell you how I really feel.
24:00And I'm thinking that's not the thing to be saying.
24:03I mean, that's the last thing you want to say.
24:05It was true.
24:05Peyton Manning, Reggie Wayne, Marvin Harrison were very skilled, calculated, smart, finessed.
24:13They were finessed.
24:15They were not as physical as the Steelers.
24:19But he did and we had to live with it.
24:22I said, alright guys, don't say anything.
24:25I said, that was great a lesson.
24:27And then the paper throws at Joey.
24:29I'm telling you, like why?
24:32By me saying that, I'm not only challenging their team.
24:35I'm challenging our team to come and step up and have my back with me.
24:38I knew it was smashing.
24:41The Steelers didn't exactly smash the Colts.
24:44The turn of the give-up play action take.
24:46And floating the pass down the field for Heath Miller.
24:48He's got it.
24:49They beat them at their own game.
24:53Here's the shot.
24:54Young snap.
24:54Ben with time.
24:55Fires it.
24:56It is caught.
24:57First down.
24:57Still on his feet.
24:58High score.
24:59Pittsburgh came out throwing.
25:01And stunned the Colts with two first quarter touchdowns.
25:11The Steelers have a double digit lead.
25:15For three and a half quarters, they can hold the game.
25:35With less than six minutes to play, an interception by Troy Polamalu appeared to seal the upset.
25:43And he fires the pass.
25:44Intercepting.
25:44It's intercepting.
25:45A drop-up.
25:46Troy Polamalu, but he had it.
25:48He had it.
25:48And then he coupled it.
25:49And then he recovered.
25:51And I do believe, yes.
25:52Yes, it is.
25:52The Pittsburgh Steelers have to put it.
25:55They tried to screw them on this call.
25:57They did screw them on this call.
26:02But what looked like the end was far from it.
26:06The Colts challenged the play, setting in motion one of the wildest finishes,
26:11in NFL history.
26:15I had a sense that this was going to get overruled.
26:18That's why I tried to kind of pull everybody in.
26:20Let's just play.
26:21No matter what happens, regardless of what happens,
26:24we move on and we play.
26:26You got it?
26:27Let's play.
26:28After reviewing the play, the defender caught the ball,
26:33lost it prior to getting his knee off the ground.
26:36Therefore, it is an incomplete pass.
26:37Is he overruled?
26:38I do not believe this.
26:40I couldn't believe it.
26:41I said, they're going to cheat on national TV in front of everybody.
26:46The Colts scored four plays later and added a two-point conversion.
26:53In the final minutes, the Colts got the ball back deep in their own territory,
26:57with a chance to win the game.
27:00I'm so mad that I can't even talk.
27:05You got to picture me on the film, mouth just shut.
27:08I just could not wait until next play.
27:13Here comes Joey Porter and Joey levels it.
27:15That's what I'm talking about.
27:16Up to the 12-yard line.
27:20It's forked down, and this is the ball game, fellas.
27:23Got to go after it.
27:23Here's the blitz.
27:24Joey Porter gets it.
27:25And down he goes.
27:26That's the game, baby.
27:27And the ball game is Pittsburgh.
27:29We are off to Denver.
27:32Joey Porter's back-to-back sacks again appeared to ensure a Steelers' victory.
27:40And I remember yelling, cheat that, cheat that.
27:43Wrestle to cheat!
27:44Cheat that!
27:46And right when I thought it was over, it really wasn't.
27:51As I'm walking on the field, I say to myself, hold on to the ball, score a touchdown.
27:57There were two outs in the bottom of the ninth.
28:00And the closer was in the game.
28:06Here's the good to Jerome.
28:07He has it.
28:07Oh!
28:08Oh!
28:09Oh, my buddy!
28:09Pick it up!
28:10Oh, my gosh!
28:11Oh, my gosh!
28:11Oh, my gosh!
28:13Oh, my gosh!
28:14Oh, he tackles him!
28:16Oh, my gosh!
28:17Oh, my gosh!
28:18Oh!
28:19Bleep, bleep, bleep.
