Tampa
31 January 2009
Few teams in National Football League history have had the opportunity to win the Super Bowl as many times as the Pittsburgh Steelers. With five championships, the Steelers are tied with the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers for the most in league history. Pittsburgh has the opportunity to add a record sixth trophy to its collection.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a true hometown team. The ownership is from Pittsburgh, the franchise has always been in the western Pennsylvania city, and fans treat the players not just as heroes on the field, but as neighbors and friends in the community. Many of the players have grown up in the surrounding area and have played most if not all of their careers in Pittsburgh.
With a team record 74 career receptions, Hines Ward is one of the top stars in the entire NFL. But his humble approach reflects the Steelers overall attitude.
"You know, we are all in this thing together. There is no one man better than the next man or whatnot," he said. "We are just a bunch of selfless guys who go out there and play ball. And if you do that, good things will happen. And I really think that is why we are here playing in the Super Bowl."
Veteran defensive back Deshea Townsend says the storied history of the Steelers is well known among the current players. And he says they have to live up to the traditions of the past.
"Even before we got here, that is how the game was," he said. "With how they ran the ball back in the 1970s. The way they played defense. You had to be physical. And Pittsburgh is a rough city. It is a tough city. A lot of hard-nosed people live in that city. So you have to be that type of team to fit in there."
Pittsburgh comes into Super Bowl XLIII as the American Conference champions, and boasts 15 wins in their past 19 games against National Conference opponents. That total includes the Steelers last Super Bowl victory three years ago against the Seattle Seahawks.
Should Pittsburgh defeat the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, the Steelers will hold an NFL record six Super Bowl titles.