"It's the experience of a lifetime," he said. "It's what everybody dreams about when you're a kid. Being in the Super Bowl. I'm enjoying every minute of it."
Paxson, who was initially signed by the Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2006, spent all of last season and much of this year on their practice squad. He saw his first NFL action in Week 5 on special teams, then was put back on the practice squad again, before being signed to the 53-man roster for good in early December. He is listed as the team's No. 3 nose tackle on the depth chart, behind starter Casey Hampton and Chris Hoke.
"I love this team," Paxson said. "I'm on the No. 1-rated defense in the league. I feel I'm a part of it, even though I don't get on the field on Sundays. It's pretty amazing. I get to go on the field and play behind Hamp and Hoke and [defensive end] Aaron Smith. I feel I'm learning on and off the field every day."
Thirty-four months ago, Paxson wasn't sure he'd ever get a chance to play in the NFL. A 2-year starter at Penn State, he had high hopes of being selected in the 2006 draft. Then, 7 weeks before the draft, he was blindsided by the justice system.
The Centre County District Attorney's office filed sexual-assault charges against him for an alleged date-rape incident 14 months earlier with a Penn State coed. Paxson admitted he had sex with the woman, but insisted it was consensual. The charges were dropped 6 months later, after Paxson agreed to plead no-contest to disorderly conduct.
