Linebacker Bill Romanowski, at 36, is heading to his fifth Super Bowl, having won two with San Francisco and two more with Denver. Safety Rod Woodson, 37, went to Super Bowl XXX with the Pittsburgh Steelers and was a winner with the Baltimore Ravens after the 2000 season, a team that also included Raiders defensive tackle Sam Adams.
They and other members of the veteran core of the Oakland Raiders appreciate more than anyone else the meaning of Sunday’s victory over the Tennessee Titans and reaching this Super Bowl.
“I truly believe that the experience is once in a lifetime, and this will be my fifth time,” Romanowski said. “But the older you get, you really appreciate how special it is and how hard it is to get to that position.”
The presence of veterans in all areas of the roster this season was a major factor in the Raiders’ success. But now the experience of dealing with a Super Bowl comes into play, an area that Adams, Romanowski, Woodson and 40-year-old Jerry Rice know like few others.
But for now, “I’m not looking at anyone else and being envious of what they have,” said wide receiver Tim Brown. “It’s just a great feeling.”
Said Woodson: “Everybody talks about the age factor. But the window of opportunity is two to three years. Stretching it you might get four.”
