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Readers of Invoice Cowher’s new e-book will obtain an open and trustworthy assortment of tales from the Steelers‘ Corridor of Fame coach. Together with tales from his childhood and private life, “Coronary heart and Metal” — Cowher’s autobiography written in collaboration with Michael Holley — additionally delivers a number of revelations from his 15 years as Pittsburgh’s head coach. Among the many issues readers will likely be stunned to study is which group Cowher feels was his finest with the Steelers (the 1997 group that fell to the Broncos within the AFC title recreation) and the rationale Pittsburgh determined to maneuver on from Rod Woodson after the 1996 season.
One matter Cowher didn’t handle in his e-book is the Spygate scandal that will have contributed to his group’s losses to the Patriots in two AFC championship video games. Regardless of proof suggesting that the Patriots had an unfair benefit in each contests, Cowher doesn’t pin his his group’s shortcomings on Spygate. Cowher additionally would not blame Patriots coach Invoice Belichick for making an attempt to realize the higher hand.
“It is solely dishonest for those who get caught,” Cowher advised The Athletic’s Ed Bouchette. “Like several participant, if you are going to maintain him, do not get caught. In case you get caught you are fallacious, for those who do not you are proper. I all the time thought we by no means misplaced the video games to New England due to Spygate. If he acquired the calls as a result of we did not do an excellent job of creating certain we signaled these in, that is on us, it is not on him. As a result of we’re all the time in search of aggressive edges. I believe as any coach whether or not it is somebody’s stance, somebody’s cut up, somebody’s formation. You are somebody’s eyes, how are they popping out of a huddle? You are all the time in search of these little issues that provide you with a aggressive edge and that to me is what that was.”
In 2015, an in-depth report by ESPN unveiled the extent of the Patriots’ unlawful recording throughout their first championship run. Included in ESPN’s report is that the Patriots had “handwritten diagrams of the defensive indicators” the Steelers used throughout New England’s 24-17 victory. Three years later, the Patriots once more defeated the Steelers one recreation shy of the Tremendous Bowl.
“We did not lose the sport due to [Sypgate],” Cowher mentioned. “We misplaced the sport as a result of they executed higher than we did.”
A number of of Cowher’s former gamers could not fully agree. Former Steelers broad receiver Hines Ward nonetheless questions the legitimacy of these video games.
“Once we performed [New England] within the championship video games, we’d audible, and the entire protection switched to the aspect that we had been working,” he mentioned in a 2019 interview with Barstool Sports activities. “I simply do not perceive how [the Patriots] knew all our audibles, all our indicators.”
“The Spygate factor, that was irritating,” added former Steelers Corridor of Fame working again Jerome Bettis in a 2015 interview the Pittsburgh Put up-Gazette. “Trying again, there have been alternatives that had been blown that was very hurtful. However you’ll be able to’t cry over spilled milk, and we misplaced these alternatives. We should always have performed higher and we did not and we will not do something however blame ourselves.”
As an alternative of lamenting over what his groups did not do, Cowher is appreciative of what his groups had been capable of accomplish throughout his time in Pittsburgh. The second coach in NFL historical past to make the playoffs in every of his first six seasons, Cowher grew to become the youngest coach in NFL historical past (38) to take a group to the Tremendous Bowl on the finish of the 1995 season. That season, the Steelers grew to become the primary group to succeed in the Tremendous Bowl after a 3-4 begin. In Tremendous Bowl XXX, Cowher known as a gutsy recreation that included the earliest tried onside kick (at the moment) in Tremendous Bowl historical past. Cowher’s bravado practically paid off, because the Steelers threatened to upset the Cowboys earlier than a late interception sealed Pittsburgh’s destiny.
Two years later, Cowher’s 1997 group — the one he believes was one of the best of his Steelers groups — loved a magical journey that included three thrilling extra time victories in the course of the common season. It was significantly a magical season for quarterback Kordell Stewart, who grew to become the primary participant in NFL historical past to throw a minimum of 20 touchdowns and run for a minimum of 10 extra in the identical season. Seven years later, Cowher’s 2004 group gained a franchise document 15 common season video games. The next 12 months, the Steelers grew to become the primary sixth seed to win the Tremendous Bowl, defeating the Seahawks in Tremendous Bowl XL after profitable three consecutive highway video games. All that success will result in Cowher being previously inducted into the Corridor of Fame this summer season.
“I’ve no regrets in any respect, and I believe that is what you will see on this e-book,” Cowher mentioned. “I’ve lots of classes I discovered about enjoying, teaching, being a father; how do you cope with folks, if you lose somebody how do you cope with grieving? I went by grieving with three daughters and I discuss very overtly about that in my e-book. A part of life is to not have regrets however what did you study from it? Did you develop from it? I might prefer to assume I have never stopped rising.”
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