28:22I get the ball.
28:24Now I see the linebacker there, and I tell myself, well, let me try to get skinny.
28:29It's funny to say that, because I'm not getting too skinny.
28:32And that ball popped out and had the perfect balance.
28:37I know that we have goal line people out there.
28:40We don't have any speed on the field.
28:42And so, all of a sudden, next thing I know is I see Ben.
28:46Ben knew exactly what he had to do.
28:48He took off running backwards first.
28:57I don't think I thought about it at the time, but when you look at the play, it was a
29:00remarkable tackle.
29:02It really was.
29:03He made an incredible tackle that saved our season.
29:07The game is not over.
29:08Cancel the reservations to Denver.
29:10I cannot believe this.
29:13I cannot.
29:14When I get to the sideline, you know, I say to myself, I mean, everybody's watching me.
29:20So, let me hold my head up.
29:23It's a heavy head, and I really want to hold it down low, but I managed to keep my head
29:28up,
29:29and I'm saying to myself, I can't believe this.
29:31I cannot believe this.
29:32How could you fumble the ball at that moment?
29:36Okay, here we are, less than two minutes, and, you know, we got to stop him.
29:43Payton takes it.
29:43Payton takes it.
29:44The Colts stay in there.
29:45Payton looks, throws one down the middle.
29:46Reggie's got it to 40.
29:47Down to the 36-yard line.
29:49I said to myself, if this is the way my career is supposed to end, then so be it.
29:57So I started to smile, and I'm saying to myself, okay, I can deal with this.
30:02And now the field goal unit is on with 21 seconds left.
30:05This is still a pretty long field goal.
30:07So I called time out, and actually, if you ever see it, and I called time out, he kind of
30:10pointed at me.
30:11Like, yeah, you're trying to ice me?
30:14And I just went, yeah, I mean, what else am I going to do?
30:17Cocky Van Der Jack, he mushed himself with that.
30:20I mean, he jinxed himself.
30:21He's not missed a field goal at home in the playoffs in six tries.
30:27Van Der Jack's kick is on its way.
30:29That kick is long enough, and it's done!
30:31And it's done!
30:33Caught up the trap legs and touched the net.
30:36Remake those reservations.
30:38We're going to Denver!
30:40And when he kicked that thing and missed it, it, you know,
30:44it was the longest six minutes I've ever experienced.
30:48And boy, nobody has got to be happier than Jerome.
30:51You know what I'm saying?
30:52He missed it.
30:54It was an amazing feeling that I was drained.
30:59This could have been my last play of my career.
31:04The night before, we had talked about this ship that we were on,
31:09and that each stop became a little bit of a storm.
31:12You never wavered.
31:13Just like we talked about last night.
31:14It's a little storm.
31:15It's a little blip on the radar, man.
31:17And I told you the last time we were in this locker room.
31:19We wanted a chance to come back here.
31:21And I liked our chances then.
31:23And I really like our chances today.
31:28The second thing I need for you guys is...
31:31Take me home.
31:36Back is Jake.
31:38Back it.
31:38Go-lapses.
31:39Loose ball.
31:39Pittsburgh has it.
31:41Joey Porter with another huge play.
31:44After years of disappointment in home championship games,
31:48the Steelers played near flawless football in Denver.
31:54Throws for the back of the end zone.
31:56Touchdown!
31:57Touchdown!
31:59He's playing it like a virtual also.
32:03The Steelers set an NFL record with their ninth road win of the season.
32:08Their long journey had reached its destination.
32:16It's in for the touchdown!
32:18And that is the coup de grace!
32:21Let's go!
32:22Woo!
32:24He's like, I cannot believe this.
32:26I'm going to finally play in the Super Bowl.
32:29Woo!
32:30Woo!
32:33Woo!
32:34Woo!
32:35Woo!
32:36Woo!
32:37Woo!
32:37Woo!
32:37Woo!
32:37Woo!
32:37Woo!
32:38Woo!
32:38Woo! Woo!
32:50Woo!
32:54Woo!
