Tuesday, September 09, 2003

By Ed Bouchette, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

Steelers vs. Chiefs, 1 p.m. Sunday, Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Mo. TV: KDKA. Radio: WDVE-FM (102.5), WBGG-AM (970) and the Steelers Radio Network.

Clark Haggans knows just how lucky he is. Instead of replacing Joey Porter at right outside LB in Heinz Field Sunday, he could have been in his place in that parking lot in Denver. Haggans acknowledged for the first time yesterday that he accompanied Porter to Denver's Best All Sports Bar and Grill Aug. 31 when an unknown assailant opened fire with a 9mm gun as patrons streamed out of the bar at closing time. Porter was wounded in the buttocks and thigh and will miss 2-8 weeks of the season. Haggans escaped unharmed and replaced Porter in the starting lineup against Baltimore Sunday. He tied for second on the team with nine tackles, had one of the Steelers' two sacks, forced a fumble and knocked down a pass. In Denver, he was 30 feet away when Porter was shot. Haggans realizes it could just have easily been him.

"I think about that every day. You think about just how fortunate you are to not get hurt, not get a scratch on you and how fortunate you are every time you get to put on the jersey and the Steelers helmet and what you do is just a blessing."

Haggans and LB James Farrior say Porter looked as if he were in playing shape as he raced and jumped along the sideline when Kendrell Bell returned a pass interception 42 yards Sunday. "I saw him on the film," Haggans said. "He had his towel swinging and he was moving pretty well. For a minute there, he was running faster than Kendrell on the sidelines. I think Kendrell should have maybe pitched the ball to him and let Joey score. It seems like he's healing well and he should be back and be fine." Said Farrior, "He was ahead of Kendrell. When I saw the tape I couldn't believe it. He really didn't have his full stride out yet but he was still running fast, so it's looking good for Joey right now. We hope to have him back soon."

RB Jerome Bettis and WR Hines Ward wanted no part of the dispute between Porter and Baltimore LB Ray Lewis. Porter charged that Lewis taunted him on the field before the game by mimicking his "boot" celebration and then telling him Heinz Field was "his house." After the game, Porter belittled Lewis for jumping on the pile after someone made a tackle and said he had lost all respect for him. Asked if it were true that Lewis merely piled on to pad his statistics, Bettis and Ward declined to get involved. "No comment," Bettis quickly answered. "I'm not gong to get into that one. No, he didn't say anything to me. I have to play the guy. Joey didn't have to play against him. We have to go in against him."

Said Ward, "Ahhh, no comment on that." Haggans said it was the case of two players making a lot of noise. "You have two vocal guys ... like if you get two loud stereo systems and you just turn up the volume and put them against one another and want to see who's louder."

Lynn Swann probably had no idea when he interviewed a University of Georgia football player that one day that player would catch more passes than Swann did wearing a Steelers uniform. Hines Ward, starting his sixth season, moved into third place in on the Steelers' all-time list with 339 receptions, three more than Swann caught during a nine-year career that ended in 1982. Ward, with 94 catches in 2001 and 112 in 2002, has two seasons with more catches than Swann's best of 61 in 1978. Ward jumped out to a good start this year when he caught nine passes in the opener. "That's a big honor to surpass Lynn Swann," Ward said. "That was a guy I knew as a child. I'm only 27 and to already pass him, holy man! It's amazing how far my career has come. Now to move up in the chart and to be mentioned with those guys, that's a big honor for me."

Ward needs 20 more to move into second place ahead of Louis Lipps, who caught 358 from 1984-91. John Stallworth holds the club record with 537 receptions. For a generation, spectacular catches often have been called Lynn Swann-like. How would a typical Hines Ward catch be described?

"A catch," Ward answered. "There's nothing spectacular about it. I just want to be dependable. I want people to say he's going to catch mostly everything that's thrown his way. I'm not trying to be like Lynn Swann nor can I be like Lynn Swann. Lynn Swann is one of a few who can go out and make spectacular catches. I just want to be a dependable, reliable guy that, when Tommy [Maddox] throws the ball, he knows I'm gong to catch the ball."

Ward has met Swann a couple of times. "When I was in college, he was working with ABC and he interviewed me. Then, I got drafted by Pittsburgh and he interviewed me. For me to surpass him, it's a big honor for me and something I can cherish the rest of my life."

Bettis said his groin injury is not serious and it's not on the same side as the groin injury that virtually ended his 2001 season after 11 games. This injury is on the right side and it's high on the inside of his thigh. "It's just strained, no tear or anything like that," Bettis said. "It's just a day-to-day thing." Bettis was injured Sunday against Baltimore after he gained 14 yards on 11 carries. He's not sure if he will practice tomorrow. "We'll see. It's one of those things. You have to be careful with because I had a scare with that before, so I want to be real careful. It's stiff today. It really didn't hurt that bad, which is a good sign because the last time I tore the groin it was very painful the next day."

Not starting on Sunday was a new experience for him. "It was weird. It was different because of the anticipation of getting into the game. That was the difficult part because you didn't know. I didn't know if it would be now, next series, next series. I was just trying to keep myself in the game and warmed up. That was the tough part for me."

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