The Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger had barely got his feet off the plane in Florida when he was bombarded with questions concerning the health of receiver Hines Ward. "People ask me that question and I want to smack them," Roethlisberger said on Monday during the first of many news conferences he will hold before Sunday's Super Bowl against the Arizona Cardinals.
"He's going to be out there. First of all, it's the Super Bowl. Second of all, it's Hines Ward. He's going to be out there and he's going to be just fine." South Korean-born Ward, one of the key components of the Steelers' quick-strike offence, sprained his knee during the first quarter of the AFC Championship Game against the Baltimore Ravens and was unable to return to the game. The MVP of Pittsburgh's 21-10 victory over the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl three years ago has been listed as questionable for Sunday's affair at Tampa's Raymond James Stadium.
Ward, 32, who is a four-times Pro Bowl receiver, will not practice until tomorrow, but said he would be ready to play. The 11-year NFL veteran with the ever-present smile caught 81 passes and scored seven touchdowns this year. "As far as I know it looks good," Ward said. "I am well ahead of schedule. "I am doing the things behind the scenes that have definitely helped me get to a point where I think I can play pretty good."
Roethlisberger knows the value of having Ward in the line-up. "Whether it's keeping a drive going, making a big block, or just his leadership, he means a lot," said Roethlisberger. Both teams arrived in Tampa under sunny skies on Monday and were prepared for the week-long crush of media questions, some of them serious, some of them absurd. Roethlisberger was the Steelers' quarterback during their last Super Bowl win and admitted it was the first time he was "nervous for an entire game".
"I'm going to go into it and treat it like it's just another football game and go out and have fun," he said. "I'm going to treat it like it might be my last. I've been here before and I understand what went right and what went wrong last time." Half of the Steelers' starters were around for the last title game. Having that experience could be a key factor since the Cardinals have never made it to the Super Bowl.
Roethlisberger, however, does not believe it will be a factor. "I think it helps but when push comes to shove, it's what happens on the football field," he said. "All of this hoopla and all of this media has nothing to do with it. When it comes down to it, it's going to be two teams battling it out." * Reuters
