SNR Alumni Weekend Broadcast

Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
Good evening, Steelers Nation, and welcome to a special SNR
Steelers Alumni dinner broadcast here at Akroscher Stadium. It's West
Shuler and Rob king with you for about the next
ninety minutes or so, Kinger, as we have our yearly
Steelers Alumni dinner broadcast here on SNR. These are all special, Kinger,
but this one especially because it is the twenty year anniversary.

(00:30):
Can't believe it's been twenty years already for the one
for the Thumb Super Bowl forty champion Pittsburgh Steelers.

Speaker 2 (00:36):
Yeah, it really is fun.

Speaker 3 (00:37):
It's fun to see the different players, and you know,
sometimes it's different players from different generations rubbing elbows, and
you see how special this to THEIRS organization is. You know,
a couple of years ago, I was broadcasting with Craig
Wolfley and Larry Brown was with us in Marquise Pouncy,

(00:58):
and you know, Larry Brown and said, hey, you could
have played with us, and Marquise Pouncing was like he.

Speaker 2 (01:02):
Thought that was really cool. You know.

Speaker 3 (01:04):
Yeah, And and and it's not that way with every organization.
The fact that you can pass things down like that
that the past still means a great deal you know,
I think maybe in another organization, you know, somebody might
have said, yeah, of course we could have played with you,
old man, you know, but but in this one, it's
it is a mark of honor, and it's like a
it you know, if you if you had given them

(01:26):
a badge, and this is a badge of honor. That's
that's what it was, a verbal badge of honor. And
it's it's great to see. You know, you'll see guys
clustered around and you know, in the past it might
be you know, Troy pohl Molo who talking with somebody
from a different generation, or or talking with one of
his former teammates, and to see these guys get together
is great. But I think that you're right, this is special.

(01:47):
When you win a Super Bowl together, that puts you
in a little bit different you know, class or a
little bit different feelings about how special it is. I
think football always brings that togetherness because it's such a
difficult and physically demanding sport.

Speaker 2 (02:06):
Brotherhood, yeah, it's a brotherhood of what you have to endure.

Speaker 3 (02:09):
You know, one hundred people show up at training camp
and you know, especially back in the day, you're going
through double sessions and they heat and their physical still right.

Speaker 2 (02:19):
That's exactly right.

Speaker 3 (02:20):
And and there's a bit of a survival mode and
when you get to the end of that, you've survived something.
And then to do that and then you know it's
not only survive a season, but thrive during that season
and win a Super Bowl. I think it's just a
different thing. And our buddy and broadcasting comrade Max Starks
would say that it's just a different a little bit different.

(02:43):
When you go through it and win it all, you're
absolutely right. And you know what speaks to that.

Speaker 1 (02:47):
For Steelers fans out there, you have to make sure
you check out go to Steelers dot com, go to
the Steelers YouTube page. They just released it this week.
It's called One for the Thumb. It's about a twenty
minute mini documentary on this team and their twenty year
reunion and that Super Bowl triumph and One for the
Thumb and it's kind of narrated hosted by Joey Porter.

(03:08):
They talked to Ben Roethlisberger and Troy Polamalu and Jerome
Bettis and mister Rooney. But Peas he's kind of the
as he was for that group. He's kind of the narrator,
kind of the host of the thing, and at the
very end he talks about what you just talked about.
He said, playing for the Steelers organization, he said, we
were always around those seventies legends, and no one had
been able to live up to their legacy to that point.

(03:29):
The Steelers still had four Super Bowls. Yeah, they had
been close a couple times in the nineties, but we
had never gotten back to it. And every time we
were around those guys, it felt like they were in
a different class. They were in a different kind of
elevated level. In one of the last lines of that
cool documentary, you know, done by Nate and Emil and
all the awesome people at the Steelers video department, it's

(03:51):
Peasy's standing there in the Steelers Hall of Honor museum
with the Super Bowl trophy behind him, and he's like,
I finally felt we finally felt like we belonged with
those seven these guys, when we were able to get
this done, when we were able to get one for
mister Rooney, the one for the thumb break that twenty
five year drought for Steelers fans, he was like, we
finally felt like we belonged with the greats in this organization.

(04:13):
And you're absolutely right. That's something that you can only
say in a couple places. You know, it's different playing
for the Yankees than it is some of these other teams.
It's different playing for the Lakers or the Celtics than
it is some of these other teams. It's different playing
for the Pittsburgh Steelers. It's different winning as a Pittsburgh
Steeler because you truly get elevated into rare air amongst

(04:34):
some of the all time greatest teams, individuals, players, coaches,
owners in the history of this sport, and it is
it is very special, and I think tonight you'll feel
that from these guys.

Speaker 2 (04:47):
Well, it is.

Speaker 3 (04:47):
You know when you talk about, you know other organizations
that if you make two Pro Bowls, you're in the
Ring of Honor, their Hall of Honor, or what have you.
If you're a two time Pro Bowl for the Steelers,
get in a very, very long line, and we'll get
to you eventually, but not soon, because there's just so
many great players in such a great legacy. And I

(05:09):
remember being a kid and hearing Joe Green say one
for the thumb in eighty one and the Steelers really
thinking they were gonna win one more and not doing it,
and then it taking twenty five years for that to
come to fruition.

Speaker 2 (05:23):
It's that's that's a long time.

Speaker 3 (05:26):
And then you know, he got into the you know, uh,
coach Kauer had some really close calls in the early
two thousands and the year.

Speaker 2 (05:35):
But it just felt elusive.

Speaker 3 (05:36):
It felt elusive, and to finally win it, I think,
you know, and again those Steelers teams of the seventies
that felt elusive to fans because it had been their
entire history. Really it had been almost four decades of
not really even coming close, and then to win it,
and then the twenty five subsequent years with a new

(05:59):
standard being established that this is what we expect, this
is what you know, this is what the this is
the bar we're holding you too. And to not be
able to get to that bar, to not be able
to quote unquote measure up tough, very tough.

Speaker 1 (06:16):
Especially with the backdrop of what happened to this team.
The year before they went fifteen to one. They went
to the AFC Championship at home and lost by two
touchdowns to the New England Patriots, a team that they
had beat a few weeks, you know, a couple months
earlier right here at Akroscher Stadium now Hinzfield, then at
the time.

Speaker 2 (06:34):
So I think that's always, that's always.

Speaker 1 (06:38):
That makes a triumph more fun, right, Like a lot
of people forget this, you know, the you have the
immaculate reception. The Steelers get their first playoff win in
franchise history, Franco Harris against the Raiders, the greatest moment
in NFL history. But they had to wait to get
over that hump two more years before they finally won
the Super Bowl. Those you know get I feel like,

(06:59):
before you finally win, before you finally taste that champagne,
you typically have to have some heartbreak. Yeah, and this
team certainly had it. Fifteen and one rolling, go to
the AFC Championship game at home, and you lose. You
fall just short of making it to the super Bowl.
After such a great, such an impressive season. You come
back the next year, all that promise, all that hype.

(07:21):
You start seven and two, right, and then lose three
straight games to fall to seven and five. You know,
we have to go and do attack mode, into playoff mode.

Speaker 2 (07:29):
Right now.

Speaker 1 (07:29):
They went four straight to get in. They win four
straight away from home, three on the road, and then
obviously the Super Bowl. That's the kind of stuff that like,
that's the Hollywood script. You know, you get your heart broken,
you come back, it doesn't look like it's gonna happen,
you're backed into a wall, and then against all adds,
you become the first ever sixth seed to win a
Super Bowl in NFL history. I mean, Kinger, that's special,

(07:52):
special stuff. And you could tell I'm getting excited, like no,
it's it's easie aout. These are my Steelers teams that
I grew up watching, being almost thirty five years old.
I was fifteen when this team won the Super Bowl.
They were the first team in my life that I
saw win a championship, to go through just kind of
the ups and downs that they did, and then to
finally kick in the door like that eight straight wins

(08:15):
to close the season. You go to Cincinnati and beat
the division champion Bengals. You go to Indianapolis and that
was supposed to be their year, Peyton Manning finally that
time for those guys. And then you go to Denver.
We all know, one of the toughest places to play
and win in the National Football League. And then obviously
it culminates by playing the Seattle Seahawks, the team that

(08:36):
had the number one rated offense in the NFL, and
you surrender ten points to those guys in Detroit, Jerome
bettis that entire storyline? The bus stops here again. I mean,
it's like Spielberg wrote the script for this team, and
twenty years later, I still remember it like it was yesterday.
And I know a lot of Steelers fans do too.

Speaker 2 (08:54):
Well.

Speaker 3 (08:55):
You know, there's an old expression that you without fear,
you can't have courage. Right, if you're not fearing anything,
then where's the bravery? Where's the courage element to it? Well,
to taste success, to taste failure? First, I think it
does taste sweeter. And the Steelers tasted a bitter pill
of defeat in two thousand the year before, when they
went fifteen to one. Ben Roethlisberger takes over for the

(09:18):
injured Tommy Maddox, and you know, you go on a
roll and you look like you're clearly the team to beat,
and it doesn't happen, and it's a huge disappointment. And
things aren't ever, you know, things aren't promised. You know,
you go to the You're Buffalo and you go to
four straight Super Bowls, don't win any of them. Right,
nothing's promised you.

Speaker 1 (09:37):
Dan Marino, you go your rookie season with Miami and
then you never go.

