QUOTES FROM PITTSBURGH STEELERS MEDIA DAY
WR ANTWAAN RANDLE EL
(on if he thinks Hines Ward will retire after this season) “If we win this, it’s hard to say that he will, but to win this and have three (Super Bowl wins). He’s been to the Pro Bowl. I mean, what else? The only thing I can think of is maybe he’ll want to try to come back and try to repeat, because that hasn’t been done. He’ll have won three, but he hasn’t repeated.”
(on coming back to a family-based organization like Pittsburgh after four years in Washington) “It puts in perspective in terms of chasing the money, but you still have to weigh those options. It can’t be that you’re getting eight million up front and only getting one million or two million (after that). That really blows it out of the water. But it still has to be a way that you go about doing it. You still don’t want to burn bridges when you leave a place. You still want to be communicating with the team that you’re with and letting them know what you’re deciding to do, and then when you’re able to move forward, then go ahead and do it. But if it’s close and you’re in Pittsburgh, then you probably want to stay.”
(on what defines him off the field) “My relationship with Christ. Knowing I have that in line, having put God in my day, throughout my day, having Him with me wherever I go, that’s where it starts. Even on the field, people tell me they see me ‘repping Christ,’ as they say. It trickles down through my family. That’s the way it is. It’s my faith in God, my family, and football. If you have those in order in that way, you can do a lot of things.”
(on what he plans to accomplish in this Super Bowl) “Well, I want to try to do something that’s never been done. There still hasn’t been a punt return (for a touchdown), so that hasn’t been done. No one’s ever caught, thrown and returned a touchdown in one game. I’m going for whatever I can get. Certainly, to return one would be big. Everyone is probably waiting on the pass, so to return one would be big.”
(on if Ward is the same guy he was when they last played together in Pittsburgh) “He’s the same guy, he’s just older. Wiser, I would say. The same guy off the field, in the locker room, being hilariously funny. On the field, he’s still creating some kind of way, creating those little nuggets to been able to make the plays and do all these different things that he’s able to do as far as getting that first-down catch and having that edge on the field. He’s continued to do it with the route running and of course showing the young guys. Now I’m doing some of that, too, showing the young guys the ropes.”
(on being the oldest receiver on the team if Ward retires) “I don’t have a problem with that. I’ll be going into my 10th year and hey, still rolling.”
(on what’s different about this locker room compared to others he’s been in) “Just the togetherness. There’s no selfishness. We’re going to do what we’ve got to do to win. Everybody’s going to have to sacrifice. Everybody is not going to be in the light all the time. Somebody’s got to take a back seat. And when you have to take a back seat, not complaining and moaning about it, but just that – taking a back seat and moving forward.”
(on the difference between being able to participate in the Super Bowl and watching it on TV) “Oh, well that’s no question. It’s not even comparable. To be at home watching is terrible. You hate to be at home watching. But to be here on media day and getting ready for the big game is, of course, it’s the ultimate game that is played. So to have an opportunity to do it is great.”
