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Breastons Go With Family

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By JACK MAGRUDER

Tribune Correspondent

Published: January 25, 2009

TEMPE, Ariz. - On a typical football Sunday at the Breastons' home in North Braddock, Pa., father Michael Breaston cooks the hot wings and the family gathers around the TV set to root for the Steelers.

With Arizona WR Steve Breaston in the Super Bowl next week, all that has changed.

Breaston is flying his father, mother and three brothers to Tampa for the festivities, and even though "there are some terrible towels lying around my house," Breaston said, the operative color is red. Blood is thicker than wing sauce.

Breaston's brother, Michael Jr., known as B.B. "is the biggest Steeler fan I ever met," Steve Breaston said. "He lives and dies with the Steelers. It's crazy."

Yet as far as the big game, "he's like 'Man, it's you.' He's all the way Cardinals right now."

Breaston, in his second season, has become an integral part of a Cardinals receiving corps that is a big reason for the team's success.

Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin and Breaston are the second trio of teammates in NFL history to have at least 75 receptions each in the same season. They are the third to have 1,000 receiving yards in the same year.

For his part, Breaston is just happy to be here. Anywhere. He was born three years after his mother had tubal ligation surgery to prevent another pregnancy .

"You kind of look at everything differently," said Breaston, 25.

"It's like my mom, if she had any inkling of believing in abortion, I wouldn't be here. She didn't believe in that. Every day is a blessing.

"The biggest thing ... after I was born, you know how you have a lot of sibling rivalries? My brothers embraced me. I went around with my older brothers. They all took care of me."

BUILDING THROUGH THE DRAFT

The Cardinals, who once drafted punter Tom Tupa in the third round, have gotten this far this season through large contributions from a 2004 draft class that includes No. 1 pick Larry Fitzgerald, No. 2 Karlos Dansby, No. 3 Darnell Dockett and No. 5 Antonio Smith.

Fitzgerald has 419 receiving yards in the playoffs, breaking Jerry Rice's NFL record of 409. Dockett and Smith start on the defensive line, and both have forced fumbles in the playoffs. Linebacker Dansby led the Cardinals with 129 tackles in the regular season and has a team-high 29 in the playoffs.

"We definitely think that is the best draft class the Arizona Cardinals have ever had," said Dockett, who forced a fumble that Antrel Rolle returned for a momentum-swinging touchdown in a 30-24 first-round victory against Atlanta on Jan. 3.

"Look at the numbers. Look at the production. Look at the good teams - they draft them, they play them, they pay them. That's how you build the foundation."

The Steelers built their foundation on strong drafts that included Joe Greene (1969), Terry Bradshaw (1970) and the four Hall of Famer haul of 1974 - Lynn Swann, Jack Lambert, John Stallworth and Mike Webster.

NOTES

Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt understands the Cardinals might feel like the visitors in Tampa, in part because of his trip to the Super Bowl as Pittsburgh's offensive coordinator. "It was certainly like a home game in Detroit," he said of the Steelers' 21-10 victory against Seattle in 2005 at Ford Field. "Their fans travel well."

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