Maddox still yearns to play

He's been a good (and high-priced) mentor to Ben Roethlisberger.
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- The Pittsburgh Steelers have changed so much since they lost to the Baltimore Ravens in the second game of the season that coach Bill Cowher said it seems like a different year.
It certainly must feel that way to all-but-forgotten Steelers quarterback Tommy Maddox.
Maddox started that 30-13 loss in Baltimore on Sept. 19, but injured his right elbow early in the third quarter and left with the Ravens leading 20-0. Despite being healthy weeks ago, Maddox hasn't played since, and rookie Ben Roethlisberger has led the Steelers to a franchise-record 12 consecutive victories.
No doubt it's been a kick to the ego of Maddox, the 2002 NFL Comeback Player of the Year -- a player once seen as so valuable that the Steelers rebuilt their offense to fit him. They disdained their long-standing commitment to the run to become a throw-first team in 2003, a change that Cowher acknowledges was a major tactical mistake and he has since reversed.
But if Maddox is discouraged by Roethlisberger's ascension, he has never said so. He works extensively with Roethlisberger during practices and often is the first person Roethlisberger consults when the rookie comes off the field during games.
He doesn't seem angry
Though Maddox wishes he could have led Steelers when they had the NFL's No. 1 defense and No. 3 rushing offense, as they do now, he does not seem angered or perplexed by the turn of events that changed him from starter to sub.
After all, he replaced Kordell Stewart in a similarly unexpected move in early 2002, and he realizes how quickly an injury or a fluke play can alter the course of a team's -- or a player's -- season.
"I know God has a plan for my life, so I don't sweat it too much," Maddox said. "I know things happen for a reason and we'll figure out what that reason is. I'll just go out there and do my job, work as hard as I can and try to help this team win any way I can."
According to Roethlisberger and offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt, Maddox does exactly that.
"Tommy's always been a knowledgeable student of the game," Whisenhunt said. "The way he's worked with Ben and has given him advice and given him what he's experienced has been a big help to Ben. You can see when he comes off the field, he asks Tommy what he sees or asks Tommy for advice. That's a credit to Tommy and how he feels about Tommy as a player."
Roethlisberger has repeatedly given credit to Maddox for his in-game assistance, saying, "He knows what's going on out there better than anybody."
That doesn't mean Maddox is ready to retire after this season and become an NFL quarterbacks coach. After spending several years out of football and waiting 10 years between his fourth NFL start as a Broncos rookie in 1992 and his fifth NFL start with Pittsburgh in 2002, Maddox isn't ready to cut short his career again.
"By no means do I think my career is winding down," he said. "I'm a young 33 years old and feel I've got a lot of football left in front of me."