Big Ben, Harrison tapped for Pro Bowl
PITTSBURGH — In his first season, Ben Roethlisberger's 13-0 record was easily the best of any rookie quarterback in NFL history. In his second season, Roethlisberger won the Super Bowl.
Finally, in his fourth season, Roethlisberger has made the Pro Bowl.
Roethlisberger, enjoying a turnaround season following the many mishaps and major injuries of the previous one, was among five Steelers chosen Tuesday for the Pro Bowl.
Outside linebacker James Harrison, Joey Porter's replacement, also was a first-time pick, and the former nondrafted free agent had the joyous look of a kid opening a Christmas present when he learned the news.
"This is the most you've ever seen me smile in a long time," said Harrison, normally one of the Steelers' least talkative players. "Pro Bowl! I'm a Pro Bowler now! I can say that. If somebody says something to me, I can say, 'I'm a Pro Bowler!'"
The other Steelers going to Honolulu in February are familiar names: left guard Alan Faneca for the seventh and perhaps last time with Pittsburgh; safety Troy Polamalu for the fourth consecutive season; and running back Willie Parker, the NFL rushing leader, for the second time.Harrison and Faneca were chosen as AFC starters; Roethlisberger was thrilled enough merely to be picked."A lot of people wrote me off as a one-, two-year kind of hit wonder, so it's good to kind of bounce back," Roethlisberger said. "It's always, from the time you are a kid, it's always your goal to win a Super Bowl and get to a Pro Bowl and all that stuff. I'm not going to lie, it's a great honor."
The Patriots and Chargers each had eight players chosen for the AFC team. The Colts and Steelers had five players each.Of the Steelers, Harrison was by far the most excited.Like Parker, he wasn't drafted out of college, and he was cut multiple times before finally winning a job with Pittsburgh in 2004. He didn't become a starter until Porter, long the most familiar face on the Steelers' defense, was released in March.Harrison has a team-high 8Z\x sacks, six forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and an interception, yet still plays on special teams. He will start at outside linebacker along with New England's Mike Vrabel, who played for Pittsburgh from 1997-2000.
Probably the most surprising Steelers pick was Polamalu, who missed four games with injuries and has had a down year statistically."Quite honestly, I wasn't thinking too much about it (the Pro Bowl)," Polamalu said. "Maybe because I didn't think I had a chance."Parker not only made the Pro Bowl for the second consecutive year, he could become the Steelers' first NFL rushing champion since Bill Dudley in 1946. Parker has 1,317 yards with two games to play, six yards more than San Diego's LaDainian Tomlinson.
The 31-year-old Faneca, a five-time All-Pro guard, is in the final season of his contract and is expected to play elsewhere next season."People ask if it gets old," Faneca said. "It's a huge honor."
