Levon Kirkland: SB XXX play “would be remembered forever if we had won”

Levon Kirkland had an illustrious 11-year career in the NFL, including nine seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was a two-time All-Pro, a two-time Pro Bowler, and a member of the NFL’s 90s All-Decade Team. He’s been inducted into the Clemson and State of South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame. He’s been a coach, a recruiter, and an educational speaker. Now he’s added a new title to his resume: Amazon best-selling author.

Kirkland has published his first children’s book, Run Bonnie Run. It was something he was initially hesitant to do.

Hadassah’s Crown Publishing

“I was asked by a classmate at Clemson,” Kirkland says. “She was telling me, ‘We need a children’s book!’ At first, I was like, ‘I don’t know. I’m not really experienced writing children’s books.”

Kirkland had an epiphany after an acquaintance helped him outline his own life’s journey, from his upbringing in Lamar, South Carolina, to his success in the NFL. He realized that he had lived a pretty remarkable tale.

“I’m basically telling my story,” Kirkland says. “And what I did, for the sake of young people, is add two monsters: fear and doubt. And it basically talks about me going through my younger years, facing fear and doubt in order to go to the next level, which was Clemson University.”

Kirkland says Run Bonnie Run is the first in a series of children’s books. Next up is Bonnie Runs Down the Hill, a nod to his time at Clemson. After that will be Bonnie Makes the Pros. He’s also working on a couple of projects for adults.

“One is going to be called Thank You,” Kirkland says. “Normally, we don’t tell people ‘thank you.’ We wait to celebrate their lives after they’re over. I thought it would be kind of neat to write a book of thank-you letters. They’re not just to people, but also different experiences, like ‘Thank you draft,’ ‘Thank you Clemson,’ ‘Thank you Steelers.’”

Kirkland was a member of the 1995 Steelers team that played the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl XXX. “Blitzburgh” held Emmitt Smith to 49 yards in that game, with 23 coming on his first touch. But Kirkland says that feat was no moral victory for the players.

“I thought it was the game that really kind of elevated me as a player,” Kirkland says. “So yeah, it was It was uplifting for myself to do well, and I think it really carried my career. But when it comes to that, it’s about being a winner. You talk about the winners. When you lose a Super Bowl, you’re just kind of a footnote. You’re kind of a trivia question.”

Kirkland had a key sack in the fourth quarter that would’ve been the turning point in the game had Pittsburgh secured the comeback.

“When he called the call, I was like, ‘Yes! I’m going to make a play here,’” Kirkland says. The defense end came through the “A” Gap. Kevin (Greene) went on the outside, and they kind of forgot to block me. Emmitt and the offensive tackle blocked Kevin, and they kind of forgot to block me. Emmitt came at the last second. My instinct was to jump, and I jumped over him. I guess it was enough momentum to make Troy go backward. But I’m telling you, if Emmitt doesn’t come, I am going to kill Troy on that play. He had no idea I was coming. I was going to knock him into next week. That play would have been remembered forever if we had won the Super Bowl.”

Kirkland’s athleticism was unmatched at his position. One of his most impressive highlights came during a Week 3 matchup against the Buffalo Bills in 1996. Kirkland ran more than 30 yards downfield to make an over-the-shoulder interception in the red zone.

“That wasn’t supposed to be my guy,” Kirkland says. “It was Chad’s (Brown) guy. I was kind of free in the hole. I saw Chad didn’t have his guy. He just let him go. I was like, ‘Oh holy cow!’ And I ran after him because I was making up for Chad. The guy was really in front of me, so I just ran as fast as I could. When he put his hands up, I put my hands up. The ball landed in my hands, and I just grabbed it.”

Kirkland says that play is an example of the communication and teamwork that made those 90s defenses special.

“Few people in the league would have even thought about covering up for someone else,” Kirkland says. “We did such a good job of having each other’s back. We did such a good job of communicating with each other as well.”

When it comes to today’s Steelers, Kirkland is excited to see what Mike Tomlin can do with this season’s roster.

“I really like Mike Tomlin,” Kirkland says. “I would have loved to play for Tomlin. I think he does a great job as far as getting his players engaged and making them take ownership. No different from Bill Cowher, no different from Chuck (Noll). I think he’s a great coach. I think Pittsburgh is lucky to have him.”

Kirkland was one of the nominees who fans could have chosen for the 2024 Steelers Hall of Honor class, but he’s not sure if this is the year he’s inducted.

“I was a really good player, and I really think I represented myself well. But I don’t know if I was a fan favorite. We had so many guys, and especially if you’re talking about teams from the Super Bowl. That’s what people remember. I really hope that I do get in. I think I’m deserving. I hope the fans look back and remember what ‘Blitzburgh’ represented. We were not doing that well in the 80s, and I think we exploded in the 90s. I think we were dynamic. I think we were interesting. I think we were fun to watch.”

While most fans will remember Kirkland’s unique mix of power and athleticism, he says something else made him stick out from his teammates.

“I think the number was the coolest thing for me,” Kirkland says. “The fact that I was a big guy, and wearing 99, and I was different. I could I can do things with my size that most people could not dream of doing.”

Listen to more of Levon Kirkland’s interview in the latest episode of What Yinz Talkin’ Bout.