Steelers Linebacker Wants to Be a Lion

A decade ago, a Steelers inside linebacker opted to leave Pittsburgh, and a year later ended up in Detroit -- Earl Holmes was never heard from again. Could history be about to repeat itself?

Larry Foote, a starter with the Steelers for three seasons, supposedly would happily leave Pittsburgh to come back home to play for the Lions. A friend of Foote's told the Detroit Free Press that Foote is hoping to come back to Detroit before too long, even if that means playing for the worst franchise in pro sports.

Foote actually has a pretty good head on his shoulders. He's not crazy; he just has a lot of ties to the Detroit area. It's his hometown (not that anyone noticed during Super Bowl XL week, it seems a certain Steelers running back was also from the Detroit) and Foote is still is very active in trying to help with charity work in Detroit during the offseason.

So apparently 0-16 might not deter Foote from heading home.

"He wants to come back here," said Brian Blackburn, a friend of Foote's. "This is the last year of his contract, and he wants to come back here and play for the Lions for about four years and call it quits after that."

Foote's current five-year deal will expire after the 2009 season. With James Farrior signed for five years and 2007 first-round pick Lawrence Timmons breathing down his neck, it's likely that next year was going to be Foote's last year in Pittsburgh anyway.

Super Bowl Rings

The NFL pays for up to 150 Super Bowl rings at $5,000 per ring. Above is the Super Bowl XLII version presented to the N.Y. Giants after a 17-14 win over New England at University of Phoenix Stadium. Eli Manning was MVP. Click through to see all 42 rings.

NFL / WireImage.com

Super Bowl XLI: Indianapolis 29, Chicago 17 at Dolphins Stadium in Miami. Peyton Manning was MVP.

NFL / WireImage.com

Super Bowl XL: Pittsburgh 21, Seattle 10 at Ford Field in Detroit. Hines Ward was MVP.

NFL / WireImage.com

Super Bowl XXXIX: New England 24, Philadelphia 21 at ALLTEL Stadium in Jacksonville. Deion Branch was MVP.

Jostens, Inc.

Super Bowl XXXVIII: New England 32, Carolina 29 at Reliant Stadium in Houston. Tom Brady was MVP.

NFL / WireImage.com

Super Bowl XXXVII: Tampa Bay 48, Oakland 21 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego. Dexter Jackson was MVP.

NFL / WireImage.com

Super Bowl XXXVI: New England 20, St. Louis 17 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans. Tom Brady was MVP.