It’s been 14 years since the Pittsburgh Steelers played in the Super Bowl. That game did not end well for them, though, losing 31-25 to the Green Bay Packers. It’s an unfortunate ugly ending to a Steelers team that was dominant in the 2000s. Casey Hampton was one of the players who retired only a few years after that loss, meaning it was his last real chance at capturing another championship. According to Joey Porter Sr., it sounds like that loss really ate at Hampton.
“All my boys, when I was with the Steelers, that lost to Green Bay, Casey Hampton, he called me, he’s like, ‘Joey, I’ve never cried like that before after anything,'” Porter said recently on Stacking the Box: FanSided’s NFL podcast. “He said, ‘That shit hurts.’ He said, ‘I’d rather not even go if you’re going to play in the Super Bowl and lose.’ He said, ‘That shit hurts that bad.'”
Hampton’s message to Porter echoes what many Steelers have said about Super Bowl 45. Although many of them, including Hampton, had already won two Super Bowls, that one loss seems to seriously dim their joy. That makes sense, though. That year, the Steelers seemed poised to cap off their years of excellence with a championship, but they fell just short.
The Steelers had opportunities to win that game, too, which might make losing hurt even more. They started off slow, falling behind 21-3 at one point in the first half. However, they gained new life going into halftime. Coming into the second half, it looked like they were going to make a comeback.
Unfortunately, it was not to be. Going into the fourth quarter, the Steelers had excellent field position, only down 21-17. Many fans know where this story is going. Packers linebacker Clay Matthews made an incredible play, forcing Rashard Mendenhall to fumble.
That was the final nail in the Steelers’ coffin. In the following few years, many of the legends on that team would retire. Porter was lucky enough to win the only Super Bowl he ever played in, but Hampton let him know just how crushing losing a championship feels.
It’s sad to hear just how crushed Hampton was after that loss. That game would’ve been a nice sendoff for beloved players like him. He still won two Super Bowls, so it’s not like that was his only chance, although it was for some players. Hopefully, the Steelers can win another Super Bowl soon to wash the taste of that game out of people’s mouths.
