Origins of a Steelers Fan: Super Bowl XLIII

Moving further into my childhood and the origins of my Steelers fandom, the next chapter of course has to be Super Bowl XLIII. Following the Steelers 8-8 season in 2006 and the hiring of Mike Tomlin as head coach, I as a young fan wondered what the Steelers would look like next. I knew that Bill Cowher was generally liked by Steelers fans, being a Pittsburgh guy himself and coaching with an emphasis of playing physical football. The man was Pittsburgh through and through, and his tough mindset really fit with what the Pittsburgh Steelers had been all about for decades. How were the Steelers going to perform under Mike Tomlin?

A return to the Super Bowl in just Tomlin’s second season as head coach was so much fun to watch. Although Bill Cowher was no longer at the helm, the Steelers still played a very physical style of football, and I could not get enough of it. I was a huge James Harrison fan, and I loved watching him and LaMarr Woodley chase quarterbacks around. As we all now know, that 2008 defense was truly something special. Ben Roethlisberger continued to grow as a quarterback, doing Ben things and evading sacks left and right.

While I don’t remember the playoff run itself nearly as vividly for Super Bowl XLIII as I do Super Bowl XL, I remember that championship game being so incredible to watch. While many people would say their favorite play of the game was Santonio Holmes’ toe-touch touchdown catch in the corner of the endzone to seal victory, I think mine was James Harrison’s pick-six at the end of the first half. The turnover itself was a great play, but the return was incredible. I remember the return felt like it was happening in slow motion as I watched it, and the more offensive players he made miss, the more electric the energy was. Of course, there was some humor at the end of the play, too. That big man had run 100 yards and needed some oxygen to recover. I was fortunate enough to meet Harrison once years ago, and while he may be under 6 feet tall, I swear his shoulders are as wide as a refrigerator, and he is nothing short of a wall of muscle. There is a story behind that return, too. Blocking on returns just happened to be emphasized in practice the weeks leading up to that game. Isn’t it funny how things turn out sometimes?

With the above being said about Harrison’s interception return, how could anyone ever forget the game-winning touchdown? I still get chills just thinking about that play. In my head now, I can still see Roethlisberger taking the snap, looking, and shuffling in the backfield. Then, he let it fly to the back right corner of the endzone. It was quiet for a moment, and then when the call was made, the crowd erupted. “What a throw, what a catch, what a game!” will live forever rent free in my mind when I think about this moment. I have been blessed to watch a lot of great football in my life thus far, but this game may be my favorite game I have every watched. It was nothing short of magic, and it was a truly special time to be a Steelers fan.

What are your favorite moments from this game? Do any moments from the 2008 season share a special place in your heart? Feel free to share them below and let football do what it always does best: bring people together. Stay tuned for more articles revisiting some of my favorite moments as a Steelers fan this offseason.

If you missed the first part of this origin story, click HERE!