Victory lap: Saginaw's LaMarr Woodley helps the Pittsburgh Steelers reach Super Bowl

[mesaSteeler]

Victory lap: Saginaw's LaMarr Woodley helps the Pittsburgh Steelers reach Super Bowl XLIII
Posted by Mark Constantine | The Saginaw News January 19, 2009 05:42AM
http://www.mlive.com/sports/saginaw/...lamarr_wo.html

Nine years ago, LaMarr Woodley was a freshman on the state championship Saginaw High School Trojans football team. Next month, the Pittsburgh Steeler will play in the Super Bowl.

The 6-foot-2, 265-pound outside linebacker and his teammates meet the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII on Sunday, Feb. 1, in Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla.

"I never dreamed I'd be going to a Super Bowl to watch my son playing in it," said his mother, Janice Staples.
Julie Jacobson | The Associated PressPittsburgh Steelers linebacker LaMarr Woodley is congratulated by fans after winning the NFL AFC championship football game in Pittsburgh, Sunday. The Steelers defeated the Ravens 23-14 to advance to the Super Bowl.

"I was crying I was so happy. It was so cold, but I didn't care no more once my baby's team won the game. He's worked so hard to get to this point. What he's accomplished in two years in the league is something else."
Janice Staples
Staples, her two brothers, sister and her brother-in-law had a good view of Woodley's victory lap, shaking hands Sunday with as many fans as he could reach after a 23-14 win over the Baltimore Ravens in the American Football Conference championship game at Heinz Field.

"LaMarr went around the entire stadium, reaching up as high as he could to shake hands and slap five with as many fans as he could," Staples said.

Jalen Parmele, who starred for Midland's Dow High School and now is a running back for Baltimore, was in uniform on the sideline but did not see any action.

Woodley, 24, saw plenty, finishing with two sacks, five tackles and assisting on two others.

Earlier Sunday at home, Arizona captured the National Football Conference title with a 32-25 win Sunday over the Philadelphia Eagles.

Former Ex-Saginaw Valley State University offensive lineman Todd Herremans, who now plays left guard for Philadelphia, saw his chance to head to Tampa slip away when the Cardinals scored late to pull out the victory.

Then-Saginaw High football coach Don Durrett said Woodley approached him before his freshman year with a request.

"He's a special kid," said Durrett, now an assistant principal at Saginaw High. "When I first saw him, he didn't ask about playing running back or one of the glory positions. All he said was he wanted to hit and block.

"He wasn't into being a hero, and he still isn't. He was such a hard worker, and he still goes out and plays hard."

Woodley, a University of Michigan graduate, has picked up a celebratory move that has his former coach perplexed.

"Now, when he gets a sack, he does this karate-kick thing, and I don't know where he picked it up," Durrett said with a laugh.

Former Saginaw High teammate Ronald Stanley, who was on the Pittsburgh reserve squad three years ago when the Steelers won Super Bowl XV in Detroit's Ford Field, thinks he knows.

"I'm sure he picked it up in practice from the guys," Stanley said. "I watched the game from my home (in Saginaw), and it brought back a lot of great memories of playing with him and three years ago when I was in Pittsburgh.

"It's exciting to watch guys you grew up with and played with on television doing the things he's doing."
© 2009 Michigan Live. All Rights Reserved.

[Hapa]

Hopefully he'll have Kurt crying in two weeks. Because Kurt is a baby and everyone knows it.

[The Duke]

"LaMarr went around the entire stadium, reaching up as high as he could to shake hands and slap five with as many fans as he could," Staples said.

This man is going to become a fan favorite real fast

Great player on and off the field. His progress in just 2 years has been amazing, though it helps having the DPOY on the other side

Put Warner on his back

[scsteeler]

Yes Woodley got the the QB and we really needed that because they sure as hell were not calling the holding on Harrison who would have put Flacco on his back about 3 times had he not been held.

Lamar is going to be a great asset to the Steelers in years to come.