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The Pittsburgh Steelers were leading the Arizona Cardinals 10-7 just before halftime in Super Bowl 43. But the Cardinals were about to score and take the lead. Scores right before halftime can be demoralizing to the other team and the Steelers needed a big play to stop them. And they were about to get one. OLB James Harrison intercepted a slant pass and returned it 98 yards for a touchdown. Longest play in Super Bowl history. The Steelers went on to defeat the Cardinals and the interception returned was the play of the game. Those are the facts but it is only half the story.
Earlier in the week Coach Mike Tomlin had noticed that when the Steeler defense intercepted a pass, they would just jog and the rest of the team would walk back to the line of scrimmage. It just didn’t seemed to be the Steeler way. Tomlin called a meeting of the defense. He told them that when he was on the Tampa Bay Bucs staff in 2002, they had intercepted three Oakland Raider passes and ran them back for TDs in the Super Bowl. He said that he believed that the Steeler defense would need to score to defeat the Cardinals and they needed to practice that way. “If you practice it,” Tomlin said. “It will happen.” For the rest of the week, whenever the Steeler defense intercepted a pass, the entire team would sprint to get in front of the interceptor and block for him. It became fun. A new attitude. A new enthusiasm. They could hardly wait for the game. They were going to score on defense.
So when Harrison intercepted the pass, the Cardinals never knew what hit them. It wasn’t the strength and power of the Steeler blocks. It was the effort.....the enthusiasm.....the attitude of the Steeler defense that attacked the Cardinals. As many as nine Steelers made blocks for Harrison as he sprinted down the sideline. And when he stumbled across the goal line, one thing was evident to Harrison and the entire Steeler team. James Harrison did not score. THE STEELERS SCORED!!
They practiced it. They expected it to happen. And when the moment arrived, they were ready!!
Football is a game of effort and enthusiasm. The best Miller teams we have had all played with a oneness. An enthusiasm. They had fun at practice and they practiced hard. We need our defense at Miller in 2009 to develop that oneness. A respect for the other team members. To practice and play with an enthusiasm for the game. To intercept a pass and score on defense. To have fun.
It usually starts with one guy. For the Steelers it was a simple request from their coach. And the team put away their millionaire salaries, their All Pro titles and their egos. They just wanted to score. That is the vision that I have for our defense.
Watch the interception. But don’t watch Harrison run. Watch the rest of the Steelers reaction and their enthusiasm when he picks off the pass. And you will understand why we call football a “team game.”
