Rookie TE taking nothing for granted

By: Bob Biertempfel-Tribune-Review

January 24, 2006

Heath Miller is Super Bowl-bound, which is what he figured could happen when the Steelers called his name on draft day last April.

"It was one of the first things that went through my head," the rookie tight end said Monday. "I was so glad to be coming to an organization that is in the hunt, year in and year out, as Pittsburgh is. I was excited to be part of that."

Miller was born in 1982, which means he wasn't around to see Chuck Noll raise up a black-and-gold dynasty in the '70s. But heading into this season, Miller knew that coach Bill Cowher had taken the Steelers into the playoffs in six of the previous 10 years.

Four times in the past decade, the Steelers had played in the AFC Championship game. But only once had they gone to the Super Bowl.

Miller thought about that Sunday night, as he and his teammates celebrated in the visitors' locker room at Invesco Field after whipping the Denver Broncos 34-17 in the AFC Championship game.

"It would be awfully easy for me to take this for granted, especially in my position -- coming in (as a rookie), winning the AFC Championship and going to the Super Bowl," Miller said.

"I think it really started sinking in for me when I was in the locker room and looked around at some of these older guys who have been through the battles year in and year out, who have come close so many times, and now they get to go to the big show. You see how much it means to them, and it really starts to sink in."

Cornerback Deshea Townsend was drafted by the Steelers in 1998, just a couple of months after they lost by a field goal to the Broncos in the AFC title game. He was on the field during the team's last two flops in the Super Bowl qualifier, against New England in 2001 and '04.

"To get there and not make it (to the Super Bowl), it really makes you appreciate the opportunity to get back," Townsend said. "To have this opportunity now, looking back at the last two times when we didn't make it, there's nothing like it. You have to really appreciate it. I can't explain it; it's just an amazing feeling."

The Steelers' chartered plane touched down in Pittsburgh around 11:30 Sunday night. Townsend said he did a little partying once he got back into town.

"The thing is, the people in this city are so amazing that you really want to (win) for them," Townsend said. "To see the celebrations on TV, to see how they were all in the streets, that's why we play here. It's all one family in this city."

Early yesterday afternoon, Miller stood rubbing sleep from his eyes at a podium at the team's South Side facility, and admitted he was "still kind of floating" on a post-game high.

"I went home and thought I could fall asleep, but I ended up tossing and turning all night, thinking about the game and everything that happened," Miller said. "I think in a couple of days, after dealing with everybody calling me for tickets, I think it will sink it."

The voicemail on Miller's cell phone was flooded with calls from long-lost cousins and best friends he'd never met. While Miller was trying to sort it all out, Townsend took a veteran's approach to the problem.

"Let's put this on national TV," Miller laughed into a mini-cam. "I want to nip the ticket requests in the bud. No tickets! No tickets!"