Even Professional Athletes Are Fans
It was a few days before Super Bowl XL and members of the Philadelphia Flyers were asked to predict who they thought was going to win the game. Over a dozen players selected the Steelers, but none of them with the passion and enthusiasm for the black and gold than center R.J. Umberger.
"Steelers, 24-21," predicted Umberger. "I believe they are a better team and Big Ben is a better quarterback. He is going to lead them."
Anyone that knows Umberger wasn't surprised with his prediction. He is a Pittsburgh native and grew up cheering for the Steelers.
He watched Super Bowl XL in Montreal on a road trip with the Flyers, and while watching the game mentioned to someone in the team's public relations department how he would like to meet some of the Steelers one day. A few phone calls were made, and on Wednesday Umberger was at the team's practice facility on the South Side watching one of the team's final workouts of the off-season.
"I have been a Steelers fan for as long as I can remember," said Umberger. "I watch them every Sunday. It's great. I will be a Steelers fan my entire life."
Umberger particularly wanted to meet quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. He presented him with a #7 Flyers jersey with Roethlisberger on the back. He also had him sign a Steelers jersey and a few other items.
And despite the fact that he is a professional athlete himself, it was a thrill for Umberger to see his favorite team up close and personal.
"It's kind of like a kid coming here watching this," he said, who also visited with Steelers first-year fullback Brandon Joe, who he went to Ohio State with. "I have been a Steelers fan my whole life. It's a different sport so it's something different."
Umberger is popular with the fans in Philadelphia when he puts on his Flyers sweater, but when he walks around town decked out in his Steelers gear, it's a different story.
"I wear my Steelers stuff and tick off a lot of Philadelphia people," said Umberger. "For me it's pretty easy. I don't care. I just wear my stuff and what everybody wants to say, I love it. The more they say, the better it is, especially when they won this year. It was a proud moment for me."
Umberger was in Pittsburgh to visit with friends and family for a few days, but his time at Steelers practice definitely is a highlight of the visit home.
"It was a good time. I had fun," said Umberger. "It was a great day. It was something that since I was a little kid I wanted to get up close and personal with everybody. It was a lot of fun."