The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC. Pittsburgh has won more Super Bowl titles (six), won more AFC Championship Games (eight) and played in (fifteen) and hosted more (eleven) conference championship games than any other AFC or NFC team. The Steelers share the record for most Super Bowl appearances with the Dallas Cowboys (eight). The Steelers won their most recent championship, Super Bowl XLIII, on February 1, 2009.

The fifth-oldest franchise in the NFL, the Steelers were founded as the Pittsburgh Pirates on July 8, 1933, by Art Rooney, taking its original name from the baseball team of the same name, as was common practice for NFL teams to do at the time. The ownership of the Steelers has remained within the Rooney family since its founding. The current owner is Art's son, Dan Rooney, who has given much control of the franchise to his son Art Rooney II.

Long one of the NFL's flagship teams, the Steelers enjoys a large, widespread fanbase nicknamed Steeler Nation. The Steelers currently play their home games at Heinz Field on Pittsburgh's North Side in the North Shore neighborhood, which also hosts the University of Pittsburgh Panthers. Built in 2001, the stadium replaced Three Rivers Stadium which hosted the Steelers for 31 seasons. Prior to Three Rivers, the Steelers had played their games in Pitt Stadium and Forbes Field.

Franchise history

The Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL first took to the field as the Pittsburgh Pirates on September 20, 1933, losing 23–2 to the New York Giants. Through the 1930s, the Pirates never finished higher than second place in their division, or with a record better than .500 (). Pittsburgh did make history in by signing Byron White, a future Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, to what was at the time the biggest contract in NFL history, but he played only one year with the Pirates before signing with the Detroit Lions. Prior to the 1940 season, the Pirates renamed themselves the Steelers.

During World War II, the Steelers experienced player shortages. They twice merged with other NFL franchises to field a team. During the 1943 season, they merged with the Philadelphia Eagles forming the "Phil-Pitt Eagles" and were known as the "Steagles". This team went 5–4–1. In 1944, they merged with the Chicago Cardinals and were known as Card-Pitt (or, mockingly, as the "Carpets"). This team finished 0–10, marking the only winless team in franchise history.

The Steelers made the playoffs for the first time in , tying for first place in the division at 8–4 with the Philadelphia Eagles. This forced a tie-breaking playoff game at Forbes Field, which the Steelers lost 21–0. That would be Pittsburgh's only playoff game for the next 25 years, though the Steelers did qualify for a "Playoff Bowl" in 1962 as the second-best team in their conference, though not considered an official playoff.

In , the year they moved into Three Rivers Stadium and the year of the AFL-NFL merger, the Pittsburgh Steelers were one of three old-guard NFL teams to switch to the newly-formed American Football Conference (the others being the Cleveland Browns and the Baltimore Colts), in order to equalize the number of teams in the two conferences of the newly-merged league. The Steelers also received a $3 million relocation fee, which was a windfall for them; for years they rarely had enough to build a true contending team.

The Chuck Noll era

The Steelers' history of bad luck changed with the hiring of coach Chuck Noll for the 1969 season. Noll's most remarkable talent was in his draft selections, taking Hall of Famers "Mean" Joe Greene in 1969, Terry Bradshaw and Mel Blount in 1970, Jack Ham in 1971, Franco Harris in 1972, and finally, in 1974, pulled off the incredible feat of selecting four Hall of Famers in one draft year, Lynn Swann, Jack Lambert, John Stallworth, and Mike Webster. The Pittsburgh Steelers' 1974 draft was their best ever, and no other team has ever drafted four future Hall of Famers in one year, and only very few (including the 1970 Steelers) have drafted two or more in one year.

The players drafted in the early '70s formed the base of an NFL dynasty, making the playoffs in eight seasons and becoming the only team in NFL history to win four Super Bowls in six years, as well as the first to win more than two. They also enjoyed a regular season streak of 49 consecutive wins (–) against teams that would finish with a losing record that year.

The Steelers suffered a rash of injuries in the 1980 season and missed the playoffs with a 9–7 record. The 1981 season was no better, with an 8–8 showing. The team was then hit with the retirements of all their key players from the Super Bowl years. "Mean" Joe Greene retired after the 1981 season, Lynn Swann and Jack Ham after 1982's playoff berth, Terry Bradshaw and Mel Blount after 1983's divisional championship, and Jack Lambert after 1984's AFC Championship Game appearance.

After those retirements, the franchise skidded to its first losing seasons since 1971. Though still competitive, the Steelers would not finish above .500 in 1985, 1986, and 1988. In 1987, the year of the players' strike, the Steelers finished with a record of 8–7, but missed the playoffs. In 1989, they would reach the second round of the playoffs on the strength of Merrill Hoge and Rod Woodson before narrowly missing the playoffs in each of the next two seasons.

The Bill Cowher era

In 1992, Chuck Noll retired and was succeeded by Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Bill Cowher, a native of the Pittsburgh suburb of Crafton.

Cowher led the Steelers to the playoffs in each of his first six seasons, a feat that had been accomplished only by legendary coach Paul Brown of the Cleveland Browns. In those first six seasons Cowher coached them as deep as the AFC Championship Game three times and following the 1995 season an appearance in Super Bowl XXX on the strength of the "Blitzburgh" defense. However, the Steelers lost to the Dallas Cowboys. Cowher produced the franchise's record-tying fifth Super Bowl win in Super Bowl XL over the National Football Conference champion Seattle Seahawks ten years later. With that victory, the Steelers became the third team to win five Super Bowls, and the first sixth-seeded playoff team to reach and win the Super Bowl since the NFL expanded to a 12-team post-season tournament in 1990. He coached through the 2006 season which ended with a 8-8 record, just short of the playoffs. Overall Cowher's teams reached the playoffs 10 of 15 seasons with six AFC Championship Games, two Super Bowl berths and a championship.

The Mike Tomlin era

On January 7, 2007, Cowher resigned from coaching the Steelers, citing a need to spend more time with his family. He did not use the term "retire," leaving open a possible return to the NFL as coach of another team. A three-man committee consisting of Art Rooney II, Dan Rooney, and Kevin Colbert was set up to conduct interviews for the head coaching vacancy. The candidates interviewed included: offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt, offensive line coach Russ Grimm, former offensive coordinator Chan Gailey, Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Mike Tomlin, and Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Ron Rivera. On January 22, 2007, Mike Tomlin was announced as Cowher's successor as head coach. Tomlin is the first African-American to be named head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers in its 75-year history. Tomlin became the third consecutive Steelers Head Coach to go to the Super Bowl, equaling the Dallas Cowboys (Tom Landry, Jimmy Johnson and Barry Switzer) in this achievement. He was named the Motorola 2008 Coach of the Year. On February 1, 2009, Tomlin led the Steelers to their second Super Bowl of this decade, and went on to win 27–23 against the Arizona Cardinals. At age 36, he was the youngest head coach to ever win the Super Bowl, and he is only the second African-American coach to ever win the Super Bowl (Tony Dungy was the first). The 2010 season made Tomlin the only coach to reach the Super Bowl twice before the age of 40. Tomlin led the team to his second Super Bowl (Super Bowl XLV)on Feb. 6th, 2011. However, the Steelers were defeated in their eighth Super Bowl appearance by the Green Bay Packers by the score of 31-25.

Since the NFL merger in 1970, the Pittsburgh Steelers have compiled a regular season record of 363–235–2 (.607) and an overall record of 394–253–2 (.609) including the playoffs, reached the playoffs 25 times, won their division 20 times, played in 15 AFC championship games, and won six of eight Super Bowls. They are also the only NFL team not to have a season with twelve or more losses since the league expanded to a 16-game schedule in 1978.

Ownership

Since 2008, the Rooney family has brought in several investors for the team while retaining control of the team itself. This came about so that the team could comply with NFL ownership regulations. Current Steelers Chairman, Dan Rooney, and his son, Art Rooney II, president of the franchise, wanted to stay involved with the franchise, while two of the brothers — Timothy and Patrick — wanted to further pursue racetracks that they own in Florida and New York. Since 2006, many of the racetracks have added video slot machines, causing them to violate "NFL policy that prohibits involvement with racetrack and gambling interests".

While Dan Rooney and Art Rooney II retain control of the team with the league-minimum 30%, the following make up the other investors:

Several other members of the Rooney family, including Art Rooney Jr., John Rooney, and the McGinley family, who are cousins to the Rooneys.

Pilot Corporation and Pilot Flying J president Jim Haslam III, son of founder Jim Haslam Jr. and brother of Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam. Legendary Pictures president and CEO Thomas Tull. The Paul family of Pittsburgh and Los Angeles, who are primarily involved with Pittsburgh-based Ampco Pittsburgh Corporation as well as Morton's Restaurant Group, Urban Active Fitness, Meyer Products and Harley Marine Services. Additionally, family members serve on numerous boards, including Cornell University, UPMC, University of Pittsburgh, the American Red Cross, Harvard Medical School and the Loomis Chaffee School. Former Steelers wide receiver John Stallworth, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. GTCR chairman Bruce V. Rauner. The Varischetti family of Brockway, Pennsylvania, which owns several nursing homes and a commercial real estate business. Paul Evanson, chairman, president, and CEO of Allegheny Energy.

With the transaction, Jim Haslam and the Paul family each own over 10% of the team making them the largest new investors.

Season-by-season records

Through the end of the season, the Steelers have an all-time record of 565–529–21, including playoffs. In recent seasons the Steelers have generally performed well, qualifying for the playoffs six times in the past ten seasons and winning the Super Bowl twice since .

