Chris Hoke: You're At 9000 RPMs The Whole Time In Super Bowl
PITTSBURGH (93-7 The Fan) – Former Steelers defensive lineman and current KDKA-TV analyst Chris Hoke joined "The Fan Morning Show" on Friday to talk about what it's like to prepare for the Super Bowl.
To start, Hoke to settle a gentleman's bet between Colin Dunlap and Josh Miller over whether or not Hoke vomited during the leadup to either of his Super Bowl appearances.
"I did not throw up in each of those games, no," Hoke said with a laugh. "I was nervous, no question about it, but I didn't throw [up]...Mewelde Moore did that for me."
Hoke did admit to bouncing around the locker room like a madman before kickoff, though.
"You know me, I'm a pacer," Hoke said. "I'm one of those guys. I was getting down in my stance, I was shooting my hands, I was sliding - people thought I was crazy, because I was doing all these moves in the locker room."
He explained that things don't get any easier as you settle into the game.
"The pressure was so thick that you could cut it with a knife," Hoke said. "I mean, it was thick. And typically in a football game, when the game first starts, you look at, like, an RPM needle, you're in the red, and you're firing in the red to start a football game. But, as the game goes on after the first couple series, that RPM needle kind of goes down into the 2000s range, 3000s, it kind of calms down, and you just go out and play football. In the Super Bowl, that needle's in the red the whole football game. There's no time for calming down. You are going, and you never really settle down, and that's why this game is so intense and so packed full of pressure, is because the whole time, you're at 9000 RPMs."
Hoke also offered his thoughts on this year's matchup, saying that the Broncos' defense can't expect to ride the wave of success they had against Tom Brady.
"The Broncos aren't going to be able to get after Cam Newton like they did after Tom Brady," Hoke said. "Tom Brady can move a little bit, but he can't move like Cam Newton...Newton's going to have the ability, if they come around off the edge, he's going to run. Tom Brady doesn't want to run. Cam Newton doesn't either, but he will run a lot quicker than Tom Brady...they're going to have to be able to make sure that they keep him in the pocket."
When asked for his prediction, Hoke said that he thinks Peyton Manning may have a little magic left, but he doubts that it'll be enough to carry the Broncos to victory.
"There is something special about Peyton Manning," Hoke said. "He hasn't said it's his last hurrah, but it just has that feeling of, this is my last rodeo...but in my mind, I can't see a scenario where the Carolina Panthers lose the football game. They're just playing too good of football right now."
The interview can be heard here: