"Rashard Mendenhall stood on a makeshift stage at Heinz Field with Franco Harris and Rocky Bleier, the star running backs for the 1970s Super Bowl Steelers, and wondered how he got there.

"It means a lot that they asked me to come up there," Mendenhall said. "I'm looking around like, 'Why isn't Troy or Hines or somebody up here?' "

After being ripped for running laterally, for relying too heavily upon a spin move and for not being a "big-time back," Mendenhall upstaged the New York Jets in the biggest game of his NFL career. He accounted for 153 yards of total offense -- including 95 rushing and 32 receiving in the first half -- to help the Steelers to a 24-19 victory Sunday in the AFC Championship Game.

"It's one game away from the Super Bowl; who wouldn't be running the way he did?" right guard Ramon Foster said. "He did a phenomenal job of running and holding onto the ball. He was very powerful and well-deserving of the game he had."

When the Steelers needed him most, Mendenhall used all of his perceived weaknesses to his advantage. Just as easily he reversed field, the running back might have done the same to his reputation by rushing for 121 yards on 27 carries and catching two passes for 32 yards.

Mendenhall's first-half play in the home finale was almost as memorable as his overtime heroics in the season opener, when he ripped off a 50-yard touchdown run to clinch an overtime victory against Atlanta.

After Mendenhall finished with 46 rushing yards on 20 carries and lost a fumble against Baltimore in the AFC divisional playoffs last week, Sports Illustrated's Peter King ripped Mendenhall, chastising him for running laterally by saying, "Get upfield, man." King added: "I think Rashard Mendenhall, two touchdowns and all Saturday, is just not a big-time back.""