Rossum’s “easy” TD return sparks Pittsburgh

By Darrell Laurant  |   Thursday, September 27, 2007  |  Comments( 0 )

Pittsburgh Steelers
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The Pittsburgh Steelers torched the San Francisco 49ers in a battle of unbeatens last Sunday, 37-16. And it was little Allen Rossum who lit the match.

The 49ers had scored first at Heinz Field, taking the opening kickoff and moving 61 yards in 11 plays to set up Joe Nedney's 32-yard field goal at 9:24 of the opening quarter.

Roughly 12 official seconds later, Rossum stood grinning in the end zone, having hauled Nedney's kickoff 98 yards to score.

It was the fourth scoring runback for the 5-foot-8, 178-pounder from Notre Dame, and they have come for four different teams -- Philadelphia, Green Bay, Atlanta and now Pittsburgh. Rossum was acquired just before the start of the season from the Falcons for a conditional draft pick in 2008, and he made that deal worthwhile with just one play.

"That was one of the easiest I've had," Rossum said. "I only had to make a move on one guy."

The play was designed to go up the left side of the field, but Rossum cut first to the middle, then veered right. The Falcons overran him, and then under-ran him as Rossum bolted for the distant end zone.

"I have to thank the guys on the back side," said the 10-year veteran. "They really held their blocks. A lot of times, guys will quit on a block if they don't think the play is coming their way."

"He ran right off my butt," said Steeler TE Jerame Tuman, who threw a key block.

Rossum's presence this season is something that has made Pittsburgh a better team.

Last year, WR Santonio Holmes and RB Najeh Davenport split kickoff return duties, with Ike Taylor and Sean Morey also helping out. Together, they produced an average return of just over 20 yards. With his near-coast-to-coast effort last Sunday, Rossum's average tops 36 yards.

Moreover, the fact that he is capably returning kicks means that Holmes and Davenport don't have to.

New Steelers coach Mike Tomlin is a special teams devotee, and Rossum said it's something Pittsburgh stresses in practice. Rossum also notched a tackle on special teams defense.
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