Joe Cool happy to be out of spotlight

Joe Cool happy to be out of spotlight
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By MARK BABINECK
Associated Press Writer
HOUSTON (AP) -- This is not Joe Montana's idea of a swell time.
"I don't like being around the Super Bowl," he said. "There's too many people. Once you've been there playing, it's hard to go back into town and be around the festivities and see everybody play.
"You miss it enough as it is when you're away from the game. I'd rather be home with my kids doing something there."
He should know. He led to the San Francisco 49ers to the NFL title four times.
Montana, 47 now, was known as "Joe Cool" for the efficient way he handled pressure. He has never fully embraced the celebrity that came with his storied career.
"You can't go out and enjoy the parties because people won't let you," he said. "I went one year and walked in the door and you didn't get 10 feet inside the door. You didn't move. It was an autograph session."
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SWEET EMOTION: Steven Tyler's goal of making Aerosmith the "house band of the space station" got off to a good start this week.
The band, which has about a five-minute set in the Super Bowl pregame show at Reliant Stadium, will kick off their brief performance with a short film chronicling their experiences this week at the Johnson Space Center.
"They let us go down the facility and pay homage to it and experience zero gravity, which we've experienced for many years," said Tyler, lead singer of the five-member Boston-based band.
The group, unabashed Patriots fans, also got to pilot and land a shuttle simulator.
"We had a shuttle pilot with us, so we can't take much of the credit," bassist Tom Hamilton said.
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GOOD DEEDS: Chiefs offensive guard Will Shields' long-standing commitment to disadvantaged children in the Kansas City area earned him the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award.
The honor is based on both service and playing excellence. Shields paved the way for record-setting Chiefs running back Priest Holmes this season and made the Pro Bowl for the ninth consecutive time.
His Will to Succeed Foundation works on a number of fronts, including a day care center that hosts more than 500 children.
Shields credits his college coach, Tom Osborne, for inspiring him to become a youth mentor after his freshman year at Nebraska.
The NFL has awarded a Man of the Year award each year since 1970. Shields is the first member of the Chiefs to win since the late Derrick Thomas in 1993.
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AP sports writer Joe Kay contributed to this report.