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ARTICLE STEEL MEETS SURF IN MNF SHOWDOWN OF AFC
POWERS
For generations, countless experiments in
grade school science labs have proven that electricity flows through steel. Before a national television audience on
ABC Monday night, “Monday Night
Football has that magic to it that
everyone’s going to be watching,” says Steelers head coach BILL COWHER (16-6, .727 on MNF), whose team aims for a
franchise-record-tying ninth consecutive road win Monday. “And you’re playing a good football team
that has won last year and this.
There’s always a lot of excitement that goes with Monday
night.” Adding to the 2005 season’s
excitement is Tomlinson, who Cowher calls “the best back in the game.” The fifth-year pro from TCU owns a
17-game streak with at least one TD – second longest in NFL history to Pro
Football Hall of Famer LENNY MOORE’s
19-game streak from 1963-65.
Tomlinson can reach 70 career TDs in his 68th NFL game with two
touchdowns on Monday night, which would equal the fewest games played in NFL
history to score 70 TDs:
* Pro Football Hall of Famer
** 68 TDs through 67 career games When head coaches Cowher and MARTY SCHOTTENHEIMER meet during
pregame warm-ups, their handshake will unify 26 years of friendship and mutual
respect shared by the two “He is a great competitor,”
says Schottenheimer of Cowher. “I
have great regard for him. He’s a
great friend. When we get the
opportunity to compete against each other, there is something special in
it.” Including one playoff victory against the
Steelers, Schottenheimer is a win shy of 10 career victories against his
hometown team. A look at the
three coaches who have beaten
MONDAY NIGHT MUSINGS –
ANCHORS
AWAY
The three players spent a night
aboard the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson as part of the
Navy’s Distinguished Visitor program.
The trip was arranged by Peelle, whose grandfather, Captain Morgan “Moe”
Peelle is a retired Navy captain.
Aboard the ship, the players toured
the entire carrier and observed flight operations as F/A-18F Super Hornets and
other Navy and Marine aircraft catapulted off the deck. “We got the privilege of going up to
the navigation bridge,” recalled Dielman.
“And here were all these young sailors running this gigantic ship. That’s quite a responsibility for these
young guys.” While signing autographs for the
crew on the mess decks, the Chargers players said they’d never forget such an
experience. “To see what these young men and
women are doing is truly remarkable,” said Dielman. SIMMONS HOPES TO HELP THOSE WITH
DIABETES
Simmons was diagnosed with
hyperglycemia, a diabetic condition that caused him to lose 30 pounds and
significant strength before training camp in 2003. “At first, it was a blow to me,”
says Simmons. “But I’ve learned
that the disease is what I make it.
I’m not going to let diabetes ruin my life. No one would know I have diabetes unless
I tell them. And right now, I feel
like the perfect person to educate people about the
disease.” THE LEGEND OF “FAST”
WILLILE
“I was 12 or 13 when I started
practicing on my speed and I used to beat everybody in the neighborhood in
races,” says Parker. The 5-10, 209-pound back has been
clocked at 4.23 seconds in the 40-yard dash and has not lost a foot race to a
human being since his freshman year in college. Growing up, on the side streets of
Clinton, North Carolina, Parker used to sprint by his father’s car to see if he
could beat dad home. And for a real
challenge, he’d race against pit bulls. “You should have seen it,” says
Willie Parker, Sr. “They’d have a
guy on the far end calling for the dog when the race started. You’d see the two at full gallop,
running to the finish line. It was
amazing to see so much speed.” MEMORABLE
TRIP
The two happened to be visiting the
Vatican when the white smoke was released from the Sistine Chapel’s chimney
announcing to the world that Pope Benedict XVI had been chosen to succeed Pope
John Paul II. |
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