PRO FOOTBALL / DAILY REPORT : Cowher Says Woodson Ready to Play

Coach Bill Cowher, making his first appearance here after the Pittsburgh Steelers’ arrival, announced that defensive back Rod Woodson, who suffered a knee injury in the first game of the season, will play in Super Bowl XXX.

“Rod is going to play, although I will list him as questionable probably at this time,” Cowher said. “Foreseeing no setbacks, at this point he’s progressed to the point where I think he can contribute. To what extent that remains to be seen.”

Cowher refused to place Woodson on injured reserve, which would have ruled out his return this season, although most teams in the league would have done so with the type of injury Woodson had. Cowher said he kept Woodson on the roster throughout the season for one reasons: “If we went to the Super Bowl.”

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Charles Haley missed the Dallas Cowboys’ first Super Bowl practice in Tempe, Ariz., which is not news.

Even though defensive end Haley had flu and a 101-degree temperature, this only-on-Sundays player probably would have missed practice anyway.

That the Cowboys expect him for “20-25” plays on Sunday against the Steelers, however, was big news.

“He might even be able to play more than that,” Coach Barry Switzer said.

Haley, who has not played since early December after undergoing back surgery, registered four sacks against the Steelers in the season opening game in 1994. This season he finished tied for eighth in the NFC with 10 1/2 sacks despite missing the final three games.

“Getting Charles back, with the success he’s had against the Steelers, is huge,” Cowboy linebacker Dixon Edwards said.

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The Cowboys spent much of their opening news conferences poking fun at Kordell Stewart, the Steelers rookie quarterback who is used as a wide receiver.

Cowboy owner Jerry Jones is upset because Stewart is allowed to wear a radio helmet like other quarterbacks even when he is playing wide receiver.

Jones said that allowing Stewart to hear the plays gives the Steelers an advantage.

“We’d like to have a radio helmet for one of our wide receivers,” Jones said. “If it doesn’t make a difference, then let us do it.”

Add Switzer: “There is an advantage in the two-minute offense. It would be great if one of our other people besides Troy [Aikman] had a headset.”

Cowboy guard Nate Newton shook his head when asked about Stewart and said, “What’s his name . . . Slash, Flash, whatever it is . . . I guess he’s pretty exciting. I guess in this game we have two and one-fourth quarterbacks--Troy Aikman, Neil O’Donnell and that flash guy.”

Newton also said he was glad that he did not have a radio helmet.

“I know Troy is always talking to somebody on there, and they may be talking about me,” he said.

When asked about the Steelers star rookie, Edwards said, “Stewart . . . Stewart . . . now what was his number again? 10? Oh, uh, yeah, him.”

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Twelve players on the two Super Bowl rosters are from Florida colleges. When asked why Florida-based athletes are so dominant, Newton said:

“What I’m about to say once got a man fired--Jimmy the Greek--but I’m going to say it anyway. A long time ago, they brought all the brothers and the sisters south, and bred the best of the best. The ones in Florida, it was too hard to run north, too far to go up, so we stayed there. The NAACP will say I shouldn’t say this, and I’m sorry, but we’re the best of the best.”

Cowher said the Steelers will not be unnerved by the Cowboys’ role as overwhelming favorites in this game.

“The fact of the matter is for the last three months we’ve been one catch away from being undefeated,” he said.

The Steelers, after going 3-4, won eight in a row and then lost a 24-19 decision to Green Bay because wide receiver Yancey Thigpen dropped a touchdown pass.

“Not many people are giving this team a chance,” he said, “but this is a pretty tough team, and it’s feeling pretty good about itself right now.”