An uncommon athlete from a small town in northwest Ohio, Ben Roethlisberger is in his second year of professional football. Next Sunday he will step before a world-wide audience 130 million people to play in Super Bowl XL.

Throughout the playoffs, defensive coordinators have focused on the Steelers' running game and challenged the young quarterback to beat them. The result: three weeks, three road games against tough opponents, three Pittsburgh wins and a date with destiny in Detroit.