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Plant High Presented With Super Role For Bowl

TBO.com photo by BILL WARD

Plant coach Robert Weiner is a fan of the Arizona Cardinals but may opt to simulate Steelers coach Mike Tomlin.

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By KATHERINE SMITH

ksmith@tampatrib.com

Published: January 21, 2009

TAMPA - Ben Roethlisberger has nearly 100 pounds and seven inches on Phillip Ely. That won't stop the Plant High sophomore quarterback from trying to emulate the Pittsburgh Steelers' leader.

Ely can also go the Kurt Warner route. He doesn't have the arm strength of the Arizona Cardinals quarterback, but he can try.

Ely and his Plant teammates will get to choose which Super Bowl player they would like to pretend to be for NBC. The network selected the Class 4A state champions to simulate the Super Bowl matchup between Arizona and Pittsburgh in an effort to help with camera angles during the game.

"This is really cool for the kids," Plant coach Robert Weiner said. "I think our kids will really enjoy it.

"We're big dreamers here at Plant High School. Maybe five, 10 years from now we'll have one of them playing in the game for real."

Tuesday, former USC and Los Angeles Rams coach John Robinson will lead the Plant players through the various pro plays at Dad's Stadium. Then Friday, the team will re-enact those plays at Raymond James Stadium.

The Plant athletes will even simulate pregame introductions and run out of the tunnel as the pro players. Weiner and his coaching staff will also be on the sideline.

"I've always been an Arizona Cardinals fan, but I'm a big fan of Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin too, so I don't know which coach I will be," Weiner said.

Who will wideout Orson Charles portray? Arizona's Larry Fitzgerald or Pittsburgh's Hines Ward? Pittsburgh's Troy Polamalu is one of Plant senior safety Hunter Baldwin's favorite players, so he wants to pick him.

He likes how hard the Pro Bowl safety hits. Baldwin is pretty sure he can get his football moves down. There's one other thing he will be working on to perfect Polamalu's look.

"I'm working on growing my hair," Baldwin said. "It's getting longer, because I haven't cut it since before the season."

Reporter Katherine Smith can be reached at (813) 259-7860.

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