Speaker 3 (09:40):
Back, right, I mean it is it is difficult. It's
difficult to win a championship, and it's you know, I
don't think in our town we take it for granted.
But I think there was such greatness in the seventies
that the notion that you might not get back for
a while is foreign to Steelers fans. It's still foreign

(10:00):
to certainly we were fifteen years now, and holy no,
we can't have that. So I do think though that
having gone through that adversity, and everybody's got their own story,
everybody's got their own tale to tell, and everybody feels
differently about it. But to be able to to overcome
what you had, you know, fallen short from the year before,

(10:24):
and and go on to win the championship, uh, it's
a it's a great story. And it was a it
was a great team and you know, the Jerome running
out on the field by himself, and you know, uh,
I was interviewing Aaron Smith a couple of years ago
when he was inducted into the the of this Hall
of Honor and talking to him about various teammates and

(10:45):
you know, for for potential use for future features, and
talking about Joey Porter, and he said he's the best
teammate ever had, you know, and and.

Speaker 1 (10:52):
That that was his idea to have Jerome run out
there by it, rightelf.

Speaker 3 (10:56):
Yeah, And I just and I just think that, you know,
the look, there are other teams that didn't win, and
somebody else might be a great teammate, but he's not
a place He's not in a position of low. You know,
Joey Porter is in a position of Lord. Jerome Bettis
is in a position of low. Ben Roethlisberger of course

(11:16):
won another one. But those guys to win a championship,
it just puts you in a different category. You go
down in history. If you are a ten and seven
team and win a playoff game in another city, you
might be trumpeted. Oh remember that team that was a
great team. They won a playoff game. That doesn't get
you trumpeted in Pittsburgh. It doesn't get you a place

(11:39):
of honor. And in other places it's still not that
exalted height of winning at all.

Speaker 2 (11:44):
Right, and the.

Speaker 3 (11:45):
Steelers can look back at a half a dozen opportunities
in which they won it all, and those players and
those moments become etched in our memory. I mean, if
you don't win the Super Bowl.

Speaker 1 (11:58):
Jon bettisover Erlacker in the snow, what does it mean?

Speaker 2 (12:01):
Right?

Speaker 3 (12:01):
Do you remember Ben Roethlisberger's tackle? It was a it
was an interesting play. It's a footnote in Steeler's history.
Now it is a moment that's almost like a Mount
Rushmore moment in Steeler's history. You know, you you came,
you don't make that tackle, Jeremy.

Speaker 2 (12:21):
Twoman, and I'm sure to say I would have had him.
I had him.

Speaker 3 (12:24):
I think, Jeremy Tuoman, it was in pursuit. I think
I think you had a pretty good angle on him. Actually,
But hey, if he doesn't make that tackle, we don't write.
That doesn't become remembered. Think about the moments that become remembered.

Speaker 2 (12:36):
Ben.

Speaker 3 (12:37):
You know you just mentioned Jerome Bettis and Joey Porter
putting that together him and running out on the field.
You remember that Willie Parker's seventy five yard touchdown run.
You remember that Antoine randall ll touchdown pass to Hines
Lord nineteen ninety five. You know, Cowboys, Steelers, you don't
win it. What do you remember about that? You don't
beat the Packers? What do you remember about that? What
are the moments that stick out? What are the what

(12:57):
are the moments that people talk about and still remember
don't exist because you didn't win it? Right, So now
you win it, and it becomes every moment becomes something
to be celebrated.

Speaker 2 (13:09):
And it's just so cool.

Speaker 1 (13:10):
It's so cool, It absolutely is. It's a great point
by you. So many of those iconic snapshots. Yeah, you know,
Jerome over Erlacker and the Ben Roethlisberger tackle, the Mike
vander Jack miss. Right, Ben Ben doing the double pistols
at Mile High Stadium after he throws the touchdown pass
to put the AFC Championship game on ice for the Steelers.

(13:33):
The Willie Parker run that happens early in the third quarter,
right Seattle scored. I don't it wasn't the ensuing possession
after that, but it was one or two possessions after
Seattle scores once again to make it a one point game.
If they come back and they win that Super Bowl.
Fast Willie Parker has the longest run in touchdown run
in Super Bowl history.

Speaker 2 (13:51):
But you lose. Does anybody care? Right?

Speaker 1 (13:53):
Nobody cares? You know, That's exactly what I mean. Think
of listen, Hines Ward needed no help in terms of
being known as the guy that would smile while he
was putting you into the turf. But think of how
maybe his legacy is different if it's not the picture
of him leaping, skipping into the end zone smiling his
face off on the front of Sports illustrated in every publication. Right,

(14:14):
those are the details that you know. You add up
a million of those inches to use the al Pacino
any given Sunday, and you go from we referenced it
the fifteen and one year before that in its own
right had so many cool moments nobody really remembers them, No,
But the next year you remember every single detail because

(14:35):
when you can finally get over that hump with the
backdrop of the twenty five years waiting forever for that
fifth one for the.

Speaker 2 (14:41):
Thumb uh man it.

Speaker 1 (14:44):
Like I said, all Super Bowl champions are special, All
of these alumni weekend dinners are special. But this one,
this one stands out a little bit. Even in an
organization where it's very hard to do that.

Speaker 3 (14:54):
A fifteen in one record goes down in the cresappointment crazy.

Speaker 2 (14:58):
I mean, it's the the expectations are lofty, to say
the least. By the way we are at Akroscher Stadium.
You can playing in the background. There's a little band swinging.
There are you know, autograph or there's jerseys up.

Speaker 3 (15:13):
We're looking to mac fadden and Hampton and Hulk at
this table next to us.

Speaker 2 (15:17):
I think I.

Speaker 1 (15:17):
See Ferrier and Farrier, Pasy and Bettest down there.

Speaker 2 (15:21):
Rin's word at this table.

Speaker 1 (15:23):
If you could go take one of those jerseys, Kinger,
which one would you snag?

Speaker 2 (15:26):
Boy, I don't know, man, They're all just I'm going.

Speaker 1 (15:29):
I'm going Joey Porter, he's the He's the as much
as it was Jerome's time, and as much as you
know Troy and Ben are probably the two greatest from
that team. You gotta have the Who. Another thing that
we didn't mention, the Who ride in the locker room
after the Cincinnati That Who run has become a thing,
so anonymous T. J. Watt still does it with the
linebackers before every game that starts in the locker room.

(15:51):
After that Cincinnati win. Bill Carrot goes peasy. Can you
please keep your mouth shut this week?

Speaker 2 (15:56):
Coach? They shot me in Denver? Who Rod?

Speaker 1 (15:58):
And now those two were to be for twenty years?
It becomes synonymous with the Steelers organization.

Speaker 2 (16:03):
I love it.

Speaker 1 (16:04):
You go to Denver and you lose. Nobody's screaming who
ride for twenty years?

Speaker 2 (16:07):
Yeah, that's right, that's right. I can't.

Speaker 3 (16:09):
By the way, I can't wait to watch that documentary.
No more spoilers, please, no more.

Speaker 2 (16:12):
I want to watch.

Speaker 3 (16:13):
But you know, so there's a little tables set up.
There's you know, royalty like the pomp Pyannis.

Speaker 1 (16:18):
Yes, are walking in here, Bob Trailing, How are you
so great to see you? Yeah, it's a Bob Trailing
step behind Lisa where he belongs. Right, we had good job,
Bob mc tonight's event, it's the who's who here?

Speaker 3 (16:33):
Yeah, so, and then the you know, people are starting
to filter in and just so people understand here, you know,
a little desk in front, and there's a you know,
you have the long bar, and there's a there's gonna
be you know tables. Bill Cowerd is gonna be speaking.
He has to get back to work, obviously, he's gonna
work weekend.

Speaker 1 (16:51):
And I don't I don't think Hines is going to
be here because for some of his Arizona his Arizona
State Sun Devils are currently playing Iowa State right now.

Speaker 2 (16:58):
He's the wide receiver coach at on a state.

Speaker 3 (17:00):
Yeah, and there are a few others that won't be
here for that reason, right they're coaching or what have you.
I'm sure some of the guys have gotten together earlier today,
but they'll be filtering through here and then our plan
is to talk to some of the guys and get
their memories of some of the heroes from that team,
and you know, get their their thoughts on you know,
their remembrances and what it's like to get together with

(17:22):
all their old buddies and all that stuff. So a
lot of fun here and you know, orders being served
right now, and you know, people kind of milling about
as we're you know, starting to get some activity here.
But that's our game plan is to bring you as
many of the different alumni as we can over the
next hour plus, yep, and you know, help you relive

(17:42):
some of the great memories of one of the great
teams in Studther's history.

Speaker 1 (17:46):
I was just told by the great Teresa Varley that
the alumni bus is still not here yet. So we
have a few minutes before well we'll start having some
guests rolling through. So can I tell you a last
great story? Yes, around this Super Bowl forty personal story here.
So again, I'm a freshman in high school, right, this
is the We can't stress enough to the people listening
right now that are maybe younger than me. How big

(18:07):
of a deal won for the thumb was in Pittsburgh
for decades, right this super Bowl? Getting this fifth one,
breaking that drought, having a second group of Steelers to
finally kick in the door and become champions was a
massive deal in this city.

Speaker 2 (18:21):
It was everything.

