Super Sunday is this weekend. Without the Pittsburgh Steelers. Again.
But that doesn't mean we haven't had our fair share.
Eight of 'em, in fact.
So, it's time for us to do what we do best in Pittsburgh when the Super Bowl doesn't involve the Steelers. We just flash back to the ones that did.
In an effort to bask in the past, I tried to come up with a Steelers all-time, all-Super Bowl team.
These selections were made based on how the players played in the actual Super Bowl games themselves. Not their careers or their play in the season leading up to the big games.
And it was way harder to do than I thought.
Quarterback
Neil O'Donnell.
Just kidding.
Obviously, it's Terry Bradshaw or Ben Roethlisberger. And almost as obviously, it's Bradshaw.
This is one of the few achievements Bradshaw still holds over Roethlisberger. Bradshaw won four of those games. He was the MVP twice. Only Joe Montana, Jim Plunkett and Russell Wilson have better career passer ratings in Super Bowls.
Only Tom Brady (18) and Montana (11) have more career passing touchdowns than Bradshaw (9). And Bradshaw's 11.1 yards per pass in Super Bowls are still tops in the history of the game.
Despite Roethlisberger's game-saving heroics at the end of Super Bowl XLIII, he was only so-so in Super Bowl XLV (25 for 40, 263 yards, two touchdowns, two interceptions).
And Ben was just flat-out bad in Super Bowl XL (9 for 21, 123 yards, no touchdowns, two interceptions). Actually, Antwaan Randle El threw the best pass that day.
At least the Steelers still won.
Running back
Rashard Mendenhall.
Got you again.
Of course, it's Franco Harris. Over four games, his 101 carries and 354 yards and Super Bowl IX MVP are the stuff of legend. He's the Super Bowl career leader in both categories.
Sorry Willie Parker.
That was great. But Harris' numbers are overwhelming.
Wide receivers
Can we go four wide?
Well, I feel obligated to name a tight end. So, if I go three wide, I'm either going to leave off a Super Bowl MVP. Or this guy.
And I'm not leaving off John Stallworth. That was one of three receiving touchdowns for him over four games. Only Jerry Rice (8) has more. His 268 career receiving yards in the big game are sixth all time. His 24.4 receiving yards per catch average are tops in Super Bowl history.
Lynn Swann also has three touchdowns in four games. His 364 yards receiving are behind only Rice's (589). And he was the MVP of Super Bowl X.
So, it comes down to Super Bowl XL MVP Hines Ward or Santonio Holmes, who was the Super Bowl XLIII MVP. And Ward gets it on volume. He had three appearances and is ninth all-time in receiving yards on Super Sunday.
So, sorry Santonio. You've given us this.
But you're coming off the bench.
Tight end
Boy. Slim pickings here.
Randy Grossman had a touchdown in Super Bowl X. He won four rings but only played in two of the games, and he had only three other catches for a total of 36 yards.
It's probably Heath Miller. He played in three games, winning twice, totaling seven catches for 69 yards.
Come to think of it, I like the four-wide idea. Santonio, you're back in.
Offensive line
Larry Brown was on all four of the 1970s teams. He was a tackle on two of those teams and a tight end on the other two. Heck, he even caught a TD in Super Bowl IX. So, he's in.
John Kolb started all four of those games at left tackle, as did Gerry Mullins at right guard. That locks up those spots. Mike Webster started at center during the last two and played a lot in Super Bowl X. So, he gets the nod as the man to snap the ball.
Alan Faneca gets the other guard position. Apologies to Jim Clack and Sam Davis. But they didn't throw the block to free Parker like Faneca did. He was as responsible for that play as "Fast Willie" was.
Defensive line
"Mean Joe" Greene and L.C. Greenwood are obvious selections. Don't forget, Greenwood's five career sacks — and four in one game (Super Bowl X) — are records.
Dwight White is the other end thanks to his three career Super Bowl sacks and the safety he recorded in Super Bowl IX.
Casey Hampton is the other defensive tackle next to Mean Joe. He had a huge sack in Super Bowl XL and helped hold the Packers and Cardinals to a total of just 83 total rushing yards in the other two games.
Linebackers
You have Max Talbot shushing the crowd in Philly after a fight he lost.
Your fathers and grandfathers have Jack Lambert slamming Cliff Harris to the turf in Super Bowl X after his kicker missed a field goal.
He was a beast throughout that game and had an interception in Super Bowl XIV. So, he's the inside linebacker. If I had a second ILB spot I'd consider James Farrior, but it would've gone to Levon Kirkland for his near MVP effort in the Super Bowl XXX loss.
At outside linebacker, you knew James Harrison was going to make this list. It was 100 yards, after all.
He also had a sack in Super Bowl XLV.
I'm going with Jack Ham for the other outside linebacker spot. It was close. I almost gave it to LaMarr Woodley.
Woodley was really good in his two Super Bowls, getting two sacks against the Cardinals and one against the Packers. Ham didn't play in Super Bowl XIV. So, it was only three appearances for him against two for Woodley.
However, if you leave Ham off a list like this, that's felony-level Yinzer blasphemy.
Secondary
This one was harder than it looked. The Super Bowls weren't exactly Troy Polamalu's greatest games. And, despite Ike Taylor's clutch interception against the Seahawks, the most recent Steelers secondaries didn't bathe themselves in glory during the championship contests.
I simply went with a straight 1970's party-line vote here. One cornerback slot goes to Mel Blount because, well, Mel Blount n'at. He also had interceptions in Super Bowl IX and XIII.
The other corner is J.T. Thomas, who had a sack, a pick and a fumble recovery over his four games.
Mike Wagner had a pick in the first two Super Bowls from his safety spot. And Glenn Edwards got one, in the end zone to end Super Bowl X (that was deflected by Wagner).
So, let's go with those four.
Kicker
Jeff Reed. Not just because he made all 10 of his kicks over two Super Bowls.
But because he just made this video for "Funny or Die."
I stand by all these selections. And they are all irrefutable. Fight me.
OK, don't. Let's all just hope there's a chance to add a few names for consideration to make some of these choices more controversial.
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