Steelers fans.
We all know what they mean to the team and the one thing everyone wondered when the team moved from Three Rivers Stadium to Heinz Field was, how would the fans react.
Three Rivers Stadium had been their home for a long time, season ticket holders who had become accustomed to what was familiar.
But if there was any doubt how they would adapt, it was answered quickly.
"Through thick and thin they are always going to cheer for you," said Bruener. "Their allegiance to Steelers football is unique. I played for the Houston Texans at the end of my career. They have good fans, but the energy and passion our fans have is unique. When you talk to somebody who has been a season ticket holder for 40 plus years, or a second or third generation, that is the uniqueness of the support we have."
Bettis remembered seeing the stands shake at Three Rivers Stadium, even if that wasn't the plan. But what he saw at Heinz Field, it just blew him away.
"It was amazing. To see them waving those towels. To see the energy," said Bettis. "That's just something that as a football player you feed off. We would see that. That would get us going. In the fourth quarter, when they would get on their feet, that sent goosebumps through your body. It was great for us to have that visual in our head and it never got old.
"We always loved it. It never got old to see the Terrible Towels wave, that crowd. That was an intimidation factor as well. Those guys on the other side saw it too and knew they were in a hostile environment."
Hostile toward the other team, yes.
Loving the home team, absolutely yes.
"It was amazing," said Clark. "I went to LSU which is a school that is deep in football tradition. I just feel like a lot of NFL stadiums didn't have tradition. They didn't have things that when you went into the stadium on Sunday, you knew you were going to get. That everybody knew was coming. Also, Pittsburgh gave you that college town field. You didn't walk around Pittsburgh and see fans of the Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns or Cincinnati Bengals. If you lived in Pittsburgh, if you were a part of that culture, you were a Steelers fan. Because of that when you walked into the stadium, you felt like you were playing in front of family.
"When the screen would go black, and you would hear 'Renegade' start, everybody knew what was coming. And when you saw the Terrible Towels, everybody knew what time it was. The atmosphere was so amazing, traditional, historic, it made it feel like the stadium was around forever because it wasn't just about the building, it was about the people. That was the greatest thing about what Heinz Field brought to us each and every week."
There might not have been anyone who felt that love more than Miller. If you were at a game at any point in Miller's career you no doubt heard it any time Miller touched the ball.
'Heeeeeeath.'
It was a constant. The crowd would erupt in a roar in unison every time he caught the ball, and even sometimes when other tight ends caught the ball.
"Looking back, and at the time, it made you feel good, especially when you are giving your all to the team and all the work and preparation you put in," said Miller. "To have that kind of affirmation by the fans and be appreciated, there is no better feeling. When I said Heinz Field was home, when you hear the fans chant your name and cheer for you in that way, it makes you feel even better, that you are home, that you are accepted and cheered on.
"Heinz Field, the fans were a huge part of our success. We played some big games in that stadium. We won some big games in that stadium. There was always a comfort when we were playing at home in front of our fans. We never felt like we were going to lose when we were there."
December 06, 2020 at 10:33PM
https://www.steelers.com/news/it-s-like-a-little-heart-in-our-city
'It's like a little heart in our city' - Steelers.com
https://news.google.com/search?q=little&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en
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