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Arlington, Texas • If defensive end Brett Keisel helps the Pittsburgh Steelers win a third Super Bowl in six seasons, he will be hoping for a special tribute from his old school.

Keisel wants BYU's administration to enact an Honor Code exception in his name.

BYU allows men to have beards only when a medical condition makes such growth necessary. Nicknamed "The Diesel," Keisel suggested that the school "loosen up" the code. "Maybe have a 'Diesel Day' or 'Diesel Week' where everybody can let their beard [grow] for a month or so," he said.

Keisel's growth alone is making up for an entire male student body's regularly shaving. His beard has become an epic element of the buildup to Sunday's Super Bowl XLV at Cowboys Stadium, spawning its own social media sites and producing widespread commentary, including this Twitter observation: "When I die, I want to become one of the little forest creatures living in Brett Keisel's beard."

By now, the hairy situation is obscuring not only Keisel's face, but his play on the field. In a season when he would have played in last weekend's Pro Bowl if not for the Steelers' Super Bowl preparations, Keisel is becoming better known for not shaving than for being part of the best run-stopping defense in the franchise's storied history.

But that's OK with him. Keisel keeps playing along, inspired by the hockey tradition of growing beards during the playoffs. He stopped shaving in June, calculating about seven months until the Steelers could be playing for their seventh Super Bowl title.

"The beard is why we're here," Keisel said. "It's unleashed Super Bowl powers on our whole team."

On a much smaller scale, Keisel did a similar thing during the 2005 season, when several defensive players grew beards in an effort to break the team's slump. The Steelers went on to win three road playoff games and the Super Bowl.

With an earlier start, Keisel has far exceeded that growth. The thick, bushy beard makes him look like an old-time, mountain-dwelling trapper, which happens to be his father's avocation. Lane Keisel pursues foxes, coyotes and bobcats in central Utah's Manti-La Sal Mountains, but found little success this winter. He also stopped competing with his son's growth, trimming his own beard. "I couldn't stand it," he said.

His son's facial covering, meanwhile, has "taken a life of its own," Lane Keisel marveled one day last week, settling into a booth at Fred's Sports Grill & Drive Thru in Manti. That's where Brett Keisel's No. 99 jersey is framed on a wall and the "Diesel Burger" — beef, pastrami, swiss cheese, mushroom and tomato; $5.49 — is a popular menu item.

The beard is forcing Lane Keisel to make his own allowance to a governing philosophy of raising children, never wanting them to bring attention to themselves. For all of Brett's achievements, his father is most proud that he's "well-grounded."

Keisel's story is one of persistence and steady improvement, a trademark of the Steelers. He went from starting for BYU only as a senior to making the Pittsburgh roster as the fifth-to-last player taken in the 2002 draft and becoming an elite NFL player at age 32.

"He's got a lot of talent," said Steelers defensive lineman Chris Hoke, Keisel's teammate at BYU and throughout his pro career. "It was just a matter of putting it all together. He has a great understanding of the defense, a great understanding of the technique the coaches want us to play."

Keisel missed most of six games in the middle of this season with hamstring and leg injuries, but has resumed his high level of production in the playoffs. In the AFC championship game, he helped stop the New York Jets' LaDainian Tomlinson on a fourth-and-goal play from the 1-yard line.

Keisel is a Pittsburgh fixture at age 32, signed through the 2013 season. The beard is temporary. Win or lose Sunday, it is coming off "at some point," he said.

The razor that his wife, Sarah, gave him for Christmas finally will be used. The couple's newborn daughter, Grace, will have to get used to a newly shaven face.

But if Keisel and the Steelers win another title, the growth cycle may start all over again in June.

kkragthorpe@sltrib.comTwitter: @tribkurt —

Keisel file

Age • 32

High school • Greybull, Wyo.

College • BYU (1997-98, 2000-01); Snow College (1999).

NFL experience • 10th season.

Regular-season summary • 11 games (11 starts), 35 tackles, three sacks, six pass deflections, two forced fumbles, one INT.

Career summary • 102 games (68 starts), 255 tackles, 17.5 sacks, 19 pass deflections, five forced fumbles, one INT. —

Super Bowl

P Pittsburgh vs. Green Bay, Sunday, 4:30 p.m.

TV • Ch. 13