The Pittsburgh Steelers have experienced both the triumph and pain of the Super Bowl on multiple occasions, winning six championships while losing twice. What is probably the most memorable of all those is their epic, come-from-behind victory over the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII. Santonio Holmes was responsible for the amazing play that helped seal the game for Pittsburgh, but it nearly didn't even happen.
Steelers' Holmes Almost Slipped On Infamous Play
Whether it was James Harrison's interception return to close out the first half or Holmes' incredible touchdown catch, Super Bowl XLIII was filled with jaw-dropping moments. What makes those kinds of plays so remarkable is that a million tiny things have to go right for the result to be as brilliant as it turned out to be.
Holmes was on The 3 Point Conversion podcast during the week of Super Bowl LVIII, and he broke down how close that remarkable catch was to not even having a chance. According to Holmes, when he dropped his first chance at a touchdown, Ben Roethlisberger wasn't pleased at all.
"Bruh, it was about trust. When [Ben] walked in that huddle and looked me in my face, bro, he f***ing stared at me so hard. I felt something, and I couldn't even look at him, but I was side-eying the hell out of him, boy, but he staring at me so hard I ain't even wanna look at his face. [He] put his head down and gave the play call, 'Oh s***, he throwing it to me. He's throwing it to me!' Soon as we broke the huddle I stared at the corner of the f***ing end zone the whole time, cause I knew where he throwing the football."
Holmes continued speaking about the legendary play.
"I stood up in the front, man, that...linebacker walked out there on me and he f***ing jumped at me and faked and I got so scared and I nearly fell off the route!... In the crowd all I see is him point and he just freaking threw it and all I did is just watch the ball come into the air."
The miracle ending to the game could have changed in an instant had Holmes fallen on that play rather than making it to the corner of the endzone. That wasn't the case, though, and the moment is still seen as one of the greatest in Super Bowl history. Holmes made it to the corner and caught a very challenging pass to bring the Steelers their sixth Super Bowl championship.
Steelers' Former Super Bowl MVP Thought He Had Wrecked Everything
With such a high-pressure situation happening, Holmes was focused on making sure his fundamentals were right. He knew that he had to get his feet ready if he caught it, but as the play happened, he got too caught up in the details. As Holmes tells it, the moment he knew he didn't catch it, he thought he had let down the entire team, especially Roethlisberger.
"And I dropped it... All I could think about, boy, when I went up and saw that ball, I said, 'Get the feet down. Get the feet down, and I closed the mothe******** feet, mothe******* you left the ball!' I hit the ground...my body hit, and I still remember that s***. When I hit the ground, I was so stiff because I knew I had f***ed up. I knew I f***ed up when I dropped that pass, bro."
Thankfully for the Steelers, Holmes got a second chance the very next play and didn't let that one slip away from him. It goes to show how small the margin of error is between an amazing play on the biggest stage and a mistake. For a city with such a proud sports history, though, that was a moment no one will ever forget.
What is your favorite Steelers' Super Bowl moment?
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