Reporter Marks 25 Years Covering Games at Acrisure Stadium

Marking 25 years of covering events at Acrisure Stadium, a Pittsburgh Tribune-Review columnist recounts the games he attended and the people he met at the Pittsburgh venue. He was not present for the stadium's most celebrated play: Troy Polamalu's game-clinching interception return for a touchdown against Joe Flacco in the 2008 AFC championship game. He was at home on paternity leave with a newborn daughter.

Years later, Flacco spoke with the columnist about the play, describing Polamalu's gambling style and how often No. 43 guessed right. Flacco recalled the sight of Polamalu approaching with blockers, adding, "I remember I was the last guy back.. And he just hopped around me like it was nothing."

The columnist describes his routes to the stadium, including taking the Gateway Clipper from Station Square after pregame shows, an approach that avoided traffic and brought him face to face with fans. Other times he parked in a Sixth Avenue garage near the Westin William Penn and walked, passing people in Lambert and Franco jerseys. He recalls people he sat beside in the press box, including Stan Savran, who offered opinions at halftime snacks, and the postgame elevator lines where opposing coaches took priority as reporters sought quotes.

Among his assignments was writing the "Play of the Game" for a 2002 Wild Card contest between the Steelers and Browns. Offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey told him that running backs coach Dick Hoak kicked him in the shin in the press box and asked to call "42 Base," a shotgun handoff to Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala. The play produced a 3-yard touchdown in what was described as the greatest playoff comeback in franchise history.

He recalls quotes gathered after games, including West Virginia quarterback Pat White saying after a 2008 loss to Pitt, "If 'ifs' were 'fifths,' we'd all be drunk." He also remembers James Harrison asking, "Who's Trevor Pryce?" after the Ravens defensive end predicted Harrison would not repeat a Nov. 5, 2007 performance in which Harrison recorded 3 1/2 sacks, three forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and an interception. Ike Taylor later said of Hines Ward's hit on Ed Reed, "Hines always tells us he's trying to knock somebody's soul out of their body."

The columnist lists games that stayed with him, including Cincinnati's 45-44 win over Pitt on Dec. 5, 2009; the Steelers' 51-34 victory over the Colts on Oct. 26, 2014, in which Ben Roethlisberger and Andrew Luck combined for 922 yards and nine passing touchdowns; and Pitt's 16-13 upset of the 21st-ranked Mountaineers on Nov. 25, 2004, when Tyler Palko led a 73-yard drive and scored from 2 yards out.

He describes a scene from Sept. 3, 2016, before a Pitt game against Villanova. He sat in the player tunnel beside Dr. Stanley Marks of Hillman Cancer Center and colleagues wearing surgical masks and "Conner's Corner" shirts. Pitt running back James Conner, who had undergone 12 chemotherapy treatments for Hodgkin lymphoma over six months and had not played in 364 days, entered through smoke and took the field. Conner scored twice in a 28-7 victory. Kris Connelly, Conner's primary nurse, said, "When (Conner) would walk into a room (in the hospital), there was always a smile on his face, a twinkle in his eye." She added, "It's an honor to care for him."

The columnist recalls other moments, including Sidney Crosby sitting alone in a makeshift hockey locker room after the 2011 Winter Classic following a blind-side hit from Washington's David Steckel, and Browns coach Hue Jackson speaking after a New Year's Eve 2017 loss that completed an 0-16 season. Jackson said, "I don't think anybody else could have stayed in this job for two years and be 1-31." He also recalled doing a radio show in the snow outside the stadium before the Pitt-Notre Dame game on Nov. 14, 2009, when his stepson Michael, then about 12, ran up and said, "This is what it's all about!" Pitt won the game despite an 87-yard punt return touchdown by Notre Dame's Golden Tate.