Ron Cook: Starks Puts on a Show For His Dad

Heath Miller celebrates a 2-yard touchdown reception with right tackle Max Starks and fellow tight end Jerame Tuman.

Tuesday, October 25, 2005

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

It takes a pretty big man to wear a Cincinnati Bengals jersey in the Steelers' locker room.
Of course, Max Starks is 6 feet 8, 337 pounds.

What a strange sight Starks, the Steelers' mammoth offensive tackle, made after the 27-13 win Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals, heading for the team bus in a Cincinnati No. 79 jersey with the name Browner on the back. Ross Browner wasn't just a Bengals' No. 1 pick out of Notre Dame in 1978. He is Starks' father.

"This is the first time he's seen me play as a pro," Starks said in those delicious moments after the Steelers turned back the Bengals' challenge for supremacy in the AFC North Division with a convincing thumping. "I'm going out to see him right now."

Wouldn't you know Browner was wearing a Steelers No. 78 jersey with the name Starks on the back?

On this wonderful day, that must have made Browner especially proud.

That was some show Starks and his pals on the Steelers' offensive line put on for his old man. Everyone wanted to talk about running backs Willie Parker and Jerome Bettis after they combined to burn the Bengals' defense for 187 yards on 31 carries. But Bettis knew where the real credit belonged.

"Those guys up-front made it easy for us. They gave us nothing but daylight all day long."

It had been a tough few weeks for the offensive linemen. The Steelers didn't run the ball well in their previous three games, two of them defeats. The worst came in the loss Oct. 16 to Jacksonville. Tackle Marvel Smith was called for a false start and a holding penalty. Guard Kendall Simmons took a holding call. Center Jeff Hartings missed a snap count in overtime.
Starks was beaten for a sack for the third time in two games. The Steelers ran for just 73 yards, an average of 2.4 yards per carry. The Jaguars had nearly a 9-minute edge in possession time.
It doesn't get much worse for the big fellows.

"Nine times out of 10 when things aren't going well for the offense, it's our fault," guard Alan Faneca said.

Bill Cowher certainly didn't hesitate to blame the linemen after the Jacksonville loss. In something of a rare strategic move, he publicly challenged them to play better. It's one thing to do that behind closed doors. It's another to shout it to the world.

"We don't need anyone to tell us we're not playing our best," Faneca said, dismissing the impact of the boss' wrath.

"We're harder on ourselves than the coaches ever could be," Starks added. "We knew we had to come out in this game as one group, one heartbeat, and get the job done."

"We wanted it all on our shoulders," Faneca said.

The results were spectacular.

The Steelers' passing game was efficient if far from prolific. Ben Roethlisberger completed nine of 14 passes for a mere 93 yards. But the linemen "kept the quarterback safe" -- Starks' words -- which was no insignificant feat considering Roethlisberger's tender knee. The only Bengals' sack came when rookie tight end Heath Miller failed to pick up defensive end Duane Clemons on a play-action pass in the second quarter.

But it was the Steelers' ability to run the ball that was most impressive. Parker, Bettis and Verron Haynes combined for 84 yards in the fourth quarter when Roethlisberger didn't throw even one pass. The Bengals had no chance to get back in the game. They couldn't get the ball back for their offense.

"We knew we were going to run it and they knew we were going to run it," Cowher said. "I can't give enough credit to the offensive line. Those guys really stepped up."

All of it made for a nice little father-son reunion for Browner and Starks in the bowels of Paul Brown Stadium. Theirs is a relatively new relationship. Starks' mother, Elleanor, didn't tell Starks that Browner is his father until he was 17. That's the same time Browner learned he had a son.

The two since have found they have much in common.

"I wanted to show him I could play some football, too," Starks said, quietly.

Mission accomplished.