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Tuesday, January 07, 2003

By Ed Bouchette, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

They are not necessarily a family of pack rats, but somewhere in her house, Jennifer Maddox has secreted 2,000 cards wishing her husband well.

	Nov. 17: Maddox moments after the hit. (George Walker IV / The Tennessean / Associated Press)

They worked, by the way.

"My wife's got them somewhere," Steelers quarterback Tommy Maddox said. "Cards, posters, schools. I think they were all touching, they were meaningful and they all had a little something special in them."

There were also 1,000 e-mails, along with bunt cakes, cookies, pies.

"I got more food," Maddox said. "I think we're still eating it."

Steelers fans swamped Maddox and his family with everything from well-wishes to victuals after he was temporarily paralyzed in a Nov. 17 game in Nashville, Tenn. By that evening, Maddox was able to move all his limbs at Baptist Hospital in Nashville. Various tests determined there that were no injuries to his spinal cord.

It's not a place he would want to visit again, but he's ready to return to play football in The Coliseum Saturday.

"I'm excited about the chance to go back," Maddox said. "I'm excited about where we are in this playoff chance. If I wasn't excited about going back, I wouldn't have wanted to win that game so bad."

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Another chapter in the unlikely Tommy Maddox fairy tale unfolded Sunday when he rallied the Steelers from a 17-point deficit in the third quarter to the biggest comeback victory in the franchise's playoff history. His three touchdown passes in the second half and a touchdown run by Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala with 54 seconds left vaulted the Steelers past the Cleveland Browns, 36-33.

That puts Maddox back in Nashville, where in the fourth quarter Nov. 17 an innocuous hit by linebacker Keith Bulluck knocked the feeling out of Maddox's arms and legs and left his teammates, the Titans and their fans watching in dread.

He missed two games, and has started the past five with no aftereffects.

"It's not tough at all. I never think about it all until y'all ask me about it," Maddox said. "I've played four or five games since then and it doesn't matter what stadium you're in, what field you're on, it's all playing football. I really give no thoughts to it whatsoever at any time unless I'm asked about it."

That will happen often this week because of his return to Nashville and because of his stirring rise to NFL stardom after he was out of football for a few years.

"It's just a story," Maddox said with a shrug. "Everybody's got a story."

It's that attitude and his play on the field that has endeared Maddox to Steelers fans.

He also won the affection of his teammates with a fiery halftime speech Sunday. The words he spoke to his teammates gathered around him before the start of the second half Sunday should go up permanently near the team's tunnel exit onto Heinz Field: "If you don't believe we can win, go back into the locker room."

"When the quarterback speaks, everyone listens," Hines Ward said. "That speech motivated a lot of guys, younger guys never in that position before. He handled it great and everyone responded to it. There was a sense of urgency. We needed to get things going."

Halfback Amos Zereoue said, "You saw it in his eyes. Guys believe in him. We want to go out there and fight."

Forty-nine days after his terrifying day in Nashville, Tommy Maddox celebrated the Steelers' winning touchdown in the fourth quarter Sunday. (John Beale, Post-Gazette)

The best part of it? Maddox followed his own advice. He played poorly in the first half when he threw two interceptions, had 116 yards and a 34.4 passer rating. He threw three touchdowns in the second half and for 251 yards, finishing with an 89.5 passer rating. His 367 yards passing were the most in Steelers playoff history.

They were the fifth-most in any Steelers game, which means he has thrown for the most (473 yards) and fifth-most in franchise history in his past seven games.

He was real excited to hear about that.

"The only reason it means something is that we won the game," Maddox said. "The thing about the playoffs, it doesn't matter what goes on, it's winning games. We were able to do that and have to find a way to do it again this weekend."

That's why he not only doesn't fear returning to The Coliseum, he relishes the thought of getting a second chance there. He left that game in an ambulance, and he also remembers he left with the Steelers trailing, 28-7, after he threw three interceptions. His 44.9 passer rating in that game was his worst of this season.

"I'm probably more looking forward to going back for that reason," Maddox said. "Obviously, they played a great game the first time we went up there. We know the things we've got to do against them."

Blocking Bulluck should be high on the list.