Coach Cowher Attempted to Talk Neil O’Donnell Out of Retirement in 2004

[Steeler Nation]

The Pittsburgh Steelers had just suffered a huge blow against the Baltimore Ravens in the first game of the 2004 season. Starting quarterback Tommy Maddox had been injured, and would be lost for half of the season. That left rookie Ben Roethlisberger as the next man up. We all know how that turned out.

The Steelers went 15-1 during the regular season before losing to the New England Patriots in the 2004 AFC Championship game. But Roethlisberger’s starting role almost never happened in 2004 according to former Steelers quarterback Neil O’Donnell.


I know, most of you have probably erased that name from your memory, and rightfully so. That Super Bowl is one of my earliest memories of the Steelers. It was probably the first heart break of my life. O’Donnell quickly left town following that loss, and headed to the Jets. Then the Bengals, and Titans. He never was able to replicate what he did in Pittsburgh. He promptly lost all six of his starts for the Jets in 1996 before being lost for the season due to injury. He came back in 1997 to win 8 games, but he was released following the season. He would only win 7 games the rest of his career mostly as a back-up.

Now in an interview last year with Big Daddy and Friends O’Donnell revealed that then Steelers Head Coach Bill Cowher reached out to him after Maddox was injured. O’Donnell had been retired for one season already, but because of the relationship he still had with his former coach, Cowher made the call.

“I remember the call. I’m a little superstitious,” O’Donnell said. “Everyone know what number I wore [No. 14]…If I could write a storyline saying I played in the NFL for 14 years, with, knock on wood, no really major surgeries…I didn’t want to take the chance going back one more year. Coach Cowher was you know, he and I are very close even to this day.”

It’s good for SteelerNation that O’Donnell didn’t wear #15. Had he came back for a last hurrah with the Steelers and kept Roethlisberger off the field he may have cost the Steelers TWO MORE Super Bowls for all we know. And he would’ve gave us one less season of watching Roethlisberger’s amazing ability on the field.

The entire situation is just a horrible idea. Roethlisberger wasn’t a mid-round pick that HAD to have time to get used to the NFL. Sure in an ideal world he would’ve sat out in 2004, came in as the known starter in 2005 and rolled, but that wasn’t Roethlisberger’s style. O’Donnell wouldn’t of received a welcome in his return. Not only did he cost them the Super Bowl, he led the Bengals to a win against the Steelers in 1998 when starter Jeff Blake was out.


Thank you Neil for making that decision, and sparing all of us that nightmare that would’ve been.

WATCH THE ENTIRE INTERVIEW HERE

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[Ike Kelly]

Thanks Justin unearthing this nugget. Pretty much shows how Chin really, really was hesitant about giving a rookie the keys to running his run first offense. He benefited against his own philosophy, but it’s Tomlin who “lucked” out at QB? The same ideology which would claim Tony Dungy lucked out with Peyton and Jim Mora was the genius behind it.

 

[JMM]

Not sure how Cowher thought that would have worked..... Not sure I can believe that until Cowher confirms it. I wonder if Neil is suffering from revisionist history...

 

[Ike Kelly]

Not sure how Cowher thought that would have worked..... Not sure I can believe that until Cowher confirms it. I wonder if Neil is suffering from revisionist history...

The interviewer is the one that asked about it. NOD just responded as to how he responded. The way Cowher was with QBs I wouldn't doubt it at all Bill contacting someone he was very familiar with.

 

[diver]

It is an assumption that if Cowher called him he was calling him to start. Maddox was hurt, Batch was hurt, the backup was Brian St. Pierre. Perhaps Cowher just wanted to thicken out the QB room.

 

[Drink IRON City]

Thanks Justin unearthing this nugget. Pretty much shows how Chin really, really was hesitant about giving a rookie the keys to running his run first offense. He benefited against his own philosophy, but it’s Tomlin who “lucked” out at QB? The same ideology which would claim Tony Dungy lucked out with Peyton and Jim Mora was the genius behind it.

I hear yaz Ike but because Neil was asked doesn't neccessarily mean he would beat out Roethlisberger. Ben in game shape VS a year retired QB of average ability. I' not saying Bill wouldn't have started him but Bill definately would have looked at both and seen BEN being the superior QB. Maybe I'm wrong but definately a forseeable scenairio.




Salute the nation

 

[FSF]

I have zero doubt Cowher made this call. It made sense — he admitted to pulling back on Ben (particularly vs. Baltimore) because he didn’t have a backup.

it’s worth noting that Ben wasn’t even originally the backup & Cowher was full onboard with Tommy Maddox. They just wanted to throw less and protect the ball more. Batch was 2nd string and Ben was 3rd with the plan for him to sit the entire season, a common practice for rookie QBs at the time.

When Batch went on IR in preseason, it was considered a big deal at the time they didn’t get a vet and Ben was named backup.

Maddox was going to be out till November, and they fully believed they had a championships roster, which they did. So Cowher calling O’Donnell as insurance makes sense. Team went from 2 vet QBs to none in matter of weeks.

Neil made sense. I bet if Kordell wasn’t languishing on Ravens bench and was available he would have been called too.

 

[bkwheat28]

I seem to remember there being a big deal made of Neil having an incredible TD to INT ratio and then in the cruel world of irony SB XXX happened. Almost like the old jinxing a kicker who’s made “x” many straight from inside 50. What a kick in the nuts that night was.