Skokie Native Mendenhall Healthy for this Super Bowl

ARLINGTON, Texas -- This time two years ago Rashard Mendenhall was nursing an injured shoulder and did not play in Super Bowl XLIII. He has the ring, but an empty feeling grew without the experience.

Now he’s the featured back on a highly potent Steelers team looking to win its seventh Super Bowl in franchise history Sunday against Green Bay.

“I learned a lot from that but now it’s a whole different experience, going through this season and being the lead dog,” Mendenhall said of sitting out the victory against Arizona following the 2008 season. “That was two years ago, so now this is this year’s Super Bowl. All I’m doing is preparing for the Packers. With everything else, I’ll look back at that after the fact.”

The Skokie native and Niles West High School graduate has amassed over 1,100 yards for two consecutive seasons and has heard all week about Green Bay’s run defense, which on paper is lacking. The Packers ranked 15th in the NFL in 2010, allowing 1,838 rushing yards on a 114.9 yard-per-game average, compared to Pittsburgh, who averaged a league low 62.8 yards-per game.

“On paper it is,” he said, “but the game’s not played on paper, it’s played in the stadium. They have a tough front seven, so we’re going to have to get bodies on bodies at the line of scrimmage. If we don’t do that, then that doesn’t mean anything.”

After recording 121 yards and a touchdown against the Jets in this year’s AFC Championship game, Mendenhall emerged as even more of a threat for Green Bay to deal with. If he stands out against the Packers Sunday, he’ll join Franco Harris and Jerome Bettis as Steelers running backs who made a difference on the grandest stage.

“It’s a big difference to be out there and to be counted on in the Super Bowl,” said Mendenhall, a first round draft selection out of Illinois. “It’s the Super Bowl, but it’s no different than it’s been all year. With these veterans, guys that have been here before, we’re going to prepare for this game like we’ve prepared all year, from the Divisional Playoff game to the AFC Championship to now being in the Super Bowl.”

At Niles West, he rose to prominence as the No. 1 recruit in the state of Illinois and rushed for over 4,500 yards in three years. Aside from the shoulder injury, he's lived up to expectations.

“One of the things that we like about Rashard is that he is an intelligent individual,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. “He’s got a desire to be great. He doesn’t ride the emotional rollercoaster. He has a legitimate, sound perspective on all of this. He is an unselfish, under-the-radar kind of a personality, so you are really happy for him and his success, and hope that it continues.”

Mendenhall hopes it continues with a victory over Green Bay Sunday.