They went to head of class

DETROIT – Mark Rypien was in select company Friday.

The NFL brought previous Super Bowl Most Valuable Players here as part of the festivities leading up to Sunday’s game. Rypien, the Spokane native and former Washington State Cougar, directed Washington past Buffalo to earn MVP honors in Super Bowl XXVI in 1992 and he was a backup as the Redskins routed Denver in Super Bowl XXII.

“I’m in awe of all these guys,” said Rypien, who wore his two Super Bowl rings. “I took a picture earlier with the MVPs of (Super Bowls) 1, 2, 3 and 4 – Bart Starr, Joe Namath and Len Dawson. Wow, it hits you that it’s a pretty impressive group of guys.”

Rypien picked Seattle 24-20 over Pittsburgh, despite his friendships with former Redskins teammates Russ Grimm and Ken Whisenhunt, who are on Pittsburgh’s coaching staff.

“There’s not a lot of people giving the Seahawks a heck of a lot of chance, but it’s only because people don’t know what we have in the Northwest,” Rypien said. “I’ve been fortunate enough to watch them throughout the year and had the opportunity three years ago to become part of that team for a two-week period.

“When I was there, I could see the elements that are coming to the surface now. The most important thing, and I think all the players on Seattle would agree, was when Mike (Holmgren) stepped aside from the management side and concentrated his efforts on the football side. There isn’t anyone better calling the game and getting players prepared offensively than he is.”

Hey, buddy old pal

The FBI was called in Thursday to check out Holmgren’s courtesy car when it was found with the hood ajar. Everything checked out fine, said Holmgren, who took the opportunity to needle a longtime friend.

“My good friend and representative Bob LaMonte was here and I reminded him that he said he’d do anything for me,” Holmgren said. Pause. “I wanted him to start the car … and he wouldn’t do it.”

Contract extension

Owner Paul Allen hopes to extend Holmgren’s contract, which has one year left on an original eight-year deal.

Holmgren said that he plans on coaching next year, but he doesn’t want to discuss his contract situation “until we play this game.”

Generous Joey

Steelers linebacker Joey Porter has been in the headlines this week for his verbal sparring with Seattle’s Jerramy Stevens, but Porter demonstrated a softer side in helping out a University of Idaho football recruit.

Porter is longtime friends with Robert McCarty and he’s watched McCarty’s son, Princeton, play running back for West High in Bakersfield, Calif., according to the Seattle Times. Princeton tore his anterior cruciate ligament in the season finale last fall, but the family didn’t have health insurance.

Porter lined up a surgeon and paid for McCarty’s operation. McCarty signed with Idaho on Wednesday.

“I just did what I could do,” Porter told the Times.

Generous Mike

While Holmgren opted to go to USC on a football scholarship, his wife, Kathy, attended North Park University. Kathy’s parents also attended the small Christian liberal arts school in Chicago.

The Holmgrens became the lead donors for an athletic complex at North Park that bears their name. The Holmgren Athletic Complex, featuring a football stadium and softball and baseball fields, was dedicated in 2004.

Polamalu update

Pittsburgh coach Bill Cowher said safety Troy Polamalu woke up Thursday with a sore ankle and he was held out of practice as a precaution. An MRI came back negative and Polamalu, listed as probable, is expected to play. He hurt the ankle in practice Wednesday.

“It may have been more that we’re working out on a different surface than what we usually work on in Pittsburgh,” Cowher said.