Pittsburgh's fleet wide receiver Santonio Holmes scored the winning touchdown in Super Bowl XLIII and was named the game's MVP.

"Great players step up in big-time games to make plays," Holmes said about his brilliant Super Bowl performance.

Ben Roethlisberger hooked up with him in the corner of the end zone with 35 seconds left in the game to give the Steelers a thrilling 27-23 come-from-behind victory. Holmes had four receptions on the final drive and finished with nine catches for 131 yards.

Holmes had his ups and downs in 2008, including a pot bust, one-game suspension and admitting that he sold drugs when he was a kid.

In 2007, Holmes established himself as the Steelers' most feared receiver. His eight touchdown receptions and 942 yards eclipsed veteran Hines Ward.

A darting runner after the catch and slippery punt returner, Holmes was poised to become the next Santana Moss - a true double threat.

But he took a few steps back in 2008, his third season. Ward reclaimed his statistical edge over Holmes, who gained 821 yards and scored five TDs.

And in October, Holmes was busted for marijuana possession. This led to a one-game suspension.

Holmes apologized to his teammates, Steelers' management and ownership and the media, but the damage was done. In a case of mistaken car identity, Pittsburgh police pulled Holmes over on Oct. 23. They had been tracking a dark-colored out-of-state SUV. When police approached his car, they smelled marijuana. Holmes produced three blunts, but claimed he had smoked in the car "yesterday." They wrote him a summons, but the case was eventually dismissed.

"I recognize that I made a mistake and understand the significance of my actions, and will not make any excuses for my behavior," the Steeler stated. "I look forward to putting this behind me and to being accepted by my teammates and the fans as part of this team. At this time, I plan to focus all of my efforts on helping our team win on the field and achieve its ultimate goal, and will not address this situation publicly in the future."

He did just that. Holmes helped lead the Steelers to the playoffs and Super Bowl. Against the Chargers, he ran a punt back 67 yards for a touchdown. And in the AFC Championship Game, he torched the Ravens with a 65-yard catch-and-run TD.

Holmes (a.k. a. Tone) starred at Ohio State for three years before entering the 2006 draft. Pittsburgh selected him with their first-round pick. He had a solid rookie year and after three seasons has compiled more receptions, yards and TDs than any other Steeler receiver over the same time period (topping Hall of Famers Lynn Swann and John Stallworth, and Ward).

But he has a considerable rap sheet as well. In addition to the pot bust, Holmes has been arrested two other times. In 2006, he was charged with domestic violence in Columbus and disorderly conduct in Miami. Both charges were dismissed.

Growing up in Belle Grade, Florida, Holmes admits he sold drugs. "Either you go to sell drugs or you play football,'' he recalls. "You're going to do sports or you're going to be on the corner. The group of guys I grew up around, the area I grew up in, that's all we did before it was time to play football. That's what we knew. My uncles, my family members, friends, cousins - they all did it. They all sat on the corner and did it.... The money was good because we were young. We just wanted to buy shoes or go out and buy snacks that we wanted, just to have money in our pockets...  I enjoyed it for a little while. But I was glad my mom moved me away from there."

Update: In 2010, Pittsburgh traded Holmes to the Jets.

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