A Guest Article by StrwbrryBlondSteeler (Angee)
It was Spring of 1977 and I was a shy, self-conscious 12 year old girl. I was in the waiting room of the dentist�s office, with my mom, bummed out about having to get braces.
As I sat there staring blankly into space, stewing in my misery, I heard the outside door open. My mom nudged my arm and whispered, �Are you paying attention to who just walked in?�
Truthfully, I hadn�t. But, when I looked to the receptionists� window, I couldn�t believe my eyes! Here was Bennie Cunningham!
I knew all about Bennie. During his years at Clemson University he was a consensus first-team All-American his junior year; l2th on Clemson's all-time receptions list; two-time first-team All-ACC; and, he was selected to play in Hula Bowl, Japan Bowl and East-West Shrine Bowl. He was the first-round draft choice (28th pick) of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1976 and still the only Clemson tight end in history to be a first-round draft choice.
I was twisted in a knot of shock and excitement as I was being led back to my own examining room. I knew I wanted his autograph but could I overcome my shyness to ask for it?
Well, fortunately my dentist, Dr. Martin, didn�t let me worry about that for long. Because the next thing I knew I was being ushered down the hallway toward Bennie�s examining room with a piece of office stationary and a pen.
We entered the room and my first impression was how Bennie dwarfed it. He was enormous, stretched out in the chair. I got very nervous. My hands were sweating, my stomach was rolling and Dr. Martin was waiting patiently for me to introduce myself. I could try to recreate the conversation on paper, but honestly it�s all a blur. I do remember stuttering (lots of uh�uh), dropping the pen, blushing furiously and Dr. Martin coming to my rescue. But, the end result was an autograph from Bennie. I was in heaven.
Several years after that, I met him again when I was a senior in high school at a Special Olympics event where we were both working as volunteers. I introduced myself and asked him if he remembered the episode at Dr. Martin�s office. He actually did but didn�t believe I was the same girl (braces are a wonderful thing). I was no longer the shy and self-conscious little girl from before.
We spent a half hour or so talking about our mutual admiration of Dr. Martin and Bennie was patient enough to answer some questions I had about the Steelers. I asked him how it felt to catch the flea-flicker pass from Terry Bradshaw a few years before when the Steelers beat the Browns in overtime. He told me it was a moment he will never forget. I found out his roommate on the road was John Stallworth. From our conversation I got the impression the '70s Steelers were a team of diverse individuals who blended their strengths and eliminated their weaknesses to form the dominant team of their decade.
As the time was coming for us to pack up and leave, I did ask him for his autograph and didn�t trip over my tongue this time around. So, I ran to my car and tore a corner off the first thing I found, a piece of sheet music. He penned my second autograph using the back of my shoulder as a prop.
When the Pittsburgh Steelers won Super Bowl XL on February 5, 2006, the experience of meeting Bennie Cunningham made it all the more sweeter. I not only admire him as a past Steeler and a loyal Steeler supporter now but as a man who came back to his hometown and is making a difference in the lives of young people as a counselor.
Through my 30+ years as a loyal Steeler fan, there have been many players I would consider favorites. But, Bennie Cunningham will always have a special place in my personal Steelers Hall of Fame. 
by StrwbrryBlondSteeler (Angee)
-with many thanks to Hesske for all his help!
Admin Note: Guest writer, StrwbrryBlondSteeler (Angee), submitted this fine article, we hope everyone enjoys it. Angee is the first female to have posted an article at www.stillers.com. We aren�t chauvinistic here, but she is actually the first woman to submit something to us. Many thanks to StrwbrryBlondSteeler