In the NFL's "modern era" (since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970) the Steelers have posted the best record in the league. The franchise has won the most total games, won the most divisional titles, earned the best winning percentage (including every expansion team), earned the most All-Pro nominations, and have accumulated the most Super Bowl wins (six) since the modern game started in 1970. It is 2^nd overall in playoff wins and tied with the Miami Dolphins for most regular-season wins. Since the merger, the team's playoff record is 33-19 (.635), which is second best in terms of playoff winning percentage behind the Green Bay Packers' playoff record of 28-16 (.636), through 1/23/11.

Logo and uniforms

right|thumb|150px|The script logo.The Steelers have used black and gold as their colors since the club's inception, the lone exception being the 1943 season when they merged with the Philadelphia Eagles and formed the "Steagles"; the team's colors at that time were green and white as a result of wearing Eagles uniforms. Originally, the team wore solid gold-colored helmets and black jerseys. Unique to Pittsburgh, the Steelers' black and gold colors are now shared by all major professional teams in the city, including the Pittsburgh Pirates in baseball and the Pittsburgh Penguins in hockey, and also the Pittsburgh Power of the reformed Arena Football League, and the Pittsburgh Passion of the Independent Women's Football League. However, the Penguins currently use "Vegas Gold", a color similar to metallic gold, and the Pirates' gold is a darker mustard yellow-gold, while the Steelers "gold" is more of a bright canary yellow. Black and gold are also the colors of the city's official flag.

The Steelers logo was introduced in 1962 and is based on the "Steelmark", originally designed by Pittsburgh's U.S. Steel and now owned by the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI). In fact, it was Cleveland-based Republic Steel that suggested the Steelers adopt the industry logo. It consists of the word "Steelers" surrounded by three astroids (hypocycloids of four cusps). The original meanings behind the astroids were, "Steel lightens your work, brightens your leisure, and widens your world." Later, the colors came to represent the ingredients used in the steel-making process: yellow for coal, red for iron ore, and blue for scrap steel. While the formal Steelmark logo contains only the word "Steel," the team was given permission to add "ers" in 1963 after a petition to AISI.

The Steelers are the only NFL team that puts its logo on only one side of the helmet (the right side). Longtime field and equipment manager Jack Hart was instructed to do this by Art Rooney as a test to see how the logo appeared on the gold helmets; however, its popularity led the team to leave it that way permanently. A year after introducing the logo, they switched to black helmets to make it stand out more.

The current uniform designs were introduced in . The design consists of gold pants and either black jerseys or white jerseys, except for the and seasons when the Steelers wore white pants with their white jerseys. In , the team switched to rounded numbers on the jersey to match the number font (Futura Condensed) on the helmets, and a Steelers logo was added to the left side of the jersey.

The current third uniform, consisting of a black jersey with gold lettering, white pants with black and gold stripes, and a gold helmet were first used during the Steelers' 75th anniversary season in . They were meant to evoke the memory of the – era uniforms. The uniforms were so popular among fans that the Steeler organization decided to keep them and use them as a third option during home games only.

In –2009, the Steelers became the first team in NFL history to defeat an opponent three times in a single season using three different uniforms. They defeated the Baltimore Ravens in Pittsburgh in Week 4 in their third jerseys, again Week 15 in Baltimore in their road whites, and a final time in the AFC Championship in Pittsburgh in their home black jerseys.

Rivals

The Pittsburgh Steelers have three primary rivals, all within their division: (Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens, and Cincinnati Bengals). They also have rivalries with other teams that arose from post-season battles in the past, most notably the New England Patriots, Oakland Raiders, Tennessee Titans and Dallas Cowboys. They also have an intrastate rivalry with the Philadelphia Eagles, but under the current scheduling the teams play each other only once every four years.

Divisional rivals

The Cleveland Browns and the Steelers have been divisional rivals since the two cities' teams began playing against each other in 1950. After posting a 9–31 record in first 40 games of the series between the two cities, the Steelers recently took over the all-time series lead for the first time ever (60–56); partly due to their dominance over the post-1999, Cleveland Browns franchise and won the last twelve straight before the Browns snapped their losing skid against them by beating them 13–6 on December 10, 2009. Additionally, the Browns lost 16 straight years in Pittsburgh from – and posted an abysmal 5–24 record at Three Rivers Stadium overall. Former Steelers head coach Bill Cowher coached the Browns special teams and secondary before following Marty Schottenheimer for a brief tenure as Kansas City Defensive Coordinator, and then hired by Pittsburgh. This has only intensified the rivalry.

The Baltimore Ravens and the Steelers have had several memorable match-ups and have a bitter divisional rivalry. Both teams handed the other their first losses at their current home fields. The Steelers won the inaugural game played at Baltimore's M&T; Bank Stadium in , 20–13, and three years later the Ravens handed the Steelers their first-ever loss at Heinz Field, 13–10. Later that season () Pittsburgh won a divisional playoff game 27–10 against Baltimore, who was the defending Super Bowl champion. During their NFL championship season in 2000, the Ravens defeated the Steelers in Pittsburgh, 16–0, in the season opener with the Steelers later exacting revenge, 9–6, in Baltimore (the Ravens' final loss of the season). During the Steelers 2008 Championship run, they beat the Ravens three times, including a win in the AFC Championship game. The Steelers lead the series (begun in ), 16–10. The two teams complement each other by consistently fielding strong defenses in their division. The Steelers-Ravens Rivalry really began when Art Modell moved the his Franchise from Cleveland to Baltimore. "The Steelers saw the Ravens as Modell's team, which was reason enough to want to beat them. The Steelers also looked at Modell's move of his franchise from Cleveland to Baltimore as taking away the Steelers longest and deepest rivalry."

The Cincinnati Bengals rivalry with Pittsburgh dates from the season, when the NFL-AFL merger was completed. In , the Steelers kept their playoff hopes alive (they later won the division) with a late-season 7–3 win in snowy Cincinnati. One of the most memorable games was the 2005 AFC Wildcard playoff game, in which the Steelers, en route to a Super Bowl title, won a 31–17 come-from-behind victory after Bengals QB Carson Palmer was forced to leave the game with a knee injury. The knee injury happened when nose tackle Kimo von Oelhoffen fell forward into Palmer's knee. The Bengals players called this a dirty play, the NFL ruled that it was accidental and did not fine von Oelhoffen for the hit. This incident has led to an intensifying of the rivalry since this game. The Bengals beat the Steelers in week 13 of the season 38–31, and wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh used a Terrible Towel to polish his cleats while walking up the tunnel after the game, fueling the rivalry. The Steelers and Bengals finished and with identical records (11–5 and 8–8 respectively), splitting both regular-season series, the Bengals winning the tiebreaker both years due to having a superior division record. The Steelers also are responsible for ending the Bengals' season in Cincinnati two years in a row, eliminating them from the playoffs in and taking them out of contention in . The Steelers lead the all-time series, 47–30.

Historic rivals

The rivalry between the Steelers and the Oakland Raiders was one of the most heated of the 1970s. The Steelers' first playoff win was a 13–7 victory over the Raiders by way of Franco Harris's Immaculate Reception on December 23, 1972. The wild card Pittsburgh football team was knocked out of the playoffs the following year by the Raiders in the 1973 AFC Divisional round 33-14, but fired back with two straight AFC Championships in 24-13 and 16-10 over Oakland. Oakland responded with a victory over Pittsburgh in the AFC Championship game 24-7 (the third consecutive AFC title game between the two teams), but not before Chuck Noll referred to Oakland's George Atkinson as part of the NFL's "criminal element" after his alleged cheap-shot on Lynn Swann during a regular-season matchup. Atkinson and the Raiders later filed a defamation of character lawsuit against Noll, but lost. Following the 1983 regular season, the Los Angeles Raiders defeated the Steelers 38-10 in the AFC Divisional round which turned out to be the last NFL game for Steeler NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Terry Bradshaw who did not play due to inury. While the rivalry has dissipated over the years (mostly due to Oakland's decline in recent seasons), the teams have had notable games against each other including an upset Steelers victory towards the end of the season to prevent the Raiders from obtaining homefield advantage in the playoffs, and an upset Raiders victory in week 8 of the 2006 NFL season (20–13), which helped cost the Steelers a playoff berth. The teams' most recent meeting was at Pittsburgh in , where the Steelers blew out the Raiders 35-3, and ended their 3-game winning streak.

