Willie Parker

A sign at Clinton High offers visitors a friendly warning. "Danger," it reads, "you have entered Dark Horse Territory." It refers to the unusual nickname of the school's athletic teams -- Dark Horse Stadium, home of the five-time Class AA state football champions, sits next to the sign. But it could also refer to a graduate named Willie Parker.

A power running game was the cornerstone of the storied Pittsburgh Steelers teams. Too often this season, though, the Steelers had cornerstones for cleats. They were a couldn't-run team heading for also-ran status. In seven games against teams that wound up in the playoffs, Pittsburgh lost all but one of the rushing battles. Simply put, that's not Steelers football.

PITTSBURGH -- Willie Parker is taking the gloves off for the New England Patriots. Actually, he's removing those rubber sleeves from his arms, the ones that were blamed for his two lost fumbles Sunday. And he's doing it because of a suggestion from a young fan. Parker, usually one of the NFL's least fumble-prone running backs, came in for considerable scrutiny for wearing the slick elbow sleeves on a rainy night.

The only thing perfect on a snowy, frigid day when the weather and the offenses were equally awful was San Diego's regular-season record in Pittsburgh. It's now 0-13. Ben Roethlisberger stayed away from the mistakes that cost the Steelers their previous two home games, Willie Parker ran for 115 yards and Jeff Reed's third field goal won it -- a 32-yarder with 11 seconds remaining -- as Pittsburgh rallied to beat the Chargers. The unusual final score of 11-10 was the first in NFL history, and it was in jeopardy when Troy Polamalu returned an errant lateral 12 yards for an apparent touchdown on the final play.

PITTSBURGH -- The Houston Texans lost a gamble, a challenge and, probably, their opener in the first five minutes of the season. Willie Parker and the Pittsburgh Steelers made certain the Texans didn't get a second chance in a 38-17 win that was effectively over early in the second quarter. Parker ran for 138 yards and three touchdowns and a near-perfect Ben Roethlisberger threw two scoring passes to Hines Ward in a Steelers rout that began with Houston's fourth-down failure on its opening possession.

5 REUNIONS * *--* Philadelphia receiver Terrell Owens and San Francisco * The ex-49er faces his former team for the first time. Arizona quarterback Kurt Warner and St. Louis * Warner faces the franchise he guided to two Super Bowls. Atl. DT Jonathan Babineaux and Seattle safety Jordan Babineaux * Guess which brother got to the dinner table first? Denver's Champ Bailey and San Diego's Marty Schottenheimer * Schottenheimer was Bailey's coach with the Redskins.

The only thing perfect on a snowy, frigid day when the weather and the offenses were equally awful was San Diego's regular-season record in Pittsburgh. It's now 0-13. Ben Roethlisberger stayed away from the mistakes that cost the Steelers their previous two home games, Willie Parker ran for 115 yards and Jeff Reed's third field goal won it -- a 32-yarder with 11 seconds remaining -- as Pittsburgh rallied to beat the Chargers. The unusual final score of 11-10 was the first in NFL history, and it was in jeopardy when Troy Polamalu returned an errant lateral 12 yards for an apparent touchdown on the final play.

The Tennessee Titans needed a scouting report on Pittsburgh Steeler running back Willie Parker, so cornerback Michael Waddell issued this warning: Don't pay attention to his college career -- this guy can run. Who knew he could run like this?

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers can't afford to have the wheels come off Willie Parker again. NFL teams rarely devote a first-round draft pick to a position of strength, but that is exactly what the Steelers did by choosing Rashard Mendenhall of Illinois with the No. 23 pick last weekend. Suddenly, Willie Parker -- the NFL's leading rusher until breaking his right leg on Dec. 20 -- finds himself competing for every carry and every snap. The Steelers didn't draft Mendenhall to sit him, and that means Parker must share a ball that rarely wound up in any other Pittsburgh back's hands last season.