32:54We're going home!
32:55Woo!
32:57We're going home!
32:58He's going back to Detroit baby!
33:00We're going home!
33:00When we got into the playoffs,
33:02every win, Ben would give me the game ball.
33:11He said, hey, this is two. I got two more for you.
33:14And then after the Denver game, he gave me the ball.
33:18He says, hey, I promised you I would get you there.
33:26What a performance by this band of rogue warriors.
33:31Mission accomplished, and it's on to Detroit.
33:35We get ready to go to Detroit.
33:39So we go to the hangar where the plane is for us to take off.
33:43And I look over, and I see these guys with these green jerseys on.
33:48I look over, and I see Joy pulling some things out of a big bag.
33:52It's my Notre Dame green jersey.
33:55So I go over there, and I say, man, what are you doing?
33:57And he say, you know, this is our tribute to you.
34:00Think about it, I mean.
34:01Your whole team showing you respect to where they're all wearing your jersey.
34:05You can't put a price tag on stuff like that.
34:08If anybody has good eyes, you just saw James Harrison in front of the guy with the suitcase.
34:17Malouk, being that he was a USC guy, he said, hey, I just want to let you know I'm doing
34:22this for you.
34:24From the moment he arrived, Jerome Bettis was the guest of honor in his hometown.
34:30I want to present this key to our city to Mr. Jerome Bettis.
34:36As the week went on, the spotlight shifted to Joey Porter and his war of words with Seattle's Jeremy Stephens.
34:43They're looking for a fight. I've been ready for the fight.
34:45You get to practice, and he goes, I don't think you're going to be real happy with me.
34:49I said, no. What did you do?
34:51And he said, well, and he started telling me about what Jeremy Stephens had said, and this is what he
34:56said.
34:56And I said, oh, gosh.
34:58If he's going to say how he really feels, I might want to tell you how I really feel.
35:02How do you really feel about that?
35:03I think he's soft.
35:06Joey, Jeremy.
35:07Why should you have to come into a Super Bowl and lie and praise the team you're about to go
35:12against?
35:13And knowing if they beat me, I'm going to be boo-hooing like a little baby after the game.
35:17I don't want that.
35:18I've cried already too many times.
35:20I want to tell the truth.
35:21I want to whoop y'all ass.
35:22I can't stand y'all.
35:24This is the truth how I feel.
35:26I can't wait till we play.
35:27Y'all not about to take this out of my mouth.
35:29No, y'all not.
35:30I taste it, and y'all not getting it.
35:34You never know when you're going to have another opportunity to play in the Super Bowl.
35:38We know it's official this time.
35:40What's that?
35:40It's been a pleasure.
35:42And an honor, okay?
35:43It's real.
35:43I love you to death.
35:44I love you to death, baby.
35:45Let's have a big one, okay?
35:46Let's go off.
35:47Let's finish off Trump.
35:57Coach, Super Bowl, we're going to let Jerome run out by himself first.
36:02So as we got down to the base of the tunnel, Joey told me, you go out there.
36:08He said, you give him everything you got.
36:09He said, we'll be right behind you.
36:11And I was just like, wow.
36:14I'm going to go about the 30-yard line.
36:16Hold on.
36:17Hold on.
36:18Hold on.
36:19Hold on.
36:33It's a moment that I will never forget.
36:40Joey, he gets a lot of bonus points in my book for that.
36:46This is it.
36:47This is it.
36:49Right here, right now.
36:50It's our turn.
36:51It's our turn.
36:53We've been waiting long enough.
36:58Pittsburgh was attempting to become the first team in history to win three road playoff games
37:03and then win the Super Bowl.
37:06The Steelers held the NFL's highest-scoring offense to a season-low 10 points.
37:11In the third quarter, they began to run away from Seattle.
37:19Yeah, they hand it to Willie Parker, finds the lane, he's on his way, look out.
37:22Foot break, 45-50!
37:29Willie, touchdown!
37:32Woo!
37:33Willie Parker, a Super Bowl record 75-yard scoring run.
