Jan. 30, 2006
EVANSTON, Ill. -- On Sunday, a Northwestern football player will finally hoist the Lombardi Trophy.
When the Steelers and Seahawks face off February 5 in Detroit, a little-known Northwestern football streak will come to an end. In 10 previous Super Bowls, including the inaugural, a former Wildcat football player has been on the sideline. That team has never won.
But with a Wildcat on each side of Super Bowl XL, the school will have a Super Bowl winner to its claim by the end of the night (though Athletic Director Mark Murphy has a Super Bowl ring, he is not a Northwestern graduate).
Seven Northwestern alums have played in 10 previous Super Bowls. Defensive back Fred Williamson was on the Kansas City Chiefs team that lost to Green Bay. The string endured through the 1970s when receiver Jim Lash lost with the Minnesota Vikings in the 1974, 1975 and 1977 Super Bowls. Receiver Steve Craig also was a part of the latter two Super Bowl appearances. Receiver Steve Tasker has the unfortunate distinction of having played in four straight Super Bowl defeats with the Buffalo Bills in the early 1990s. Halfback Bob Christian was on the Atlanta Falcons team that lost to Denver in 1999 and tackle Darryl Ashmore and linebacker Napoleon Harris were on the Oakland Raiders team that lost to Tampa Bay in 2003.
Trai Essex, an offensive lineman for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and Kevin Bentley, a linebacker for the Seattle Seahawks, will be the eighth and ninth Wildcats to play in the NFL championship game. Though only one will be able to step onto the podium, after Sunday, Northwestern players will no longer be subject to a curse that has been more circumstantial than controllable.
Essex is aware of Northwestern's Super Bowl history. Specifically, he remembers how his former teammate Napoleon Harris lost in the Super Bowl in his first year in the league.
Still, winning the Super Bowl will mean more to him than breaking his alma mater's run of bad luck.
"That'd be great just to get that heavy ring on my finger," he said.
Essex started at left tackle for Northwestern after being recruited as a tight end. He blocked for Jason Wright and Noah Herron and anchored one of the nation's leading rushing attacks. This year he started four games for the Steelers after being drafted in the third round.
He never expected to play but soon found himself in the starting lineup after Marvel Smith went down to injury.
"I knew it would be a lot of pressure," he said. "I thought I adjusted well."
Even as a Steelers fan growing up in Ft. Wayne, Ind., idolizing Rod Woodson, Essex never completely understood the intensity of the Pittsburgh faithful until he stepped onto Heinz Field.
"I knew they had a great fan base but I didn't know the magnitude until I got here," Essex said.
Football is embedded in Pittsburgh's culture. The city stops for the black and gold on Sundays. Hundreds of fans filled the team's hotel lobby chanting, "here we go Steelers" before the AFC Championship Game in Denver.
However, the constant pressure hasn't affected the team's focus.
"I think the thing that was different about this team was [that] the cliché, `one game at a time,' is really true here," he said. "They focus on preaching that when coaching us."
It's a focus that has brought Pittsburgh from the brink of playoff elimination at 7-5 to the Super Bowl. After winning their final four regular season games, they went on the road to beat Cincinnati, Indianapolis, and Denver in the playoffs.
"This is a pretty close-knit team and in the hard times we stuck together," he said.
For Essex, the unity that has led to their success is a byproduct of the prevailing atmosphere in the Pittsburgh organization. Early in training camp, the team disproved his fears of NFL cliquishness.
"You make a lot of friends really fast here in Pittsburgh," he said.
That camaraderie goes beyond the team's social structure. Essex gives the credit to Cowher and his staff.
"I think it has to do with the coaching staff, Coach Cowher," he said. "Everyone here wants to play for him. He respects you. You respect him. He brings the best out of you without being a tyrant."
He said he's especially close with fellow linemen Max Starks and Chris Kemoeatu on the team. But his Evanston connections have been the most enduring.
"My best friends are the guys I played football with at Northwestern," he said.
As his stock rises as an NFL player, Essex said he remains attached to Northwestern. He said he felt a sense of accomplishment watching them earn a Sun Bowl berth this season. But moving on has been a comfortable transition for Essex.
"I'm here now and I'm happy," he said.
Now, he's playing in the Super Bowl, playing for the team he followed growing up.
"I guess I'm kind of spoiled," Essex said. "You have guys going their whole career without a chance at the Super Bowl."
He has a chance. The Steelers are the favorites in Detroit despite facing Bentley and his 16-2 Seahawks. Win or lose, Essex will be looking ahead as he walks off the field Sunday.
So will Northwestern fans, which will finally be able to claim a Super Bowl champion.
(EDITOR'S NOTE: NUsports.com tried to contact Kevin Bentley, but was unsuccessful in securing an interview.)
(Written by Kyle Adams, Northwestern Athletic Media Services student assistant)