In one cover-your-eyes snap, the NFL has lost for the season one of its biggest stars, and the AFC has become the great wide open. New England quarterback Tom Brady, the league's reigning most valuable player, is done for the year, his left knee shredded when a Kansas City safety rolled into him in the first quarter of Sunday's opener. The Patriots put him on injured reserve Monday, entrusting the quarterback job to backup Matt Cassel, who hasn't started a game at the position since high school.

In one cover-your-eyes snap, the NFL has lost for the season one of its biggest stars, and the AFC has become the great wide open. New England quarterback Tom Brady, the league's reigning most valuable player, is done for the year, his left knee shredded when a Kansas City safety rolled into him in the first quarter of Sunday's opener. The Patriots put him on injured reserve Monday, entrusting the quarterback job to backup Matt Cassel, who hasn't started a game at the position since high school.

PITTSBURGH -- The Houston Texans lost a gamble, a challenge and, probably, their opener in the first five minutes of the season. Willie Parker and the Pittsburgh Steelers made certain the Texans didn't get a second chance in a 38-17 win that was effectively over early in the second quarter. Parker ran for 138 yards and three touchdowns and a near-perfect Ben Roethlisberger threw two scoring passes to Hines Ward in a Steelers rout that began with Houston's fourth-down failure on its opening possession.

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers can't afford to have the wheels come off Willie Parker again. NFL teams rarely devote a first-round draft pick to a position of strength, but that is exactly what the Steelers did by choosing Rashard Mendenhall of Illinois with the No. 23 pick last weekend. Suddenly, Willie Parker -- the NFL's leading rusher until breaking his right leg on Dec. 20 -- finds himself competing for every carry and every snap. The Steelers didn't draft Mendenhall to sit him, and that means Parker must share a ball that rarely wound up in any other Pittsburgh back's hands last season.

PITTSBURGH -- Willie Parker is taking the gloves off for the New England Patriots. Actually, he's removing those rubber sleeves from his arms, the ones that were blamed for his two lost fumbles Sunday. And he's doing it because of a suggestion from a young fan. Parker, usually one of the NFL's least fumble-prone running backs, came in for considerable scrutiny for wearing the slick elbow sleeves on a rainy night.

A sign at Clinton High offers visitors a friendly warning. "Danger," it reads, "you have entered Dark Horse Territory." It refers to the unusual nickname of the school's athletic teams -- Dark Horse Stadium, home of the five-time Class AA state football champions, sits next to the sign. But it could also refer to a graduate named Willie Parker.

5 REUNIONS * *--* Philadelphia receiver Terrell Owens and San Francisco * The ex-49er faces his former team for the first time. Arizona quarterback Kurt Warner and St. Louis * Warner faces the franchise he guided to two Super Bowls. Atl. DT Jonathan Babineaux and Seattle safety Jordan Babineaux * Guess which brother got to the dinner table first? Denver's Champ Bailey and San Diego's Marty Schottenheimer * Schottenheimer was Bailey's coach with the Redskins.

A power running game was the cornerstone of the storied Pittsburgh Steelers teams. Too often this season, though, the Steelers had cornerstones for cleats. They were a couldn't-run team heading for also-ran status. In seven games against teams that wound up in the playoffs, Pittsburgh lost all but one of the rushing battles. Simply put, that's not Steelers football.

PITTSBURGH -- Emotion, heart and enthusiasm took the Buffalo Bills a long way. Unfortunately for them, their offense couldn't help. Willie Parker ran for a touchdown and 126 yards and Ben Roethlisberger threw for a score as the Pittsburgh Steelers controlled the clock and the tempo while pulling away from Buffalo for a 26-3 victory. It was the Bills' first game since tight end Kevin Everett badly injured his spinal cord.

The Tennessee Titans needed a scouting report on Pittsburgh Steeler running back Willie Parker, so cornerback Michael Waddell issued this warning: Don't pay attention to his college career -- this guy can run. Who knew he could run like this?