It has been 20 years since the Pittsburgh Steelers won their fifth Super Bowl championship in team history, a milestone marked by a reunion of players and coaches from the Super Bowl XL team at Acrisure Stadium. Around 50 members of the team attended the annual Alumni Weekend Dinner to commemorate their achievement and reconnect with former teammates.
Linebacker Joey Porter Sr. reflected on the time that has passed since their victory, saying, “It’s wild. Twenty years. Doesn’t seem like it.” The event was filled with moments of camaraderie as former teammates embraced and shared memories.
Hall of Fame guard Alan Faneca described the enduring bond among team members: “The first thing you do when you get here and see your guys, you have to get that big squeeze. You’ve got to get that big hug. You are back to where you were 20 years ago. You’re blessed to have friends in life where you don’t have to say anything. People where hopefully nothing happens, but at the drop of a hat, if you need them, they are there. And that’s the kind of brotherhood and friendship that so many of us have from that team.
“We’re just here for each other, whether it’s a conversation, a charity event, just to talk or just to hang out. It’s that feeling of when you reconnect with one of your best friends you haven’t seen in a while.
“It’s just a good feeling.”
The sense of unity was evident as some players reunited after only days apart while others had not seen each other in years. Linebacker James Farrior spoke about this connection: “We picked up right where we left off,” he said. “We won’t see each other for a couple of years or an extended period of time. And it doesn’t really matter when we see each other. It’s like we’ve always been together the whole time. It’s as if no time has passed since we’ve been together.
“That’s a unique quality that our team had and we possessed, and we carry that. Wherever we go, whenever we see each other, it’s just like old times.”
The team’s journey during the 2005 season included challenges such as a three-game losing streak after starting strong with a 7-2 record. The losses put their playoff hopes in jeopardy until Coach Bill Cowher helped refocus the group during a pivotal meeting, leading them on a four-game winning streak and ultimately securing a wild card playoff spot.
One major motivation for the squad was ensuring Hall of Fame running back Jerome Bettis could finish his career with a Super Bowl win in his hometown of Detroit, Michigan.
“It is hard to believe it’s 20 years,” said Bettis before the dinner event. “It really is. It’s gone pretty fast.
“The relationships that the guys have and the love that we have for each other and how we were able to come together and be selfless and nobody cared about who got the credit. Nobody cared about who scored the touchdown. It was all about us finding a way to get it done. That’s what was so special about all of that.
“It can be 10, 15, 20 years later, we get back in a room, and you can rewind the clock back 20 years and we’re right back in the locker room. It’s that kind of feeling that we have when we see each other.”
Porter highlighted traditions such as sharing red velvet cake before games—a ritual led by Bettis—as symbols of their close-knit group: “There was just a difference with this team,” Porter said.”When I explain this to people, people don’t understand… One example was the night before a game… There used to be 60 people waiting in line to get a slice of red velvet cake… It was more than just a piece of cake to us.”
He also noted how accountability contributed to their success: “If we had a meeting at 8:30 am., we were here at 8 am… We cared about each other… We held each other accountable.”
Porter concluded by describing how much they valued being part of this group: “We were a family for real… From top all the way to bottom… Nobody wanted to leave… We literally loved being around each other and still feel the same way.”