The rivalry between the Steelers and the Dallas Cowboys started with the Cowboys' first game as a franchise in (against the Steelers) at the Cotton Bowl with the Steelers coming away with a 35-28 victory. These teams hold a record for the most times (three) that two teams have met in a Super Bowl. The first two times the favored Steelers and Cowboys met came with Pittsburgh victories in the Orange Bowl Super Bowl X 21-17 and Super Bowl XIII 35-31. The Cowboys never won a regular season game in the Orange Bowl and lost three Super Bowl games (once to the Baltimore Colts and twice to the Steelers). Between the Cowboys and Steelers, Super Bowl XIII had the greatest number of future Pro Football Hall of Fame players participating, which as of 2010 numbered 20 — 14 players and six coaches/front office, including Ernie Stautner, defensive coordinator for the Cowboys who was a HoF defensive tackle for the Steelers. The teams featured an all-star matchup at quarterback between the Steelers' Terry Bradshaw and the Cowboys' Roger Staubach, both of whom are in the Hall of Fame. In , Staubach and the Cowboys won Super Bowl XII, their second and last loss of their season being inflicted by Bradshaw and the Steelers, 28-13 at Three Rivers Stadium in November. In , Staubach's final season, the two defending conference champs met again at Three Rivers, the Steelers winning 14–3 en route to winning their fourth Super Bowl title. The Steelers won six of eight meetings during the 1970s and 80s, before the Cowboys won all four meetings during the 1990s, including the teams' record third Super Bowl meeting in 1996, as this time the heavily-favored Cowboys beat the Steelers 27–17. Dallas cornerback Larry Brown intercepted Pittsburgh quarterback Neil O'Donnell twice and was named the game's MVP. The teams' first two meetings of the 21st century ( and ) were won by the Steelers, including a come from behind victory December 7, 2008 in Pittsburgh, when the Steelers drove the length of the field to tie the game 13–13, then cornerback Deshea Townsend returned an intercepted pass from Tony Romo for the game's final score, Steelers 20, Cowboys 13. The all-time series is tied, 15–15. The Pittsburgh/Dallas rivalry served as a backdrop to the 1977 film ''Black Sunday'', parts of which were filmed during Super Bowl X.

The Denver Broncos are tied with the Oakland Raiders for the most playoff meetings versus the Steelers (six). The rivalry dates from , but the first notable contest came in , when Denver dealt Pittsburgh its first regular-season defeat at Three Rivers Stadium, 23–13. The following year, they met in the NFL's first regular-season overtime game, which ended in a 35-35 tie. Denver's first playoff game had them hosting the Steelers in the 1977 divisional round; the Broncos won 34–21. The following year, the Steelers hosted and defeated Denver 33-10 in the divisional round. Their next playoff matchup was the 1984 divisional round in Mile High Stadium; the Steelers pulled the upset 24–17. They nearly pulled the upset again 5 years later in Denver, but the Broncos prevailed in the divisional playoff, 24–23. In 1997, they met in Pittsburgh for the AFC Championship Game, where Denver squeaked out at 24–21 win. Eight years later, the Steelers went to the Super Bowl by beating Denver 34–17 in Colorado. As of December 2009, Denver holds a 16–10–1 lead in the series, including 3–3 in the playoffs. Neither team has beaten the other more than three times in a row.

The rivalry between the Steelers and the New England Patriots emerged when the Patriots upset the Steelers in the 2001 AFC Championship game at Heinz Field. Pittsburgh did not exact revenge for the loss until ending the Patriots record-setting 21-game winning streak in week 6 of the 2004 NFL season. Later that season, the Steelers lost to the eventual champion Patriots in the AFC Championship game after a 15–1 season. The two also had a brief rivalry in the mid 1990s when the Steelers and Patriots split playoff meetings in 1996 and 1997, in which the Patriots had two young stars with Pittsburgh-area roots with Ty Law and Curtis Martin. Martin played his last game as a Patriot against the Steelers in the second playoff game before signing with the rival New York Jets during the offseason, where he became more well known. The Patriots won 6 of 7 meetings over a ten year period (–) before the Steelers broke through with a 33–10 victory at Foxborough in , after Matt Cassel had turned the ball over five times. The Steelers lead the all-time regular season series, 13-8. In the postseason, the Patriots have outscored the Steelers 99 points to 58, with the Patriots maintaining a 3-1 record. The only other franchises with winning AFC playoff records against Steelers include the Miami Dolphins (2-1, both wins in the AFC Championship), the Kansas City Chiefs (1-0), San Diego Chargers (2-1, all games played in Pittsburgh), Jacksonville Jaguars (1-0, game at Heinz Field). The Steelers have an all-time record of 14-11 against the Patriots.

Culture

Mascot

Prior to the season, the Steelers introduced Steely McBeam as their official mascot. As part of the 75th anniversary celebrations of the team, his name was selected from a pool of 70,000 suggestions submitted by fans of the team. Diane Roles of Middlesex Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania submitted the winning name which was "meant to represent steel for Pittsburgh's industrial heritage, "Mc" for the Rooney family's Irish roots, and Beam for the steel beams produced in Pittsburgh, as well as for Jim Beam, her husband's favorite alcoholic beverage." Steely McBeam is visible at all home games and participates in the team's charitable programs and other club-sponsored events. Steely's autograph is known to be drawn with an oversized 'S' and the "L" is drawn to look like a beam of steel.

Fanbase

The Steelers have a tradition of having a large fanbase, which has spread from Pittsburgh. In August 2008, ESPN.com ranked the Steelers' fans as the best in the NFL, citing their "unbelievable" sellout streak of 299 consecutive games. The team gained a large fan base nationally based on its success in the 1970s, but many consider the collapse of the city's steel industry at the end of the '70s dynasty into the 1980s (and the resulting diaspora) to be a large catalyst for the size of the fan base in other cities. The Steelers have sold out every home game since the season.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have numerous unofficial fan clubs in many cities throughout the country, that typically meet in bars or taverns on game days. This phenomenon is known to occur for other NFL teams as well, but "Steeler bars" are more visible than most, including representative establishments even in cities that field their own NFL teams.

The Terrible Towel has been described by the Associated Press as "arguably the best-known fan symbol of any major pro sports team". Conceived of by broadcaster Myron Cope in , the towel's rights have since been given to the Allegheny Valley School in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania, which cares for over 900 people with mental retardation and physical disabilities, including Cope's autistic son. Since 1996, proceeds from the Terrible Towel have helped raise more than $2.5 million for the school.

Fight songs

The Steelers have no official fight song, but many fan versions of "Here we go Steelers" and the "Steelers Polka" by ethnic singer "Jimmy Pol", both originating in the 1970s, have been recorded. During Steelers games, Styx's "Renegade" is often used to rally the crowd. Also, considered the fight song of the Pittsburgh Steelers is as of the 2010 NFL Season is Black and Yellow by Wiz Khalifa.

Nicknames

The Steelers enjoy several endearing nicknames, most notably "The Black and Gold" and the Pittsburghese dialect "Stillers" or "Stihllers". The founder Art Rooney was almost always referred to by the nickname "The Chief" and Three Rivers Stadium as the "Blast Furnace" during the championship years of the 1970s.

Facilities

Stadiums

In 2001, the Steelers moved into Heinz Field. The franchise dating back to 1933 has had several homes. For thirty-one seasons, the Steelers shared Forbes Field with the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1933 to 1963. In 1958, though they started splitting their home games with the football only Pitt Stadium three blocks away at the University of Pittsburgh. From 1964 to 1969, the Steelers played exclusively at the on campus facility before moving with the Pirates to Three Rivers Stadium on the city's Northside. Three Rivers is remembered fondly by the Steeler Nation as where Chuck Noll and Dan Rooney turned the franchise into a powerhouse, winning four Super Bowls in just six seasons and making the playoffs 11 times in 13 seasons from 1972 to 1984, the AFC title game seven times. Since 2001 however a new generation of Steeler greats has made Heinz Field legendary with multiple AFC Championship Games being hosted and two Super Bowl championships.

Training camp

The Steelers hold training camp east of the city in the suburban Laurel Highlands at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. The site is one of the most storied in the league with Peter King of SI.com describing it as: ". . . I love the place. It's the perfect training-camp setting, looking out over the rolling hills of the Laurel Highlands in west-central Pennsylvania, an hour east of Pittsburgh. On a misty or foggy morning, standing atop the hill at the college, you feel like you're in Scotland. Classic, wonderful slice of Americana. If you can visit one training camp, this is the one to see.''

The team has its headquarters and practice facilities at the state-of-the-art University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Sportsplex on Pittsburgh's Southside. Constructed in 2000 the facility combines the vast expertise of sports medical professionals and researchers as well as hosting the University of Pittsburgh Panthers football team.

Historical facilities

The Rooney family has long had a close relationship with Duquesne University in the city and from the teams founding in the 1930s to the late 1990s used Art Rooney Field and other facilities on campus as either its primary or secondary in-season training site.

In the 1970s and 1980s, the team had season scrimmages at South Park in the suburban south hills of Pittsburgh. During various seasons including the strike season of 1987, the Steelers used Point Stadium in nearby Johnstown, Pennsylvania for game week practices.

Statistics

Players

Current roster

Pro Football Hall of Famers

The Steelers boast the third most "primary" inductees into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. They also can claim the most honorees of any franchise founded on or after , the only franchise with three members of ownership in the Hall and the only player (Cal Hubbard) to be inducted in both the pro football and the baseball Halls of Fame.

