CHAMPIONSHIP RING THE STORY OF 2009 SUPER BOWL XLIII www.championshipringclub.com PITTSBURGH STEELERS
CHAMPIONSHIP RING
THE STORY OF 2009 SUPER BOWL XLIII
www.championshipringclub.com
PITTSBURGH STEELERS
Super Bowl XLIII was an American football game between the American Football
Conference (AFC) champion Pittsburgh Steelers and the National Football Conference
(NFC) champion Arizona Cardinals to decide the National Football League (NFL)
champion for the 2008 season. The Steelers defeated the Cardinals by the score of
27–23. The game was played on February 1, 2009, at Raymond James Stadium in
Tampa, Florida.
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2009 SUPER BOWL XLIII
CHAMPIONSHIP RING
THE STORY OF
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With this victory, the Steelers became the first team to win six Super Bowls. The win
was also Pittsburgh's second Super Bowl victory in four years, after winning Super
Bowl XL at the end of the 2005 season. The Cardinals entered the game seeking their
first NFL title since 1947, the longest championship drought in the league. The club
became an unexpected winner during the regular season, compiling a 9–7 record, and
the playoffs with the aid of head coach Ken Whisenhunt, who was the Steelers'
offensive coordinator in Super Bowl XL, and the re-emergence of quarterback Kurt
Warner, who was the Super Bowl MVP in Super Bowl XXXIV with his former team, the
St. Louis Rams.
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2009 SUPER BOWL XLIII
CHAMPIONSHIP RING
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Pittsburgh jumped to a 17–7 halftime lead, aided by linebacker James Harrison's
Super Bowl record 100-yard interception return for a touchdown. Trailing 20–7 at the
start of the fourth quarter, Arizona scored 16 consecutive points, including wide
receiver Larry Fitzgerald's 64-yard touchdown reception, to take the lead with 2:37
remaining in the game. But the Steelers marched 78 yards to score on wide receiver
Santonio Holmes' 6-yard game-winning touchdown catch with 35 seconds left.
Holmes, who caught nine passes for 131 yards and a touchdown, including four
receptions for 73 yards on that final game-winning drive, was named Super Bowl
MVP. He became the sixth wide receiver to win the award, and also was the third
Pittsburgh receiver to win the award, following Lynn Swann and Hines Ward.
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2009 SUPER BOWL XLIII
CHAMPIONSHIP RING
THE STORY OF
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Despite the global financial crisis and limited amount of ancillary festivities that are
normally held before the game, the NBC television network broadcast attracted an
average U.S. audience of 98.7 million viewers, making it the most watched Super Bowl
in history at that point.
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2009 SUPER BOWL XLIII
CHAMPIONSHIP RING
THE STORY OF
PITTSBURGH STEELERS
The ring for the Pittsburgh Steelers was designed and made by Jostens working
with Dan Rooney and Art Rooney II. The designs were also shown to James Farrior,
Hines Ward, Ben Roethlisberger and James Harrison before a final decision was
made.
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2009 SUPER BOWL XLIII
CHAMPIONSHIP RING
THE STORY OF
PITTSBURGH STEELERS