Flozell Adams is the New Jerome Bettis

Nearly every year, a veteran player who's never won a Super Bowl comes along as a rallying point for his teammates. In Super Bowl XL, that player happened to grow up in the very hometown that was hosting the game. This time around, the Big Game seems to be dedicated to a player that hails from Chicago, but spent 12 seasons toiling in Dallas for a mostly-mediocre Cowboy franchise. 

Yes, this game is quickly becoming the big stage for Flozell "The Hotel" Adams, the Incredible Hulk of a man who wears size 22 shoes and measures out at 6'7", 338 pounds. And to honor their new teammate, the Steelers donned Adams' Michigan State throwback jerseys today on their travel day to Dallas, as illustrated above by crutched center Maurkice Pouncey.

The Steelers have famously worn jerseys in the past to honor members of the team, wearing Bettis' Notre Dame jerseys en route to SBXL and Dick LeBeau's Detroit Lions jersey to the 2007 Hall of Fame game.

LeBeau returned the favor by wearing the jerseys of his 30-plus-year-old defensive players during off-season drills, modeling the threads of players such as Brett Keisel, Casey Hampton, and James Farrior.

Sure, the Flozell Adams storyline will get played out by, say, Tuesday, but honoring teammates and coaches with such gestures is another unique touch that makes the Steelers just a little bit different than the other teams in the NFL. And it's another reason why I never bought Chris Mortensen's rumor of Dick LeBeau going to Arizona - or anywhere else - after the Super Bowl concludes. He's just too comfortable to go elsewhere, regardless of money. And his personnel isn't too shabby, either.

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