Bell, BertBert BellBlount, MelMel BlountBradshaw, TerryTerry BradshawDawson, LenLen DawsonDudley, BillBill DudleyGreene, JoeJoe Greene (American football)Ham, JackJack HamHarris, FrancoFranco HarrisHubbard, CalCal HubbardJohnson, John HenryJohn Henry JohnsonKiesling, WaltWalt KieslingLambert, JackJack Lambert (American football)Layne, BobbyBobby LayneMcNally, JohnJohn McNallyMotley, MarionMarion MotleyNoll, ChuckChuck NollRooney, ArtArt RooneyRooney, DanDan RooneyStallworth, JohnJohn StallworthStautner, ErnieErnie StautnerSwann, LynnLynn SwannWebster, MikeMike WebsterWoodson, RodRod Woodson

+Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Famers
!No.	!Name	!Year Inducted	!Position(s)	!Years w/ Steelers
	|	1963	Head coach, co-owner	–
align="center"	47	|	1989	Cornerback	–
align="center"	12	|	1989	Quarterback	–
align="center"	16	|	1987	Quarterback	–
align="center"	3, 35	|	1966	Running back>Halfback, defensive back	, –
align="center"	72, 75	"Mean" Joe Greene ||	1987	Defensive tackle	–
align="center"	59	|	1988	Linebacker	–
align="center"	32	|	1990	Running back	–
align="center"	36	Robert "Cal" Hubbard ||	1963	Offensive tackle>Tackle
align="center"	35	|	1987	Running back	–
align="center"	35	|	1966	Guard (American football)>Guard, Head coach	– (player);–, – (head coach)
align="center"	58	Jack Lambert ||	1990	Linebacker	–
align="center"	22	|	1967	Quarterback	–
align="center"	15, 35	Johnny "Blood" McNally ||	1963	Running back>Halfback, head coach	, –
align="center"	36	|	1968	Fullback (American football)>Fullback
align="center"	—	|	1993	Head coach	–
align="center"	—	|	1964	Founder, Owner	–
align="center"	—	|	2000	Executive, Owner	–''present''
align="center"	82	|	2002	Wide receiver	–
align="center"	63, 70	|	1969	Defensive tackle, Guard (American football)>Guard	–
align="center"	88	|	2001	Wide receiver	–
align="center"	52	|	1997	Center (American football)>Center	–
align="center"	26	|	2009	Defensive back	–

Award recipients

Pat Livingston, Steelers beat writer for the Pittsburgh Press, awarded the 1979 Dick McCann Memorial Award

Vito Stellino, Steelers beat writer in the 1970s for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, awarded the 1989 Dick McCann Memorial Award

Myron Cope, Announcer (1970–2005), awarded the 2005 Pro Football Hall of Fame's Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award

John Clayton, Steelers beat writer for the Pittsburgh Press (1976–1986), awarded the 2007 Dick McCann Memorial Award

Steelers in the Hall for contributions elsewhere

Former Steelers QB Jim Finks, as an administrator with the Vikings, Bears and Saints.

Current defensive coordinator (and coordinator for Super Bowls XXX, XL, XLIII, and XLV) Dick LeBeau, as a player for the Lions.

Retired numbers

70 Ernie Stautner

Unofficially retired numbers

12 Terry Bradshaw

32 Franco Harris

36 Jerome Bettis

52 Mike Webster

58 Jack Lambert

59 Jack Ham

63 Dermontti Dawson

75 Joe Greene

League MVPs

Steelers players who have been named the league MVP: Bill Dudley – awarded the Joe F. Carr Trophy in Terry Bradshaw – named the AP MVP in

Defensive Player of the Year Awards winners

Steelers players who have been named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year:

Joe Greene (1972 & 1974)

Mel Blount (1975)

Jack Lambert (1976)

Rod Woodson (1993)

James Harrison (2008)

Troy Polamalu (2010)

Rookie of the Year Award winners

Offensive Rookie of the Year

Steelers players who have been named the Offensive Rookie of the Year:

Franco Harris (1972)

Louis Lipps (1984)

Ben Roethlisberger (2004)

Defensive Rookie of the Year

Steelers players who have been named the Defensive Rookie of the Year:

Joe Greene (1969)

Jack Lambert (1974)

Kendrell Bell (2001)

Super Bowl MVPs

The following Steelers players have been named Super Bowl MVP:

Super Bowl IX - Franco Harris

Super Bowl X - Lynn Swann

Super Bowl XIII - Terry Bradshaw

Super Bowl XIV - Terry Bradshaw

Super Bowl XL - Hines Ward

Super Bowl XLIII - Santonio Holmes

All-time team

In , in celebration of the franchise's 75th season, the team announced an updated All-Time team of the 33 best players who have ever played for the Steelers. This team supplanted the previous All-Time team of 24 players named as part of the 50th anniversary commemoration in .

A "Legends team" consisting of the club's best pre-1970's players was released concurrently with the latest All-Time team.

Coaches

The Steelers have had sixteen coaches through their history. Their first coach was Forrest Douds, who coached them to a 3-6-2 record in 1933. Chuck Noll had the longest term as head coach with the Steelers; he is one of only four coaches to coach a single NFL team for 23 years. Hired prior to the 2007 season, the Steelers current coach is Mike Tomlin.

Current staff

Media

As of 2006, the Steelers' flagship radio stations were WDVE 102.5 FM and WBGG 970 AM. Both stations are owned by Clear Channel Communications. Games are also available on 51 radio stations in Pennsylvania, Western Maryland, Ohio, and Northern West Virginia. The announcers are Bill Hillgrove and Tunch Ilkin. Craig Wolfley is the sideline reporter. Myron Cope, the longtime color analyst and inventor of the "Terrible Towel", retired after the 2004 season, and died in 2008.

Pre-season games not shown on one of the national broadcasters are seen on CBS O&O; KDKA-TV, channel 2; sister CW O&O; WPCW, channel 19; and Root Sports Pittsburgh. KDKA-TV's Bob Pompeani and former Steelers lineman Edmund Nelson do the announcing for the pre-season games, as well as the two hosting the pre-game program ''Steelers Kickoff'' during the regular season prior to the national airing of ''The NFL Today''. The two also host the ''Steelers Postgame Extra'' following the game on days when CBS does not have that week's NFL doubleheader. Coach Mike Tomlin's weekly press conference is shown live on Root Sports Pittsburgh.

National NFL Network broadcasts are shown locally on KDKA-TV (sister station WPCW shows KDKA-TV's normal CBS programming during the game, while its normal CW programming is pre-empted), while national ESPN broadcasts are shown locally on WTAE-TV, channel 4. (WTAE-TV is owned by the Hearst Corporation, which owns a 20% stake in ESPN.) By virtue of being members of the AFC, most of the Steelers' games air on CBS except for home games against NFC opponents, which air locally on WPGH-TV, which is a Fox affiliate.

The team announced a one-year agreement with Mexico City radio station XHM-FM to bring Steelers games in Spanish on the radio in Mexico. The Steelers are only the third NFL team with a Spanish radio affiliate in Mexico.

Figures with broadcasting resumés

The Steelers franchise has a rich history of producing well-known sportscasters over the years. The most famous of these is probably Myron Cope, who served as a Steelers radio color commentator for 35 seasons (–).

Several former Steelers players have gone on to careers in media after completing their playing careers.

Newspaper

The ''Steelers Digest'' is the only official newspaper for the Pittsburgh Steelers. It has been published for 22 years and is currently published by Dolphin/Curtis Publishing in Miami, FL, which also handles several other publications. The newspaper is very widely acknowledged by Steelers fans. Issues are mailed out to paying subscribers weekly through the season after every regular season game and continues through playoffs as long as the Steelers do. After a Super Bowl victory, a bonus issue is published, which is followed by a draft preview, draft recap, and training camp edition every other month, then leading into the pre-season. There are typically 24 issues of the paper within a publishing year. The newspaper is listed on the official Steelers.com page.

Usage in popular culture

The Steelers success over several decades has permeated film and literature. The Steelers are portrayed in the following big-budget Hollywood films:

The January 11, 1975 episode of the ''Mary Tyler Moore Show'' used the team's first Super Bowl as the plot device.

''Black Sunday'' in 1977

''Heaven Can Wait'' in 1978

''Smokey and the Bandit II'' in 1980

''Fighting Back'' in 1980

''...All the Marbles'' in 1981

''Evening Shade'' (TV Series) 1990-1994

''The Waterboy'' cameo by Bill Cowher in 1998

''The Longest Yard'' in 2005

See also

Active NFL playoff appearance streaks

References

External links

Pittsburgh Steelers official website

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Steelers page

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Steelers page

Sports E-Cyclopedia.com

Pittsburgh Steelers – Pittsburgh Sports Live

Steel City Mafia

Steelers Fever

; Wiki

Category:National Football League teams * Category:Steagles Category:Sports clubs established in 1933

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Name	Tim Tebow
Width	225px
Currentteam	Denver Broncos
Number	15
Position	Quarterback
Birth date	August 14, 1987
Birth place	Makati City, Philippines
Heightft	6
Heightin	3
Weight	245
College	Florida
Draftyear	2010
Draftround	1
Draftpick	25
Debutyear	2010
Debutteam	Denver Broncos
Pastteams	Denver Broncos (–present)
Status	Active
Highlights	2× SEC Championship (2006, 2008) 2× BCS National Championship (2007, 2009) 2× First-team All-American (2007, 2008) 1× Second-team All-American (2009) 3× First-team All-SEC (2007, 2008, 2009) AP Player of the Year (2007) Davey O'Brien Award (2007) 2× Maxwell Award (2007, 2008) Heisman Trophy (2007) NCAA QB of the Year (2007) Manning Award (2008) William V. Campbell Trophy (2009) Other awards and honors
Statweek	17
Statseason	2010
Statlabel1	TD–INT
Statvalue1	5-3
Statlabel2	Passing yards
Statvalue2	654
Statlabel3	QB Rating
Statvalue3	82.1
Statlabel4	Rushing Yards
Statvalue4	227
Statlabel5	Rushing Touchdowns
Statvalue5	6
Nfl	TEB603856 }}

Timothy Richard "Tim" Tebow (; born August 14, 1987) is an American football quarterback for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Broncos as the 25th overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida.

