Take a look at the best fan photos from game day and the Steelers Nation Unite experiences in Week 7.
Sabrina Gonzales of Dallas, TX, just finished up a weekend in Pittsburgh packed with memorable experiences. Thanks to the Steelers Nation Unite sweepstakes that she won, the approximately 72 hours she spent in Pittsburgh didn't allow for much down time. A look at the last 10 days shows just how crazy, in a very good way, it was.
On Friday, October 13, Gonazles was notified by Steelers Nation Unite she had won the sweepstakes for the VIP trip to Pittsburgh in Week 7, and at first, she didn't know what to make of it. Then the realization set in that she was headed for Pittsburgh in one week.
"I got a voicemail and I called back really quickly. They told me I won the sweepstakes and got me all the details. I was really excited and then I cried really hard," Gonzales said.
For a moment, her boyfriend Will Salazar was worried something bad had happened when he saw her crying, but it turned out to be quite the opposite.
"I was like 'Tell me [what's going]' and then she told me and I got goosebumps," he said. "I still can't believe it."
So, on Friday, October 20, Gonzales and Salazar arrived in Pittsburgh and shortly thereafter, headed over to Stage AE for the Rock Steelers Style Fashion Show and their first VIP experience of the weekend.
"Everything was beautiful and everyone was so sweet," Gonzales said. "We really felt welcomed. We're so grateful."
While there, they got to meet Santonio Holmes in the SNU Style Lounge before the show and Gonzales even tried on his Super Bowl ring.
"I really took a liking to Santonio Holmes and the receivers when I first started watching football," she explained. "It was like a dream come true to meet him. I still can't believe that happened. And then he let me wear his Super Bowl - too much."
Following the Style Lounge experience, Gonzales watched the start of the show, and then headed back to stage to get ready for her appearance on the runway.
"I still can't believe [I got to walk on the runway]," she said. "I got to be on stage with the players, and then I got to be backstage with all the players and their families. It was just amazing."
Then came Sunday's game against the Bengals. Before Sunday, Gonzales had been to two Steelers games - one at Heinz Field and one in Dallas. While that first game at Heinz Field was an exciting Steelers victory, it would be hard to compare it to what they experienced during pregame before the Steelers took on the Bengals.
"When I came to Heinz Field [for the first time], it was amazing," said Gonzales. "But this is like that last experience times a million. I can't even describe it."
In addition to the pregame field access, they got the opportunity to meet Seth Meyers, host of Late Night with Seth Meyers and a diehard Steelers fan. They also scored some new gear from the Steelers Pro Shop, and they were in the Players Tunnel pregame experience, where they lined the field and went crazy with other members as the Steelers ran out for introductions.
With the entire weekend topped off by an exciting win over the Bengals, it made for a truly unforgettable weekend with the team and Steelers Nation.
"It's been unbelievable," Gonzales said of the entire weekend. "I'm not sure if it's real life or not."
For fans who want opportunities like this and many more benefits and rewards just for being a Steelers fan, visit SteelersNationUnite.com. Joining the Official Home of Steelers Nation is free and puts members closer to their team and the action than ever before.