Speaker 1 (18:22):
I mean, this city was hanging on every Steeler game,
even like they do now, but for years because they
knew how good this team was in fifteen and one
the year before and all those things. Steelers win the
Super Bowl. There's a victory parade on Tuesday, as there
often is after teams win the Super Bowl. Right, they
fly home Monday, victory parade Tuesday. I'm a freshman in
high school. My mom, God bless her, goes, We're going

(18:46):
to this parade, like you know. Who knows it's been
twenty five years. Who knows how long it'll be when
there's another one like you have. This is the first
Penguin's won Stanley Cups when I was in diapers, right,
but this is the first Steelers team of your, first
Pittsburgh team of your lifetime to win a championship. She goes,
I'm taking you out of school on Tuesday. I'm gonna
come pick you up in like third period and we're
gonna go to the parade. It's awesome, mom, coolest mom ever. Yep,

(19:09):
she picks me up. They call me down to the office.
We're walking out of the office like terrible towels in
our pockets and stealer gear on. And the secretary in
the school office goes, oh, by the way, what's the
reason for for Wesley's absence, what's the reason for you
picking them up early? And my mom, God bless her heart,
she froze and she goes, Umm, he's got a doctor's
appointment and the secret and the secretary goes, okay, well,

(19:32):
we'll just need a doctor's excuse. It's so it's an
excused absence for him when he comes back tomorrow. We
get out of there and we get in the car.
My mom again, bless her heart, good, good lady. She
feels so guilty about lying. She calls back into the school.
We're on the way downtown here, you know, on two
seventy nine, and my mom calls back to the school
office and she's like, I'm so sorry.

Speaker 2 (19:52):
I lied.

Speaker 1 (19:52):
I feel terrible. I took Wesley out just to take
him to the Super Bowl parade. And they go, they go, yeah,
we figured that was the case. Go have a good time,
go have a bla, take your son to the parade.

Speaker 2 (20:01):
I love it. So my mom and I end up
going to the parade.

Speaker 1 (20:04):
She pulls me out of school, let me leave school early,
which was a big deal to my parents.

Speaker 2 (20:08):
You know.

Speaker 1 (20:08):
School was was not something to be taken lightly. My
mom lied and then called back and they were like,
it's fine, you guys go to the parade, have fun.

Speaker 2 (20:15):
We'll excuse Wes's absence.

Speaker 1 (20:17):
And so that's always a story I love to tell
about the first time I got to go to a
parade down there on the boulevard.

Speaker 2 (20:24):
By the way.

Speaker 3 (20:24):
As well, they should let you out, right, yeah, I
mean they should let you out. So you know, I'm
you know, you go back and you look at these
years and remember, you know Bill Cower comes in, right,
and it's he and he you know, just infuses sort
of a new hope into the team. Nineteen ninety five, right,
and you know, you get to the Super Bowl and

(20:47):
you don't win it, right, yes, And then you get
back to the AFC Championship game several years later, two
thousand and one, and you don't win it. And then
as you mentioned, you know, two thousand after the two
thousand and four season, and you don't win it again.
And you're thinking, wow, man, this is a this has
been a decade in which the students have gotten to

(21:09):
three AFC Championship games, won Super Bowl and you haven't
won And what's it going to take?

Speaker 2 (21:14):
You know?

Speaker 3 (21:15):
And you know that that adds a little bit of
pressure to the team as well to perform and to
get the job done. And so that was the you know,
part of the backdrop of this. And when you know,
when you think about the colorful characters on that team,
right again, we don't perceive them the same way if
you don't finally break through, and again, think about that,

(21:37):
think about a decade like that, and how much pride
that would be in so many other cities. We got
to a Super Bowl, we got to two AFC Championship games. Man,
we were really close. We had great teams, but they
they they kicked it through here, right. That's that that
that period is not the one that's celebrated. It's that

(21:57):
it's the culminations exactly right, right.

Speaker 1 (22:00):
And I think it becomes more special when you continue
the run like they did. Obviously, it'll be a couple
more years before we're having the reunion here, twenty year
reunion for the Super Bowl forty three team. You go
to Super Bowl forty five as well.

Speaker 2 (22:12):
Oh, don't want to talk about that one.

Speaker 1 (22:13):
But even still, you know what I mean, like the
fact that you go, yeah, you got to and went
to three, like it's an era that hey, nothing will
ever be the Steel Curtain era, right, four and six years.
I mean, that's just so rare to see that now.
But to be, you know, to have this, I think
kind of kickstart what was a really successful six, six, seven,
eight year period for sure is a big part of

(22:35):
the legacy as well.

Speaker 2 (22:36):
Too.

Speaker 1 (22:36):
Hey, if you get one and then that's it, that's
still great. But I think the fact that it snowballed
into more also makes it even more memorable.

Speaker 2 (22:44):
Yeah, I think you have to.

Speaker 3 (22:45):
You have to think about, you know, that two thousand
and four season in that context and going fifteen to
one and being Ben Roethlisberger's rookie season, you have to
sort of count that into that run of greatness. So
you know, it's like a I always bring this one.
I always bring up this analogy. It's like a tie

(23:07):
in hockey. Right, if you lose a game and then
you have three straight ties, you now have a four
game winless streak, right, But if you win the next game,
you now have a four game point streak.

Speaker 2 (23:19):
That's right, That's right.

Speaker 3 (23:20):
So you know, it's all in a matter of perspective.
But I think when you talk about when you talk
about the two thousand and four team isolated, you think, Okay,
that's that's not what we want. That's not the standard.
Standard is the standard and the standards winning championships. But
you won, you know your division, you win fifteen and one,
you're the best record in the NFL.

Speaker 2 (23:41):
You get to the wan af Championship game.

Speaker 3 (23:43):
When you think about AFC Championship game, super Bowl, another
super Bowl, even a loss in the Super Bowl over
a six or seven year stretch. I think it would
be seven, right, seven season stretch. That's pretty good. I mean,
that's you know.

Speaker 1 (24:01):
Again, that would be the Golden era for about twenty
six other NFL teams. Twenty seven other NFL teams.

Speaker 3 (24:07):
Absolutely, maybe more, you know, maybe even a higher number
than that. I mean, the Green Bay Packers had their sixties,
but in the Super Bowl era. Yeah, I mean, I
don't think many teams could match that seven year run. Right,
that's an awfully impressive seven year run.

Speaker 2 (24:23):
Oh, it certainly is.

Speaker 1 (24:25):
It certainly is, And it all kind of you know,
this was the real kind of catalyst point of it.
We've got plenty of more to get to Kinger. We've
got some more stories, some more anecdotes, and plenty of
a list guests that are to join us. West Shouler,
Rob King and is a special SNR Alumni Weekend Dinner
broadcast here at Akershar Stadium on Steelers Nation Radio, on

(24:45):
the Steelers Audio Network. Back here at these steel there's
Alumni Weekend Dinner. And we have got two special guests,
a couple of Super Bowl champions joining us on the broadcast.

(25:06):
Right now, Brett Keezel and Nate Washington, gentlemen, thank you
for taking the time and welcome back to Alumni Weekend.

Speaker 4 (25:13):
Here we are, baby, I love it.

Speaker 5 (25:18):
Get to see all the boys.

Speaker 4 (25:19):
Man always gets my heart coming coming down to the
big yellow stadium.

Speaker 5 (25:25):
Yes.

Speaker 3 (25:27):
By the way, I love the hat, Frank you Natalie
attired with the hat on it, you know.

Speaker 2 (25:32):
Oh, very nice, very nice.

Speaker 3 (25:34):
So we were we were talking about this that I mean,
obviously you played on teams that weren't Super Bowl teams,
but it's just different and special, isn't it.

Speaker 4 (25:44):
Yeah, we were fortunate to uh be sniffing around most
of the time.

Speaker 2 (25:48):
Yeah, that's right.

Speaker 4 (25:49):
And the team is the best part. Like the guys
that were in that building that you walked into work
with every day, that you got be around every day,
that you watch do their thing every day, that you
encouraged every day, but you also held accountable every day.
It was amazing And that's the best part. When we

(26:11):
get together like I saw guys today, Chemo Keemo von
o'hoff do I haven't seen for ten years, man, have it?
You know, we haven't connected and talked like we used to.
But to see him just like lifted me up. Today
everybody else too, Nate Ham, you know, like, oh, my guys,

(26:31):
so it's awesome to be back.

Speaker 5 (26:33):
Yeah.

Speaker 6 (26:33):
I kind of would piggyback off that as well. You know,
I get asked the question do I miss it at all?
And I don't miss the game one bit, but I
definitely miss being around my guys.

Speaker 2 (26:42):
These guys are my brothers.

Speaker 6 (26:44):
They've looked out for me on and off the field,
especially coming from a small school, you know, so they
always made me feel apart man, and I was able
to flourish in a career after leaving here because of
these guys and the foundation that they gave me. So
being able to be around on them, seeing them spending
time with the man any capacity is always great.

Speaker 7 (27:01):
Man.

Speaker 3 (27:02):
I just want to just ask one more thing. You know,
I think that football is different than other sports, you know.
I mean, I don't want to take any away from
winning a championship in basketball and baseball, and I'm sure
those guys baseball can talk about the long grind of
the season, but it's just such a physically demanding sport
and you start out with one hundred guys and half

(27:24):
those guys want your job, and they're not around at
the end, you have to survive that. Then you have
to survive not being able to walk for a couple
of days after a game and you know, limping around,
And it's got to create a brotherhood that doesn't exist
in other sports.