Tebow played quarterback for Nease High School in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida and was ranked among the top quarterback prospects in the nation as a high school senior. He ultimately chose to attend the University of Florida. Tebow was a dual threat quarterback, adept at rushing and passing the football. As a college freshman, the Gators' coaches largely used him as a change of pace to the team's more traditional passing quarterback, Chris Leak. Tebow contributed to the Gators' 2006 college football season as a key back-up, helping the team win college football's national championship game for the first time since 1996.

During the 2007 season, Tebow was Florida's starting quarterback and became the first college football player to both rush and pass for 20 or more touchdowns in a single season and the first college sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy. In addition to winning the Heisman Trophy, his 2007 performance earned him the Maxwell Award as the nation's top football player, the Davey O'Brien Award as the nation's best quarterback and the James E. Sullivan Award as the nation's most outstanding amateur athlete in any sport. In 2008, Tebow led Florida to its second national championship in three years. He was named the offensive MVP of the national championship game.

Early years

Tebow was born in Makati City in the Philippines, the son of Pamela Pemberton Tebow, daughter of a U.S. Army colonel, and Robert Ramsey Tebow, a pastor, who were serving as Christian Baptist missionaries at the time. While pregnant, Pam suffered a life-threatening infection with a pathogenic amoeba. Because of the drugs used to rouse her from a coma and to treat her dysentery, the fetus experienced a severe placental abruption. Doctors expected a stillbirth and recommended an abortion to protect her life.

Tebow is the youngest of five children, with sisters Christy and Katie, and brothers Robby and Peter. All of the Tebow children were homeschooled by their mother, who worked to instill the family's Christian beliefs along the way. In 1996, legislation was passed in Florida allowing homeschooled students to compete in local high school sporting events. The law specifies that homeschooled students may participate on the team of the local school in the school district in which they live. The Tebows lived in Jacksonville, Florida, and Tim played linebacker and tight end at the local Trinity Christian Academy for one season. Tebow's preferred position was quarterback, but Trinity football team's offense did not rely on passing the football, so he began to explore his options to play for a new high school. He decided to attend Nease High School, which under head coach Craig Howard was known for having a passing offense. With the rest of his family living on a farm in Duval County, Tim and his mother moved into an apartment in nearby St. Johns County, making him eligible to play for the football team at Nease. His performance soon turned heads and led to a minor controversy regarding the fact that he was a home-schooled student having his choice of school to play for.

As a junior at Nease, Tebow gained prominence as he became a major college football quarterback prospect and was named the state of Florida's Player of the Year. He would repeat as Player of the Year in his senior season. One of his highlights as a high school athlete was finishing a game on a broken leg. During his senior season he led the Nease Panthers to a state title, earned All-State honors, was named Florida's Mr. Football and a ''Parade'' magazine high school All-American. Tebow finished his high school career with 9,810 passing yards, 3,186 rushing yards, 95 passing touchdowns and 62 rushing touchdowns. He played in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Texas which features the top 78 senior high school football players in the nation and is shown nationally on NBC television.

Tebow was considered one of the nation's top recruits and was the subject of an ESPN "Faces in Sports" documentary. The segment was titled "Tim Tebow: The Chosen One", and focused on Tim's homeschool controversy and missionary work in the Philippines, as well as his exploits on the field of play and the college recruiting process. Tim Tebow was also featured in ''Sports Illustrated'' on the "Faces in the Crowd" page. In 2007 he was named to FHSAA's All-Century Team that listed the Top 33 football players in the state of Florida's 100 year history of high school football.

Despite having family ties to the University of Florida, where his parents first met as students, Tebow remained open-minded during the recruiting process and became very close to Alabama coach Mike Shula. After careful consideration he decided to play for Urban Meyer's Florida Gators. One of the reasons he chose Florida was because of Meyer's spread option offense, an offense for which Tebow was deemed an archetypal quarterback.

Tebow spent the last three summers before enrolling at the University of Florida in the Philippines, assisting with his father's orphanage and missionary work.

In answer to a 2009 interview question, Tebow stated that he was a virgin. The statement was subject to much discussion about whether the question was necessary, including criticism of the reporter who originally asked.

Effect on homeschooling movement

On January 7, 2007, Tebow was featured prominently in an ESPN "Outside The Lines" feature on homeschooled athletes seeking equal access to high school athletics in other states. Because a homeschooler's access to public and private school athletic functions vary by state, Tebow and New York Jets defensive end Jason Taylor (who was allowed to play at his local high school in Pennsylvania) argue in favor of extending the right to play for local teams to more states.

Upon becoming the first home-schooled athlete to be nominated for the Heisman Trophy, Tebow remarked, "That's really cool. A lot of times people have this stereotype of homeschoolers as not very athletic – it's like, go win a spelling bee or something like that – it's an honor for me to be the first one to do that."

Tebow's example inspired equal access supporters in Alabama to name their bill in the Alabama Legislature "The Tim Tebow Bill". The bill, which is pending in the Alabama Legislature, will allow Alabama homeschool athletes to play for their local high school teams just as Tebow did in Florida.

In January 2009, the "Tebow bill" was introduced in the Kentucky General Assembly. This bill, which is still pending, is also modeled after Florida state law, allowing homeschool athletes to play for their local sports teams.

Tebow received the 2008 Quaqua Protégé Award as an outstanding home-education graduate.

College career

As one of the most highly recruited quarterback prospects in the nation, Tebow received an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, where he played for coach Urban Meyer's Florida Gators football team from 2006 to 2009. From his freshman season in 2006, when he was a backup behind the Gators' career passing yardage leader, Chris Leak, to his Heisman Trophy-winning sophomore season in 2007, to his BCS Championship-winning junior season in 2008, to his 13–1 senior season, Tebow left an indelible legacy on the Florida Gators football program. The Gators coaches selected him as a team captain in 2008 and 2009, and he is the only three-time recipient of the Gators' most valuable player award, having been chosen by his teammates in 2007, 2008 and 2009.

2006

Tebow started his career at Florida in the 2006 "Orange and Blue" Spring scrimmage, where he completed 15 of 21 pass attempts for 197 yards and one touchdown. Coach Urban Meyer declared that Leak would remain the starting quarterback despite the expectations and performance of Tebow in the game. Prior to the 2006 season, Tebow was listed by ''Sports Illustrated'' as college football's future top mobile quarterback. Although Tebow remained the freshman backup behind senior Chris Leak throughout the season, Tebow was a significant contributor to the Gators' 2006 success.

Tebow made his college debut coming off the bench behind Chris Leak in a goal line situation against Southern Miss. He rushed for a touchdown on a designed quarterback scramble on his first play. In his next game, he led the team in rushing yards against UCF.

Tebow made his SEC debut against the Tennessee Volunteers on September 16. His performance included a ten-yard run on his first carry and converting a critical fourth down near the end of the game, which led to the Gators' go-ahead touchdown.

Tebow's biggest game in the season came against the LSU Tigers on October 7, where he accounted for all three of the Gators' touchdowns, passing for two and rushing for another. Tebow had a one-yard run on the goal line for his first score, a one-yard "jump pass" to tight end Tate Casey, in which he jumped in the air and double-pumped his arm before releasing the ball, and a 35-yard play-action pass to wide receiver Louis Murphy.

Tebow played a role in the Gators' victory in the 2007 BCS National Championship Game against Ohio State. He threw for one touchdown and rushed for another, finishing with 39 rushing yards. He finished 2006 with the second-most rushing yards on the Gator team.

2007

Tebow was named the starting quarterback for the Florida Gators for the 2007 season and was tipped by ''Sporting News'' to be one of college football's "Breakout Players of 2007". The Gators' offense in 2007 was expected to be similar to what Urban Meyer used at Utah, since Meyer viewed Tebow as being "very similar to Alex Smith." Smith had been a highly effective dual threat quarterback for Meyer's last team at Utah in 2004, and led the Utes to play in and win a BCS bowl game, the first team from outside the BCS conferences to do so. He went on to be the top overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft.

Questions loomed as to whether or not Tebow was skilled enough as a passer to be able to carry the responsibilities of a starting quarterback, but he opened the year 13-of-17 for 300 yards and 3 touchdowns in his starting debut against Western Kentucky University. Tebow finished the regular season with 217 completed passes in 317 attempts for 3132 yards gained and 29 touchdowns with six interceptions—giving him the second highest passing efficiency in the nation with 177.8. Additionally, he rushed 194 times for 838 yards and 22 touchdowns on the ground through 11 games. Tebow's 51 touchdowns were more than 87 Division 1-A Teams scored.

In week 4 of the season, when the Gators faced Ole Miss in an SEC match-up, Tebow broke the school record for rushing yards by a quarterback in one game, with 166 yards. On November 3, against Vanderbilt, Tebow rushed for two touchdowns to break the all-time SEC quarterback TD record in a single season. Against LSU, leading by 10 in the 4th quarter, Tebow was largely ineffective and had a turnover as he was unable to lead his team to any score, and LSU came back to win the game. LSU went on to win the 2007 National Championship.

In a game versus the South Carolina Gamecocks on November 10, Tebow broke the school record for rushing touchdowns in a season and set a career high with 5 rushing touchdowns. This brought his season total to 19 rushing touchdowns, which tied him for the SEC record for any player in a season (shared with Shaun Alexander, Garrison Hearst, and LaBrandon Toefield). He also broke Danny Wuerffel's conference record for touchdowns accounted for in a single season with 42.

