"George Novak's conflict this evening was apparent on a side table in his office this week, when the only football coach in Woodland Hills High School history displayed two full-size helmets facing each other: one from his beloved Steelers, another from the Jets.

In between the helmets rested a bobblehead doll of Jets linebacker Jason Taylor, the most distinguished of all of Novak's former players. That says as much about Novak as it does about Taylor; Woodland Hills has six players in the NFL, the most of any high school in the country.

"Here I am and he's still doing it," said Taylor, 36.

Novak takes pride in each player. One of the walls in his office features the helmet of different alumni - including seven NFL teams and 30 college teams. Some included personalized messages to Novak. He can launch a story about all of them.

Give him time, and he will. But few can top his story of Taylor, which is why Novak might do something sacrilegious here: root for the Steelers' opponent.

Novak returned home for lunch one day in July 1990, when a 6-1, 165-pound teenager was doing brickwork on the driveway across the street. Novak was preparing for his fourth year at Woodland Hills after eight seasons at Steel Valley High School."