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Sunday, January 20, 2008
Fear part of Super Bowl preparation
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Terence Moore
Nobody understands this Super Bowl drill better than Steve Wallace, the former standout offensive tackle for the San Francisco 49ers via Auburn University and Atlanta’s Chamblee High School. He spent part of his 10th year in retirement from the NFL on Sunday at a local sports bar, where he studied both games that produced this season’s Final Two.
That Super Bowl drill, by the way, involves a number of steps, according to Wallace, owner of three Super Bowl rings after nearly a decade with the magic names of Bill Walsh, Joe Montana, Steve Young, Ronnie Lott and the rest.
Step One: Reality.
No question, a slew of Patriots have a wonderful sense of their past, present and future at 18-0. They just reached a fourth Super Bowl in seven seasons after surviving the San Diego Chargers and themselves on a frigid afternoon in New England.
Then came a night game in Green Bay that made Foxborough seem balmy. The New York Giants ignored the below-zero temperatures and ridiculously frigid winds to win a classic in overtime against the sainted Brett Favre and his Packers.
So, given the postgame smiles and hugs for those associated with both teams, your eyes would say the giddy Giants joined the veteran Patriots on Sunday in already understanding what they just accomplished. Not only that, it’s sort of been all over the news lately that these teams that faced each other just 23 days ago will meet in Glendale, Ariz., in 13 days for the world championship.
“Yeah, but it won’t hit them until Tuesday,” said Wallace, adding that such was the case for the 49ers before each of his Super Bowl trips after the 1988, 1989 and 1994 seasons. “There are just so many other things going on around you during the first couple of days. Everybody is telling you how sweet it is for you to be in the Super Bowl, but it doesn’t sink in.
“On Tuesday, that’s when team officials start telling you about all of the responsibilities you have. Which is [buying] Super Bowl tickets and taking care of family members. And then you start to realize that you only have about a week to put it together.”
The thing is, soon after you deal with Step One, Step Two is just a “something” away from trying to stiff-arm you.
It’s called fear.
You know it’s significant, because the usually fearless Wallace had to use every bit of his 6-feet-5 and 285 pounds to overcome Step Two before each of his Super Bowl trips. That included the third one, when he was terrified after he rose on the morning of the 49ers’ game against the San Diego Chargers. He flipped on the television in his hotel room to hear an ESPN analyst predict that Wallace would get mauled by his defensive counterpart.
So much for critics. “It inspired me to play the game of my life,” said Wallace, before explaining the reason for his fear prior to those Super Bowls, along with the upcoming fear for the Patriots and the Giants. Added Wallace, “The fear is that you start thinking to yourself, ‘Oh, we’re at the pinnacle, and we don’t want to do anything to blow this thing.’
“I’m pretty sure New England will be going through that by saying, ‘Hey, we’ve got a chance to make history. We have to do everything correctly so we don’t blow this thing.’ “
Which brings us to Step Three: Bashing, not from your opponents, but from your coaches. To hear Wallace tell it, the Patriots’ Bill Belichick and the Giants’ Tom Coughlin, both noted tough guys, will find actual things or phantom things to sling in their players’ faces with anger.
“Somewhere along the way during Super Bowl week, they are going to have to go off on their players and do something to just check them a little bit,” said Wallace, recalling how his teammates once gave former 49ers coach George Seifert one of those actual things to use. They were 18-point favorites in their Super Bowl against San Diego, and 18 players missed curfew a few days before the game.
Added Wallace, “Once [Seifert] went off that Thursday morning, everybody was like, ‘Well, this is the real deal.’ “
The 49ers won by 23.
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