On November 17, Tebow had a record day against Florida Atlantic, he scored his 20th rushing touchdown to set a new conference record for most rushing touchdowns in a season. He also became the only person ever in NCAA History to score 20 touchdowns rushing and 20 touchdowns passing in the same season.

On November 24, against the Florida State Seminoles, Tebow threw for three touchdowns and rushed for two in a 45–12 rout of the Seminoles. It was later revealed that Tebow fractured his right hand during the third quarter but played the rest of the game. He had to wear a cast for the next three weeks.

After the 2007 season was over, Tebow was recognized as a first-team All-SEC selection and a consensus first-team All-American, and became a favorite for the Heisman Trophy, given to the most outstanding college football player of the year, which he won on December 8 in New York City. He also received the Davey O'Brien Award, annually given to the best quarterback in the nation, on February 18 in Fort Worth, Texas.

While the Gators finished the season in Orlando, Florida with a 41–35 loss to Michigan in the 2008 Capital One Bowl, Tebow maintained his record for both rushing and passing for at least one touchdown in every game played, and he raised the record for total touchdowns accounted for in a single season to 55. He played with a soft cast on the hand he broke in his previous game.

Heisman Trophy

On December 8, 2007, Tebow was awarded the Heisman Trophy, finishing ahead of Arkansas's Darren McFadden, Hawaii's Colt Brennan, and Missouri's Chase Daniel. He was the first underclassman to have ever won the Heisman Trophy. He garnered 462 first place votes and 1957 points, 254 points ahead of runner-up Arkansas running back Darren McFadden. He finished the regular season as the only player in FBS history to rush and pass for at least 20 touchdowns in both categories in the same season. He had 32 passing touchdowns, and 23 rushing touchdowns. Tebow's rushing TD total in the 2007 season is the most recorded for any position in SEC history. The total also set the record for most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in FBS history. Tebow became the third UF player to win the Heisman Trophy, joining Steve Spurrier and Danny Wuerffel.

2008

Before the 2007 season had even come to a close, Florida coach Urban Meyer stated that he would likely use two quarterbacks during the 2008 season to take some of the workload off of Tebow's shoulders. Tebow led the Gators in rushing in 2007 but also had to play through a bruised shoulder and broken non-throwing hand.

Before the 2008 season even started, Tebow had his name pulled from consideration for the Playboy Preseason All-American team because it conflicted with his Christian beliefs. In doing so, he joined a growing list of athletes, coaches and universities to make the choice not to accept this dubious honor.

On November 1, 2008, playing against the Georgia Bulldogs, Tebow ran for his 37th rushing touchdown, breaking the school record previously held by former Florida running back Emmitt Smith.

Tebow led the Gators to a 12–1 record in 2008. After clinching the Southeastern Conference Eastern Division title, the team played for and won the SEC title in the 2008 SEC Championship Game against the Alabama Crimson Tide. The win secured the #2 ranking in the final BCS standings, which earned the Gators the chance to play the #1 ranked Oklahoma Sooners in the 2009 BCS National Championship Game, which they won 24–14.

On December 13, 2008, Tebow finished third in the 2008 Heisman Trophy voting, with Oklahoma's Sam Bradford taking the top spot followed by Texas' Colt McCoy, despite Tebow receiving the most first-place votes. Tebow also won the Maxwell Award in 2008, becoming only the second player to win the award twice.

On January 11, 2009, at a national championship celebration held at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Tebow announced that he would not make himself eligible for the 2009 NFL Draft, but would instead return for his senior season at Florida. One day later, he had surgery on his right shoulder to remove a bone spur in an effort to reduce chronic inflammation.

+2008 Heisman Trophy Finalist Voting	! Finalist	! First place votes(3 pts. each)	! Second place votes(2 pts. each)	! Third place votes(1 pt. each)	! Total points
Sam Bradford	300	315	196	1,726
Colt McCoy	266	288	230	1,604
Tim Tebow	309	207	234	1,575

2009

Tebow opened the 2009 season continuing a streak of throwing and running for a touchdown in blowout wins over Charleston Southern and Troy. He ran for a touchdown in the third game, a win against Tennessee, but failed to throw for a touchdown for the first time since his freshman season.

Tebow started against Kentucky despite suffering from a respiratory illness and taking two bags of intravenous fluids before the game. He ran for two touchdowns to put him in 2nd place on the all-time SEC touchdown list and he also threw for a touchdown. Late in the third quarter he was hit in the chest by Kentucky defensive end Taylor Wyndham and then in the back of the head while falling by knee of Florida tackle Marcus Gilbert. Upon impact, he briefly displayed a prominent Fencing Response with his left arm, indicating that a concussion had taken place. He lay motionless for several minutes before being helped to the sidelines. Once there, he vomited. He was taken by ambulance to the University of Kentucky Chandler Medical Center. A CT scan showed no bleeding in the brain, with the injury described as a mild concussion. Coach Urban Meyer stayed the night in the hospital with Tebow, who was discharged in the morning.

On October 31, 2009, while playing against the Georgia Bulldogs, Tebow ran for his 50th and 51st rushing touchdowns, breaking the SEC career record previously held by former Georgia running back Herschel Walker. His penultimate collegiate game, the 2009 SEC Championship saw him once again facing the University of Alabama. After a poor performance from the QB, the game ended in a Florida loss with Tebow on the sideline in tears. In the 2010 Sugar Bowl, Tebow's last college game, he had 533 yards of total offense—a record for a Bowl Championship Series game—and accounted for four touchdowns in a 51–24 Florida win against Cincinnati.

Tebow graduated from the University of Florida in December 2009 with a bachelor's degree in family, youth and community sciences.

Statistics

				Passing									Rushing
Season	Team	GP		Rating	Att	Comp	Pct	Yds	TD	INT	Sack		Att	Yds	TD
2006	Florida Gators	14		201.7	33	22	66.7	358	5	1	0		89	469	8
2007	Florida Gators	13		172.5	350	234	66.9	3286	32	6	13		210	895	23
2008	Florida Gators	14		172.4	298	192	64.4	2747	30	4	15		176	673	12
2009	Florida Gators	14		155.6	304	213	70.1	2895	21	5	25		217	910	14
	Totals	55		176.0	985	661	67.1	9286	88	15	53		692	2947	57

"The Tebow Rule"

In 2010, a new rule for the next NCAA football season, dubbed "The Tebow Rule" by media because it would have affected him, banned messages on eye paint. During his college football career, Tebow frequently wore biblical verses on his eye black. In the 2009 BCS Championship Game, he wore John 3:16 on his eye paint, and as a result, 92 million people searched "John 3:16" on Google during or shortly after the game. Additionally, later, when Tebow switched to another verse, there were 3.43 million searches of "Tim Tebow" and "Proverbs 3:5-6" together. Tebow stated of the searches "It just goes to show you the influence and the platform that you have as a student-athlete and as a quarterback at Florida".

The NFL already has a rule like this in prohibiting players from wearing messages on eye black; so, Tebow would not be able to continue the practice in the NFL. Despite the media labeling it as the Tebow rule, the NCAA denies the rule was influenced by Tebow particularly, since many other notable players (Reggie Bush and Terrelle Pryor for example) wear or have worn messages on eye black. An NCAA spokesman said "When this rule was proposed the committee did not focus on any one team or student athlete. That measure reinforces what the intended use of eye black is, which is to shade the eyes from the sun."

Professional career

Pre-draft

After passing on the 2009 NFL Draft for his senior season at Florida, Tebow went on to enter the 2010 NFL Draft. Despite his college success, Tebow's NFL potential was much debated. According to former Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Jon Gruden, he could "revolutionize" the pro game. Says Gruden: "Tim Tebow is 250 pounds, and he's the strongest human being that's ever played the position. He can throw well enough at any level." Former Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy said he would pick Tebow with a top 10 pick, and would take him over any quarterback in the 2010 draft. On the other hand, NFL analyst Mel Kiper, Jr. believes Tebow does not have the intangibles to play quarterback in the NFL. "I don't think he can be a fulltime quarterback. I don't think he can be the quarterback of the future for you, but I do think in the third round, maybe the second round, he'll be the same as Pat White", said Kiper.

Tebow was particularly mentioned as a potential third round pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars, his hometown team. Some, including Florida governor Charlie Crist, believe that Tebow could be the remedy for dwindling Jaguars ticket sales at EverBank Field. Early in the 2009 season, Jaguars owner Wayne Weaver stated: "He (Tebow) clearly is an outstanding football player and would be an asset to any football organization. Clearly there's going to be a groundswell for Tebow, and we'll have to make that evaluation if we have a draft pick that's going to be anywhere near him." Not everyone in the organization agreed, as Jaguar lineman Uche Nwaneri posted doubts about Tebow's potential NFL success on his team's website message board. {{nfl predraft | height ft = 6 | height in = 2¾ | weight = 236 | dash = 4.71 | ten split = 1.55 | twenty split = 2.66 | shuttle = 4.17 | cone drill = 6.66 | vertical = 38½ | broad ft = 9 | broad in = 7 | bench = | wonderlic = 22 | note = All results from NFL Combine }}

Denver Broncos

2010

Tebow was drafted by the Denver Broncos 25th overall in the 2010 NFL Draft. The Broncos received the pick from the Baltimore Ravens for draft picks in the second, third and fourth rounds of the 2010 NFL Draft. Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels said about his two first-round selections, which included Tebow, "We want players who are tough, smart, have great character, love football and are passionate about coming here and helping the Broncos win a championship. I think both players fit that role, and I think that's something that we're looking for in all of our players. What we're trying to build here is team chemistry and a team that cares about winning and winning a championship, and that's it." He also added specifically about Tebow, "He has all the traits you look for. It's a good pick." Tebow responded in an interview, saying, "My greatest joy in Denver is going to be to repay Coach McDaniels for believing in me." Tebow also said of his critics, "I just have a passion to play football. When you do things different than other people sometimes do them, and you don't settle for just being average, you open yourself up for criticism. But, I'm ready for it. I've learned to live with it. I never just wanted to do things the same way everybody else does."

