Alan Faneca
On fishing
Me and my dad started to go fishing when I was in elementary school [in New Orleans]. I went out recently, me and some buddies from college [LSU]. We made it a little competition. It was Team Pastel and Team No-Shirts. My friend Matt Lee and I took our shirts off to get some sun. We caught some red snapper and speckled trout. I think my big red fish won it for us.
On his boat
It's a 24-foot Triton Center Console 240 LTS. I debated for two off-seasons what kind of boat I wanted. It's a saltwater boat, but it's on that tweener line where you can both get out in the ocean if it's not too bad or put it in the lake.
On living with epilepsy
I had my first seizure on Christmas Eve, 1990, my freshman year of high school. Two or three months after that I found out it was epilepsy. I was determined not to let it affect me. I'm doing everything I planned on doing beforehand. I'm fortunate. There are a lot of forms of epilepsy out there. As long as I take my medication, I'm fine.
On how winning the Super Bowl has changed his life
People just come out of the woodwork. My buddies get it more than I do. People ask them, "Do you know Alan Faneca?" They say, "Yeah, I've known him all my freaking life; he was no different two months ago than he is now." It's amazing how big a game that is and what it means to everybody. Crazy.
On receiving one half of a vote for Super Bowl MVP
That's funny. There's a former offensive lineman somewhere who [voted for me].
On Pittsburgh's love for the Steelers
It's the closest thing to that college love of a team. You'd never think you'd be able to have the following and enthusiasm you have with Steelers fans. I bleed the purple and gold of LSU. In Pittsburgh people bleed black and gold. It's special.
On Louisiana producing so many football players
Kids start young. The private school system is big--you can play fourth-grade football for your school.
On playing at 6'5", 307 pounds
I'm not one of the bigger guards in the NFL, especially the way guys keep coming in bigger and bigger. I'm not the smallest, but I'm not in the upper group of bigger guys. A lot of the game isn't how big and strong you are. It's a hands game, and it's knowing how to use what you have. If you're 6'1", 345, but you don't know how to use those extra pounds, it's not going to help.
--As told to Ed Bouchette
FANECA, A FIVE-TIME PRO BOWLER, HAS STARTED 121 OF 126 GAMES IN A NINE-YEAR CAREER.
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Photograph by Jeffery A. Salter
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MICHAEL FABUS/WIREIMAGE.COM