Speaker 6 (27:38):
Yeah, I think a lot of times, you know a
lot of our friendships and relationships are built off the
field because of the things we've pushed ourselves through on
the field. You know, you kind of understand the different
character of a person when you've seen them push through
injuries or you seeing them go back out there on
the field and you know a lot of guys would
have tapped out. You know, those type of things make
you want to be friends with a guy off the field.

(27:59):
So a lot of those things carry over. You know
a lot of these guys and the men that they
are for their families today, you know, the fathers, the
husbands is definitely carried over from our experience with playing football.

Speaker 4 (28:11):
You make it through a BC training count yeah, Bill Cower,
Double Chin Street Hutter, Yeah, don't be you know lounging
around around here. We got a World championship to win, Yeah,
and it was tough, you know, but that's what you do,

(28:32):
Like you lean on your guys, You learn from your guys.
You watch the vets work, you know, and the cool
thing in our locker room is the Vets help each other. Yes,
and that was amazing to me. I think why I
love seeing Chemos so much because how much he helped me
as a young guy, knowing that one day might be
me up there and it ended up being that way.

(28:53):
But dude still was amazing to me. And I would
not even be close to the player I was, or
get the tuna days I got without his leadership helping me.

Speaker 2 (29:03):
That's so awesome.

Speaker 1 (29:05):
One thing that we talked about when we kind of
opened the show before you guys sat down, you were
the group that got that one for the thumb. But
the pressure, the expectations. They were talking about one for
the thumb in this city for twenty five years before
you guys finally did it. And we got close a
couple times in the nineties and you guys were fifteen
and one and in the AFC Championship game the year before.

Speaker 2 (29:26):
Do you remember that pressure.

Speaker 1 (29:27):
Those expectations, and then the sense of relief when you
finally got it.

Speaker 6 (29:31):
I'm gonna cut keys right here because he I think
he has a little more rapport with the history prior
to it. You know, I was a rookie. Sure, that
was my rookie year, so it was very fresh for me.

Speaker 1 (29:43):
You know.

Speaker 6 (29:43):
One for the thumb was kind of not in my realm.
I didn't know anything.

Speaker 2 (29:46):
You were just trying to survive.

Speaker 6 (29:49):
I was trying to survive training cut right, So here
it is.

Speaker 2 (29:53):
You know.

Speaker 6 (29:53):
I will say this though, Jerome, I remember I recalled
Jerome telling me two things. He was like, man, look
at you. You look your rookie year. You come into
a super Bowl, right, but here it is.

Speaker 2 (30:04):
You know.

Speaker 6 (30:04):
He also piggybacked off of that and he was like, well,
somebody's rookie class gotta go right, why not be you?
So that was the thing for me and my experience.
And I was a rookie coming in. I didn't have,
you know, the wanting to do it for the city yet,
as if these vets did, you know, But they kind
of put that energy in the in the rookies back
to understand that we were a vital part of them

(30:24):
being able to accomplish that.

Speaker 4 (30:27):
The greatest rookie class.

Speaker 2 (30:28):
Yes, mabe, oh maybe the greatest.

Speaker 4 (30:33):
I'm gonna arguebe too with you. Yeah, but we uh
you definitely remember the feelings you get leading up to
those games. And the cool thing for us that year
was I think leaning on the fifteen and one year
and understanding how good of a football team we were
and really going back to the basics and buying into

(30:53):
like being detailed and doing your job and if we
all do our job and we don't worry about the outside,
were really good. And to go through that steamroller of
you know, Detroit, then Chicago and then rolling you know
into the playoffs and uh, going through Cincinnati and then

(31:14):
going up to Indy and then going out to Denver
and smacking them all, you know, and then running to Detroit,
like it was so motivational for us, you know, to
take Bussy up there. Yeah, yeah, get him back what
he did for football, what he did for all of us.
I don't know if it was like that for Nate,
But first locker room I looked for when I went

(31:35):
through those doors into that building was Jerome Bettison. I mean,
I was like the room.

Speaker 8 (31:45):
With the guy right, and he's the best dude, you know,
and all the leaders like that we looked up to
are like that, you know what I mean, and so
it was awesome, really cool.

Speaker 3 (31:57):
I think one of the other things too, And both
you guys can can attribute to this. It's not just
the first and second rounders like yeah, this Jethers. It's
an open door policy. It's it is if you earn it, Yeah,
you're gonna beat somebody else out who was drafted higher,
had a higher pedigree or whatever that that. I'm sure
that makes you hungry. By the way, I'm sure that
makes training camp play.

Speaker 2 (32:18):
Who is this guy?

Speaker 6 (32:19):
Let we'll get in to the ideal I about that. Yeah,
I came in and Fred Gibson was our fourth round
draft pick that year. And as you stated, though, this
team and it's coaching staff and the front office never
treated me like an undrafted guy. I was a guy
with a chance to go out and perform and earn
a spot, just like everybody else was, and fortunately enough

(32:40):
I did so, and here I am today still being
able to come back and visit.

Speaker 2 (32:43):
So, yeah, I appreciate it. It's awesome. We need to
get to a break here.

Speaker 1 (32:48):
But before we do, uh, Nate, I know you just
recently wrote a book tell us about it and where
people can find even.

Speaker 6 (32:54):
Again, once again, my big brother looking after me and
making sure I plugged my book.

Speaker 2 (32:57):
Football was my father. Man.

Speaker 6 (32:59):
It's a a bit of my journey actually about coming
through Pittsburgh and the opportunity that I have from Tiffany
University and growing up in yeah, growing up in a
single parent home, and how the game of football kind
of shaped them over to me into the man I
am today. So if everybody can go look at it
on Amazon, I would be grateful.

Speaker 5 (33:16):
Football was my father.

Speaker 1 (33:17):
Thank you, man, gentlemen, thank you so much. We're grateful
for the time. Go enjoy yourselves.

Speaker 2 (33:23):
You've earned it. Have a heck of a night.

Speaker 1 (33:24):
Chairs, cheers, chairs, Heay Washington, Brett Keyesel, a couple of
Super Bowl champions here. We're gonna take it. We're gonna
you know what, We don't even need to take a break.

Speaker 2 (33:33):
We'll keep this. We'll keep this thing rolling here.

Speaker 1 (33:36):
Because because we've got we've got Darren Perry about to
sit down with us. How you doing, sir, Good to
see you. Thanks for taking the time. Tommy, Tommy Maddox
here as well too. If you guys just want to
pop down into those chairs, we'll get you. We'll get
you set up on the headsets here, so we got,
we got. This has worked out well. One on each
side of the ball with Keys in Washington, now with
with with Perry and Tommy Maddox as well too. If

(33:59):
you guys want to grab those those headsets right there,
you should be, uh should be all set and ready
to rock and roll with us.

Speaker 6 (34:06):
Uh.

Speaker 2 (34:06):
Gentlemen, welcome to Alumni weekend. Thank you for taking the time.

Speaker 1 (34:10):
And you know we were talking like these alumni weekends
are always special. But when you have a twenty year
anniversary of a Super Bowl championship is celebrated and as
waited for as this one, this has to be pretty
cool for you guys.

Speaker 2 (34:22):
It really is.

Speaker 9 (34:22):
And I was just excited to get back see the
players and see the coaches because I tell you what,
this was a special group and their closeness and their
their their tightness and togetherness was was amazing to see
and watch. And so it's just good to be back
and see somebody these guys and coaches.

Speaker 10 (34:38):
Yeah, it's unbelievable, and I'm so glad that there's so
many guys back. But like you said, I I tell
people all the time, the reason we were successful is
that we like to be in We like to practicing
against each other, I mean offensive defense. We we practiced
against each other a lot and had a lot of fun,
gave a lot of crap and uh, you know, but

(34:59):
once we got in the locker room, was it was
a one locker room. It wasn't offense and defense and
all that. But it's just hard to believe it's been
twenty years. Yeah, makes feel old.

Speaker 3 (35:10):
Yeah, you know, you guys laid down some great memories obviously,
but you know, when you talk to players that have
been through and coaches and everything that have been through
that I think most guys, that's what you miss, just
that camaraderie more than maybe the game itself, because there's
so much stuff that's hard around it. Right, we were

(35:31):
just talking comparing each other sports. You play baseball, it's
a long grind, but you get to play one hundred
and sixty two games.

Speaker 2 (35:36):
Football is a long grind.

Speaker 3 (35:37):
You only get to play sixteen of them and the
rest of it's just grind, you know, So to get
together with the guys must be that.

Speaker 2 (35:44):
I mean, is that what you missed the most? Absolutely?

Speaker 10 (35:47):
People ask me all the time if I miss the game,
and I don't miss I don't you know, I was
very fortunate and I like keeping up with it, but
I don't miss it too much. But I miss the guys, right.
But it's like you said, you know, Sundays were fine.
Monday through Saturday. It's hard to make football practice fun.
You know, you can make baseball practice or basketball practice fun.

(36:10):
Football practice and fun, and a lot of people don't
realize the time that goes into it during the week.
And yeah, once once you realize that you're old and
you're done, and uh, you don't mess that part of
it too.

Speaker 4 (36:23):
But I don't.

Speaker 2 (36:24):
Every year about camp time, I kind of get sick
of my stomach, so out of the country.

Speaker 10 (36:30):
Yeah, of course camp now is a piece case.

Speaker 9 (36:34):
You can get through a few yeah, with all the walkthroughs.

Speaker 2 (36:38):
Yeah, yeah, no.

