Steelers' Rossum, not Reid, may return punts and kickoffs Sunday

She was a student at Temple when they met. He was a football player for the Philadelphia Eagles.

At least that's what Allen Rossum told his future wife, who probably rolled her eyes and told herself that men that size don't play in the NFL.

"Nobody ever believes I play football," Rossum said, with a laugh.

The newest Steeler also is one of the smallest players on the team. But the 5-foot-8, 178-pound return specialist/cornerback has blazing speed and is the one guy in the Steelers' locker room that could hang with Willie Parker in a foot race.

The Steelers likely will put Rossum's speed to use immediately.

Coach Mike Tomlin hasn't committed to Rossum returning punts and kickoffs in the team's season opener Sunday in Cleveland. But all indications point to him doing just that.

The Steelers traded for Rossum after Willie Reid had mixed results during the preseason, and Tomlin put the 10-year veteran ahead of Reid on the depth chart at kickoff and punt returner.

"His resume speaks for itself," Tomlin said of Rossum, who's the Atlanta Falcons' all-time leader in kickoff- and punt-return yardage. "I've got a great deal of respect for what he's capable of."

Tomlin sounded as if he's not quite ready to entrust kickoff- and punt-return duties to second-year man Willie Reid. He did say Tuesday at his weekly news conference that Reid will compete with Rossum for those spots this week in practice.

Santonio Holmes isn't an option to return kickoffs and punts.

Tomlin said the Steelers want Holmes, who's also in his second NFL season, to focus on playing wide receiver.

"I think acquiring Allen allows us to do that with him," Tomlin said of Holmes.

Rossum, who celebrates a birthday in October, is approaching 32, but he said he's still as fast as he was when he broke into the NFL.

The Falcons, he said, traded him because they have a new coaching staff and wanted their own players.

"I've been around this game a long time, and I understand that," said Rossum, who won the "NFL's Fastest Man Competition" at the 2004 Pro Bowl "That's just the business part of this game. Who would not want to play in this stadium or for these fans• A lot of history here."

Rossum, who also played for Philadelphia and Green Bay, has some history with Tomlin.

During Tomlin's first season as an assistant coach in Tampa Bay, Rossum, who was then playing for the Packers, returned a punt for a touchdown to beat the Buccaneers in a crucial game.

Division realignment put Tampa Bay in a different division than Green Bay and in one that included the Falcons

"He shows up in Atlanta," Tomlin said of Rossum, "and he's somebody to be reckoned with as a punt and a kick returner."

Rossum has returned seven kickoffs or punts for touchdowns during his career. Last season, he broke a 51-yard kickoff return in the Falcons' 41-38 win over the Steelers.

Rossum is a Dallas native who grew up a Cowboys fan, but his wife, Angela, is from Erie and still has plenty of family in the area.

"There's a lot going on here," Rossum said. "I'm happy to be a part of it."