Super Bowl XL was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Seattle Seahawks and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Pittsburgh Steelers to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 2005 season. The Steelers defeated the Seahawks by the score of 21–10. The game was played on February 5, 2006, at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. It is the most recent Super Bowl broadcast on ABC who lost the rights to broadcast Super Bowl games in the next NFL television contract and the first where all aspects of the game itself were aired in HD. This was the last of 10 straight Super Bowls to feature a team seeking its first win.
Jerome Abram Bettis Sr. is an American former professional football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons, primarily with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Nicknamed "the Bus" due to his large size and forceful running style, he played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and was selected 10th overall by the Los Angeles Rams in the 1993 NFL draft. Bettis was a member of the Rams for three seasons before being traded to the Steelers, where he spent the remainder of his career. A six-time Pro Bowl and two-time first-team All-Pro selection, he is regarded as one of the greatest power runners of all time and ranks eighth in NFL rushing yards. He retired in 2006 after helping the Steelers win a Super Bowl title in Super Bowl XL, the franchise's first in over two decades. Bettis was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2015.
Super Bowl XLIII was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champions Pittsburgh Steelers and the National Football Conference (NFC) champions Arizona Cardinals to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 2008 season. The Steelers defeated the Cardinals by the score of 27–23. The game was played on February 1, 2009, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.
Alan Joseph Faneca is an American former professional football player who was a guard in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons. He played college football for Louisiana State University (LSU), and earned consensus All-America honors. He was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round of the 1998 NFL draft, and played professionally for the Steelers, New York Jets and Arizona Cardinals of the NFL. A six-time first-team All-Pro and nine-time Pro Bowl selection, Faneca won a Super Bowl ring with the Steelers in Super Bowl XL, defeating the Seattle Seahawks. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2021 and on May 10, 2021, he was introduced as the head football coach of Frank W. Cox High School in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Bryant McFadden is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Florida State Seminoles and was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the second round of the 2005 NFL draft. McFadden was also a member of the Arizona Cardinals. He earned two Super Bowl rings during his time with the Steelers, Super Bowl XL and Super Bowl XLIII. McFadden currently serves as a studio analyst for the all-digital sports network, 120 Sports. He also hosts Huddlecast, the football podcast of his alma mater, Florida State University, and co-hosts All Things Covered, a podcast with current Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Patrick Peterson.
Willie Everett Parker Jr. is an American former professional football player who was a running back for six seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). After playing college football for North Carolina, he was signed by the Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2004.
Stephen Joseph Spach is a former American football tight end who played in the National Football League (NFL). He was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles of the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2005. He played college football at Fresno State. Spach was also a member of the Minnesota Vikings, New England Patriots, Arizona Cardinals, St. Louis Rams, and Jacksonville Jaguars.
Russell Scott Grimm is an American former professional football player who was a guard for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL). He has also served as an assistant coach for the Redskins, Pittsburgh Steelers, Arizona Cardinals, and Tennessee Titans. As a professional, Grimm had multiple selections to both the All-Pro and Pro Bowl teams, and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010. Grimm played 11 seasons for the Redskins and was a first-team selection to the NFL 1980s All-Decade Team.
Joshua Payne Scobey is an American former professional football running back and kick returner who played seven seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Kansas State and was selected by the Arizona Cardinals in the sixth round of the 2002 NFL draft.
Mitchell Shannon Berger is a Canadian former professional football player who was a punter in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Colorado Buffaloes and was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the sixth round of the 1994 NFL draft.
James William Hodgins is a former American football fullback.
Matt Spaeth is an American former professional football player who was a tight end in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Minnesota Golden Gophers, where he was twice named first-team All-Big Ten, once a first-team All-American, and the 2006 winner of the John Mackey Award.
Martin Nance is a marketing executive and entrepreneur who formerly played as an American football wide receiver. A graduate of Miami University, the University of Michigan and Harvard Business School, he played college football at Miami University in Ohio, where he still holds numerous receiving records.
Sean Thomas McHugh is a former American football tight end. He last played for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League (NFL), winning Super Bowl XLIII against the Arizona Cardinals.
Ronald Paul Wolfley is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for the St. Louis/Arizona Cardinals from 1985 through 1991. Wolfley was selected four times to the Pro Bowl as a special teams captain.
Korey Dean Hall is an American former professional football fullback in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the sixth round in the 2007 NFL draft, the 191st overall pick, and went on to win Super Bowl XLV with the team over the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college football for Boise State and high school football in Glenns Ferry, Idaho.
Carey Alexander Davis is a former American football fullback and current broadcaster. He was signed by the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2004. He played college football at Illinois.
Kyle Patrick Juszczyk is an American professional football fullback for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Harvard Crimson, and was selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the fourth round of the 2013 NFL draft.
Bryce Perkins is an American professional football quarterback for the Michigan Panthers of the United Football League (UFL). He played college football at Arizona State, Arizona Western, and Virginia before signing with the Los Angeles Rams as an undrafted free agent in 2020.
The Jerome Bettis trade was a trade between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the St. Louis Rams of the National Football League (NFL). The trade occurred on April 20, 1996, the same day as the first day of the 1996 NFL draft, as the Rams were trying to transition to more of a passing offense and felt that running back Jerome Bettis was already on the downside of his career while also feeling that Nebraska running back Lawrence Phillips would be a better fit for their offense. Bettis would be traded, along with the Rams' third round pick in 1996, to the Steelers in exchange for their second round pick in 1996 and their fourth round picks in the 1997 NFL draft.