Speaker 9 (36:39):
But just to uh double down on what Tommy said,
I think just what he said earlier. We don't miss
the hits and the waking up Monday morning with the
shoulders in the nis.

Speaker 2 (36:48):
It's this.

Speaker 9 (36:49):
It's that camaraderie and that togetherness and that bond that
you have with the players that I think guys probably
struggled with the most because you always see guys transitioning
and and just like Timmy was sending. You talk to
about guys that have played in this league, they'll all
tell you the same thing. It's that camaraderie. And I
think when that leaves you because while you're there doing
that time, everything is about family. And that is the

(37:09):
one thing that made this group so special. I mean,
they were truly a family and the selflesses that they
had and to watch that from a coaches perspective was
really kind of neat. And the whole process competing against
these guys in practice and going at it and then
leaving it on the field once you got in the
locker room, that was pretty special.

Speaker 1 (37:27):
Yeah, I wanted to ask you specifically here, Tommy. I
was watching so Steelers their their video production team did
a great twenty year documentary on you guys called One
for the Thumb that's on Steelers dot Com on YouTube now,
and of course they talk about a lot of the
you know, they talk about bettsover, Erlacker and.

Speaker 2 (37:44):
All these different key moments.

Speaker 1 (37:46):
One of them, of course, fast Willie Parker seventy five
yards early on in the third quarter, the longest touchdown
run still in Super Bowl history, and on the sideline
they show the sideline shot of when he broke that
run and you are like sprinting like.

Speaker 2 (38:00):
A mad man with your hand in the air.

Speaker 1 (38:02):
I got to imagine that's one of those moments you
remember exactly. Obviously, you remember where you were, but you
can probably vividly recall seeing fast will he break that one?
And the just emotional pop on the sideline.

Speaker 10 (38:14):
You know what I remember most about that is his
rookie year. He fumbled during a preseason game and we were,
you know, showering, getting in the locker room, and he
was just sitting over there hanging his head, and I
was like, Willie, what you know, it's one play? You
know you He goes, I'm gonna get cut, and I.

Speaker 2 (38:33):
Go, Willie, you run a four to three.

Speaker 11 (38:36):
You ain't getting cut.

Speaker 2 (38:38):
You'd be all right, you know.

Speaker 10 (38:40):
I was like, just you know that you're gonna make mistakes,
don't worry about it. And I think that the fun
thing that I had in my career. And there were
some great times, there were some bad times, you know,
all of it. But the one thing I really did
appreciate is I was twenty years old, my rookie year
and laying behind John Elway and doing all those things,

(39:03):
and then to fast forward to the end of my
career where I was the old guy on the team
and just being able to have those conversations with some
of these guys that you know, when I came in
the league in ninety two, it was a different lead. Sure,
I mean, you could get drafted and get cut and
it wasn't a big deal, and so you really had

(39:25):
to kind of force your way and find your way
into the league. And the old guys didn't care about
the young guys. I mean they they've been job yeah,
they've been. They were on the same team with these
guys for ten years. There was no free agency, there
was none of that stuff, and so it was this
is our group and you're trying to get into it.

(39:45):
And so at the end, it was really nice just
to be able to have that personal relationship with some
of the young guys.

Speaker 2 (39:53):
And I'll never forget that.

Speaker 10 (39:55):
I'll tell Willie, you know, you run four three is
somebody going to keep you, I promise you.

Speaker 3 (40:01):
We mentioned this brief with some of the other guys, Darren,
but you know the fact that the Steelers, you know,
the way the organization is run. I think stability allows
you to run things in a different way. And when
you're stable like the Steelers, it is best man in.
I don't care if you're undrafted. I don't care where
you came from. We were just talking to Nate Washington, right,

(40:23):
Willie Parker, undrafted guys, late draft choices.

Speaker 2 (40:26):
Prat Keichel, Aaron Smith.

Speaker 3 (40:28):
If you're good enough, we will take you, and that
allows you to be better. You don't have to protect Hey,
my job's on the line, so I have to keep
a draft choice.

Speaker 2 (40:37):
No, if you're good enough, you'll play in that.

Speaker 3 (40:40):
Yeah, that's that's a bonus for this organization that other
organizations don't have.

Speaker 9 (40:44):
It's funny you say that, too, Rob, because I remember
when I first came in back over here. I was
in my second third year coaching, and kendro Bell was
playing SI linebacker and so forth.

Speaker 2 (40:54):
And then Dick came in and Layr Foot wasn't even.

Speaker 9 (40:57):
Playing, you know, but coach to Bowl wasn't going to
tolerate any mental mistakes and so forth, and he wanted
to run a certain defense and wanted guys to have
a certain accountability and income.

Speaker 7 (41:08):
Larry Foot and.

Speaker 9 (41:09):
Uh, the rest is history, and everybody wanted to know
what happened with Kendro Bell, because I think he was
a defensive rookie of the Yeah, how does Larry Foot,
you know, get Kendrill Bell, you know, out of there?
And so but again that's part of what the Steelers are.
I mean, they're gonna put the regardless where you got drafted,
that regardless of skill set per se. It's about production

(41:33):
and doing things a certain way. And Larry Foot, to me,
is a great example.

Speaker 2 (41:36):
Of quick catchers. What are you doing?

Speaker 10 (41:39):
Uh, I'm I'm chasing a little white ball around a
lot nice playing a lot of golf, and uh just
had I've got a year and a half old grand baby,
so uh, just enjoying that.

Speaker 2 (41:50):
It's it's hard to play.

Speaker 10 (41:52):
I was just telling Aaron Smith because all their kids,
you know, because I was older, all their kids were
just being born and I had the older kids. So
I've got a daughter that's thirty two. So that makes
you feel pretty lovel So I got.

Speaker 2 (42:06):
I got what about that age too?

Speaker 9 (42:08):
Yeah, but I'm teaching down in Sarasota, Florida golf carnal
Is upp Virginia.

Speaker 1 (42:13):
That's awesome. Hey, guys, thanks so much, Thank congrat Thank
you so much. Thank you guys so much for taking
the time. Enjoy the weekend. That's awesome. It's so so
much fun catch up to these guys.

Speaker 2 (42:24):
And it absolutely is.

Speaker 1 (42:26):
And I think I think the party is really gonna
get started now because we've got Jeff Reed coming to
sit down at the table here. I think in the
next couple of minutes, keV on Ollhoffen going to join
us as well. Let me get you, uh, let me
get you set up with a with a headset here,
Good sir, kicker number three, two time Super Bowl champion,
Jeff Reed. Jeff, thanks for taking the time. What's it

(42:48):
like to be back amongst all your old teammates.

Speaker 12 (42:50):
That's pretty cool. You know, everyone's different walks of life.
Everyone's living No, I mean there's some people living here,
but most.

Speaker 7 (42:57):
People are elsewhere.

Speaker 12 (42:58):
And you and they change your phone number, and you know,
it's hard to keep in touch and but these things.
Luckily for me, it's every three years because from here
on out, because I want to.

Speaker 7 (43:09):
Usually every five years.

Speaker 12 (43:11):
You know, it's hopefully you're alive number one, number two
and healthy and uh, it's just good to see everybody
and see.

Speaker 7 (43:17):
What they're doing.

Speaker 2 (43:18):
Yeah, does it will this help you get back in
touch with some guys.

Speaker 12 (43:21):
It will you know already talking to guys and they said,
I don't have that number anymore. I say, go figure,
you know, you know it's it's it's fine though, I
mean everyone you never know what people were going through.

Speaker 7 (43:32):
I mean, yeah, did we did?

Speaker 12 (43:33):
We play a game we loved and in front of
a great fan base and make some money.

Speaker 7 (43:38):
We did, But that doesn't make your life fulfilled.

Speaker 12 (43:41):
So these are the things that help you kind of
realize what everybody else is kind of going through too.

Speaker 2 (43:46):
Wait, by the way, we have a keemov on ohoff and.

Speaker 3 (43:49):
Is sitting sitting down next to Hey, keebo, how man,
good to see it, man, How are you nice to
see you?

Speaker 2 (43:54):
How you been.

Speaker 1 (43:59):
Let's let's get this man aheadset and get them all
hooked up on ol Hoffin joined the program.

Speaker 2 (44:04):
How are you keep on? I'm doing well. Oh, it's
great to see it. It's sore from all this smiling.

Speaker 3 (44:09):
Oh, I do you know what though you were never
you were never sure to smile man, ever, ever, what
a joy to have you here. Thank you know which
We're just talking a little bit about the alumni weekend
and just getting together with the guys and what it's like.

Speaker 13 (44:22):
Yeah, you know, I thought you every time I see somebody,
it's like a kind of settles a little bit. This
is cool, Yeah, when Yeah, No, it's just amazing what
we had. I don't think I've been a part of since,
and so seeing everybody here has been it is wonderful.

Speaker 2 (44:40):
Yeah, it is wonderful. You know.

Speaker 3 (44:41):
So, uh, you guys obviously won championships at different points
in your career. So, so Keema, I'll start with you.
You know, you're starting Cincinnati, right, and then you come
to you come to Pittsburgh and there's some close calls,
and I mean you have to keep the faith right
that that you're gonna win it. I mean there's nothing's promised,
there's no gararante you're going to win a super Bowl.

(45:01):
We look back now with such fond memories. But what
was it like going through that and being close and
just and then finally, you know, I would you have
another year plus left in your career after you won
that a couple of years? Yeah, I mean, what was
that like to win it at that point of your career?

