When the Arizona Cardinals made it to the Super Bowl against the Pittsburgh Steelers after the 2008 season, there were three legendary plays. One was the touchdown Larry Fitzgerald had to put the Cardinals in the lead in the final minutes and another was the miraculous catch in the end zone by Santonio Holmes.
The other was at the end of the first half when Steelers linebacker James Harrison picked off a Kurt Warner pass at the goalline and returned it for a touchdown as time expired.
Former Cardinals safety Antrel Rolle is an unlikely protagonist on this play because he got in the way of a pursuing Larry Fitzgerald. A number of Cardinals fans (myself included) resent him for being too close to the sideline.
He talked about in on the All Things Covered podcast with former Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson.
https://youtu.be/-8V89hc4FI0?t=1110
“It was a crazy turn of events,” Rolle recalled. “I just had a bad feeling that something was going to go down.”
It did. Harrison picks off the pass and Rolle sort of forgot where he was and actually considered interfering with the play. He was obviously on the sideline because the offense was on the field.
“When I think about it now, I honestly felt like I was going to trip this dude,” he said, referring to Harrison. “That’s what I felt in my body and I’m stopping myself but I didn’t realize how close I was to that boundary line.”
Fitzgerald closed in on Harrison down the field but had to slow down because Rolle was in his path. Harrison scored and took a lead into halftime.
The Cardinals went on to take the lead with Fitzgerald’s touchdown, but Holmes’ catch in the back of the end zone won it for the Steelers, who Rolle said was definitely the better team and deserved to win.
But the ending likely is different had Fitzgerald been able to tackle him. No points would have gone on the board.
Rolle said it best.
“If he hadn’t run into me, he definitely would have caught Deebo (Harrison).”
What is interesting is that had Rolle actually tripped Harrison, he would have been penalized, but there would not have been a touchdown. The Steelers would have been given an untimed down on offense. Instead of a touchdown, they probably kick a field goal.
I probably wouldn’t resent Rolle as much now if he has chosen to do that.
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