37:39In the fourth quarter, the Steelers produced an even bigger play.
37:46They picked it to the left, and now here's the handoff on a reverse to Antoine Randall.
37:50He's going to throw it down the field.
37:51Here's a man open.
37:53Touchdown, Pittsburgh!
37:55Time forward!
37:57When you come into the Super Bowl, baby, you better come with a full arsenal,
38:00and that's what the Steelers doing offensively.
38:19Hey, that's big, baby.
38:21That's big, baby.
38:22That's big, boy!
38:25Protecting a lead in the final minutes,
38:27Bill Cowher called on his closer one last time.
38:34I'm not going to go six times.
38:40I'm not going to go six times.
38:41Jerome Bettis helped grind out the first downs that sealed the championship.
38:46Oh, boy, baby!
38:49Go!
39:00If this your last stop, I don't know what it is, man.
39:04I love working with you, man.
39:05Thank you, man.
39:05You made me what I am, which ain't much, but you helped me, dog, and that's on the rip.
39:10Thank you, man.
39:10Appreciate that, man.
39:11I love you, man.
39:12Thank you, man.
39:12The game is over.
39:13The Pittsburgh Steelers did it the hard way.
39:23And I turned around, and I remember seeing Megan, and then Lauren.
39:28Daddy!
39:28Daddy!
39:28Where are you going?
39:31I'll kill this, Dad!
39:36I'll never forget Lauren's word.
39:38It says, Daddy, we're world champions.
39:40And that was special, you know, I mean, that's, you know, it's just, it's, it's very special.
39:48And, you know, because those, those four girls, they've been there through a lot of losses.
39:55And that was, that was a special moment.
40:18Three road games is nothing to scoff at.
40:21Three road wins, nothing to scoff at at all.
40:30It's like you chase something for so long that it becomes a part of you as the chase.
40:35And I'm not used to catching anything.
40:38So it was different.
40:39I didn't know how to act.
40:41I don't know when it's going to hit me, but it's like surreal I laugh.
40:49I've been waiting a long time to do this.
40:52Mr. Rooney, this is yours now.
41:00Bill Cowher finally had delivered the Steelers' fifth Super Bowl trophy.
41:07And Ben Roethlisberger
41:11to Jerome Bettis.
41:18And he told me, here, this is the fourth ball that I promised you.
41:23It's yours.
41:32It was special because he came through on a promise that he made a year earlier.
41:47I'm like, oh my goodness, this is crazy.
41:50We didn't want the Super Bowl, man.
41:52I love you, boy.
41:54I'm like the league champs of the world, boy.
41:56You hear me?
41:57Of the world, please.
41:59I mean, we've done it like nobody ever done it before.
42:02I mean, we rewrote the history books all the way.
42:05World champions, baby, don't get no better than this.
42:09I had mixed emotions of wanting to cry and wanting to laugh and wanting to smoke a cigar.
42:14And I ain't never kissed that many dudes in my life.
42:20Hey, where is the trophy at?
42:22I need it in my hands.
42:25I had seen so many people hold that trophy.
42:30Coach, it's been an incredible ride.
42:34I wanted to know what it felt like.
42:36And so to have it in my hand, it's like, oh, man.
42:44It's heavier than I thought.
42:46You know, it's shinier than I thought.
42:47And to kiss it, the kiss was like, oh, my wife will kill me.
42:53But it was one of the best kisses I've ever had.
42:58I played this game to win a championship.
43:01I'm a champion.
43:03And I think the bus is the last stop is here in Detroit.
43:09To win the Super Bowl in your hometown and retire on the podium, it's like a Hollywood script that would
43:18get thrown in the trash.
43:19Because you say, you know what, that could never happen.
43:26I know you guys are going to make a movie of it.
43:27I mean, it's only right.
43:29It had me in it.
43:30I don't have to play my exact part.
43:32I'm going to play a different part.
43:33I've got to be in that movie because that's a perfect story.
43:44It was a story that was years in the making, but for the Pittsburgh Steelers, one that was worth the
43:50wait.
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