As the Steelers prepare to take on the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XLV, several players shared their "Super Bowl Journey" with Teresa Varley.
The journey varies from how some of them came to Pittsburgh, the ups and downs in their careers and more, but the ultimate dream remains the same – winning a Super Bowl Championship.
In this installment wide receiver and special teamer Arnaz Battle, who played seven seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, talks about coming to the Steelers and the journey to Super Bowl XLV in his own words.
When I signed here the dream was definitely to get to the Super Bowl and win.
It's tough when your season ends too early. You go home and it's bad. But then you are almost delighted things are over because things had gone so bad the whole season. You get home and you are watching Pittsburgh and Seattle in the Super Bowl, Pittsburgh and Arizona in the Super Bowl, a team that we beat twice that year. They make it to the Super Bowl and we are done. It's frustrating. It's a fine line making it to the next level.
When I signed my family and friends said you are finally with a contender, a team going to the playoffs and making a run for the championship every year.
San Francisco had a lot of history, you walk in and see the trophies there, but here it was recent. This team was competing every year. All of the pieces were in place. All of the people in Pittsburgh, the fan base, all of the staff here are genuine and nice.
I thought my role here would have been bigger, more a part of the offense. But things didn't go that way. Guys stayed healthy and that is good. Hines Ward and (Antwaan Randle) El and Mike (Wallace) stayed healthy and the young guys came along. It gave me a different role and I embraced it. I am proud to be here, proud to be a Steeler. Like Coach (Mike) Tomlin says any time you can put your hand in the pile and help the team win it's a contributing factor.
The standard is the standard. You have guys that go out and others have to step in. Across the board it's a team with a lot of depth, leadership and youth who have embraced what the leaders have set as examples. Everyone is gelling and it shows.
There is an expectation here. You know other guys are holding you accountable, leaders on this team. Look at a guy like James Farrior. I remember Shaun Suisham coming in the first day and James Farrior being on him saying we have to make that, just riding him, but in a positive manner to put the pressure on and hold them accountable and it shows we are here to support you. We are here to cheer you on. We want you to know that.
The Super Bowl is the pinnacle of football. You dream of it as a kid. I think early on I was a Bo Jackson guy. I watched him with the Raiders. You had those backyard dreams and childhood fantasies. To be a part of it is a dream come true. I am going to embrace every the opportunity and enjoy every step of it.
Now to be involved in it, have a part, be a contributing factor is a dream come true and a blessing. My family and friends, just like everyone in the organization here, are excited about it. We want to finish in the right fashion.
I am going home to Dallas. I got everyone straightened out from the beginning about the tickets. There are people that have been dear to me and helped me along the way and I feel liable and want them to be a part of it. I have those tickets allotted.
It's great. It's unbelievable. You think about the Super Bowl being in Dallas and I am signing with the Steelers and we are going to have a chance to make that run. I come here and see the guys who are here and feel we are contenders and can win this thing. For it to happen words are unexplainable.
After the AFC Championship game I was stoked, excited but I felt like we hadn't arrived yet. We didn't finish our goal or destiny. There was another step we had to take. I tried to enjoy it but deep down I knew there was more ball to be played. And that's what this is.