ESPN's Bill Williamson said, "Josh McDaniels' legacy ''is'' Tim Tebow."

When asked how Tebow will be used, McDaniels commented that Tebow probably won't start at QB as a rookie; although, he said he'll "play when he's ready." He also said that there could be some packages custom-made for Tebow right away and indicated that he could initially contribute to Denver's variation of the wildcat formation, called the wild horse formation.

''The Denver Post'' columnist Woody Paige praised the pick, saying "Tim Tremendous may be high risk, but he will be a Mile High Reward...Tebow has become the most celebrated fourth-string rookie quarterback in NFL history, the most controversial quarterback pick by the Broncos since Tommy Maddox was chosen in exactly the same spot in the first round in 1992, the most decorated player and the most determined quarterback, and the most puzzling dichotomy, in the entire draft."

Tebow wore number 15 on his jersey for the Broncos, the same number he wore in college. He set an NFL Draft record for jersey sales. He also had the best-selling jersey in the entire NFL each month since being drafted. The Broncos, as a whole, led the NFL among all teams in jersey sales as well.

On July 29, 2010, Tebow signed a five-year contract with the Broncos that had a base value of $11.25 million (he can make as much as $33 million through certain performance-based incentives). The contract also included $8.7 million guaranteed.

On October 17, 2010, Tebow scored his first NFL touchdown, which was a five-yard running play against the New York Jets. On November 14, 2010, Tebow threw a three-yard touchdown pass to Spencer Larsen on his first career NFL pass attempt, as part of a 49-29 home victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. He also added a one-yard rushing touchdown in the game. His performance against the Chiefs earned him his first Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week honor.

Tebow started his first NFL game on December 19, 2010, which was a 39-23 road loss to the Oakland Raiders. Tebow completed eight of 16 passes for 138 yards, including a 33-yard touchdown pass. He also rushed for 78 yards, 40 of which came on a touchdown run in the first quarter of the game. It was the longest touchdown run for a quarterback in Broncos history and the longest touchdown run in NFL history for a quarterback in his first start. Tebow became just the third quarterback in NFL history to throw for a touchdown of 30 or more yards and run for a touchdown of 40 or more yards in the same game. He finished the game with a 100.5 passer rating, the highest ever in team history for a professional debut.

Tebow's first career victory came in his second start on December 26, 2010. The Broncos defeated the Houston Texans, 24-23, in Denver. Tebow helped rally the Broncos from a 17-0 deficit at halftime, as he finished the game with 308 passing yards and one touchdown pass. He also added a fourth quarter rushing touchdown, which capped the comeback. Tebow received his second Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week honor following his performance.

Tebow finished his rookie season playing sparingly in six games as a back-up (primarily on plays involving the wild horse formation, which is Denver's variation of the wildcat formation) before starting the last three games of the Broncos' season. He threw for a total of 654 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions. He also rushed for 227 yards and six touchdowns. Tebow became the first quarterback in NFL history to rush for a touchdown in each of his first three career starts.

Statistics

{| class=wikitable style="text-align:center;" ! rowspan=2|Season ! rowspan=2|Team ! colspan=3|Games ! colspan=8|Passing ! colspan=2|Sacks ! colspan=4|Rushing ! colspan=2|Fumbles |- ! GP !! GS !! W–L ! Comp !! Att !! Pct !! Yds !! Y/Att !! TD !! INT !! Rating ! # !! Yds ! Att !! Yds !! Avg !! TD ! FUM !! Lost |- ! 2010 !! Denver Broncos | 9 || 3 || 1–2 | 41 || 82 || 50.0 || 654 || 8.0 || 5 || 3 || 82.1 | 6 || 26 | 43 || 227 || 5.3 || 6 | 1 || 0 |}

In the media

Tebow appeared on the September 2008 cover of ''Men's Fitness'' magazine.

On April 8, 2010, Tebow was announced as the cover athlete for all three game platforms of the video game NCAA Football 11.

Tebow is a spokesperson for Nike, Jockey International and FRS Health Energy.

Tebow was the first quarterback featured in ESPN's "Year of the Quarterback" series in 2011. The documentary, entitled "Tim Tebow: Everything in Between," followed him from the 2010 Sugar Bowl to the 2010 NFL Draft. It premiered on January 6, 2011.

On May 31, 2011, HarperCollins released ''Through My Eyes'', a conversational autobiography that Tebow co-wrote with author Nathan Whitaker. Tebow details his early life growing up in Jacksonville and the Philippines, as well as his college football experiences, in the book. By June 1, 2011, the book had risen to No. 22 on Amazon.com's bestseller list.

Super Bowl Ad

A nationwide controversy surrounded Tebow's decision to appear in an ad funded by the socially conservative organization Focus on the Family that was broadcast during Super Bowl XLIV on CBS. There were two 30-second commercials, which included Tebow's personal story as part of an overall pro-life stance. The abortion issue was not specifically mentioned in the ad. Pro-choice groups condemned the ad, while pro-life groups rallied around Tebow.

Awards and honors

College

2006 season

SEC All-Freshman Team SEC Freshman of the Week

2007 season

Walter Camp Foundation National Offensive Player of the Week Southeastern Conference Offensive Player of the Week, three times Davey O'Brien Award winner

Heisman Trophy winner

Maxwell Award winner Walter Camp Award finalist

Sporting News Player of the Year

Harley Award winner

NCAA QB of the Year First-team Academic All-American Manning Award finalist Rivals.com National Offensive Player of the Year Rivals.com SEC Offensive Player of the Year First-team All-SEC (Associated Press, Coaches, Rivals.com) Associated Press SEC Offensive Player of the Year Associated Press Player of the Year

First-team All-American by: Associated Press, Football Writers Association of America, Walter Camp Football Foundation, Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, ESPN, CBS Sports, College Football News, Rivals.com, and Scout.com

James E. Sullivan Award, awarded to the Nations top amateur athlete Roy F. Kramer SEC Male Athlete of the Year. Third Florida Gator to win this award, Danny Wuerffel (won twice) and Ryan Lochte. ESPY for Best Male College Athlete

2008 season

First-team All-America by College Football News.

Disney Spirit Award

ESPY for Best Male College Athlete

Heisman Trophy finalist

Manning Award winner

Maxwell Award winner

Southeastern Conference Offensive Player of the Week

2008 SEC Championship Game Most Valuable Player

First-team All-SEC (AP, Coaches, Rivals.com)

Southeastern Conference Offensive Player of the Year

Southeastern Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year

Wuerffel Trophy winner

First-team Academic All-American

2009 season

William V. Campbell Trophy (formerly the Vincent dePaul Draddy Trophy, "The Academic Heisman") winner

First-team Academic All-American

Lowe's Senior CLASS Award

Heisman Trophy finalist

First-team All-SEC (AP, Coaches, Rivals.com)

Second-team All-America (Walter Camp Foundation)

Southeastern Conference Offensive Player of the Year

Sugar Bowl Most Outstanding Player ''Sports Illustrated'' College football Player of the Decade

Professional

2× Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week - Weeks 10 and 16 (2010)

See also

2007 College Football All-America Team

2008 College Football All-America Team

2009 College Football All-America Team

2006 Florida Gators football team

2008 Florida Gators football team

List of Denver Broncos first-round draft picks

List of Florida Gators football players

List of Heisman Trophy winners

List of SEC Most Valuable Players

List of University of Florida alumni

References

Bibliography

Carlson, Norm, ''University of Florida Football Vault: The History of the Florida Gators'', Whitman Publishing, LLC, Atlanta, Georgia (2007). ISBN 0-7948-2298-3.

External links

Official website

Tebow's Profile on the University of Florida website

Player bio on the Gator website

SI Player Card

Category:1987 births Category:Living people Category:All-American college football players Category:American Christians Category:American football quarterbacks Category:Denver Broncos players Category:Florida Gators football players Category:Heisman Trophy winners Category:James E. Sullivan Award recipients Category:Maxwell Award winners Category:Parade High School All-Americans (football) Category:People from Jacksonville, Florida Category:People from Makati City Category:People from St. Johns County, Florida Category:Players of American football from Florida Category:U.S. Army All-American football players

da:Tim Tebow de:Tim Tebow es:Tim Tebow fr:Tim Tebow it:Tim Tebow fi:Tim Tebow tl:Tim Tebow

Name	Santonio Holmes
Width	280px
Currentteam	New York Jets
Currentnumber	10
Currentpositionplain	Wide receiver
Birth date	March 03, 1984
Birth place	Belle Glade, Florida
Heightft	5
Heightin	11
Weight	192
Highschool	Glades Central
College	Ohio State
Draftyear	2006
Draftround	1
Draftpick	25
Debutyear	2006
Debutteam	Pittsburgh Steelers
Pastteams	Pittsburgh Steelers (–) New York Jets (–present)
Status	Active
Highlights	Super Bowl Champion (XLIII) Super Bowl XLIII MVP Led NFL with 18.1 yards per reception in 2007 Ranked 76th in NFL Network's The NFL Top 100 Players of 2011
Statweek	17
Statseason	2010
Statlabel1	Receptions
Statvalue1	287
Statlabel2	Receiving Yards
Statvalue2	4,581
Statlabel3	Receiving Touchdowns
Statvalue3	26
Nfl	HOL657297 }}

Santonio Holmes Jr. (born March 3, 1984) is an American football wide receiver for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft after playing college football at Ohio State. In 2009, Holmes was named MVP of Super Bowl XLIII.

