PITTSBURGH— By his own admittance, he didn't earn it. But he'll take it.

And the Steelers were glad to take him.

Allen Rossum's 98-yard kickoff return for a touchdown early in the first quarter gave the Steelers a lead they never lost in Sunday's 37-16 win over San Francisco at Heinz Field.

"That was the easiest touchdown of my career,"Rossum said. "My 4-year-old son could have run through that hole."

The kickoff return for a touchdown was Rossum's first such score since 2002 — and the fourth kickoff return for a TD in his 10-year career spent with Philadelphia, Green Bay, Atlanta and now Pittsburgh.

He's also returned three punts for touchdowns, last doing so in 2004 with Atlanta. The Steelers acquired Rossum from the Falcons for a draft pick on Sept. 1.

"That was kinda crazy, switching teams so close to the start of a season like that,"Rossum said. "I stayed in a hotel for 10 days before I found a place.

"It was a little strange coming here at first, but the coaches told me to just do what I do. That's why they got me."

Entering this season, the Notre Dame graduate had returned 665 kickoffs or punts for 12,152 yards in the NFL.

"He can stick his foot on the ground and change direction just like that,"Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. "His zero to 60 time in this business is very good.

"Rossum's return was awesome. It gave us a spark when we needed one. We had been coming close to breaking one in our return game."

Rossum said the return play on his touchdown was supposed to go to the left. Once he broke through a gaping hole, however, he cut toward the right sideline and easily outran the pursuit.

"That's where the open field was, so that's where I went,"Rossum said. "The guys on the back side of the play stayed with their blocks and that helped make it happen.

"It's the greatest feeling in the world, scoring on a return like that, because you know you didn't do it alone. As soon as I reached the end zone and turned around, teammates were jumping all over me.

"Tyrone Carter plowed right into me ... That was the hardest hit I took all day," he added.

It didn't take Rossum long to realize what uniform he's wearing these days.

"Man, I saw all those towels waving all over the place,"he said. "That was cool. Black and gold forever, I guess."

One thing he was able to avoid on his 98-yard return — which tied Will Blackwell for third-longest kick return in Steelers history — was being tackled by Atlanta kicker Joe Nedney.

Rossum admitted to being tackled by kickers four times in his career — including once by Steeler kicker Jeff Reed last year.

"I had a 67-yard return and Jeff got me with a leg whip,"Rossum said, smiling. "It was a little embarrassing and your teammates razz you, but it's not as embarrassing as it once was. Kickers are pretty good athletes these days."

Witness Steelers punter Dan Sepulveda, who was sent out with the "hands" unit when the 49ers were in an onsides kick situation late in the game.

It was Sepulveda who caught that onsides kick.

"Hey, that man can run, he can jump ... Send him out there again,"Rossum said.

Rossum made a solo tackle on special teams late in the first half, preventing Delanie Walker from escaping outside to open field.

"Making tackles is part of this game, too,"the 5-foot-8, 178-pounder said. "Those are the plays that give you bragging rights. Those are the plays you like to talk about.

"On kick returns, all I do is catch the ball and run. The other guys on the field do all the work."