\n<\/p>\n
McCormack’s own links to the Steelers would be strengthened in later years when, in his role as a communications consultant, he would work closely with the Steelers then owner, the late Dan Rooney, to promote his charity work with the Ireland Fund.<\/p>\n
Still, having previously been drip-fed news of their on-field exploits, McCormack could hardly believe he would soon be seeing future NFL Hall of Famers like Jerome Bettis and Dermontti Dawson in the flesh, and was especially pleased to have the team’s stars drop by his local rugby club for a meet and greet.<\/p>\n
Come the day of the game itself, those same Steelers front-liners remained in the game far longer than is customary for the opening series of the season’s first pre-season game.<\/p>\n
McCormack, through those links to the Rooney family, had some insight as to why the side’s head coach Bill Cowher seemed especially determined to secure victory in the sort of game where the result is not usually paramount. <\/p>\n
“There was a nice trophy for the American Bowl and Mrs Rooney liked the Waterford crystal,” he recalled.<\/p>\n
“She said she wanted it in Pittsburgh so the coach was given the imprimatur to keep the team on the pitch a bit longer to make sure the points spread was okay before the third and fourth choices ran onto the park.”<\/p>\n
The Steelers would win 30-7 with star running back Bettis collecting a rushing touchdown to provide McCormack with his personal highlight of the evening.<\/p>\n
More than that moment would leave an impression, though. He would later work in communications within rugby and would attempt to emulate some of the pomp he had witnessed in Croke Park.<\/p>\n
“The NFL were the predecessors of modern sport.<\/p>\n
“I remember seeing them photograph the coin toss and it was all ceremonial. In rugby that was done in a cloakroom.<\/p>\n
“The big thing was that, at this stage there were no screens in stadiums here, and they had this huge one wheeled into Croke Park for the first time. Lo and behold, three years later I was doing the same thing in Donnybrook with\u00a0Leinster.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n