Early years

Holmes attended Glades Central High School in Belle Glade, Florida. He was a letterman in football, basketball, and track. In football, he helped lead his team to two state titles and a 12-1 record as a senior. In basketball, he helped lead his team to a state runner-up finish as a senior. In track, his team won the state title during his junior year, and he was the member of a 4x400 meter relay team that won two state titles. Santonio graduated from Glades Central High School in 2002 with a 3.4 GPA.

College career

Holmes attended Ohio State University where he was red shirted when Ohio State University won the 2002 National Championship.

Holmes caught 245 passes for 2,295 yards and 25 touchdowns, while gaining 3,123 all-purpose yards. His 240 career receptions and 3,496 yards were ranked the fifth highest totals in school history at the time. His 25 touchdown catches ranked him 3rd.

Professional career

Pittsburgh Steelers

2006

Holmes left college a year early and was taken in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft. The 25th pick overall, he was the first receiver since Plaxico Burress taken in the first round by the Steelers. Holmes, who wore number 4 at The Ohio State University (a number that isn't issued to wide receivers in the NFL), was issued number 10, previously worn in Pittsburgh by former kicker Roy Gerela and quarterback Kordell Stewart.

Early on in the Steelers' disappointing 2006 season, Holmes was criticized for his poor performance on special teams as a returner, a role in which he fumbled frequently. However, Holmes had better success as a receiver, displaying his athleticism and skill in several of the Steelers' games. He earned Week 6 Diet Pepsi Rookie of the Week honors for his performance October 15 against the Kansas City Chiefs, totaling 58 yards receiving and 13 yards rushing.

Late in the season, Holmes replaced Cedrick Wilson in the starting lineup and finished the 2006 regular season with 49 receptions for 824 yards and 2 touchdowns. His best play of the season was also the last, when, in overtime of the Steelers' final game of the season against the Cincinnati Bengals, Holmes caught a pass from Ben Roethlisberger on a slant route and ran for a 67-yard touchdown to secure a win for the Steelers. He also returned a punt 65 yards for a touchdown on December 17 against the Carolina Panthers.

2007

Holmes was named the Steelers' starting split end coming into training camp. He enjoyed a breakout season in 2007 as he led the Steelers in receiving yards, receiving touchdowns, and emerged as one of the better known deep threats in the NFL. In Week 1 of the season against the Cleveland Browns, Holmes caught a 40 yard touchdown pass from Ben Roethlisberger as they went on to defeat the Browns 34–7. Week 4 in a loss against the Arizona Cardinals, he enjoyed one of the best games in his young pro career as he finished the game with 6 receptions, 128 yards, and 2 touchdown catches. In week 9, he enjoyed another two touchdown game against the Baltimore Ravens, in a game which both touchdowns came in the first half. He finished the game with 4 catches, 110 yards, and two touchdowns. In week 16, Santonio Holmes amassed the most yards receiving in a game in his career, as he finished the game with 133 yards receiving against the St. Louis Rams. He finished the year with 942 yards receiving and 8 touchdown catches. He led the league in yards per catch.

In his first career playoff game, a 31–29 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, he finished the game with 3 catches, 49 yards, and a touchdown.

2008

Despite returning no punts throughout the 2007 season, Holmes explored returning again for the 2008 season. During the offseason, Holmes had set a goal to play in all 16 games throughout the season, increasing his weight by 11 pounds through workouts in the offseason.

Holmes began the season with 2 receptions for 19 yards in a win against the Houston Texans. In the following 10-6 win over the Cleveland Browns, Holmes totaled 94 yards on 5 receptions and had a carry for 10 yards. In the following loss to the Eagles, he recorded 3 receptions for 32 yards. Holmes saw his first score the following week in an overtime win against the Baltimore Ravens, finishing with 61 yards on 3 receptions for a touchdown. Following a bye week, Holmes totaled 89 yards on 5 receptions in the win against the Cincinnati Bengals.

However, Holmes was benched following being arrested for possession of marijuana. Holmes was benched by coach Tomlin twice. He was forced to miss the following loss to the New York Giants, but was activated again for the Monday Night game against the Washington Redskins.

Statistically, Holmes' production decreased when compared to his 2007 stats. He declined in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving average. However, Holmes' still contributed big plays throughout the season, especially during the game versus the Cowboys where he caught a long pass that ignited a struggling Steelers offense.

In Super Bowl XLIII, Holmes secured the Steelers' NFL-record 6th Super Bowl win after catching a 6-yard touchdown pass from Ben Roethlisberger with 35 seconds left in regulation. Holmes caught nine passes for 131 yards and a touchdown, including four receptions for 71 yards on their final game-winning drive. He was named Super Bowl MVP, becoming the sixth wide receiver to win the award, and also was the third Pittsburgh receiver to win the award, following Lynn Swann and Hines Ward.

New York Jets

On April 11, 2010, Holmes was traded to the New York Jets in exchange for a fifth-round pick in the 2010 NFL Draft. (The Steelers eventually traded the pick to the Arizona Cardinals in exchange for a sixth round pick and reacquiring Bryant McFadden. The Cardinals used the pick on quarterback John Skelton.) Shortly before the trade, the NFL announced that Holmes would be suspended for the first four games of the season due to a violation of the NFL's substance abuse policy.

The trade came after Holmes' incident in a nightclub (see below), coinciding with Ben Roethlisberger's own legal troubles, and the Steelers wanting to set an example of its players. Had Holmes not been traded, the Steelers would've simply released him, meeting a similar fate to that of former first round pick Huey Richardson, who was traded for a 7th round pick one year after going in the first round.

After serving a four game suspension for violating the league's substance abuse policy, Holmes returned to practice on October 6, 2010. Although Holmes was forbidden to participate in practices with his teammates and he was suspended from playing for the Jets during their regular season contests, he still attended team meetings and worked out daily at the team's facilities.

On November 14, 2010 with 22 seconds to go in overtime against the Cleveland Browns, Santonio Holmes caught a pass on the Browns 31 yard line and carried it in for a touchdown, giving the Jets a 26-20 victory against Cleveland.

The very next week, on November 21, 2010, Holmes caught a game winning touchdown from Mark Sanchez with 10 seconds left and the Jets went on to beat the Texans 30-27.

Holmes resigned with the Jets during the offseason, shortly before the start of 2011 season agreeing to a 5 year deal.

Legal trouble

Holmes has acknowledged selling drugs on the street corner of his hometown of Belle Glade, Florida as a teenager; he says that his mother's influence and a desire to play professional football made him decide to stop.

Holmes was arrested in Miami Beach, Florida on May 27, 2006 for disorderly conduct. Charges were subsequently dropped after Holmes paid a fine. Holmes was arrested for a second time on June 18, 2006 for domestic violence and assault in Columbus, Ohio.

On July 7, 2006, Holmes appeared in Franklin County Court in Columbus, Ohio for both a pre-trial hearing regarding the domestic case and a hearing regarding the traffic ticket. He pled no contest to the traffic ticket and agreed to pay a fine. While Lashae Boone, the mother of Holmes' daughter and the victim in the assault case, requested that the domestic violence and assault charges be dropped, the prosecutor refused. Boone and their daughter accompanied Holmes to court. The charges were later dropped.

On October 23, 2008, Holmes was arrested in Pittsburgh and cited by officers for possession of marijuana. He released an apology after missing a game, stating that he wished to "focus all of [his] efforts on helping our team win on the field and achieve its ultimate goal."

On March 24, 2010, Anshonae Mills filed a lawsuit against Holmes over a March 7 incident in which she alleges Holmes threw a glass at her in an Orlando nightclub, resulting in a cut above her eye. Initially, Mills did not pursue charges, claiming Holmes and the police intimidated her into it, but the case has been reopened. Subsequently, after a Twitter comment criticizing the nightclub incident, Holmes told the follower to "kill urself." He later Tweeted it was time to "wake n bake," a reference to marijuana. Holmes alleges his account was hacked and it was not him making the comments.

On April 29, 2010, according to a report filed by authorities at Pittsburgh International Airport, a flight attendant told police that Holmes wouldn't turn off his iPod when requested and asked that officers speak to him. Holmes got off the Colgan Air flight and spoke to the officers, who reminded him to comply with regulations, but did not charge the wide receiver with anything. Holmes later talked to Jets head coach Rex Ryan about the incident.

References

External links

Official website

New York Jets bio

Pittsburgh Steelers bio

Category:1984 births Category:Living people Category:African American players of American football Category:American football wide receivers Category:New York Jets players Category:Ohio State Buckeyes football players Category:People from Belle Glade, Florida Category:Pittsburgh Steelers players Category:Players of American football from Florida Category:Super Bowl MVPs

da:Santonio Holmes de:Santonio Holmes es:Santonio Holmes fr:Santonio Holmes hu:Santonio Holmes no:Santonio Holmes pt:Santonio Holmes