Speaker 2 (45:16):
You know?

Speaker 13 (45:17):
It was talking with Bill yesterday, I kind of I
came to Pittsburgh to win. When you come from Cincinnati,
I love Cincinnati. Le Bron's everything was awesome. But you know,
while I'm there, I'm seeing Pittsburgh and I'm seeing winning.
In all my life, you want to win, and so yeah,
come in here. The whole goal was to win a championship.
That's Bill and I talked about it every year, and

(45:37):
the guys worked for it, which was cool. Right from
year one to that sixth year. I mean, everybody got better,
made mistakes, but stayed together. But I think the work
made it easy for us. Yeah, it was great work.
How about it for you, Jeff?

Speaker 7 (45:51):
I mean, obviously I was in my third year.

Speaker 12 (45:53):
So your goal when you play at this level is, man,
this is cool, Like I'm actually playing the highest level
of a sport professionally, and but I don't.

Speaker 7 (46:04):
It doesn't. I can't speak for everyone.

Speaker 12 (46:06):
I can speak for this this team, the celebration we're
having this weekend, but I can't speak for everyone. Now,
you come here to win. Uh As Chemo said, it
was towards the end of his career, but he wanted
to win. Like, yes, it's nice that you can buy
some cool things and you meet some new people and
all this and that, but like.

Speaker 7 (46:25):
If you lose every game, it can't really be that fulfilling.
So I mean, I be honest.

Speaker 12 (46:30):
I was born in Kansas City, so I was a
diehard Chiefs fan and hated the Steelers. I mean, when
when you when you when they signed you to do
a job, you love them, and then you're like, man,
these people I hated because they always beat my Chiefs.
I'm gonna play for him, So I'm gonna hate the
Chiefs one game of year for sure because we're gonna
play them.

Speaker 7 (46:49):
But yeah, but it was.

Speaker 12 (46:50):
It was one of those things where you know you're
coming to a team that every time you suit up,
no matter who's playing, no matter who's hurting, no matter
who's healthy, you got a chance to win. And this
team was a huge example of that because we were
not we weren't playing bad football. I just couldn't we
couldn't get a bounce, and then all of a sudden,
we didn't lose.

Speaker 7 (47:07):
Right and we just uh you know, moved right through
it as a sixty.

Speaker 3 (47:11):
Yeah, the kickers job is an amazing job too, because
all you have to do is come on three or
four times today.

Speaker 6 (47:20):
No no no, no no no no no no no.

Speaker 2 (47:23):
But the point I was making, the point I was making.

Speaker 3 (47:25):
Is all you have to do and not miss r
So the pressure is right, No, no, no, that's where
I come on.

Speaker 2 (47:31):
That's where I was going the whole time. So you
have to come.

Speaker 3 (47:34):
Out there and and you know, if you're playing offensive
line and you miss a block, maybe something happened, you
miss a kick.

Speaker 2 (47:40):
Man, everyone's talking about.

Speaker 7 (47:41):
It forever, right right here on the goat.

Speaker 2 (47:43):
Yeah, that's it.

Speaker 7 (47:44):
That's it.

Speaker 2 (47:45):
So that's it.

Speaker 3 (47:48):
He really thought I was going somewhere.

Speaker 2 (47:51):
I was doing nothing. I was doing nothing of this story.
I'm not that good. I'm not that good to come
back from that.

Speaker 3 (47:57):
But what what a job to do that, you know,
I mean, and the and the pressure on and then
to have to do it here where the elements are.
You're not kicking in the stadium that's got a roof
on it. You're not kicking in warm weather. You're kicking
in nasty weather. And guess what you gotta make it?

Speaker 7 (48:12):
Yeah, that's it.

Speaker 2 (48:12):
I mean the city.

Speaker 7 (48:13):
Loved it too, man, Yeah, I mean pretty essential. Man,
I speak my mind.

Speaker 12 (48:18):
I have a good time, you know, like I I
understand there's times when you got to kind of stay
to yourself. But if you ask me my opinion, I'm
gonna tell you right, and it's never gonna change that out.
That's I mean, that's pretty much how I was born.
So just compliments with my parents. Yeah, but uh no,
it is you know, I I wanted to play pro
soccer growing up, and I played soccer at a very

(48:38):
high level, just not pro. And then all of a
sudden in high school, I tried kicking a football my
senior year and who would have known I'd be sitting
here in twenty twenty five celebrating the twentieth anniversary of
a Super Bowl.

Speaker 2 (48:49):
Right Chemo.

Speaker 3 (48:51):
We talked to Nate Washington and they were they were
kind of funding him that he want it's a rookie.
You know, They're like, wow, you want it's a rookie.
You don't have to go through the battles. What's it
like to win at that point of your career? I mean,
was it did a different perspective maybe than a young
guy like Nate might have had.

Speaker 13 (49:05):
It was, you know, I don't know how this is
gonna sound, but about our third year.

Speaker 2 (49:10):
I knew we would win a championship.

Speaker 13 (49:13):
I mean, I just I could you know from year
one to year two to the year three, the you
kind of feel something and it was.

Speaker 2 (49:21):
It was just a matter of time. I know that sounds.

Speaker 13 (49:23):
Crazy, but the guys that we brought in the way
they practice, the way they prepared, the way they produce,
it was we just had to work on a little
bit more.

Speaker 2 (49:33):
But I always expected to win like that. Yeah, Astley,
I know that.

Speaker 3 (49:38):
Talking to Brett Keiesel said he doesn't have the success
without a veteran leader like you. Talking to Max Stark's
you know your name comes up right from from having
a practice against each other, you know. Mike tom Anoy
says iron sharpens iron, you know. I mean, was that
was that part of it for you guys as well?
That was all of it?

Speaker 13 (49:56):
Actually, I would say, you know, the way you practice
is the way you play, and that's why I always go.

Speaker 2 (50:01):
Back to work. We practiced, man, we competed.

Speaker 13 (50:04):
Yeah, we had a ten minute break, Jeff, what did
we do when we went downstairs?

Speaker 7 (50:08):
Competing? For once? It was common which I'll probably don't remember.
He was on my field goal team.

Speaker 12 (50:17):
He hated it, but he said, I'll do it for
you I got an extra five plays a game, Are
you kidding?

Speaker 7 (50:23):
Yeah, I'm supposed to be on that side.

Speaker 2 (50:26):
But no, it was the work.

Speaker 13 (50:27):
It was the competition amongst each other that sharpened each other.

Speaker 3 (50:30):
But by the way, there was a shuffle board game, right,
we got part of this board deal, so ping pong
because because so Ben and Ike one year they were
telling the system Dublin, they won the they won the
Inner Team Championship, the Inner Steelers Championship, and then and
and Ben of course said well that just meant we
would beat you twenty four to seven, pointing to Ike himself.

Speaker 2 (50:54):
So so that was a pretty high level of competition
off the field as well. Guys, that's right, yeah, yeah,
that's awesome.

Speaker 5 (51:01):
Man.

Speaker 1 (51:01):
Last one for you before we let you guys go
and get back to it. I was watching like the
highlight package from Super Bowl forty earlier today, just to
refresh some memories. And Al Michael's on the broadcast at
the start is you know, you guys are doing the
intro and Jerome Bettis and all that, and he says,
this Steelers team has nobody on the roster who's ever
played in a Super Bowl before. And I was kind
of like I had to rewind the YouTube video and

(51:22):
be like, wait a second, did he just say what
I thought? And that's what he said on the pregame broadcast.
No Steeler had played in a super Bowl before. That
shocked me, and I don't think we ever talk about
that Because of the leaders you guys had in the
locker room right like it, No one would have thought
that there was this leadership vacuum, that there was nobody
there who knew how to get it done, because of
the Joey Porter types, because of the Jerome Bettis types.

(51:44):
That to me, I think was pretty impressive. You don't
often see a group of guys make it to a
Super Bowl with no one who had ever been there
before and then win it. And I think it speaks
to just the leadership you guys had, from the coaching
staff to the ownership, all the way down the roster.

Speaker 12 (51:57):
Yeah, I mean for me personally, because I was I
mean I was in the beginning of my career. Like
the day I got here, Everyone's like, who's this dude?
Because I got here on a Tuesday, I'm playing in
four days and they're like, man, I hope he done
such Welcome to the NFL. I mean, I played preseason games,
but I'm like, man, these.

Speaker 7 (52:17):
Guys are for real. That being said, they.

Speaker 12 (52:20):
Expect to win and if I'm a piece of the puzzle,
do your damn job. And that's where I was going
with that, and I and I really respected that because
was I nervous. Absolutely, I'm playing with this guy. I'm
playing with Hindesward, I'm playing with Jerome Bettis. The list
goes on, like, these are guys that I thought were
really cool watching them on TV. Run people over and
this and that. I'm on the same field. I'm sharing

(52:41):
the sideline, I'm sharing the locker rooms. So I got
I better step up and do my job and hope
everybody else does.

Speaker 7 (52:46):
There's the same we win.

Speaker 2 (52:48):
I love it.

Speaker 4 (52:49):
I love it.

Speaker 1 (52:50):
Jeff Reed Ohoffen kind enough to give us some time
yet to see. Thank you so much for the time.
We appreciate it. Having have a great night. We're gonna
take a quick break here. We will be back with
plenty more special guests. It is the SNR Alumni Weekend
Dinner broadcasts here on the Steelers Audio Network.

Speaker 2 (53:16):
Back at Amershire Stadium.

