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, offensive tackle Flozell Adams, who spent 12 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys before signing with the Steelers at the start of training camp, talks about coming to the Steelers and the journey to Super Bowl XLV in his own words.
This is why I came to the Steelers. Once I got the call and had the opportunity, there wasn't any thinking. I was like I am going because of the tradition and the great things I heard about this organization. I was glad I got the call.
I believe in my 12 years in Dallas we made it to the playoffs six times and last January was the first and only playoff win I had with the Cowboys. I was happy about getting the first win. You soak it in for about 24 hours and then you want to get the next win and the next week we went to Minnesota and got our butts whipped. So it was like, here we go again. It was tough.
It's tough every year. The years you are supposed to make it and you don't and you are headed home or on vacation. You are still looking at the playoff games, watching the AFC or NFC Championship game and thinking we beat those teams during the year.
Then there is the Super Bowl and I am sitting at home all those years. It's hard to get over that stuff. Each year is a new year and you try to overcome it and make it and you just get let down again. But here, the first year here and to get to this is very special.
I appreciate this so much. I thank God and my family for being there for me. Without any type of support system, including fellow players and coaches, it's hard to be able to push on and be able to accomplish things. It's not just me or a particular person when I was with the Cowboys. It's a team thing. What happened…happened. You get over it. It's unfortunate but you get on to the next level.
Coming here was a good move. There is such tradition. I went up to where the trophies are right after training camp and I saw them and was like this is a great thing to have six Super Bowl trophies. That is a tough thing to accomplish. You can tell the tradition this team has, winning two Super Bowls in the last five years. I knew the opportunity for me to at least press for it was great.
When I got here during training camp I was just trying to learn a new position first and help this team win any way I can. When the wins started rolling I was like we can make a push for the playoffs. Fortunately it worked in our favor.
I have total confidence this team can do it. Going into each game and looking into these guys eyes. I am a visual person. I look and know these guys get into it. The Baltimore game we were down 21-7, when I was in Dallas guys would be like, 'eh, oh well,' but here it's like, 'whatever, the game is not over.' We are going to keep pushing until we win and you saw what happened. That is the attitude I have. No matter what the situation. Even if we are losing 49-0, I am going to go out there and try to hit your head off.
The AFC Championship game was a great accomplishment. We were up 24-0 and to me it was still 0-0. As long as know we have possession of the ball and the clock ticking down in the fourth, that's when I know we have a win. Once Antonio Brown caught that ball and I knew we won it, I was like 'Oh my God, we won it.' It took like two seconds and I was like, 'I am going to the Super Bowl, I am going to the Super Bowl.' I was so happy about that.
It was emotional. I don't do any crying or anything like that. But deep inside and in my heart it felt like after 13 years I finally accomplished part of my goal – not fully yet because I want to win the whole thing - but to get to something this special has been great for me.
I went over to Ben Roethlisberger after the game and I was like thank you. The man is a warrior. Even before I got here I watched him on film and thought I like that guy. He has a lot of guts and does a lot of stuff quarterbacks won't do. He will play on his last leg for you and I appreciate that. He did it for all of us, we did it for him. It's a whole team effort.
I told some of the young guys don't take it for granted. It doesn't matter what organization you are with, fortunately the Steelers have a winning tradition, but you never know when you are going to back there. You have to embrace it and take full advantage of what you can and have right now.
As I kid I dreamed about it. I never played football until my junior year in high school. I never thought I would play football and then I played in high school, made it in college and never thought I would make it to the NFL and I did. I never thought I would be in the Pro Bowl and I made it. I never thought I would make it to the Super Bowl and I did. It's great.
It's crazy that it's in Dallas. I hope the fans that were fans of mine back then are my fans now going back there to win the Super Bowl.
It doesn't matter where it is. It's in Dallas, but so what. We are just going to go out there and try to win. What would make it sweet would be winning it.
