Larry Foote Lawrence Edward Foote , Jr . ( born June 12 , 1980 ) is an American football linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Steelers in the fourth round of the 2002 NFL Draft . He played college football at Michigan . Foote has also played briefly for the Detroit Lions . He earned two Super Bowl ring s with the Steelers in Super Bowl XL and Super Bowl XLIII . College career . Foote played college football at the University of Michigan where he started 28 - of - 48 games recording 212 tackles ( 145 solo ) and 11 sacks for minus - 81 yards and 44 stops for losses of 155 yards . He ranked fourth in school history in stops behind the line of scrimmage . . . intercepted three passes and deflected 18 others . Foot was an All - Big Ten Conference first - team choice by the league ' s coaches as a junior in 2001 , earned second - team honors from the media , he played in every game during his freshman and sophomore season . He majored in physical education in the division of kinesiology . As a senior in 2001 , Foote as a first - team All - American selection by Football News and a second - team selection by The Sporting News as a senior and was a consensus All - Big Ten Conference first team honoree and Defensive Player of the Year , he received the Roger Zatkoff Award , given to the team ' s top linebacker . Professional career . First stint with Steelers . Foote was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fourth round ( 128th overall ) in the 2002 NFL Draft . In his rookie year , he played in 14 games recording 20 tackles . The following year , saw him play more of a role on special teams but he finished the season with six tackles . In 2004 , Foote had a very solid year for the Steelers registering 69 tackles , three sacks and his first career interception . He had a breakout year in 2005 . He started all 16 regular season games for the Steelers , recording 102 tackles and three quarterback sack s . Foote also had a key interception of Denver Broncos quarterback Jake Plummer during the 2005 AFC Championship Game . The Broncos , trailing in the game , returned a Steelers kick to midfield which threatened to shift the momentum away from the Steelers . However on the next play from scrimmage , Foote intercepted Plummer ' s pass and effectively ended the Broncos rally . Foote and the Steelers won Super Bowl XL two weeks later . The 2006 season was another good one for Foote as he finished with 90 tackles , a career - high four sacks and one interception . In the 2007 season , he made 81 tackles , three sacks and one interception . Foote was released by Pittsburgh on May 4 , 2009 , ending a seven - year career with the Steelers that included two Super Bowl titles . Foote had requested the release due to his diminishing playing time with the team after they drafted Lawrence Timmons in 2007 . Detroit Lions . Foote signed a one - year deal with his hometown Detroit Lions on May 6 , 2009 . He wore number 55 , since the number 50 , the number he wore in Pittsburgh , was worn by linebacker Ernie Sims . Second stint with Steelers . On March 15 , 2010 , Foote signed a 3 - year , $ 9 . 3 million contract to return to the Pittsburgh Steelers . On March 12 , 2013 , Foote signed another 3 - year contract to remain with the Steelers . Personal . In March 2008 , Foote paid for the funeral of Mark Brown - Williams , a ten - year - old child from Detroit , Michigan , who had drowned after falling through the ice on a tributary of the Rouge River in February . Foote had no pre - existing personal connection to the family , but he was touched after hearing of the tragedy , as he has a son of nearly that age himself and had played on the same frozen river when he was a child . On June 28 , 2008 , Foote married Jonelle Massop , the mother of his daughter , Jalyn . Foote also has a son , Trey , from a previous relationship . His mother ' s name is Leslie Matthews , he has two sisters , Jennifer and Ciara Matthews .