ARLINGTON, Texas — His name might not have a ring to it with everyone in Pittsburgh, but John Kuhn’s finger has a Steelers ring on it.
Kuhn, a 250-pound fullback for the Packers, is the only player on that roster with a Super Bowl ring. He earned it in 2005 as a member of the Steelers’ practice squad.
Only three players on the Packers’ roster have been on teams that made it this far. The other two are cornerback Charles Woodson, a member of the Raiders who lost to the Bucs in the 2002 season, and defensive tackle Ryan Pickett, who played on the 2001 Rams who lost to the Patriots.
Kuhn, now a key component to the Packers’ offense, said his ring “is something pretty sacred.” He didn’t bring it to Dallas; he keeps it in a safe at home.
“Everyone comes up to me and asks me about it,” he said. “I told everyone I wanted to earn one on the field, and that’s what we’re here to do.”
Kuhn grew up in York, Pa., and was a standout at Shippensburg (Pa.) University, where he was the NCAA Division II player of the year as a senior in 2004.
York is closer to the middle of Pennsylvania, about a four-hour drive from Pittsburgh. Two entrepreneurs from that town already are cashing in on Kuhn’s association with it, selling green shirts with yellow writing that reads “From PA to Green Bay.” On the back, Kuhn’s name and No. 30.
Lester Bryant, a self-proclaimed “diehard Steelers fan” told the York Dispatch he has sold about 100 of the shirts, including some to customers out of state.
“It means a lot,” Bryant told the newspaper. “We don’t have too many people come out of this area and still represent this area. He represents us well.”
Kuhn spent parts of two seasons with the Steelers, first on the practice squad in 2005, then on the active roster for nine games in 2006. That was the final season of coach Bill Cowher.
Kuhn didn’t last too long in the Mike Tomlin regime as he was released during training camp in 2007. It didn’t help, of course, that the Steelers didn’t stockpile fullbacks in their offense.
“I was always thankful for what the Steelers had done for me, and the fact that they gave me a shot and let me play a couple of years there,” he said. “They have a good team, and I know they have a couple of guys who play the fullback position and they play it pretty well.”
A day after the Steelers released him, the Packers picked him up. It’s a move Packers coach Mike McCarthy never has regretted.
“He’s a very consistent football player and one of the smartest players on our team,” McCarthy said. “He brings a lot of value to our offense, and that’s evident in the way we use him.”
The Packers have used him at fullback and at tailback, ramping up his role this season after running back Ryan Grant was lost for the year in the opener.
The burly Kuhn has rushed for a career-high 281 yards and four touchdowns in 81 carries this season, and Packers fans have embraced him with chanting his name in a low tone that sounds like booing.
“I’m very appreciative the fans have taken well to me,” he said. “I think it has a lot to do with the road I’ve traveled. They appreciate a guy who’s willing to put in the extra work to try to get to at least an everyday active roster.”
He thinks of himself as a common guy — in search of an uncommon prize. Again.
More Top Picks Best Wood Stoves