It’s been over a decade since the Pittsburgh Steelers have won a Super Bowl. However, their last championship victory was one for the ages, coming in Super Bowl XLIII against the Arizona Cardinals. Ben Roethlisberger’s game-winning drive provided one of the greatest finishes in Super Bowl history. Former Steelers quarterback Brian St. Pierre was actually playing for the Cardinals that season, and he recently reflected on the moments before Roethlisberger’s game-winning drive.
“It was hard for me because it was my first year away from Pittsburgh, and we’re playing Pittsburgh,” St. Pierre said on Mukala Kabongo’s YouTube channel. “I remember when Larry [Fitzgerald] scored on that last one, I went right to Matt Leinart, and I go, ‘Too quick. We scored too quick. We left them too much time.’ Because I knew how good Ben was. They made a great play at the end. ”
St. Pierre had two different stints with the Steelers. They drafted him in 2003, but he left them for the Baltimore Ravens in 2005. He rejoined the Steelers in 2006, but he wasn’t there for long. After the 2007 season, St. Pierre signed with the Cardinals. Unfortunately for him, that put him on the wrong side of Super Bowl XLIII.
Four years earlier, St. Pierre had a front-row seat to Roethlisberger’s rookie heroics. In 2004, a rookie Roethlisberger came in for an injured Tommy Maddox in Week 2. He proceeded to produce one of the best rookie seasons ever, leading Pittsburgh to a 15-1 record.
Therefore, when the Cardinals took the lead in the Super Bowl with a little over two minutes left in the game, St. Pierre knew not to get comfortable. He watched as Roethlisberger rhythmically drove down the field, capping the sublime drive with a perfect pass to Santonio Holmes, who made an unbelievable catch.
The Cardinals played well, but the Steelers were just the better team that day. Once again, St. Pierre found himself watching the Steelers win a Super Bowl right after he left. That’s some brutal luck. However, he still has a lot to be proud of. Despite being a fifth-round pick, St. Pierre had an eight-year career. While he didn’t win a Super Bowl, St. Pierre still got to be part of some great teams.
