The overlooked coach goes for glory If Tennessee wins the Super Bowl in Icelanta, it is likely they will have squeezed something special out of its offense. If it happens that way, you will hear about Air McNair and Eddie George. There will be much written about left guard Bruce Matthews. Perhaps the Tennessee receivers will play a big part. But offensive coordinator Les Steckel will be just as good a story if the result falls in the Titans' favor. He has traversed some land mines to get back on top of his game as a coach in the NFL. You remember Steckel. He was the same guy who took over for legendary Minnesota head coach Bud Grant in 1984. Grant was retiring after a long career. Steckel, an assistant under Grant for five years, was taking his first job as an NFL coach at the age of 37. Who knew it would be such a tough, thankless task? Steckel surely did not expect to get hammered. Steckel, who has the distinction as the only NFL coordinator to have coached every single position on offense in his career, went 3-13 in his first and only season in 1984 and was gone the next. He sums up the NFL coaching treadmill and the pressure-packed atmosphere as "playoffs or pink slips." What happened? People honed in on his military background. Steckel, 53, is currently a colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. He has 30 years of military service and was a decorated infantry officer in Vietnam. But it followed that he was a strict disciplinarian on the football field. Steckel directed some infamous training camp drills that former Vikings still shudder about in their sleep. At the time, Steckel did not work to change the perception. He says his reputation as a firm disciplinarian is still accurate. But what came out of his one year coaching the Vikings was that he was an obsessed authoritarian to the point of exhaustion. In retrospect, Steckel says he would have done things differently. The rap was unfair to Steckel. It takes about 60 seconds to realize he is much more than strict and much more comfortable than rigid as his reputation suggests. Steckel has certainly shown his patient, comfortable side while working with quarterback Steve McNair. Sixteen years after that eye-opening experience with the Vikings, Steckel is coaching in his second Super Bowl and has to be given a lot of credit for molding McNair into a winning quarterback. He will also be deserving of some credit if the Titans can pull this one out. NOT IN OUR HOUSE Georgia State troopers advised both teams against making the short trip over to the Georgia Dome on Saturday for the traditional pregame walk-through. Freezing rain and continuing temperatures at or below the freezing mark created slick roads all around town. The Titans actually did their walk-through in the interview tent outside their hotel. Still, neither team will walk into the dome unfamiliar with their surroundings. Both practiced inside the Georgia Dome on Friday afternoon. It was an unscheduled change of venue for both teams, after two days practicing outside at their respective facilities in the wind and cold. SPOTLIGHT PLAYERS OFFENSE: LT Brad Hopkins. Hopkins is the Titans' quote machine. Not like Denver's Shannon Sharpe, whose forked tongue never met a zinger it did not like. Hopkins is more from the thoughtful school of sound bites. It is not one of his best offerings, but here is a Hopkins' sample: When asked whether is frustrated him to realize that America knows so little about the Titans heading into the Super Bowl, he responded, "School has been in session all season." Unfortunately, Hopkins and his offensive line teammates say he is pretty quiet during the game. He would not be so entertaining if NFL Films put a mic on him during Sunday’s game. Hopkins will not have much time to wax philosophic while the game is on. He will likely have his hands full with Rams' defensive end Grant Wistrom. Hopkins’ role at left tackle, traditionally to protect the passer's blind side as he sits in the pocket, is slightly different playing in front of a big, physical running threat like McNair. The mobility required of a left tackle also comes into play when he goes from protecting to blocking for McNair if he turns a pass play into a run. Hopkins says it requires the entire line to sustain blocks and play from whistle to whistle. The general rule of thumb on the offensive line is never shortchange an assignment, even if the play goes to a different side of the field because McNair is so good at improvising. DEFENSE: SS Blaine Bishop. Bishop has already squeezed so much out of a body no one thought was NFL-compatible. His 5-9, 203-pound body stacks up small at a physically demanding position, but he plays large and with reckless abandon. Bishop is an emotional leader on this defense. He will have to be even more focused on the job instead of simply reading and reacting on his own. Bishop has to find ways to aid free safety Anthony Dorsett between snaps. Dorsett, making his second NFL start in place of injured veteran Marcus Robertson, will be most vulnerable early in the game. The Rams have promised to air it out in the hopes of gaining a big lead. They have deep threats and threats who can make one move in the middle of the field to break free. As a defender, that means that Dorsett the free safety has a tough job. Dorsett has the physical skills, but he is obviously lacking in expertise and that is where Bishop comes in. For Dorsett to have the game of his life, Bishop has to be at the top of his game mentally and physically. SUPER BOWL EXPERIENCE Three words of advice to Super Bowl stargazers: Lobby, media hotel. Not only is it free, but also everyone who is anyone will usually roll through at some point during the week. Thursday and Friday are your best days. In fact, if you were good and were paying attention, on one day, you could have caught a glimpse of the holy trinity of recently retired sports personalities. We're talking about His Airness, Michael Jordan; The Great One, Wayne Gretzky; and that guy in the beer commercials, John Elway. LEST WE FORGET Just could not say I contributed to the media overkill unless I generated some best, worst, otherwise categories inspired by the Super Bowl. Here is a very incomplete sampling: Sound bite most likely to be used throughout 2000: From Tennessee coach Jeff Fisher, when he gave the Titans' AFC nemesis a straight shot to the kisser with this comment: "Some would say we played in five stadiums in four years if you count Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville." It is an obvious reference to the fact that Tennessee owns the Jaguars, losers of five of six games to the Tennessee franchise since 1995, in Jacksonville. Jaguars quarterback Mark Brunell was told of Fisher's line on national TV and could not believe what he was hearing. Folks, we ain't heard the last of this one, not by a long shot. Best story line (Titans): LG Bruce Matthews making it to his first Super Bowl in his 17th NFL season and being coached by former Houston teammate and current offensive line coach Mike Munchak along the way. Friends are friends forever. Says Munchak of coaching his pal: "It's not as hard as I thought it was going to be. I enjoy (coaching him) because I know he has to listen to me. The only thing is that we can't go out after practice and complain about the coaches like we used to." Best story line (Rams): The former stockboy, Arena Football League, too squeaky clean and good to be true quarterback, Kurt Warner. He could teach us all several lessons about perseverance. Slowest reaction time: It took NFL officials and hotel managers three days to get some proper heat inside the Titans' media tent at their team hotel. What, the white clouds of breath coming out of Fisher's mouth late Monday night at his arrival news conference didn't give you a clue? Then, it was something like 30 degrees inside the tent during the Titans' Wednesday morning interview session. It wasn't until Thursday morning that extra heaters were added. Worst performance in a news conference: By the media stiff who kept calling Fisher, "Steve," on the first night. Coolest performance in a news conference: Fisher, when he gently corrected the aforementioned media stiff, saying, "My name is Jeff." Most curious reason to call a news conference: Hands down, the one on the coin toss for Sunday's game. Most overworked phrase of the week (media): Team of destiny. Most overworked phrase of the week (team, Titans and Rams): Team of destiny.