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steelreserve
09-18-2011, 08:43 PM
So we lucked out and got not only suite tickets but passes to go on the field before the game - not the end zone, the actual sideline where the players are - and also got to meet some of the players as they were coming out of the locker room. I ended up with something like 109 pictures, (none of which I'm in; those are all on other people's cameras) and I'm not sure if any of them really do the experience justice, but thought I'd post a few of the better ones that give an idea of how awesome it is when they let you be literally like 5 feet away. A few other things I learned from being there:

- Except for the linemen, every one of these guys routinely runs faster than you or I have ever run in our lives.

- Casey Hampton is the jolliest guy I've seen; he's doing nothing but smiling all before the game and all after the game, and stopping and joking around with regular people on the way in and out. Really nice guy, it seems.

- I should be a lot more forgiving about missed tackles. If any one of these players was running at me and I was supposed to tackle them, I absolutely would not know what to do. Even guys like Hines Ward are pretty intimidating when they're up close and going full speed.

- All this stuff you hear about Ben changing the way he acts seems completely true. He walks out after the game limping and beat up and obviously feeling like shit, and he was at a place where he could've just kept walking down the tunnel out of sight and no one would've stopped him ... but instead he stops and turns around, and waves a bunch of kids to come over, and then stands there signing autographs and posing for pictures until everyone including the adults has had a chance.

- Marcus Gilbert was really cool. He was going out of his way to shake people's hands and was really polite to all the fans, thanking them for coming to the game and saying things like "I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for all you guys supporting the team."

- For some reason, Aaron Smith and Doug Legursky do not look like they weigh 300 pounds. Smith also doesn't look like one of the oldest guys on the team; he might be in his 20s for all I could tell. James Harrison is one of the most hulking, in-shape people I have ever seen, and has the most intense, laser-focused expression whether it's an hour and a half before the game or an hour after. If there is one guy I would not want to fight EVER, it's him, and that includes professional boxers.

- Finally, I already knew this, but Chris Hoke is awesome. He's a big fan of the Aquabats, so I asked him about that and he stood around for a good 5 minutes BSing with me. Totally cool guy.

Anyway, the pictures ...

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f370/capt_taco/hampton-farrior-smaller.jpg
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f370/capt_taco/sepulveda.jpg
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f370/capt_taco/LB-huddle01.jpg
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f370/capt_taco/wallace-catch.jpg
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f370/capt_taco/db-catch.jpg
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f370/capt_taco/signed-ball.jpg

vader29
09-18-2011, 09:14 PM
Very cool! Congrats on getting to experience all of that.

SteelerFanInStl
09-18-2011, 09:39 PM
Cool photos. Thanks for sharing!

86WARD
09-18-2011, 09:51 PM
It's a shame you got McFadden's signature on that ball...killed the value.

;)

Devilsdancefloor
09-18-2011, 10:06 PM
thanks for sharing! it must have a been a great experience! im going to the colts game next week, but wil be holding my nose in fear of it bleeding, but i figure by the 4th quarter i might be able to sneak down :)

Godfather
09-18-2011, 10:07 PM
That's awesome.

I would like to know why anyone is wearing 26. Nothing personal against Allen, but that's blasphemy.

steel striker
09-18-2011, 10:07 PM
Real nice pics glad you had a great time.

fansince'76
09-18-2011, 10:11 PM
Awesome pics! Sounds like you had a great time! :thumbsup:

Galax Steeler
09-19-2011, 03:50 AM
Thanks for sharing the pics.

Butch
09-19-2011, 05:20 AM
Damn that musta been one Helluva day!!! Hope you had a fantastic time and the pics are very cool!!!

stillers4me
09-19-2011, 05:28 AM
Nice pics and even better memories! I'd like to think that all NFL players on all teams are as nice as our guys, but I still think the Steelers have have some exeptional people! Thanks for sharing!

suitanim
09-19-2011, 05:40 AM
That.
Is.
AWESOME!

venom
09-19-2011, 05:54 AM
Wow , a day to remember

X-Terminator
09-19-2011, 06:21 AM
Great pics and glad you had a good time, steelreserve! I'd also like to say you effing suck! :heh:

Austin87
09-19-2011, 12:10 PM
Cool pics! Thanks for sharing.

steeldevil
09-19-2011, 12:15 PM
Nice!

steelreserve
09-21-2011, 01:27 AM
It's a shame you got McFadden's signature on that ball...killed the value.

;)

Funny thing, more than one person down there called him "Darren," but he kind of laughed it off. He went to ign my football and I said, "Did he just call you Darren?" and he was like, "yeah, he sure did," kind of like yeah, I get that all the time.

Also interesting to notice that every single player automatically signed with their number in the signature too. I guess they learn pretty quick that a lot of people just aren't going to know who you are without it. I still was looking at Hampton's signature later that same night trying to figure out who it was, because the 98 got kind of overwritten.

I'd also have to say that it was completely different from what I expected in terms of how willing most of these guys were to come up and talk to you, when their families were standing right up in the tunnel and the local media were trying to grab them and they were probably tired as hell. I mean, a few of them kind of charged on out past everyone, but you can't exactly blame them. I was like "Hmm, Keisel seems like he's in a bad mood," but his kid was waiting around the corner for him, and first he got stopped for 10 minutes to do some interview with channel 11 or something, and then it turns out he's injured. I'd probably be in a bad mood too. Most of them were amazingly willing to just come up and chat, though. I could not believe how humble they were; they were just like regular guys. Maybe the fact that they won helped; I don't know.

This is not like what I've heard about other teams, by the way. A guy I work with used to play football with someone who ended up playing for the Bengals for a couple years, and he says the guy loved football at every level until he got to the pros, then it completely sucked. "Everyone's a shark, there's no team camaraderie, it's always 'watch your back, I'm gunning for your job,'" so ... yeah, there is another side to it, and when they say this organization's classy and drafts the right kind of players, that was really on display.

Burghfan58
09-21-2011, 02:44 PM
Lucky You! I'm jealous

HollywoodSteel
09-21-2011, 05:34 PM
I'm not surprised about Gilbert. I saw him in an interview and he came across as a really humble, grateful young man. He knows that it's a special honor to be a Pittsburgh Steeler and he very much appreciates it. But it's nice to have that confirmed by a first hand account.

Count Steeler
09-21-2011, 06:44 PM
Now that is a dream come true. Great day, thanks for sharing.

Carolina Steelers
09-21-2011, 07:19 PM
WOW very exciting, glad you had a good time. Like everyone else said im jealous wish i could do that. Thanks for sharing