DETROIT, MI - When the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Seattle Seahawks 21-10 in Super Bowl XL at Ford Field Sunday evening with linebacker Rian Wallace on its roster, it marked the fifth time in the last six Super Bowls that the winning squad boasted a Temple Owl. Wallace joins former Temple student-athletes Dan Klecko (New England; Super Bowls XXXIX and XXXVIII), Alshermond Singleton (Tampa Bay; Super Bowl XXXVII) and Calvin Wilkinson (Baltimore; Super Bowl XXXV) as Cherry & White gridiron alumni earning NFL Championship rings in recent years.
Wallace was one of seven game day deactivations for the Steelers, who captured their fifth Super Bowl victory overall and first since a 31-10 win over the Los Angles Rams on January 20, 1980. He played in four games as a rookie this season, including the AFC title game victory at Denver, making one tackle.
Wallace is the third Temple player to earn a Super Bowl ring with the Steelers. He joins RB Anthony Anderson and TE Randy Grossman, who captured one and four, respectively, during the Steelers run of success in the mid to late 1970's under head coach Chuck Knoll.
Wallace, who decided to forgo his senior season and enter the NFL Draft as a junior, was selected in the fifth round by Pittsburgh this past April. He was a two-time All-Big East selection, earning first team honors as a junior in 2004. The Pottstown, Pa. native ranks eighth on Temple's career tackle chart with 325 total stops in 34 games.