Speaker 1 (53:17):
It's our special edition SNR Steelers Alumni weekend broadcast here
as the Super Bowl forty champions are celebrating their twentieth anniversary,
joining us now the keystone of that offensive line, Jeff Hardings, Jeff,
thank you for taking the time here for us on
a busy, eventful evening, and just your emotions of being

(53:39):
back here twenty years with your teammates that you want
a championship with.

Speaker 11 (53:43):
And first of all, I feel old.

Speaker 14 (53:44):
When you said when you said twenty years, you know,
twenty year anniversity.

Speaker 11 (53:48):
I was counting that.

Speaker 14 (53:49):
I was like, that means this is Super Bowl sixty,
that's right, or something like that happened quick.

Speaker 11 (53:53):
Yeah, man, it seems like a time ago. But you know,
it's just my.

Speaker 14 (53:58):
Emotions are just like being thankful, first of all, very
thankful to be able to put a ring on and
get a picture taken with it, and you just kind
of realize the same thing you realize when you win it, like, man,
that's forever. And so you know, if we didn't have
events like this, you know, it wouldn't feel like it
was forever, because it's not like you're reminded of it
every day.

Speaker 2 (54:16):
Sure, but it's.

Speaker 14 (54:16):
Definitely an accomplishment that you appreciate more and more every year.
The order you get, the more you appreciate, quite frankly,
seeing your coaches that are getting older, the players that
are getting older, because you.

Speaker 11 (54:29):
Know that's not gonna last forever.

Speaker 14 (54:30):
So it's great that the Steelers organization does these things.

Speaker 2 (54:35):
It's on the ring, by the way, it's on his
center finger right there, you got it.

Speaker 11 (54:39):
There he goes that where it's supposed to go.

Speaker 2 (54:40):
It's I don't know, Hey, that's a good it's a good.

Speaker 3 (54:43):
No, it's a good spot for you because you were
you were in the middle of that offense a lot.

Speaker 2 (54:46):
Right, Yeah, there you go.

Speaker 3 (54:47):
So, you know, the team was so close the year
before and you had that, you know, the great start,
and then you lose three in a row and then
you got to win out to get to the playoff
and even have a chance to win it all. Was
there ever a moment of doubt on that team that
you could that you could do it?

Speaker 14 (55:06):
I think I think we would all probably be lying
a little bit if we didn't have some doubt when
we're seven and five, and you know, media tracks whether
you're in the playoffs or not. When it it's the
end of the year, and for me, for sure, I
don't want to say for sure I had doubt, but
I for sure, you know, went to bed on Sunday
night or Monday night that after that third loss in a.

Speaker 11 (55:25):
Row, and I was like, how in the world.

Speaker 14 (55:26):
It was shocking that we were actually officially out of
the playoffs that week and we do not control our
own destiny when we kind of just felt like we
were going to roll back into the AFC Championship game
against New England and have to win that game to
get to the super Bowl. You know, prior year being
fifteen to one, nobody really leaving the team, So we.

Speaker 11 (55:48):
Definitely needed a restart.

Speaker 2 (55:50):
And I think, you know, a lot of us.

Speaker 14 (55:53):
Probably know the stories, but you know, coach Kaward did
a great job of getting our focus where it needed
to be.

Speaker 1 (56:01):
One of the things that we talked about when we
kind of opened the broadcast and we're just doing the
intro and the scene setter, if you will, was how
many memorable moments there are from that year, right, and
when you win a championship, every little memory becomes etched
into your brain.

Speaker 2 (56:15):
Jerome in the snow against.

Speaker 1 (56:17):
Erlacer, right, Ben Roethlisberger the shoe string tackle in Indianapolis,
Fast Willie Parker's seventy five yard touchdown run, Antoine Randall,
eldehinz Ward right, all these moments that just get etched
in your brain forever when you think back to that run,
is there one that stands out for you?

Speaker 11 (56:34):
Well, you hit them all.

Speaker 2 (56:36):
I mean you said the stage I should have shut
up and just let you run with you.

Speaker 14 (56:39):
You got me thinking about, you know, those moments, and
you literally hit all four. The first one that I
thought of was Drome's run against Chicago Iconic, probably be
because that was.

Speaker 11 (56:48):
At the beginning of the run.

Speaker 14 (56:49):
I think maybe that was the first win we had
that we had to have and you know, getting down
there on the goal line and you know watching I
you know, obviously we watched those well everybody does so
watching Fanica, you know, make a great block. And then
probably the other one would be that shoe string tackle
because that literally was like you just that's a play

(57:09):
where you look at it like, how did that possibly happen?
You know, some of those drums run, you know, you
kind of draw it up to happen that way, and
some of the even some of those other plays that
reverse sorry.

Speaker 1 (57:20):
One of the old one of the old coaches here
is bugging you over your shoulder.

Speaker 14 (57:24):
Yeah, and uh, but you know that shoe string tackle
was miraculous.

Speaker 2 (57:28):
Yeah, you know.

Speaker 3 (57:29):
And here's the other thing we're talking about is that, look,
if we if we searched our memory banks, we could
probably find great memories from two thousand and four or
two thousand and six or but they don't live on
the same way. When you don't win it all, you
got to win it all for those memories. You know,
we would probably be celebrating four or five moments from

(57:51):
two thousand and four if you guysn't won in two
thousand and four, but you didn't, it just it takes
out a different everything takes on a different meeting.

Speaker 2 (57:58):
When you win it. Yeah.

Speaker 14 (58:00):
Absolutely, you know, for one thing, we wouldn't be here,
that's for sure. You know, nobody is celebrating AFC you know,
Super Bowl appearances that lose you know, a losing team,
much less you know AFC championship teams. But for sure,
the two thousand and four and really like probably one, O, two,

(58:20):
you know, four set the stage for five. You know
it would I don't think you know what have we
been able to win two in a row. I don't
know it would it would have been tough, you know,
meaning four and then five. But we definitely I think,
like you had said, you know, pivotal moment of the
five season was set being seven and five and a

(58:41):
bunch of guys who came back to win a Super
Bowl and have to reset our focus because we were
we were not focused. You know, we were not a
I don't care if Ben was hurt or not. You know,
we shouldn't have been losing three games in a row,
and we all knew that, and so you know, obviously
you got to make those plays. And sometimes, man, the
difference between winning and losing is literally, you know, one play, right,

(59:02):
and thankfully we made those plays. And you know, you know, honestly,
that Super Bowl, that Super Bowl game, you know, it
wasn't as close as the score probably even showed.

Speaker 11 (59:11):
Our defense absolutely, Hey, hey, our defense.

Speaker 2 (59:14):
Keith Butler. Keith Butler's here.

Speaker 11 (59:15):
Our defense dominated that game.

Speaker 2 (59:18):
Yeah, you know, and and let's talk about that. Thank
you for joining us, coach.

Speaker 1 (59:23):
And you know that was Seattle on offense, that was
the number one scoring offense in the NFL. You guys
held them to ten points. What stands out to you
about that performance and what you guys were able to
do against Sean Alexander and that that talented Seattle.

Speaker 5 (59:36):
Group, Well, can you hear me?

Speaker 2 (59:40):
Sounds great?

Speaker 15 (59:41):
The it was a little bit extra up for me
because I played there for ten years, right, and we
went to the only the furtherest we got was the
AFC Championship, which we got beat by the Raiders when
I was a player, and then when we played them
in the in the Super Bowl, they were you know,

(01:00:01):
a lot of people thought they were the best team
in the league at the time for good reason, you know.

Speaker 9 (01:00:07):
Uh.

Speaker 15 (01:00:08):
But at the same time, I've always believed this, and
Coach Bowl did this too. We kind of precis to
our guys, stopped to run and then get after him.

Speaker 5 (01:00:19):
Stop to run first, because.

Speaker 15 (01:00:21):
If you stop to run, you can you control the
clock and you give the ball back to our offense.
And the more they have the ball, the more chances
they have to score it. And so that's that was
the biggest thing for us. We had to We had
to stop their running game and put them in in
the passing situations, and then we had a lot of
different things we could do at the time. We could

(01:00:43):
bring heat, we could play coverage, but we I think
Coast the Bowl liked to bring heat a little bit.
Body d even though he was a D BAT coach
and a DP guy, he liked that business part of it,
you know.

Speaker 2 (01:00:56):
So uh uh.

Speaker 15 (01:00:59):
He made a lot of good calls are that and
he coached both great great football coach, you know, And
we were portioned to have the people that we had
playing in I always told this to James Fairy. I'll
still tell him, is I could have played behind that
proNT we had.

Speaker 3 (01:01:19):
You know the other thing and I want to ask
you both because you guys are both at the center
of this.

Speaker 2 (01:01:24):
You know. I would tell people that didn't see those teams.

Speaker 3 (01:01:27):
You know, you might see a final score and it
might be thirty five to ten, Right, it's a blowout.

Speaker 2 (01:01:33):
You guys would blow.

Speaker 3 (01:01:34):
People out like sixteen to three, like it was never
a game, you know what I mean, You would just
get it.

Speaker 2 (01:01:39):
I mean it would just be you could have scored more.

Speaker 3 (01:01:41):
You could have, but you know what I mean, it's
just the way you defended and ran the football and
that combination, like you got to a point like maybe
late in the third quarter where you're like, this thing
is over. There's no way this team is coming back.
If the offense gets it, they're gonna march for eight minutes,
and if the defense is on the field, it's gonna
be three and hour and maybe a turnover.

