An overlooked coach on just about any football staff is the strength and conditioning coach. He's the guy behind the scenes who conditions the players, monitors the weightroom and helps establish a diet.

And while Chet Fuhrman's accomplishments at Penn State may have gone unnoticed by some, he wasn't overlooked by new Pittsburgh Steeler Coach Bill Cowher.

He is one of Cowher's new additions to the team as the strength and conditioning coach of the Steelers. Fuhrman, who spent the last 12 years heading Coach Joe Paterno's strength program at Penn State, said his decision to leave the blue and white for the black and gold of the Steelers was not an easy one.

"It was very hard to leave (Penn State)," Fuhrman said. "Penn State and Joe Paterno were very good to me. I got to work for the best program in the country."

And Fuhrman certainly did his part to keep Penn State's football program among the nation's elite. His strength program helped produce a plethora of NFL players, including Houston Oiler All-Pro offensive lineman Mike Munchak, running back Blair Thomas of the New York Jets and Andre Collins, who is a starter for the World Champion Washington Redskins.

Offensive Line Coach Dick Anderson said that one of the reasons Fuhrman was a success at Penn State was because of his dedication to the football program.

"Chet did an excellent job while he was here," Anderson said. "For a strength coach to be successful, he must put in a lot of hours and Chet did."

Penn State Coach Bill Kenney, a former offensive line coach who is now charge of recruiting, also praised Fuhrman's work at Penn State.

"He (Fuhrman) was an excellent motivator and a thorough technician," Kenney said. "I think he'll do a great job with the Steelers."

Fuhrman is currently in Latrobe working with the Steeler players in training camp. Although he has switched from the collegiate ranks to the professional ranks, Fuhrman said his job is basically the same as it was at Penn State and before that, in his years as a high school coach in his hometown of Harrisburg.

"There really isn't much of a difference," Fuhrman said. "I have the same problems on all three levels."

In fact there is no difference in the strength program he is employing with the Steelers than the regimen he used at Penn State.

Two players from last year's 10-2 team, cornerback Darren Perry and running back Gerry Collins, along with mammoth offensive lineman Stan Clayton, are bidding to join second-year player Leroy Thompson as former Penn Staters on the the team.

So as Fuhrman settles into his new position, he does so with some familiar faces. And though he's been with the Steelers for just a short period of time, Fuhrman raved about his new boss, Cowher, and praised the coach's committment to strength training.

"I'm impressed with his organization," Fuhrman said of Cowher. "He's a player's coach, he's always on a postive note. Plus he's a big believer in off-season and in-season training programs."

In moving to the professional ranks, Fuhrman joins the coach he preceded at Penn State, Dan Riley, who is the strength coach for the Washington Redskins. Fuhrman credited Riley for teaching him much of what he knows today about strength training.

"He (Riley) taught me philosophy," Fuhrman said. "I learned so much from him on how to deal with players and how to get the most of everyone."

So for now, Fuhrman is getting used to a new coaching staff and a new team. And while Cowher faces the unenviable task of rebuilding the Steelers back to a perennial contender, Fuhrman is confident that the new coach can take the Steelers back to its glory days of the 1970s, when Pittsburgh won four Super Bowls.

"Cowher has done the right things needed to take a team all the way," Fuhrman said.