Steelers defensive coordinator LeBeau got hohors from Friends and former teammates

Steelers' defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau returned home in Ohio, and attended the activity of "A Night with the Coach" at London High School last Saturday night.

More than 400 people, including a handful of his former college and NFL teammates, packed into the gym at the school. Both the pary and the attendees were parts of a fundraising effort that is expected to produce a new building that has already been christened the LeBeau Field House. They also attended the evening to celebrate LeBeau is going into his 51st season in the NFL.

"When you're growing up, you don't expect to have your name laying around anything on your high school," LeBeau said. "That's really a sincere honor that I don't take lightly."

"He's the best," said Jauron, who played for LeBeau in Cincinnati from 1978-80. "Anything anybody told you about him, if it was good, it was true. I'm just really thankful I know him."

"Dick on the football field was a different man," said former Pitt star and NFL player Bill Priatko, who roomed with LeBeau at Browns training camp in 1959 before LeBeau got cut, and is still close friends with him. "Off the field, he's a gentleman. On the football field he would hit you. He was tough, he was aggressive, he was smart as a bugger."

LeBeau had a great playing career. He is also widely and highly praised as an innovator of the zone blitz that has made the Steelers' defense one of the most feared units in the NFL during his two coaching stints in Pittsburgh.

Titans LB Bullock will not stomp towel again

The Titans linebacker Keith Bulluck has no plan to stomp on any towel again this season. He was among the Titans who stomped on yellow towels after a 31-14 win over Pittsburgh in Nashville last Dec. 21. On Feb. 16 he was sent a Terrible Towel from the Steelers on which there is a note saying:"On behalf of Steelers Nation, we would like to present you with our new Terrible Towel. Hang this up in your locker room. Sincerely, the Black and Gold P.S.: I hope you enjoyed the Super Bowl."

"In all due respect, after we win, I definitely will not be stomping on any towels," Bulluck said. "That's just utter disrespect. The only reason why it happened was because they came into our house waving their 15,000 towels or whatever, and they travel well. They're a proud organization. Steeler Nation they are, but we're not too worried about it."

Bulluck considered Steelers fan having fun with him as part of the game, and he is looking forward to Titans visiting Pittsburgh for 2009 season opener.