Speaker 2 (01:02:01):
It was wonderful to watch.

Speaker 5 (01:02:02):
Well, that was that was a big thing about it.

Speaker 15 (01:02:04):
You know, not only did I tell you that, it
was the whole group and Bill, Bill really more than
anybody else because he's the head coach that really believed
in stopping to run and running the football, right. I mean,
if we do that, we control control the game. And
that's the reason we had those sixteen to three games
all the time, you know, because we we'd pound the

(01:02:25):
ball and run it down, run the clock down, and.

Speaker 5 (01:02:30):
Not as many points. It can't be scored because they
ain't on the field.

Speaker 3 (01:02:33):
Right, And no, no better feeling, I'm sure for an
offensive lineman then like we're going to run it because
we got the lead and there's just nothing you.

Speaker 2 (01:02:41):
Can do about it, you know. I mean that's got
to be a great feeling.

Speaker 15 (01:02:43):
Hey, nobody appreciates a good offensive line more than me, right, right,
that's right, because no reason.

Speaker 5 (01:02:51):
Yeah, that's right, Yeah, I think that.

Speaker 14 (01:02:53):
I think that year coach, But you guys had like
six hundred and eighty four plays and we had like
one thousand sixty four.

Speaker 2 (01:03:01):
Really, that's a great statistic.

Speaker 14 (01:03:03):
That's a great I remember talking to Casey, you know,
Casey got you know, thirty plays a game and we
had like seventy two or something like that. I was like, no,
wonder you feel so good. I was like, we're not
ready to practice by Wednesday. We played half the amount
of plays. Right, they get off the field, you know,
three and out, we're like all right back.

Speaker 2 (01:03:22):
After Yeah, well they And it's still true. It's always
been true.

Speaker 3 (01:03:28):
But the defense it defends least, defends best frequently, Right,
the feure you're out there, unless you're out there, the
more fresh you are, and when the offense can help
you get into a position where you can dictate.

Speaker 2 (01:03:38):
Right, Hey, you gotta throw.

Speaker 3 (01:03:40):
If you got to throw against the Steelers, of those Steelers,
you are in big, big truckle.

Speaker 5 (01:03:44):
That's right.

Speaker 15 (01:03:45):
For the most part, we goes dig did a good
job of changing up, playing coverage sometimes and then bring
a heat sometimes and.

Speaker 5 (01:03:52):
Try to keep them off guard.

Speaker 10 (01:03:54):
Uh.

Speaker 15 (01:03:55):
You know, the best thing that I thought we did
really uh well, stop to run and run the football,
and as a consequence, you know, we.

Speaker 2 (01:04:04):
Won, right, you know.

Speaker 5 (01:04:05):
And it's it's.

Speaker 15 (01:04:07):
I always believe that, and always I'm kind of hoping,
you know, that will happen for this group, but you know,
you never know until uh, they get back to playing again.
I'm sure they don't like what they're doing right now, right,
and uh, everybody gets home about it, but I believe me,
they're working at it. They're working at it, and they're
trying to get it back to you know, they can

(01:04:29):
win games with sixteen sixteen and three, right, that's right,
twelve to nothing and stuff like that.

Speaker 2 (01:04:36):
Does a win that's right, It don't matter, man, Yeah, yeah,
that's right. Yeah, that's right.

Speaker 1 (01:04:41):
Last one before we let you go, I would be remiss, Jeff.
It's it's something that Rob and I, you know, like
during the offseason when we're doing shows, will laugh about.
But the center lineage of the Pittsburgh Steelers. And it
sounds funny because I think only in Pittsburgh with a
die hard fan base like this one would you be
talking about center lineage. But you know, Webby and Dirt
and yourself and pouncy. There's I don't think anybody in

(01:05:05):
NFL history that can match that, and we're hopeful that
in a few years we'll be talking about Zach Frasier
as the fifth What do you think of the Steelers
young second year center.

Speaker 14 (01:05:14):
I think he's doing great, you know, and and I
think speaking of that center lineage, you know, there's no
other franchise that has anything like that, nothing that no,
you know, with the guy you know, Webby, you know,
as you said, I don't know, eighteen years or something.

Speaker 2 (01:05:27):
The longevity is amazing. Yeah, And then I answered.

Speaker 14 (01:05:30):
This question maybe a month ago, DERMANI hands down to me,
best center that ever swayed, one of the most least
can't answer that, probably.

Speaker 2 (01:05:38):
Better than me.

Speaker 14 (01:05:39):
DERMANI, yeah, being you know, just a guy that could
do things that you just didn't understand how you could
do that at the center position. And there's never going
to be another Demani. But uh, I hope that Zach
is able to, you know, keep doing what he's doing,
get better and better. I know, for me, I hit
my peak in about my sixth seventh year really and

(01:06:00):
probably at center about eighth ninth year of you know,
so I think zachz only you said, I think second handful, Yeah,
second year. Well man, he's got he's got plenty of
time to continue that lineage, and obviously we hope he does. Right,
that's right, because we need you know this, this franchise
does it does.

Speaker 11 (01:06:18):
It's very wise by uh by valuing.

Speaker 14 (01:06:22):
The center position and then you know, I think, you know,
left tackle obviously a very very important position. But if
you can get that center in that quarterback position, you know,
nailed and left tackle on offense, you you you can
kind of fill a lot of those other positions.

Speaker 3 (01:06:36):
Then yeah, it is an interesting vision linebacker you right,
you know Penn State, right, but this is like center
you here.

Speaker 2 (01:06:43):
I mean, it is amazing, man, it is amazing.

Speaker 1 (01:06:46):
Hey, thank you so much, thank you.

Speaker 2 (01:06:48):
Thank you.

Speaker 5 (01:06:51):
Guys.

Speaker 1 (01:06:52):
Enjoy the rest of the night and the weekend. I kinger,
I think that's gonna be about a rap here. We're
just we're just about a minute or two from off,
and we obviously want to make sure we're so funny.
And there's jer Bettison that looks like he's wearing his
uh day he sure is. I just saw Nate Washington
walk in. We guys were walking around Cower walk past us.

Speaker 2 (01:07:13):
Not too long ago.

Speaker 5 (01:07:15):
Uh.

Speaker 1 (01:07:15):
It is certainly a who's who as you would expect
when you've got a Super Bowl champion reunion here.

Speaker 2 (01:07:20):
In twenty years. Kinger, amazing, It really is, it really is.
So I think that it should about do it for us.

Speaker 1 (01:07:27):
We are all the guys are matriculating their way over
to the stage. We are we're gonna have mister Rooney
taking the podium in just a minute or two. So
I think we I think we put a rap on
this thing, Rob King. This was, man, this is a
lot of fun.

Speaker 2 (01:07:39):
I much fun.

Speaker 1 (01:07:40):
I said this to you before we went on air.
I enjoyed doing these alumni weekend things. But most of
the time that I've done this, you know, I did
a couple of these in the past with Wolf and Dale,
and it was always a lot of Steelers who played
before I was even born, right, these guys are my wheelhouse. Yeah,
you know, I was fifteen years old.

Speaker 2 (01:07:55):
I was.

Speaker 1 (01:07:56):
I was Steelers obsessed, sleeping with my terrible towel, you know,
all those things, and so this was this was a
lot of fun today to get this group you know
there do uh as as they as they ritually deserve, and.

Speaker 3 (01:08:08):
It's just great to see him in small knots and
talking to each other and hanging out and and laughing
and giving each other hugs, and it's, uh, it's wonderful
to sort of be a flying the wall here and
see what everybody's doing and have a chance to talk
to some of these guys and bring it to the
Stevens fancy.

Speaker 2 (01:08:22):
We know appreciate the great, great history of this organization.

Speaker 1 (01:08:26):
Listen, we don't have a Steelers Nation Radio without Steelers,
that's right.

Speaker 5 (01:08:29):
Uh.

Speaker 1 (01:08:29):
And they they they certainly are part of why this
is also special for sure. So for all of our
guests that we had on the show today, a big
thank you to all those guys for taking the time.
Thanks to Teresa Varley of the Steelers for procuring all
those guests for us. Nathan here on site, tom back
in the studio, the great Rob King Listen to go
home and rest the vocals, all right, you gotta, you gotta.

Speaker 3 (01:08:51):
Important to go home tomorrow, warm lemon right.

Speaker 1 (01:08:54):
Behind us here, kinger a pretty size, pretty sizable one
tomorrow at one o'clock right behind. Yes, it can't and
so that will do it for us tonight for Rob King,
I'm Leshcheiler. Take care everybody. Thank you for joining us,
and if you're in the stadium tomorrow, make sure you're
not rushing to the bathroom or the concession stand at halftime,
because you're gonna want to see these guys getting honored

(01:09:15):
for their twentieth anniversary for the Super Bowl forty champions.
This has been a special SNR Alumni Weekend broadcast on
your twenty four to seven home of the Black and
Gold at Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers Audio Network.

All Episodes

Episode Transcript

Popular Podcasts

Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang

The Joe Rogan Experience

Stuff You Should Know

.css-15opob5{left:0;position:absolute;top:0.8rem;} All Episodes

.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}SNR Alumni Weekend Broadcast

Episode Transcript

Popular Podcasts

.css-r6mb8g{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:1;overflow:hidden;}Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang

The Joe Rogan Experience

Stuff You Should Know

All Episodes

SNR Alumni Weekend Broadcast

Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang