| It was August 2003 and my team at the time, | | | | won. |
| the Pittsburgh Steelers, was holding the first live | | | | The first team offense and defense took the field |
| scrimmage for training camp. As a rookie in the | | | | first. The offense included Jerome Bettis, Hines |
| NFL I had practiced a number of times with the | | | | Ward, Plaxico Burress, and Tommy Maddox who |
| team, but this was the first time I was going to | | | | went against a defense consisting of Joey Porter, |
| suit it up for a "full contact and tackle goal line | | | | James Farrior, and Kendrell Bell. The opposing |
| scrimmage". The set up was easy. The first and | | | | sides lined up against each other, the referee blew |
| second team offenses would go against the first | | | | his whistle to start the play clock, Tommy |
| and second team defenses. The offense had four | | | | Maddox called out the cadence, then the ball was |
| downs to score a touchdown. If they scored, | | | | snapped ... ... from that instant, the phrase "The |
| they won; if they failed to score the defense | | | | Next Level" was defined for me. |