Among my friends, I have the reputation for being a reluctant Steelers fan, one who once asked, after living for several years among those gripped by Steelers mania, "Who's Greg Lloyd?"

It was December 1993, a half dozen years after our family had moved from Cincinnati Bengals country to Western Pennsylvania, where Greg Lloyd, known for sacking quarterbacks, was a household name.

A reporter for a local weekly newspaper at the time, I had been assigned to interview

the legendary linebacker who

had recently earned his black belt at a nearby tae kwon do studio.

Standing amid my fellow reporters, I asked the editor, "Who's Greg Lloyd?"

The ensuing laughter was deafening.

And when I later shared that exchange with my friends at the card club to which my husband and I belong, my reputation was sealed. I would never be counted among those who deserved to wear the Black and Gold.

I was asked to do the Lloyd interview because, at the time, I was taking tae kwon do classes with my children. I didn't know of Lloyd's sack record — he was 10th in Steelers history at the time — or that was he would become a five-time Pro Bowler.

But, as a novice white belt, I did know he would be wearing a "dobok" during his tae kwon do workout, and we would talk afterward in the "dojang," a practice gym. I also had an inkling of the discipline and determination he needed to become a black belt, a feat I never achieved.

During the interview, I learned how tae kwon do had helped Lloyd stay more focused on and off the playing field, of the importance he placed on being a good role model for his 4-year-old son, and of his greatest challenge with martial arts: Developing quickness and speed, instead of relying on the brute force that made him so successful on the gridiron.

Whether it was that personal connection to a Steelers player or, as I claim, from drinking the water that flows through Western Pennsylvania and breathing the air of the industry that once gave the Steelers its name, today I consider myself a bona fide Steelers fan.

"I'm proud of you, Linda," a friend and fanatical fan told me recently as we gathered at card club the Saturday night before the divisional playoff game against the Colts. "You've really come a long way."

Everyone was talking about the upcoming game — actually football peppered the conversation throughout the evening. I listened intently, no longer unfamiliar with the players' names, to talk of the Steelers' amazing drive to playoffs following a shaky start, and of Bettis' and Roethlisberger's roles in this Cinderella season.

"Look at Linda," another friend said during game day as my daughter and I clutched a Terrible Towel between us, as Mike Vanderjagt attempted that fateful 46-yard field goal. "I never thought I'd see the day."

Today, as the Steelers face Seattle in their quest for "one for the thumb," I'll be watching, proudly wearing my Black and Gold.

Linda K. Schmitmeyer is a freelance writer living in Middlesex Township. Her e-mail address is lks260@aol.com.