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Former Oklahoma Sooners Quarterback Landry Jones Has Big Day For Steelers

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Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Ahh...the life of the backup quarterback is a true life of grandeur. In college you collect a scholarship while folks in the stands wonder how you'd perform if given a shot. It's the same for the NFL except you're collecting a fat paycheck and people are wondering if you're worth the charge against the salary cap.

Landry Jones didn't make it long as a backup in college and now he's made his mark on the NFL level. Thrust into action as a redshirt freshman, in 2009, Jones came off the bench to replace an injured Sam Bradford in Oklahoma's first game of the season and then went on to have his own record-setting career as the most prolific passer in Sooner history.

Jones started the season as Pittsburgh's third-string quarterback, went into Sunday's game against Arizona as the backup to Michael Vick, and left the field as the hero in the Steelers' 25-13 win.

"I just can't believe I got in the game," Jones said after completing 8-of-12 passes for 168 yards and two touchdowns. "I'm still kind of reeling from it."

Entering the game in the third quarter, Jones helped Pittsburgh rally from what had been a 10-3 halftime deficit to a rather convincing victory with touchdown passes of 8 and 88 yards to Martavis Bryant.

"Landry was like Ben's little brother out there," Pittsburgh running back Le'Veon Bell said. "He was out there making checks and everything and it brought us back like `Dang, Landry really got this. "After we scored the first touchdown, it was like a confidence booster."