February 15, 2006

Led by a quarterback coming into his own, and infused with characteristic Steelers selflessness, the new champions have raised echoes of the glory years

Even as he prepared for what was likely to be the final stop in his 13-year run, Jerome Bettis remained as humble as ever

His distinctive locks and equally singular playing style have helped make strong safety Troy Polamalu a force on the fearsome Steelers defense

Led by a fiery young quarterback and that Steelers staple, great D, upstart Pittsburgh rallied down the stretch to claim a playoff berth

With four road games, it was a wild, sometimes wet, Pittsburgh postseason

Playing hard-nosed, grind-it-out football, Jerome Bettis & Co. showed the doubters that they belonged in the postseason in a big way

Pittsburgh put the game in the hands of Ben Roethlisberger, who engineered the upset with pinpoint passing and a game-saving tackle

LEADING OFF GOLDEN WAVE Steeler Nation was in full throat at Detroit's Ford Field, savoring every moment of Super Bowl XL and its not-so-terrible outcome, as the Steel City heroes finally won one...

To see Super Bowl galleries and other SI pictures, go to SI.com/photos.

A veteran wanting nothing more than to take a final bow on his home stage and an emerging star eager to help him get there busted the Broncs

With teamwork, toughness and a touch of trickery, the Steelers downed the Seahawks for title number 5

Complete Super Bowl coverage at SI.com/NFL.

The History of the Steelers

From Bradshaw to Bettis to Big Ben, the Steelers have spent four decades on SPORTS ILLUSTRATED's front page

A dominant defense led to a victory in Pittsburgh's Super Bowl debut

Lynn Swann's acrobatic catches helped bring home a second title

In the highest-scoring championship to date, Terry Bradshaw was the hero

The scrappy Rams tried--but failed--to keep the Steelers from a fourth title

With current and future Hall of Famers on both sides of the football, there's no doubt that SI's alltime Steelers team could play its home games in Canton

On the great Steelers teams of the 1970s, no man loomed larger--or played with more passion--than Mean Joe Greene

After coaching stints around the league, the Steelers' legend has returned as a scout for the team he loves

"I have a chip on my shoulder, so I was perfect for that city"