It will take more than two bad ankles that hurt only when he walks for Levon Kirkland to miss an NFL game. A broken leg, perhaps. Maybe two fractured arms. But some pain from a high-ankle sprain?
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| Levon Kirkland refuses to leave the Steelers' lineup. (John Heller, Post-Gazette) | |
"Levon's been around a long time," cornerback Dewayne Washington said. "He's old school. He knows how to play through pain."
It might have seemed like no big deal last week when Kirkland lined up at inside linebacker at Cleveland. After all, he has never missed a game since he was drafted in the third round in 1992, a span of 130 games. And, since becoming a starter in the fifth game of the 1993 season, he has never missed a start, a streak of 110 games.
Even the players have become so accustomed to seeing Kirkland in the middle of the Steelers' 3-4 defense that they never considered the possibility of their 270-pound linebacker not playing against the Browns.
But he almost didn't.
"That's as close as I've ever come to missing a game," Kirkland said.
Forget, for a minute, that Kirkland was already nursing a high ankle sprain sustained in the season-opening loss to the Baltimore Ravens. But, in the second quarter against the Browns, he sprained the other ankle, not exactly the prescription for success for a player whose job is to run to the ball. On several occasions in the first half, Kirkland's ankles hurt so bad that he had to push himself off the ground with both hands to get up.
Kirkland, though, never came out of the game. Not only that, he finished with five solo tackles and one pass defensed. His performance was nothing short of inspirational to his teammates, who couldn't believe Kirkland could play at such a high level with two bad ankles.
"He's probably one of the fiercest competitors we got on this team," Washington said.
"Levon's a warrior," said Earl Holmes, his partner at inside linebacker. "Anytime you see a guy out there hurt both ankles and still go play as well as he did, you got to tip your hat to him."
Kirkland's presence in the middle of the 3-4 defense always is essential to the Steelers. But, it will be even more so tomorrow against the Tennessee Titans at Three Rivers Stadium because Kirkland will be one of the players responsible for stopping Eddie George, a three-time Pro Bowl running back and one of only three players in NFL history to rush for more than 1,200 yards each of his first four seasons.
George is off to a slow start this season, gaining just 117 yards on 38 carries through two games. But he always is the focal point of what the Steelers will try to do defensively against the Titans.
Kirkland's not going to let a couple sore ankles keep him from playing against Tennessee.
"I just try to be accountable," Kirkland said. "If I'm not there, I think John [Fiala] will do a great job. But if I'm capable of playing, I'm going to go out there and play, give it 100 percent. If I feel like I'm hurting the team, I'm not going to play because I want our team to win. It's really not about me having a streak or playing so many games or starting so many games. To me, that's not really important. To me, it's about winning. If I give our team the best chance to win, I'm going to try to be out there. If I think somebody else does, I let them do their thing. As long as we get the win, I'm cool."
Kirkland's streak will not be in jeopardy against the Titans. He is still bothered by each bad ankle, but he has not missed a day of practice and is not listed on the team's official injury report.
His streak of consecutive games played (130) and consecutive games started (110) is the longest on the team. It pales, however, next to the skein compiled by Tennessee guard Bruce Matthews, who, at age 39, will play in his 202nd consecutive game and make his 199th consecutive start tomorrow.
And, yet, Kirkland's streak almost came to an end against the Browns.
"It was not so much the streak, it was more whether could I do it," Kirkland said. "With a high ankle sprain, it was a little doubtful. But I think I played a pretty decent game. I thought I battled out there. When you have a bad ankle and you're used to moving the way you want to move, sometimes it helps you focus on some other things. Practicing on it last week, sometimes I was running down the field and I was kind of hopping on it a little bit. We took it slow. We did a good job of monitoring our practice time. Then, when game came, the field was a little iffy at first, but as the game went on it really started getting a little better. I think it was more a confidence thing, playing on a bad ankle. I had never done it before. Then to go out there and play on it, it got better and better."
NOTES -- The Steelers are a little concerned about center Dermontti Dawson, whose nagging hamstring injury flared again toward the end of practice Thursday. Dawson practiced on a limited basis yesterday and then had an ice pack applied to his right leg. "I felt a little twinge," Dawson said. "But don't worry, I'll be out there [tomorrow.]" ... It appears that defensive end Chris Sullivan, who worked with the first-team defense Thursday, might play only on a limited basis against the Titans. Sullivan practiced in the dime defense yesterday and was replaced in the base defense by second-year end Aaron Smith. Sullivan, who had back surgery Aug. 19, played only 10 plays against Cleveland before coming out because of back spasms. ... Defensive end Kevin Henry, who missed the past two days because of strep throat, returned to practice and will play. .... Wide receiver Troy Edwards practiced for the second day in a row, but Hines Ward will start at flanker.
Ailing Kirkland inspires Steelers 
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